I'm in that afterglow phase of playing a game, where I want to share it with as many people as possible. In this case, the game in question is Yume Nikki, a freeware game. Its name translates to 'Dream Diary' in English, and I have a strong desire to get others to play it. The player controls a young girl called Madotsuki as we explore her dreams. There are a variety of areas to explore, all surreal in their own way. There is very little text-based interaction in the game, and indeed, the plot is left almost entirely up to the fandom. The only 'objective' of the game is to gather the 24 effects, which can be obtained by interacting with different objects, while exploring the vast dreamscape. They allow Madotsuki to change form. When all 24 are collected, the ending can be accessed. The controls are simple enough. Move with arrow keys. Interact via spacebar or 'Z'. Menu is esc or 'X' (effects can be equipped here). Primary effect of the equipped effect is '1', while the secondary is '3'. '5' is used to drop the equipped effect in the Nexus (the hub of the game), but that comes at the end. '9' is used to awaken from the dream at any time. You initially enter the dream world by interacting with the bed. You save your progress by interacting with the eponymous dream diary on Madotsuki's desk in the real world. The game itself is dark and surreal. There is disturbing imagery, although as it is only 32 bit, the level of gore isn't realistic. That said, Yume Nikki is not for those who dislike horror. Furthermore, some of the fan theories can be unsettling. It is freeware, and as the name suggests, free to download. It can be downloaded here. The game is small. I recommend exploring on your own at first, then moving on to using the Wikia to find effects you missed and areas that you overlooked. This is almost a requirement if you wish to see some of the deeper parts of the game.
