Returning Nightmares/guide

Game	Walkthrough	Gallery	Theories

Walkthrough for Returning Nightmares (Demo).

Memories Guide

---

Switchblade

Your old blade.

Appearance: Akira wields a switchblade.

Passive Effect: NPCs may move away from him.

Action: None.

Location: Found in Knife World.

Practical Uses: This effect allows Akira to kill NPCs (which sometimes leave behind money).

Enter the top-right door to Knife World. Go slightly north-east from the door and interact with the body outline on the ground.

Warlock

The magic in these will you back to the nexus.

Appearance: Akira dresses as a warlock: he wears a dark purple costume and brown boots underneath purple cloak.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: (Shift) Just returning Akira to the Nexus.

Location: Found in Wizard Room.

Practical Uses: This effect allows you to return to the Nexus at will.

This effect requires the Mossy Key to unlock.

Enter the top-right door to the Knife World. Go down until you're standing parallel to a row of knives on your right then go left. Interact with the floating symbol. Go up and into the Red Sea. Go north-west and enter the small gray building. Once in the elevator, press the button and select f2. Leave the elevator and go down.

Take the path on the right and go underneath the purple archway. In the Maze, go north-west and go through a dark purple archway. In the Forest, go south-east and interact with the trap door. Interact with the cloak.

Wings

Someone thinks you're an angel.

Appearance: Akira sprouts wings.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: (Shift) Switches between light and dark wings.

Location: Found in Pastel Clouds Area.

Practical Uses: None.

Enter the bottom door to the Stars Area. Go north-east from the door and through an archway of blue stars. Go through the hallway then go up through another blue archway. In the Pastel Clouds Area, cross the rainbow on the right then go across another rainbow on the right to a large orange cloud with trees. Talk to the pink haired NPC by the bench.

Ink

Melt down to a puddle of ink.

Appearance: Akira becomes ink version of himself with ink-flowed lower body.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: (Shift) Makes Akira become a puddle of ink.

Location: Found in Block World.

Practical Uses: Can be used to fit into small gaps.

Enter the red door on the left to the Block World. Go roughly south-east to a big red building pictured to the right. Enter the door on the lighter half of the building. Interact with the ink puddle.

Neon

Become colorful.

Appearance: Akira becomes a neon figure.

Passive Effect: Akira`s neon outline changing color as he walks.

Action: None.

Location: Found in Neon World.

Practical Uses: None.

Enter the flashing door to the Neon World. Go down once then go right once. Interact with the small moving cube. The cube is set to randomly float around, so it might drift off to a path near it if it's not immediately found.

School Uniform

Back to school.

Appearance: Akira wears a male Japanese school uniform.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: None.

Location: Found in the School.

Practical Uses: None.

Enter the bottom-left door to the Streetlights World. Go straight down, take the first path going right then go up. Interact with the three exclamation mark signs. Go right and enter the School. Enter the double doors on the right. Go up and go through the next set of double doors. Enter the room immediately to your left. Interact with the uniform on the desk.

Alice

Dress like another dreamer.

Appearance: Akira wears a red dress with a white full apron and a white wire fabric headband (usamimi bow) at the head.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: (Shift) Changes the color of outfit.

Location: Found in Alice Area from the Dolls World.

Practical Uses: None.

Enter the bottom-right door to the Apartments. Go left and interact with the door next to the stairs sign. Go right and through the door to the next floor. Go right and enter the fourth room. Interact with the doll on the drawer. Go up and interact with the red arrow. Step into the sigil. In the Dolls World, go south-west and step between two red mushrooms. Interact with the dress on the table.

Dress Shirt

Look "normal."

Appearance: Akira wears a dress shirt with a red tie. His hair is combed.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: None.

Location: Found in the Church.

Practical Uses: None.

Enter the middle-right door to the Red Lamps World. Go north-west and enter the building surrounded by lamps. In the Red Lines District, follow the road until you reach a building with a brown-haired NPC walking nearby. Go into the building. Go right down the hall into the Church. Go up and enter the top-left doorway. Interact with the shirt.

