cw: allusions to [c]sa, some analytical spoilers

i'm pretty embarrassed to admit i've never finished Yume Nikki let alone really played it that much nor any of its inspired works (Yume 2kki, .flow), which is strange as someone who credits RPGMaker horror as formative to my earlier gaming experiences and identifying what i love and enjoy in the genre. i came across Junko via some stray youtube recommendation of a channel curated by what seems to be a superfan who distributes the game via an archive link, and i feel it was very much a special chance encounter seeing how i have never heard a hair of the Junko series of titles (Junkoid, Super Junkoid) nor of their developer, P. Yoshi.

Junko follows the YN formula of the titular girl in a room she refuses to leave who can explore only her dreams, where she discovers "effects" which transform her body or provide tools with which to create new paths forward. it's how the game wields this progression in a more metroidvania-esque way, corroborated by P. Yoshi themselves in this discord interview from earlier in the year, in which the framework of YN transforms into a more traditional adventure game. additionally there's an undeniable Mother influence, seen particularly within the colourful NPC dialogue as well as an endgame segment which heavily reminds of Magicant as it appears in the original japanese release of Mother 2; this was far from derivative or unoriginal, i bring attention to it because it created a similar yet more intensely morbid experience to its inspiration.

on the game's tone being the standout feature, Junko's nightmares are fairly more overt than Madotsuki's in their metaphor though vague or obscured elements still remain to encourage interpretation and exploration of her psyche. there's an enduring theme of voyeurism, unwelcome advances, and inappropriate language towards someone of Junko's conceived age seen mostly through the use of an effect which allows the player to read others' minds, revealing a sordid inner truth to many exchanges. there are characters dotting the interconnected streets who genuinely wish to protect or advise her, but there's just as many who are concerned with how she perceives them and nowhere feels safe from a leering gaze; the feeling is heightened by the use of a looping breathing BGM present within most indoor locations, implying the existence of a watcher. though we have few other human characters for reference, Junko appears to be of very small stature and carries herself in a childlike manner, which makes her innocent interaction with items associated with adulthood by way of using them completely incorrectly bespeak of her youth. it's this seedy influence over her nightmare with Junko's relationship to anything associated with a certain motif painting her as an unfortunate victim of some unclear and terrible form of abuse, its presentation creeping and subdued.

Junko is overall an exploration and psychological horror cult hit, which chooses a slow footfall of dread over the quickened pace of its RPGMaker contemporaries. a newfound re-examination of YN itself and succeeding fangames has been kindled in me despite Junko's technical differences. sweet dreams.

all endings but not all optional content. Gustav titles are incredibly polished experiences across the board, exploration and engaging with the weird world featured in Tide Up keeps your attention until the end. there's some transitional sprite jitter here and there where figures will blink in and out of existence while changing, but it's all pretty negligible for the charming puzzle design and heartwarming dialogue; each important item has a very personal anecdote attached, and i really love an early NPC known only Mouth.

otherwise an unfortunate story of youthful regret and guilt and what it means to not let the past control your present. wonderful (sprite)artwork.