Overview
Please Play .flow before reading this guide! You’ll ruin the experience if you spoil it for yourself.
Here is where you can download and play .flow by lolrust!
dotflow.wikidot[dotflow.wikidot.com]
lolrusts website[rustlimbo.webcrow.jp]
BUT in order to get the game working, watch this
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This guide is for a Yume Nikki Fangame that doesn’t have a platform on Steam. So I’m going to create several of these fangame guides to further help those who don’t know the ins and outs of the game. This guide is to raise awareness and garner more interest in Yume Nikki Fan-games through Steam.
To navigate this guide, click on the black hearts!
🖤 <— this guy
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Like Yume Nikki, .flow mainly takes place within Sabitsuki’s dream world, located in her PC. However, this game has a much darker tone within its dream world, often featuring body horror and motifs touching upon a possibility of hospitalization. The dream world is filled with often large, looping areas, occasionally housing an Effect. Due to its bizzare and surreal presentation, active interpretation of various areas, characters, and events are required in order to fully understand the nature of .flow.
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Sabitsuki (さびつき) is the main character of .flow, who is controlled by the player.
She is the only playable character in .flow, many theories have been created and passed around online based on events and other NPCs you encounter in the game.
ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠArtist of this piece[gehirnkaefer.deviantart.com]
Sabitsuki is a female with white shaggy hair. The default outfit she is portrayed wearing is a faint purple-gray sleeveless shirt, a white skirt, and deep red shoes.
Sabitsuki’s eyes are always closed (or squinted), and her mouth is only shown during select cutscenes.
She looks to be about the same age and height as Madotsuki of Yume Nikki, however that may be a design error due to .flow being graphically based on Yume Nikki.
Each effect alters Sabitsuki’s appearance slightly without changing her basic design or shape.
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There is nothing to do on the veranda, but it is possible to interact with several objects in the room itself. The player can save their progress by interacting with the bed, and go to the main part of the game, flow, through the computer. It is possible to turn on the TV, or play a minigame, Shinsoku Neko, on the console. Sabitsuki will refuse to leave the room until all of the Effects are collected.
When going into flow, the player arrives to My Room (マイルーム). They appear on the veranda, which still has nothing to interact with, except the door leading to the room. It actually looks different from Sabitsuki’s room, as there is no console and the pink cushion is now directly in front of the TV. It is possible to sit at the desk, but the player has to collect all of the effects to be able to interact with the computer, which will allow them to discard the effects and control Rust. The player can go to bed, which will not result in anything, and it is possible to leave the room through the door, which leads to the Entrance.
When going into flow after discarding all of the effects, the player will arrive to a slightly different version of My Room, which has no computer. After Rust collects all of the Empty Boxes, an elevator leading to the Rust Corridor will appear on the place where the computer was supposed to be.
Rust’s Room
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It consists of a square map with a door in the center that leads back to Sabitsuki’s room, and a floor underneath that resembles cracked or shattered glass. Cracks extend from the center of the room out to the four sides.
The Nexus connects to the initial four maps: the Red Eye World (up), Pipe World (left), the Ghost Garden (down) and the Neon World (right).
The appearance of the Nexus changes every .flow session. As you collect more effects, the Nexus changes between more different versions.
After collecting all the effects, there is a chance that the Nexus will change into a rusty version of itself. After starting the endgame, there is a chance of a even rustier version appearing.
Rust Nexus
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[espimyte.tumblr.com]
The Worlds in .flow may seem small with there only being 4 inital locations through the nexus. But If you dive into the deeper locations through the inital 4, you’ll find to be ever more worlds to explore. In my opinion it’s a bit more straight forward than in Yume Nikki but I digress. The deeper you go the more effects, events, and characters you’ll find. There so much to see.
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The Arms (うで) effect allows Sabitsuki to return back to the Entrance at any time by pressing the action button, even after being transported to an inescapable room by a Kaibutsu. The effect will also give Sabitsuki five arms, which will fold inwards when returning back to the Entrance. The Arms effect can be found by navigating the Microscopic World, finding an arm sticking out of the ground, and interacting with it.
