The main objective in Yume Nikki is to collect the 24 effects found throughout the dream world. Some effects grant unique abilities that can be used to access certain events or locations; the rest are mostly cosmetic.
Effects are found by interacting with objects or certain characters. All effect-givers are unique, each appearing only once in the dream world. They can be collected in any order, except for the Poop Hair effect, which requires either the Yuki-onna or Umbrella effect first. It is also recommended to get the Lamp effect early, as a couple other effects require passing through dark areas.
Effects can be dropped in the Nexus by pressing 5. They appear as eggs and are removed from the menu. Once all 24 effects are dropped, the player can access the ending.
The names used for effects come from the Uboachan fan translation, due to its historic use by most (English-speaking) players. The original Japanese and/or official translation names are stated below each header.
Effects
Frog
（かえる）
Become a frog / Transform into a frog.
Appearance: Madotsuki transforms into a humanoid frog, walking with a hunched-over back.
Passive Effect: Madotsuki walks at normal speed through water.
Action: (1) Madotsuki hops in place like a frog.
Location: Either Forest World or Dense Woods B (Frog Path) - Interact with the Frog.
Practical Uses: Walking through the Pink Sea and Uboa's Trap is much faster, although the Bicycle does the same thing.
Umbrella
（かさ）
Open an umbrella / Use an umbrella.
Appearance: Madotsuki holds a red umbrella.
Passive Effect: It rains, which continues until Madotsuki unequips the umbrella into her normal form. The rain also enables the Demon effect to produce a clap of thunder and lightning. She is unable to enter the restrooms in Block World and Graffiti World and cannot enter beds when it is equipped.
Action: (1) Madotsuki spins the umbrella.
Location: Puddle World - Pick it up off the ground.
Practical Uses: Can be used to douse the fire in the Blazing Corridor of Underground World, although the Yuki-onna effect does the same thing. Can be used to stop the rain in the Dense Woods A if the effect is equipped and then unequipped.
Hat and Scarf
Hat & Scarf（ぼうしとマフラー）
Wear a hat and scarf / Don a hat & scarf.
Appearance: Madotsuki wears a hat and scarf.
Passive Effect: In the snowman form, Madotsuki cannot pinch herself awake due to her lack of arms, and she walks twice as slow.
Action: (1) When snowing, Madotsuki transforms into a snowman.
Location: Block World - Pick it up off the ground.
Practical Uses: Interacting with Mafurako in Block World as a snowman will always teleport you back by her side when returning from an upper area. In the Blazing Corridor, standing next to the fire as a snowman will cause Madotsuki to slowly melt and become immobile.
Yuki-onna
Snow Woman（ゆきおんな）
Become the snow woman / Morph into a Snow Woman.
Appearance: Madotsuki transforms into a Yuki-onna.
Passive Effect: It snows, which continues until Madotsuki unequips the Yuki-onna effect into her normal form. This enables you to use the Hat and Scarf effect's transformation in any area.
Action: None.
Location: Snow World - Interact with the Yuki-onna.
Practical Uses: Can be used to douse the fire in the Blazing Corridor, although the Umbrella does the same thing. Can be used to stop the snow in Snow World if the effect is equipped and then unequipped.
Knife
Kitchen Knife（ほうちょう）
Wield a kitchen knife / Equip a kitchen knife.
Appearance: Madotsuki holds a knife.
Passive Effect: Mobile NPCs will run away from her. Most characters that can't move will animate faster, as if in panic.
Action:
- (1) Madotsuki switches the knife between her hands.
- (Z) Madotsuki stabs with the knife, killing or wounding characters. Some characters and objects react strangely or cause something to occur after being stabbed, including:
- Toriningen - Will turn into their 'lunatic' form if they weren't already, and will begin chasing Madotsuki.
- Mars-san - Its eye changes color and a small wound appears on its foot.
- Onsen-san - It completely changes color and stops drinking its water.
- Pain Blob - Shows its face.
- Arms and Legs in the White Desert Path - They twitch.
- Eye Box - Has a 1 in 30 chance of taking you to the Eye People section of the White Desert. The same condition and chance applies to going back to White Desert A.
- Dave Spector - Stabbing the southwest one grants access to other White Desert areas in the tunnel it wanders by.
- Henkei Shita - The one in Hell has a 1 in 256 chance of transporting you to the Footprint Path A.
- Extinguishes candles in Candle World.
- Makes the eyeballs change color in Eyeball World.
Location: Dark World - Pick it up off the ground.
Practical Uses:
- Killing/wounding NPCs.
- Scaring NPCs away from you - can be used to move NPCs that block your way.
- Interacting with the environment.
- Obtaining money by killing NPCs.
- Accessing new areas.
Medamaude
Eye Palm（めだまうで）
Become Medamaude / Warp into an Eye Palm.
