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Yume Nikki Fangames Wiki
.flow
.flow Title Screen.PNG
.flow's Title Screen
Release
Latest Version

ver.0.194 (2019/05/27)

Creator

lol

Language

Japanese

Engine

RPG Maker 2000

Release Date

February 15, 2009

Details
Protagonist

Sabitsuki (さびつき) Sabitsuki (さびつき)

Nexus Doors

4

Effects

24 (+3 boxes)

Endings

3


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 release. Known for elements of mass body horror, dynamic storytelling and sense of dread previously untouched by the fangame genre, .flow stars Sabitsuki, a white-haired girl refusing to leave her room. She instead 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 experiences 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, whereas Yume Nikki's environments require more interpretive thinking to analyze) and the inclusion of multiple endings.

After collecting all of the 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 when entered. These areas can only be accessed once all effects have been collected and "dropped off" in Sabitsuki's PC. With the effects stored away, 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 the Toriningen.

However, as Rust, the Kaibutsu 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.

Effects

Effect Image Description
Headphones
(ヘッドフォン)
FlowEff1.png
Sabitsuki wears orange headphones. Pressing Shift causes her to play a couple of tunes and two music notes to pop out of them.
Iron Pipe
(てつパイプ)
FlowEff2.png
Ironpipe2.png
Sabitsuki's weapon. Used to attack NPCs when interacting with them. Pressing Shift causes Sabitsuki to rest the pipe on her shoulder.
Ghost
(ゆうれい)
FlowEff5.png
Sabitsuki turns into a ghost with a traditional triangle kerchief. Pressing Shift allows her to become transparent and invisible to NPCs, but not invulnerable.
Mono Eye
(モノアイ)
FlowEff3.png
Sabitsuki has a big red cyclops eye. Pressing Shift causes her to blink twice.
Diving Helmet
(せんすいふく)
FlowEff20.png
Sabitsuki wears Oreko's helmet. Pressing Shift causes bubbles to silently float out of it.
Cat
(ねこ)
FlowEff4.png
Cat2.png
Sabitsuki has white cat ears and tail. Pressing Shift makes her turn into a small white cat and meow. In this form, she can enter smaller/lower doorways and access new areas.
Broom
(ほうき)
FlowEff6.png
Broom2.png
Sabitsuki wears a blue witch dress, has her hair tied up in a ponytail with a red ribbon and rides a broom, doubling her speed. Pressing Shift makes her get off the broom and walk at normal speed.
Watering Can
(じょうろ)
FlowEff21.png
Sabitsuki holds a watering can. Pressing Shift causes it to rain; subsequent presses change the amount of rain or turn the rain off.
Whistle
(ホイッスル)
FlowEff22.png
Sabitsuki has an orange whistle. Pressing Shift makes her blow it, causing NPCs to follow her. The whistle makes no sound when it is used.
Gas Mask
(ガスマスク)
FlowEff7.png
Gasmask2.png
Sabitsuki wears a gas mask. Pressing Shift causes her to slightly raise it, revealing the bottom half of her face.
Machine
(きかい)
FlowEff15.png
Sabitsuki's arms and legs turns into robot parts.
Tumbling Doll/Dharma
(だるま)
FlowEff16.png
Dharma2.png
Sabitsuki has no arms and legs. Pressing Shift causes her fall over and crawl slowly. Once she falls, she cannot pick herself back up.
Slime
(スライム)
FlowEff24.png
Sabitsuki becomes a green slime. Pressing Shift causes her to melt, then regain her previous form.
Arm
(うで)
FlowEff11.png
Sabitsuki has five arms and has her hair tied up in pigtails, resembling Yume Nikki's Monoko. Pressing Shift will cross all her arms, returning her to the Nexus.
Viscera
(ないぞう)
FlowEff17.png
Sabitsuki's intestines pour out of her stomach. Pressing Shift causes Sabitsuki to try to put them back in.
Psychedelic
(サイケデリック)
DotflowEff.png
DotflowEff2.png
DotflowEff3.png
DotflowEff4.png
Sabitsuki has different colors. Pressing Shift makes her change colors (there are 8 different color sets in total).
Handgun
(けんじゅう)
FlowEff23.png
Sabitsuki holds a handgun, scaring away (but not harming) NPCs when fired. Pressing Shift makes her close her eyes and fire the gun in the air. After shooting 5 bullets, pressing Shift makes her reload the handgun.
Corpse
(したい)
FlowEff18.png
Sabitsuki turns into a purple corpse.
Black Hoodie
(くろフード)
FlowEff12.png
Blackhoodie2.png
Sabitsuki wears a black hoodie. Pressing Shift causes Sabitsuki to lower or raise her hood.
Uniform
(せいふく)
FlowEff14.png
Sabitsuki wears a school uniform like that of the Kaibutsu.
Television
(テレビ)
FlowEff8.png
Sabitsuki's head turns into a TV. Pressing Shift causes her to turn the TV on or off, showing a random image or facial expression each time.
Plant
(しょくぶつ)
FlowEff10.png
Plant2.png
Sabitsuki has plants growing around her. Pressing Shift makes the plants grow thicker around her. The plants will not return to their previous form after that until the Effect is unequipped.
Tattoo
(いれずみ)
FlowEff13.png
Sabitsuki gets red plus tattoos on her eyes, resembling Smile.
Dress
(ドレス)
FlowEff9.png
Sabitsuki wears a funeral dress. Pressing Shift makes her curtsy.