Directions
Entrance > Music World > Connecting Tile Path > White Room > Submarine World > Electric World > Microscopic World
Entrance > Dysmorphic World > Footprint Path > Rave Maze > Psychedelic Town Harbour > Sewers 1 > Sugar Hole > Sewers 2 > Industrial Maze > White Maze > Microscopic World
When you are in Microscopic World, keep going up till you reach the first clickable snowflake-thing. Interact with it, and you should be able to move outside of the path. Once you interact with it, go left until you see another path that has things jutting out the top, and the right side. Go directly north of that and you should find an arm that will give you the effect.
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Cloud World > Reverse Apartments > Sugar Hole > Hole > Hospital
Once you’re in the Utility Pole World, go southeast until you see a small house. This will take you to the Apartments. Go all the way to the end (ignoring the elevator, and the three doors you pass), then go up the stairs. Continue upwards, then interact with moving box. (Be careful! There are enemies here!) Go to the farthest right, avoiding the enemies, and interact with another floating box. After going down the stairs, and all the way to the right, enter the elevator. Coming out of it, go straight (ignoring another elevator) till you end up in a lobby looking place. Continue to go straight and you’ll end up outside which is when you go either right or left (you’ll see it either way). There should be a white building. Enter, and go through the door.
The door to the right of the room the doctor and nurse are in should have it!
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Cloud World > Famicom World (forest) > Witch’s House
Go southeast in the Utility Pole World till you find a small house. Go through it, down the stairs, then go all the way to the end of the apartments. Go up those stairs till you’re on the roof and interact with a floating box. Go left until you see what looks a vent surrounded with beds. Go in, and you’ll enter Famicon World. Go up till you see a house, enter, then interact with the witch!
Directions
Entrance > Dysmorphic World > Footprint Path > Rave Maze
Go up in the Entrance, then go northwest till you see two arms that you can pass through (you should encounter a grinning ghost with yellow eyes all around it right next to it). Once there, quickly find the two small white footprints in the area as an enemy while try to get you. Continue to go straight till you reach any area with a lot of footprints. Continue to go far right, then go up till you see a red monster. He will swallow you. Go straight up then go through the rainbow door.
The Corpse effect is found in the Prison by going into the only room there and touching the corpse in the dark corridor between two prison walls.
Directions
Entrance > Plant World > Submarine World > Underwater Temple > Dark Corridors > Decaying Art Gallery > Prison
Down in the Entrance, go southeast when in the Plant World and you’ll see two tan colored pillars. Go through them, then go directly right till you reach the Underwater World. Then go up till you reach a large tan colored building. Enter it, and and follow these instructions: right, up, up, left, left, right, up and you should reach a dark area. The dark area has a very clear path. Follow the walls, and when you reach the split paths, choose the north one. Once you enter, go to the top right and enter the door. You should be in the prison. Look around for a little bit until you reach a guillotine (be careful not to click it! It’ll teleport to a place where you can’t come back!).
By going east of the guillotine with the grim reapers, and slightly up, you should find a door. Go all the way up (this is not a glitch, though it seems to be) until you find a corpse. Interact with it and you’ll get the effect!
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Cloud World > Reverse Apartments > Sugar Hole (back room) > Sugar Hole Painting
Left in Entrance, southeast to small house, go down stairs (ignore elevator), then go all the way to the right, up the stairs till you reach a rooftop with a floating box. Click it and watch out! You will have to dodge Kaibutsu if you do not have the right effects! Take the right path, and click another floating box. This will take you to another rooftop. Go into the door, then go down the steps, then go all the way to the right. You should encounter an elevator next to a blocked off staircase.
Enter the elevator. Then go all the way right (ignoring another elevator) till you enter a room with a bunch of tables. Go to the room in the middle and you should see a maid who will bow when you interact. A painting should be right above her. It would be wise to at least have the Ghost Effect since there are Kaibutsu in there; it is crawling with them.