Cat

Become a cat. Not a cat cat, a cat boy.

Appearance: Akira dresses like a cat, gains cat ears and a tail.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: (Shift) Makes Akira meow.

Location: Found in the Cafe from the Garden.

Practical Uses: None.

Enter the bottom door to the Stars Area. Go north-east and under a blue archway. Go right through the hall then go up and through another archway. In the Pastel Clouds Area, go south-east to a big lilac cloud with a blue tree and flowers on it. Go between the flowers to a garden area.

In the Garden, go south until you see a small white fence to your right. Go right and between the fences. Enter the cafe. Talk to the NPC behind the counter.

Glitch

Appearance: Akira becomes glitched.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: None.

Location: Found in Glitch Area.

Practical Uses: None.

Enter the flashing door to the Neon World. Go left once then go up once. Enter the blue doorway. Go north-west and interact with the glitching computer. Go left to enter the Glitch Area. Go north-west again and interact with the glitching Akira sprite.

Lockbox

Appearance: Akira wears a white bloody robe, his head is replaced with a metal box.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: None.

Location: Found in the Prison.

Practical Uses: None.

Enter the top-right door to the Knife World. Go down until you're standing parallel to a row of knives on your right then go left. Interact with the floating symbol. Go up and into the Red Sea. Go north-west and enter the small gray building. Once in the elevator, press the button and select f1. Leave the elevator to arrive at the Prison. Go left to the end of the hall then go north to the next room. Interact with the box on the display stand.

Gang Uniform

Well worn.

Appearance: Akira has a gang uniform: he wears a black-red costume, on the his face a black mask with red X print.

Passive Effect: None.

Action: None.

Location: Found at the Hangout Party.

Practical Uses: None.

Eter the red door on the left to Block World. Go north-west and enter a big purple building. Go through the doorway on the right then go left along the path to Alleyway City. Go north-east and up a narrow path beside a light brown building with two barricaded doors. Go up and enter the door. Enter the room on the right. Talk to Katsuro, who's standing next to the pool table.

Items Guide

---

Mossy Key

Enter the red door on the left to Block World. Go north-west and enter a big purple building. Go through the doorway on the right then go left along the path to Alleyway City. Go north-east and enter a door between two signs on the wall. Talk to the long-haired NPC wearing a mask.

Events

---

Campfire Event

The two stumps leading to the campfire event.

This event is located in the forest, near where the Warlock effect is found.

Follow the instructions to get to the forest detailed in the Warlock effect. Once there, head either east or west from the dark purple exit (the map loops horizontally only) and walk through a pair of tree stumps. Once there, head north and interact with the campfire.

Priest Event

This event requires the Switchblade to activate it.

Enter the middle-right door to the Red Lamps World. Head directly south from the entrance, and turn right. This should lead you to a building surrounded by lamps. Enter it. In the Red Lines District, follow the road until you reach a building with a brown-haired NPC walking nearby. Go into the building. Go right down the hall into the Church.

To activate the event, use the Switchblade on the Priest or the book. This event resets every dream.

Mansion NPC Event

Enter the bottom-left door in the Streetlights world. Head east or west (the route loops), and turn up where the road lines turn away from each other (one leading down, the other leading up). Interact with the 3 road signs. Continue north & interact with the signs again, then head west. Head north and enter the mansion.

Once inside, continue north until the path splits. Enter the door on the left, then enter the second door to the left. Interact with the NPC to activate the event.

The event has a one in three chance of activating, triggered by entering and leaving the room. If the event does not trigger, exit the room and reenter it.

School Event

This event will trigger once the School Uniform memory is collected.

After exiting the room where the school uniform is located, an NPC will walk away from the door straight across from the uniform room. To enter the room the NPC left, you need to find the combination to a bloodied locker at the eastern end of the second floor hallway. This is located in the girl's restroom.

The locker that needs to be unlocked.

The girl's restroom is on the second floor, behind the upper right set of double doors. Inside is an NPC facing north towards the wall. Above her is the locker combination.

