Yume Nikki 2004

Is it still worth playing?

Created by the pseudonymous Japanese developer Kikiyama and distributed as freeware, this 2004 surrealist adventure was made with RPG Maker 2003. It has no dialogue, combat or plot, and there is no way to reach a game over. The player controls Madotsuki, a girl who lives alone, and the game starts in her apartment, which she cannot leave at first. Writing in the dream diary at her desk saves progress, and sleeping in her bed starts her dreams. A dream begins in a room that resembles her apartment, and leaving it leads to a hub called the Nexus with a series of styled doors. Each door opens onto an area with its own environment, and the aim is to explore them and collect 24 Effects, items that change her appearance or equipment. A dream world to wander without a game over is still open today.