Walk around as this place loops and can be disorientating. Do not go through the door you encounter because it will teleport you back to the Sugar Hole. For directions, go down from the entrance, then east past the door. Find a way to go up from the door, dodging the Kaibutsu till you see a long stretch with more blood than usual with a maid at the end. Interact.
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Directions
Entrance > Plant World > Submarine World
Oreko might not be her house sometimes, but walking around outside close by. Also, the effect is impossible to get when Oreko is working on her machine, so the player might have to re-enter her house several times.
The Dress effect can be found in the Snow World by interacting with the dress on a stand which is in one of the buildings.
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Snow World
Go left in the Entrance, then go southeast to find the tiny house. Enter it and go down the stairs, ignore the elevator. You should move on to the next area and there should be doors. The first door you come across, you go through it to get to the Snow World. Going into that room, you will find another door which you simply go through.
Going straight up from the entrance, you’ll find three cylinder shaped buildings with doors. The middle one will be where you’ll see the dress on the stand!
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Snow World > Plant Labyrinth (Past) > Plant Labyrinth
Go left in the Entrance, find the small house by going southeast. Go through that, down the stairs, then go past the elevator. You should proceed to the next area and you’ll pass some doors. The first door you pass is the one you enter. Enter another door to enter the Snow World. You go northeast till you see what looks like a place blocked up a smoking pipe. This is simple! If you go directly east of it, there should be a cylinder with a door you can enter.
Once there, interact with the flower! Then go out, and slightly southwest (very slightly), and the way should be cleared! Good to mention that once you go down the stairs, you cannot go back. Enter, and you should be in the Plant Labyrinth (Past) area! Go all the way right, whether you need to go down or up, just go right! Then you should find a door. Go through the next door. Once through there, you should teleport near two heartbeat monitors.
Go northwest of the monitors, and you’ll see a place you can enter along with what looks like a nurse walking around. Enter, but there is no return. Continue left, then left again to each door till there is no door in the area to the far right. Then go up and there should be a red monster smoking. Click it!
The Ghost effect can be found in the Flower World, found by going through both Plant Labyrinth worlds and interacting with the floating ghost.
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Snow World > Plant Labyrinth (Past) > Plant Labyrinth > Flower World
You can follow the Gas Mask Effect guide on how to get to the Plant Labyrinth. Once you enter where the nurse was, you’ll be in it. From here, you need to take the door on the right. This is where it gets a little tricky. You go straight south, ignoring the first right turn. You keep going down till you can make another right turn. From there, you go slightly down till you can make yet another right turn. There should be a door. Once you enter, the next door should be to the right, very clear and straight path. And now you’ve entered the Flower World!
From the entrance, go north till you find what looks like a giant patch of white flowers. Be careful not to touch the middle one. This will bring you some place where you can’t return! Go to the very top of the patch of white flowers, then go directly east till you hit one lone white ghost. From there, if you go north, you’ll find the ghost effect!
The effect is found in the Hole by interacting with the dumpster at the back of the Hospital.
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Cloud World > Reverse Apartments > Sugar Hole > Hole > Hospital
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Snow World > Plant labyrinth (past) > Hospital > Hole
Until version 0.19, you could go to the Black Hood Effect for directions. The only difference being when you arrive in the hospital, you have to go through the top left door, then continue going left till you find another door. There should be a dumpster with the effect inside.
However, in 0.19, the directions for this effect changed very slightly. To the left of the Hospital, there is a wide alleyway that you can go into. Entering the alley, you must go left. Go up when the path splits that way, go left, go up again and right. The dumpster that you get the effect from is now in front of the fence it was originally behind.
Directions
Entrance > Music World
Once you enter Music World, go north. As you’re going north, you’ll see a red box with multiple-coloured musical signs. When you see them, go towards them. You’ll see the NPC described above. Interact with it.
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World
Go down till you reach two poles (one sticking up, another lying in the water). East from them, you’ll pass a tiny house that you do not need to go through. At the top of your screen, you’ll see more pipes. Go up to them and in the middle, there should be a bloodied iron pipe sticking out. Interact with it.