Appearance: Madotsuki's head becomes a giant hand with an eye in its palm.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki closes her palm and teleports to the center of the Nexus.
Location: Eyeball World - Interact with Medamaude.
Practical Uses: Can be used to teleport back to the Nexus quickly and escape from traps (such as being caught by a Toriningen or Uboa) without having to pinch yourself awake.
Notes: When Madotsuki pinches herself, you can notice a little teardrop.
Fat
Fatten（ふとる）
Get fat / Balloon in size.
Appearance: Madotsuki becomes fatter.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki's belly rumbles and an emote appears.
Location: Docks B - Interact with Strober.
Practical Uses: None.
Midget
（こびと）
Become small / Shrink in size.
Appearance: Madotsuki becomes very small.
Passive Effect: Madotsuki can fit through certain small entrances.
Action:
- (1) Madotsuki produces another midget which walks in sync with her. She can produce up to 7 midgets at once.
- (3) One of the cloned midgets will scream and burst in a small spray of blood.
Location: Candle World - Catch and interact with the Dwarf.
Practical Uses:
- Getting in and out of the Stairwell on Mars.
- Getting into Sewer Tunnel C from Sewer Tunnel B.
- Viewing Closet Madotsuki, as Madotsuki's normal height blocks the view.
Flute
（ふえ）
Play a flute / Brandish a flute.
Appearance: Madotsuki holds a flute to her lips.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki plays a short, four-note tune. There are five different tunes that are chosen randomly.
Location: The music room in the Mall - Pick it up off the floor.
Practical Uses: None.
Neon
（ネオン）
Become a neon light / Glow like a neon sign.
Appearance: Madotsuki glows in neon colors.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Tints the screen with a bright color. The tint is removed when the effect is unequipped or changed. Repeating the action cycles the color between red, blue, yellow, and violet.
Location: Neon World - Interact with the Neon Parrot.
Practical Uses: None.
Nopperabou
Faceless Ghost（のっぺらぼう）
Become the faceless ghost / Materialize as a faceless ghost.
Appearance: Madotsuki becomes a Noppera-bō.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki's head jumps off her shoulders and spins around.
Location: The dead-end of the Sewers - Interact with the Nopperabou Ghost.
Practical Uses: None.
Severed Head
（なまくび）
Become a severed head / Be reduced to a severed head.
Appearance: Madotsuki becomes a severed head.
Passive Effect: Madotsuki's height and speed decrease. She is unable to pinch herself awake, enter the restrooms in Block World and Graffiti World, and cannot enter beds when it is equipped due to her lack of arms.
Action: None.
Location: Guillotine World - Interact with the Guillotine.
Practical Uses: Allows Madotsuki to see Closet Madotsuki, as her normal height blocks the view.
Towel
（タオル）
Wrap up in a towel / Wrap yourself in a towel.
Appearance: Madotsuki has a towel wrapped around her.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki sneezes.
Location: Infinite Wilderness - Interact with Ittan-momen.
Practical Uses: None.
Cat
（ねこ）
Grow ears and a tail / Sprout cat-ears and a tail.
Appearance: Madotsuki grows cat ears and a tail.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki faces downwards and meows like a cat, with large red eyes. She paws the air with her right hand and holds a koban coin in her left, resembling a Maneki-neko.
Location: Shield-Folk World - Interact with Nekoin.
Practical Uses:
- Attract NPCs - Can be used to move NPCs that block your way or find NPCs hidden in the area.
- Provoking a reaction from certain NPCs and the environment.
- Summons UFOs at the top of Mars.
Notes: In most cases, this allows you to move characters out of your way without using the Knife effect to kill them. This may be in tune with the Maneki-neko being loosely associated with Guanyin, who is revered in Japan as Kannon (観音), the goddess of mercy and compassion. Maneki-neko with their left paw raised are also said to bring in people or customers, thus why it attracts certain NPCs.
Lamp
（でんとう）
Become a lamp / Change into a lamp.
Appearance: Madotsuki's head transforms into a lamp.
Passive Effect: When the light is on, dark areas are fully lit, improving visibility.
Action: (1) Switches the light on and off.
Location: Lamp World - Interact with the Walking Lamp.
Practical Uses:
- Can be used to navigate Dark World, the Dark Woods, and the FC Dungeon more easily, though it is not required to get through them.
- Can be used to light up the inside of the hot spring house in the Wilderness.
- In previous versions, it was needed to light up the deeper part of FC World B where Buyo Buyo was found.
Bicycle
（じてんしゃ）
Ride a bicycle / Mount a bicycle.
Appearance: Madotsuki rides a bicycle.
Passive Effect: Madotsuki's speed is doubled. She is unable to enter the restrooms in Block World and Graffiti World and cannot enter beds when it is equipped.
Action: (1) Madotsuki rings the bicycle's bell.
