Yume Nikki

Yume Nikki is a 2004 surrealist adventure game created by the pseudonymous Japanese developer Kikiyama. The player controls Madotsuki, the protagonist and player character of the game, and explores her dreams. Various collectible "effects" are scattered around Madotsuki's dream world, which, when equipped, changes her appearance, equipment, or both. Random events occur throughout the game in the form of cutscenes and unique gameplay sequences. The game was developed using RPG Maker 2003 without a traditional plot or battle system. Gameplay instead focuses on the exploration of the dream world. Yume Nikki was distributed as freeware on Kikiyama's personal website in June 2004, and received updates until October 2007. The game received a cult following globally following an English fan translation. Its emphasis on open-ended exploration and lack of combat is described as a precursor to the walking simulator genre, while its visual style and horror elements has inspired numerous other indie games. Yume Nikki was published on Steam by Playism in 2018 in promotion of a reboot, Yume Nikki: Dream Diary, which was released the same year.