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Directions
Entrance > Plant World > Submarine World > Starry Pier
From the Entrance (which you take a south), you go southeast till you see two tanned pillars surrounded by flowers. Go through them, straight past the next area, and you’ll be in the Submarine World. Go south from the entrance, and you should be in a large and vast area. Southwest from the entrance (going past a small tanned building with an entrance), you’ll find a collection of reeds that you can go through (these reeds should sort of resemble a face). Go to the center of these reeds and go south, there will be what look like rusty stairs. Go down them!
Down the stairs, the first door you hit is where the Machine effect is. From the door, go directly north until you see one single orange spot on the left side of your screen. Go right of that and slightly above you, there should be a desk you can interact with!
Directions
Entrance > Dysmorphic World
Go northeast of the entrance, and you should pass two grinning monster looking things. Go past them by continuing going northeast and you should find the effect as the two ghosts near the pillar with an eye at the base.
Like the plant children there one of her eyes becomes a flower and vines encase her body; however, unlike the children there her legs are replaced with vines whereas they keep their feet.
Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Snow World > Plant Labyrinth (Past)
You can go and look at the Gask Mask Effect directions up until you finally enter Plant Labyrinth (Past). Right before you enter, there should be what look like vines. Interact with them but don’t bother going in. You can but it’s not necessary. Go out of the door to the left, then go directly right down the path. Go through the only door you can enter, then there should be the flowers. Interact with the giant one to get the effect.
It can be found after navigating the Rave Maze and finding a part of a wall that is different from the rest (see picture below) and touching it then interacting with the NPCs that teleport you across rooftops in the Psychedelic Town.
Directions
Entrance > Dysmorphic World > Footprint Path > Rave Maze > Psychedelic Town
You can follow the Cat effect directions up until you enter the Rainbow Maze.
Once you come in, you need to go to the far right. As right as you can possibly go. If you go up from that, you will see a door. Go through this through another door and you’ll be at a clear path. Go right till you see another rainbow door then go through that and follow the picture to find where to click the rainbow strands aside. Interact in the following order: blue, pink, blue, top pink, bottom blue, then bottom blue. You should find the multi-coloured one which will give you the effect.
Directions
Entrance > Music World > Connecting Tile Path > White Room > Blood Maze > Insides > Sewers > Sugar Hole > Sewers > Rusty Pier
Go right in the Entrance, then follow the directions on Connecting Tile Path page to find it. Once in the White Room, go to the direction with the most blood. The area you want to end up at is completely dark with red lines and horrifying music but it’s good to mention the area before it is another hospital area (just go through the door). Once you are there, follow the red lines up, then make a right to the last path that goes up (there are three but you’re aiming for the last one). At the very top, there is a white cylinder with blood dripping from its teeth. Go in and you’ll be greeted with a giant monster. To the right, there should be an entrance to the sewers.
Go left to the next screen, then go up the incline nearest you on the screen. There should be an NPC there that you need to go around. Go right two screens then enter up the latter where a giant slime thing is. Go right and you’ll enter the Rusty Pier. From here, follow these directions (most of these will be as far as you can go):
right, down, right, up, right, down, then left. There should be a pile of slime!
Directions
Entrance > Music World > Connecting Tile Path > White Room > Blood Maze > Insides > Sewers > Rusty Pier > Slum > School
To get to the Rusty Pier, please follow the Slime Effect directions.
When you arrive, follow these: right, up, right, down, right, up, right, up and you’ll see what looks like a overhead light. Go under and click. Go all the way to the left, and go under the red underpass. You’ll encounter a staircase which you’ll need to go down all the way then up. Once you enter the new area, go up and you’ll find the entrance to the School.
Enter, then go left to the door at the bottom. Go to the middle, then up the stairs. Go left and exit through the door, then go up to the other stairs, and go up them. There should only be one door you can go through and then you’ll encounter a giant sized Smile which will give you it.
