I remember I first played Yume Nikki back in high school while messing around with RPG Maker, but didn’t get very far. Later on, a few years after college, I played it again and was totally engrossed, in a way that very few pieces of media have ever accomplished. Almost every other strong memory I have of playing a game is from childhood and has a bright, cheerful feeling to it, like my first time playing Super Mario World, or Goldeneye with my cousins, but this one is a lot moodier.

I’m not sure what I’d make of it now. I’d still enjoy it, I’m sure (if “enjoy” is the right word), but it’s a game you need to be in the right mood for to get the most out of it.