Location: Graffiti World - Pick it up off the floor.
Practical Uses: Can be used to travel through the dream world much faster than by walking, catch fast-moving characters like the Dwarf and Nekoin, and escape from lunatic Toriningen.
Long Hair
（ロングヘアー）
Grow long hair / Grow long hair.
Appearance: Madotsuki's hair becomes longer.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki sits down (same as default).
Location: Mural World - Interact with the long-haired Mouth Monster.
Practical Uses: None.
Poop Hair
Poo Hair（ウンコヘアー）
I certainly hope it's hair / Grow poo hair.
Appearance: Madotsuki's hairstyle is done up to resemble poop. At least we hope so.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki drops a fly which buzzes around in place.
Location: Underground World Storage Room - Interact with the poop-haired Mouth Monster.
Practical Uses: Can be used to mark locations for a short time, though only in the same room/area.
Blonde Hair
Blonde（ブロンド）
Grow long, golden hair / Glow long blonde hair.
Appearance: Madotsuki's hair becomes long and blonde.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki sits down (same as default).
Location: Mural World - Interact with the blond-haired Mouth Monster.
Practical Uses: None.
Triangle Kerchief
Spirit Headband（△ずきん）
Wear triangle kerchief / Put on a Spirit Headband.
Appearance: Madotsuki wears a triangle kerchief as a tiara, symbolizing death in Japanese culture.
Passive Effect: In the 'ghost form', Madotsuki is invisible to NPCs.
Action: (1) Madotsuki transforms into an 'invisible' ghost and becomes translucent.
Location: Ghost World - Catch and interact with Fleebie.
Practical Uses: When in 'ghost form', lunatic Toriningen can be avoided as Madotsuki is invisible to them, but they will trap her if she interacts with them intentionally.
Witch
（まじょ）
Become a witch / Become a witch incarnate.
Appearance: Madotsuki becomes dressed like a witch, with a pointed hat and robe.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki mounts a broom and floats a short distance from the ground.
Location: Witch's Island - Interact with Kimajo.
Practical Uses: Can be used to fly off the Mall Rooftop. Pressing Z returns to the rooftop, and pressing 1 dismounts the broom in midair, causing Madotsuki to fall out of bed and wake up.
Demon
Oni（おに）
Become a demon / Reconstitute as an oni.
Appearance: Madotsuki transforms into a Demon. Her skin turns red, horns appear on her head and she wears some sort of animal skin.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) When it's raining, a clap of thunder and lightning can be produced.
Location: FC Basement - Interact with the FC Demon.
Practical Uses: Can be used to summon the FC Demon in the Pyramids area of FC World B any time the area is entered with the effect equipped, giving a warp to the FC Demon's room in FC House. Without the effect, it is normally a 1 in 8 chance.
Buyo Buyo
Squish-Squish（ぶよぶよ）
Body becomes soft and squishy / Change into a squishy blob.
Appearance: When Madotsuki walks, she wobbles around like jelly.
Passive Effect: None.
Action: (1) Madotsuki wobbles up and down.
Location: FC World B - Interact with Buyo Buyo.
Practical Uses: None.
Stoplight
Traffic Light（しんごう）
Become a stoplight / Change into a traffic light.
Appearance: Madotsuki transforms into a stoplight.
Passive Effect: Madotsuki cannot pinch herself awake due to her lack of arms.
Action: (1) Switches stoplight between green and red.
Location: Dense Woods B (The Road) - Interact with Shitai-san.
Practical Uses: When the light is red, all NPCs will freeze in place, which is useful for avoiding Toriningen or catching fast-moving characters. The appearances of some characters also change, for example:
- Monoko: Transforms into her five-armed state. Interacting with her triggers her full-screen event.
- Mafurako: Becomes fully visible.
- Steve 'Leif' Kareha: Closes his eyes.
- Wheelies: Transforms in appearance.
- Thing with the Quivering Jaw: Its jaw stops quivering.
- KyuuKyuu-kun: It stops rubbing the stairway baluster.
Video Guides
This is a playlist of effect guides created by BuyoBuyo on YouTube.
Pseudo-effects
These are actions that work like effects, but are not counted as a collectible effect and are not required to finish the game.
Instructions
Tutorial（ゲームのせつめい）
See the instructions again / Review the game's tutorial.
The instructions appear as a menu item like the 24 effects. Using it displays a basic tutorial on how to play the game. Madotsuki starts with this effect and can use it in any area, including the real world.
Chair
The chair in Madotsuki's dream room can be ridden when Madotsuki sits on it. Instead of writing in her diary, sitting at the desk and pressing Z (facing the desk) will let Madotsuki scoot the chair around her bedroom. She can ride the chair almost anywhere in the dream world (albeit very slowly), but will not be able to get off it until she returns it to her desk. Some areas are also inaccessible with the chair:
- FC Worlds. Pirori in the Barracks Settlement will not teleport you, and the Static Maze and Static Tunnel warps both do not function. Due to this, the main area of White Desert B is also inaccessible.