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Directions
Entrance > Utility Pole World > Apartments > Cloud World > Famicom World
Left in the Entrance, then from there, go southeast till you find a small house. Go in and down the stairs. Ignore the elevator, and just keep going right till you go up the stairs. Continue going right (up) till you find a box floating in the middle of the rooftop. Click it then take the path on the left. Continue upwards till you find a vent surrounded by some beds. Go on it and you’ll be in Famicom World.
There should be a path to the east that you can maneuver through the trees for. Take some time to find it! (It’s not anywhere near the witch’s house! In fact, it’s near a well with a string going down that does nothing. East of that.) Keep going right till you hit a different area. Go right, then down and there should be gray patches on a piece of land that sticks out. Go on that and you should teleport to a place with new music and boxes. Go left of the boxes, and go down the stairs.
You are now in the Ruins! Follow these carefully: go to the only other staircase in there, bottom left, right, and there should be a television in the middle!
Directions
Entrance > Dysmorphic World > Footprint Path > Rave Maze > Psychedelic Town Harbour > Sewers 1 > Sugar Hole > Sewers 2 > Rusty Pier > Slum > School
Follow the Tattoo Effect to know how to get to the school.
Once you get into the school, go past the entrance hall with the two Kaibutsu. Go right to the door at the bottom. Find the staircase and go down once. Go right, and exit from the door. Go to the middle of the area where a door and the staircase are across from each other (The door in the middle of the two student NPC).
Go in the door, not the staircase. You should find yourself in a large classroom with a bunch of desks and two girl NPC. Maneuver through the desks to get the door on the far left. This is possible, and a little tricky but the goal is to go behind the two large gray boxes.
There should be a Sabitsuki grinning with a uniform that will give you the effect when you interact with her.
The viscera effect can be found in the Flesh Walls world by navigating through the world and reaching a room with a dead black haired girl laying on the floor. Interacting with her will grant you the effect.
Directions
Entrance > Music World > Connecting Tile Path > White Room > Blood Maze > Insides > Flesh Walls
Upon reaching the Flesh Walls, move west, then south, then west, then south, until you reach a path that allows you to go east. Move either west or east on this path until you will be able to turn north, and go north into the narrow path. Move north towards the door of flesh, continue going north in the next area, then turn west and go through another flesh door. Move south, go west at the intersection and go in between two flesh objects.
Move east in the new area, and turn south after you go past the three white things with open mouths. Go in between the other pair of flesh objects, and move east in the new area. When the path branches, choose the one that goes south and go through the door on the north wall. Move west and through another door. Go south, then west, then south, then west, then north until you will be able to turn west. Go west, then north, then west, then south, then north between two demon-like things.
In the new area, go around these demon-like things, and move through them to the north again. Then go through the door. Move north, and through another door. Go around the flesh block you just came out of, and interact with the dead girl lying on the north to get the Viscera effect.
Directions
Entrance > Plant World
Down in the Entrance, and northeast, you should find the NPC.
The Whistle effect can be found in the Flesh Walls World. You will need the Iron Pipe effect to kill the black-haired girl blocking the doorway.
Directions
Entrance > Music World > Connecting Tile Path > White Room > Insides > Flesh Walls
Follow the Viscera Effect directions to get to Flesh Walls. Once inside, follow these directions.
Go left and you’ll see a girl standing at a door. Go through it. There should be a whistle on the floor in this room you can pick up.
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Rooftop Ending
This is the first available ending of the game. It is only available once you have collected all 24 effects.
Sabitsuki will be shown outside, on a rooftop with a railing. Then the screen fades to black as a faint “thump” is heard. Two blood spots appear and two black-haired girls are there as well.
Directions
Collect all 24 effects (25 including the instructions). Then go outside.
Theories
It is speculated that Sabitsuki committed suicide by jumping off.
Maid Ending
This ending is similar to the Rooftop Ending with a slight difference, but still easy to get.
It is virtually the same as the rooftop ending, except as Sabitsuki is outside, a gas-mask maid will appear. The screen then fades to black and the maid is shown carrying Sabitsuki away.
Directions
Drop all your effects into the computer (use the computer while in .flow, then walk to the center star and confirm). You will be sent back to the real world, just take the door to the rooftop.
