.flow

Overview
.flow is one of the earliest and most iconic Yume Nikki fangames, created by lol (or lolrust) only two years after Yume Nikki's 0.10. Known for elements of mass body horror, dynamic storytelling and dreadiness previously untouched by the fangame genre, .flow stars Sabitsuki, a white-haired girl refusing to leave her room. Instead, she uses her computer to explore a world inside her mind, potentially representing a dark past, and collect effects.

The title of the game seems to reference both the psychological term of Flow and the prevalent theme of technology. This suggests that what Sabitsuki and, indeed, the player experience is not a dreamlike state at all, but rather an immersive reality.

Gameplay
.flow is one of the more traditional fangames that stays true to the gameplay elements of Yume Nikki. Effects are collected in a gloomy, sublime dreamscape and the user is left to interpret the events and lack of explicit storyline. The only differences that seem to set this game apart from Yume Nikki is the more concrete subject matter (the deeper aspects of the landscape seem to have a more pristine resemblance to human body parts, where as Nikki's environment requires more interpretive thinking to analyze) and the inclusion of multiple endings.

After collecting all effects, you can drop them in front of the computer. Be careful, though, once all effects have been dropped, they cannot be regained (unlike in Yume Nikki). You can get one of the games three endings from here, or continue into the after-game sequence.

Controls

 * Move - Arrow Keys
 * Interact/Select - Z/Space
 * Open Menu/Cancel - X/Esc
 * Effect Action - Shift

Plot
The main plot of the game is similar to the original Yume Nikki's, in that it is a sandbox game with very few exploration restrictions. The player must collect the twenty-four effects to unlock two of the three endings, and three "boxes" to achieve the third and final one. The story of .flow centers around Sabitsuki, who is unable to or refuses to leave her room.

Sabitsuki's bedroom is painted gray, with a TV and game console (through which you can play the minigame Shinsouku Neko (神速猫, God Speed Cat)), a bookshelf, a bright orange rug, and, most notably, her bed and computer. Inversely from most Yume Nikki fangames, the bed is used to save and the computer is used to enter the dream world.

Rust
An interesting gameplay element throughout .flow is a series of "forbidden areas" in Sabitsuki's dream world: open doors that cause the screen to break out in static and Sabitsuki to back away. These can only be accessed once all effects have been collected and "dropped off" in Sabitsuki's PC. With effects stored there, the protagonist assumes her alter-ego, Rust, a seemingly more malevolent version of herself with a more pallid color scheme. Looking closer, her eyes are, almost impossible to tell, a deep red. Rust cannot use any effects, but can surpass the barriers that blocked her original form and acquire three boxes in order to unlock a final and more substantial ending to the game, viewed often as the "true ending."

In addition to these differences, Sabitsuki is pursued throughout the game by Kaibutsu, human characters bloodied to various degrees (to the point of missing large amounts of their faces when hostile) that also share Sabitsuki's white hair. Upon capture, Sabitsuki is transported to an inescapable area in a manner similar to Toriningen.

However, as Rust, the chasers are replaced by Fetuses/Red Demons, a weaker but faster and much more abundant enemy. Rust can take several hits from these demons, each one decaying her body until finally, on one strike too many, she falls apart and is transported back to the real world. It is likely that these Fetuses/Red Demons have a metaphorical meaning.

Characters
There are many NPCs in .flow. None actually speak, but they are often tied together with theories and are possibly part of Sabitsuki's past.