- Sky Garden, as she can not go up the Stairway to the Sky.
- Windmill World and the Docks A, as the slope into Big Red is not traversable.
- Staircase of Hands, as she can not sleep in any of the dream world's beds. Thus, she is also unable to reach Underground World, the Spaceship, and Mars.
- Witch's Island, as she can not sit on the Traincar seat to travel there.
- Number World's stairway, as she can not go up the stairs there. The path can still be entered by using the Knife effect on the Zippertile prior to getting to it with the chair.
- Mini Hell can also still be entered with the chair despite requiring the Knife effect if the Toriningen is stabbed prior to using the chair. However, this may be difficult, as the now-hostile Toriningen may be tricky to outrun with the chair's slow speed.
- The White Desert A areas containing Monoe, the Eye People, or the Severed Heads, as using the Knife effect is required to get to all of them.
Effects can be equipped when sitting on the chair for the first time, a main cause of glitches. Equipping an effect while in the chair and then riding it will cause the effect to stack with the chair. This results in the passive effect functioning and any effect action (besides sitting down) working as normal. The aforementioned areas remain inaccessible as Madotsuki is technically still in the chair, with the exception of Docks A, which can be entered from the Sewers if the Midget effect is equipped while in the chair.
Crick in the Neck
The only involuntary effect. Madotsuki has a random chance of waking up with a crick in her neck, constantly looking left. She can still sit down on the floor or the chair, but she is unable to write in her diary or play NASU. Going back to sleep and waking up again should solve the problem. If all 24 effect eggs have been dropped in the Nexus to trigger the game's ending, the neck crick will not occur.
Although Madotsuki will not dream that she has a crick in her neck, there is a matching FC World sprite that is unused, suggesting that it could have been an actual effect at some point.
Trivia
- The Frog effect is the only effect that can be found in two separate locations: Forest World and Dense Woods B.
- The Severed Head effect can technically also be obtained in two different areas, albeit they are variants of one world, them being the normal and big variants of Guillotine World.
- There are some unused effects that remain in the files of the game, despite never being implemented in any version.
- All the effect names in Japanese are written in kana, even if the words are usually or only written in kanji. Such effects are written in kanji within the game's database.
- When the English Steam release of Yume Nikki first came out, the translation used different names for the Fat, Flute, Severed Head, and Demon effects as well as the Instructions, respectively dubbing them "Get Fat", "Whistle", "Talking Head", "Devil", and "Game Info". This was changed 12 days after the original release; the update additionally touched up the descriptions for many effects (including those that were not renamed), ranging from minor grammatical fixes to changing the tone of the text.
- Some of these incorrect names still appear in the FC World menu and when picking up dropped effect eggs in the Nexus. Curiously, the incomplete version of the FC World menu only contains the incorrect names for the Fat effect and the Instructions. Additionally, the FC World menu misspells Midget as "Miget" when all 24 effects have been collected.
- In 0.10 and 0.10a, the Witch effect has a bug where, if the player floats with the broom in the Pink Sea, the Number World Bed Room, or the second Neon Tile Path area, the player's footsteps can still be heard while moving around.
- This is due to the fact that every map contains two copies of the same tileset: one for the regular footstep sound effect and one for the broom. 0.09 included the full code for switching between the two tilesets in every map. This was simplified in 0.10, but the three aforementioned maps were not updated.
- The maps still contain leftover data for 0.09's method, and attempting to trigger them with cheats instead corrupts the graphics to the tileset indices changing between builds: the second Neon Tile Path area replaces the pyramids with Henkei Shita heads from Footprint Path A (with the full tileset changing to that of Snow World when sitting down), the Number World Bed Room's tiles are replaced with those of Forest World (except when sitting), and the Pink Sea turns completely invisible due to the game attempting to call blank divider tiles, leaving only a black void.
- In 0.10, the Triangle Kerchief effect's cheek pinch animation always uses the graphic for the invisible state, even if you wake up while visible.
- The animation for waking up in this state also lacks the sprite transparency that the effect's invisible state typically has.
- In versions before 0.10, some effects had different 1-key actions:
- The Knife effect originally had Madotsuki stab the air instead of switching which hand the knife was in. Despite this action sharing its animation with the effect's actual function, it does not affect NPCs as if they have been stabbed.
- The Triangle Kerchief originally made Madotsuki progressively more transparent when the 1 key was pressed, and less transparent when the 3 key was pressed. Toriningen could also still see and trap Madotsuki if she became fully transparent with the effect.
- In 0.04, the Umbrella and Blonde Hair effects lacked 1-key actions altogether, though they gained their respective actions in 0.06.