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.

Character Description Sprite
Sabitsuki
(さびつき)
The main character of the game.
SabitsukiSprite.png
Smile (Brother) and Sister A boy and girl with cross/plus tattoos/markings over their eyes. The boy has been called Brother in lol's art, but he is known best by his filename Smile. Certain effects trigger the Smile Event with Brother.
FlowChar4.png
Oreko
(おれこ)
A girl who lives underwater and builds strange machines in her house. She gives Sabitsuki the Diving Helmet Effect. Oreko also reappears in other parts of the game.
FlowChar1.png
Cleaner / Gas Mask Maid Seen at The Sugar Hole and in other parts of the game. This character has been called Cleaner in lol's art, but they are best known by the fan-name Gas Mask Maids. Interacting with one causes her to bow.
FlowChar3.png
Kaibutsu
(Monster / 怪物)
The chasers in the game. They laugh and usually have a distorted/bloodied face.
Kaibutsu1.png
Kaibutsu2.png
Kaibutsu3.png
Bar Kaibutsu
(Gabe)
A lone Kaibutsu at the bar in The Sugar Hole. They will strike back if you attempt to hit them with the Iron Pipe. Nicknamed "Gabe" by fans.
FlowChar5.PNG
Fetuses
(Red Demons)
The Chasers in the after-game. They appear only in one location before the events that lead to one of the endings are triggered.
FlowChar6.PNG
Hana
(Flower Girl)
A NPC that can be found in the Plant Maze, in her own room. She gives Sabitsuki the flower menu theme. Hana is a fan name derived from the Japanese word for "flower".
DotFlowHana.png
Metal-tan
(Gisokuko / 義足子)
A mysterious girl that Sabitsuki can find in Monochrome World, and what may be a younger version of her in the Hospital. Named for her prosthetic legs.
DotFlowMetalTan.png
Sugar Girl
(Girl in Yellow Dress)
A mysterious girl found in several areas deep within the game, most notably in the Vomiting Girls World. She also appears in an event in the apartments area.
DotFlowSato.png
Takibi-San
(Charlotte / 焚き火さん)
A girl who can be found in the outside areas of the Alleyway Hospital. She sits near a street fire and seems to be trying to warm herself. Her Japanese name comes from the word for "bonfire".
DotFlowTakibiSan.png

Gameplay Images (Version 0.192)

Gameplay Video (Version 0.09)

File:Yume Nikki fangames- .flow
Gameplay Video of .flow (Version 0.09)

Download

Original

Version Date Announcement Download
ver.0.194

May 27, 2019

Twitter lol's website
ver.0.193

May 19, 2019

Twitter Deleted
ver.0.192

November 22, 2014

Pixiv Mediafire
ver.0.19

November 21, 2014

Deleted (bugged version of ver.0.192)
ver.0.18

August 18, 2013

Pixiv Deleted
ver.0.17

April 2, 2012

Pixiv Deleted
ver.0.16

April 1, 2012

Pixiv Mediafire (Reupload)
ver.0.15

July 18, 2011

// Deleted
ver.0.1

May 4, 2011

Pixiv Deleted
ver.0.09

August 30, 2010

// Deleted
ver.0.08

May 4, 2010

// Deleted
ver.0.07

January 27, 2010

Pixiv MEGA (Reupload with bug-fix patch pre-applied)
ver.0.06

October 23, 2009

Pixiv Uboachan (Reupload)
ver.0.05

August 17, 2009

// Mediafire (Reupload)
ver.0.04

July 4, 2009

// Uboachan (Reupload)
ver.0.03

May 6, 2009

// Uboachan (Reupload, missing RPG_RT.exe)
ver.0.02

March 10, 2009

// Deleted
ver.0.01

February 22, 2009

// Deleted
ver.0.00

February 15, 2009

// Deleted

Translations

Version Languages Translators Announcements Downloads
ver.0.194
(Online)
  • English
  • Esperanto
  • Chinese
  • French
  • Italian
  • Korean
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Vietnamese
  • Eel
  • Leo9
  • .flow汉化组 & 菇菇
  • Carbonara
  • Plush
  • Haruku
  • Fonvight
  • ¡Анхэл
  • VioletNeiv
  • //
ver.0.194
(Download)
  • English
  • Chinese
  • Korean
  • Toki Pona
  • Anonymous
  • 飛揚寒星(fcoldstar) & 悲傷的小魚
  • Haruku
  • takne77
ver.0.193
  • English
  • Anonymous
  • Deleted
ver.0.192
  • English
  • French
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • rostranslations & Anonymous
  • Jugdjay
  • 飛揚寒星(fcoldstar) & 悲傷的小魚
  • Gatoduende
  • ?
ver.0.18
  • English
  • English (Mac)
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Chinese
  • Korean
ver.0.17
  • English
  • Spanish
ver.0.15
  • English
  • ?
  • //
ver.0.1
  • English
  • ?
  • //

External Links