Yume Nikki (2004): A Game With No Objective
Yume Nikki (2004): A Game With No Objective
Yume Nikki is an adventure horror game published in 2004 by Japanese developer Kikiyama. While the game has no direct narrative or objective, the player’s job is to explore the dream realm of the character Madotsuki, venturing through various worlds and platforms.I played this game for approximately an hour and would be lying if I said I enjoyed it. Though the thematic ideas of the game are ones that generally interest me, the action of playing was quite the opposite. Because there was no plot to the story nor a driving factor of the narrative (aside from finding hidden cosmetic items for Madotsuki), it was a struggle to continue playing without feeling a lack of accomplishment.However, beyond my personal experience in playing the game, I can admit that the idea is one that is unique and artistic. The player can freely roam through these dream realms, and each ‘room’ or ‘world’ appears endless. One characteristic I noticed through playing was that most of the rooms were essentially loops, meaning that if I were to hold an arrow key indefinitely, I would return to my starting point. This feature is interesting, as it allowed me to seemingly explore without limitations, alongside replicating the surrealism of dream space.The use of obscure characters, imagery and themes allowed this game to feel eerie in a way that was not necessarily scary but more so familiar. Kikiyama used the concept of liminal space to develop the uncanniness of Yume Nikki, further extending the dream-like environment in which this game works to replicate.With my personal preferences in gameplay set aside (I prefer narrative-driven or action-packed games), I believe that this game effectively shows players how an idea or concept can be simple yet effective. Yume Nikki displays nothing, yet everything at once. There is no purpose to the game other than what you decide that purpose to be. The adventure aspect of the game is purely up to how long the player decides to explore and how deep that exploration continues. For a free game, Yume Nikki is exceptional in allowing players to become lost in an unknown world and make it their own.
References
Kikiyama. (2004). Yume Nikki [Video game]. Japan: Kikiyama.