Once the combination is entered into the locker, Akira will obtain a Bloody Key. Use it on the door with the blood trail coming from it to finish the event.

School Event Extra

Once the previous event is complete, Akira has a one in 3 chance of encountering another event when he walks through the door he opened in the first part. If the event doesn't trigger the first time, he can leave the room and re-enter to try again.

Butcher Event

This event changes depending on whether you have obtained the Switchblade memory, and can be accessed with or without the Ink memory, but is easier with it.

This event is located in the Alleyway City on the way to the Gang Uniform & Menu Shop. Follow the instructions to get to the Alleyway City as detailed in the Gang Uniform or Menu section. Once at the city, head east or west (the map loops) and enter the door with the sign next to it.

Once inside, head behind the counter. There's a 1 in 3 chance of the counter being open. If you have the Ink memory, you can shrink under the counter even if the counter is closed. You can also exit and re-enter the room to open the entrance. Once behind the counter, enter the back door, then continue on the path until you encounter the room the event is in.

Computer Message Event

Enter the flashing door to the Neon World. Go left once then go up once, and enter the blue doorway. Interact with any of the computers in the Pastel Computers world aside from the glitched one. After that, interact with them again. There's a 1 in 12 chance that the message will change when you interact with it, so you can keep interacting with it until it activates.

Nightmare Room

After entering the dream world 6 times, this event will play automatically.

Mirror Event (Demo Ending)

Collect all 12 Memories and wake up. Interact with the mirror in Akira's room and watch the cutscene.

An NPC will appear in the library after this event is seen.

Pseudo-Events

While not counted as an event by the event counter, using the knife in the Pastel Clouds world and the School will change them.

Certain NPCs do not react well to the Switchblade. A few will wake you up if you try to stab them.

The Wizard in the forest will wake up after you collect the Warlock effect and leave for the first time. He reacts differently to each effect.

A red-headed NPC can be found in various places across the dream world. The current locations are as followed:

• On the way to the second floor of the Apartments.
• On the highway to the Mansion.
• In the Grassy Fields after the Pastel Clouds world.
• In the Graveyard in the forest.

Menu Types

---

Menu color can be changed using the laptop in Akira's room. By default, there are three menu types available: Purple, Red and Berry. Additional menus can be purchased in the menu shop.e purchased in the menu shop.

The Menu Shop

Enter the red door on the left to Block World. Go north-west and enter a big purple building. Go through the doorway on the right then go left along the path to Alleyway City. Go north-east and enter a door between two signs on the wall. Talk to the NPC at the counter to purchase the menu. Five coins are needed to purchase each additional menu. Coins can be obtained by killing NPCs using the Switchblade memory, or found in various places in the Apartments, the Mansion, and the Alleyway City.

The building leading to the alleyway city.

Church

To unlock this menu, you must read the book in the Church. To get there, enter the middle-right door to the Red Lamps World. Go north-west and enter the building surrounded by lamps. In the Red Lines District, follow the road until you reach a building with a brown-haired NPC walking nearby. Go into the building. Go right down the hall into the Church. Go up and interact with the book on the table.

Starlight

To unlock this menu, you must visit the Stars Area at least once. To get there, enter the door at the very bottom of the Nexus.

Pastel Sky

To unlock this menu, you must visit the Pastel Clouds Area at least once. To get there, enter the bottom door to the Stars Area. Go north-east and under a blue archway. Continue to follow the path until you get to the Pastel Clouds area.

Dollie

To unlock this menu, you have to visit the Doll World at least once.

Enter the bottom-right door to the Apartments, and continue to the second floor. Enter the second to the last door on the right, then interact with the doll on the table. Follow the path to the red arrow & interact with it, then step into the pentagram in the next room.

Checkered

To unlock this menu, you have to visit the Checkered Maze at least once. You can use the TV Teleport Maze (connected to the Apartments and the Glitch World) or the same path used to get the Warlock effect to enter it. The chasers in the Dark version of the Doll World will teleport you there as well.