True Ending
This is the last and hardest of the three endings to get, and is the most well known.
Sabitsuki is shown outside on her rooftop. Then a gas-mask maid will appear, and hold up a chainsaw. Sabitsuki then changes slightly – she smiles evilly and laughs like a Kaibutsu as she charges towards the maid. Then the screen cuts to black as a scream is heard, and then Sabitsuki is shown lying in a pool of blood, with her legs cut off, being watched by the maid. Then Sabitsuki becomes still.
The maid carries Sabitsuki away, and then she is shown standing up – without her legs – on two patches of blood while two black-haired girls stand around.
Pressing “ENTER” causes red static to envelop the screen and the Kaibutsu laugh plays. Then Sabitsuki is shown walking past various NPCs of the game, wearing her headphones. At the end of the walk, as the credits come on, the maid bows to Sabitsuki and the screen fades to black for the last time.
Directions
Become Rust, then collect the three Empty Boxes. Go into .flow and an elevator will be there in the place of the computer; take it. Then take the very last level of the game. Afterwards, go outside and the ending will play.
Trivia
By fans, this ending is considered to be a “happy ending.”
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Sabitsuki
It is theorized that the shape on the title screen of .flow is a very abstract depiction of Sabitsuki herself.
If it is to be inferred that Sabitsuki, Smile, and Sister are all related the difference in hair color could be a side effect of the “cure” she and the other test subjects were given as all the Kaibutsu also seem to have white hair as well.
It is theorized that Sabitsuki is slowly losing her mind either from the disease or from side effect of her treatments.
The Kaibutsu also seem to have lost their mind as well (active chasing ones) or are on the verge of losing them (normal ones that will become active after hitting) which could further link that both
Sabitsuki and the Kaibutsu are suffering the same disease/side effects from disease treatments.
Sabitsuki didn’t fit in much at school and was either widely ignored or made fun of. Support for this theory is that going through the corrupted school Kaibutsu will actively chase you with pipes as they their laughter fills the halls.
The reason that Sabitsuki doesn’t want to leave her room may imply that she is quarantining herself because of a disease that she has.
Sabitsuki may be a foreigner. Although it is easy to assume she is showing albinism, either from birth or due to a disease, it can also be to contrast her as a foreigner, possibly Caucasian. If the other ‘infected’ are a twisted portrayal of other Caucasians, it can indicate she has had serious trauma in her home country. Many of her effects, such as Tattoo and Gun, are heavily associated with Westerners (if not the Yakuza, which are also associated with guns and tattoos). Many Americans enjoy owning handguns for intimidation purposes alone, which matches up with Gun’s function. In Japan, it is highly illegal to own a handgun, meaning they are less relatable. The Uniform effect is a pretty standard uniform for American private schools. Another aspect that supports this theory is that most writing that has appeared in her dream world is in English (for example, Sugar Hole), which is the most common language it would be in if her first language was English. This theory relies heavily on the concept that the dream world as well as everything that happens to Sabitsuki is a metaphor.
It is also possible to simply assume that .Flow takes place in North America, which is a popular setting for Japanese fiction.
Rust
There’s a possiblity that Rust is the part of Sabitsuki that has become diseased.
Whatever powers gave Sabitsuki her effects may have been the same power that was keeping Sabitsuki and her world in stable, and Rust is the consequence of the disease progressing into its final stages. Whereas Sabitsuki was protected from damage when touching the red creatures and was guarded against some of the more corrupt places with only her effect deactivating, Rust is vulnerable to everything. The overall health of her world also begins to deteriorate, which is more evidence of a protective force disappearing.
Some theories, suggest that Rust is a violent split personality that Sabitsuki tried to suppress.
They are more theories on the [link]
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I did not write the majority of this guide, I used most of the information from the dotflow wiki[dotflow.wikidot.com] page. Go show them some love!
lolrusts website[rustlimbo.webcrow.jp]
Again, the reason I am creating this guide is to garner interest in Yume Nikki Fangames in the Steam Community, so go give the game a try!
Nirto Rad’s Review!