If you told me that I’d be interested in a game about dressing up, I would’ve laughed because the thought of those flash games from the 2000s comes to mind. Joke’s on me though because after seeing what Infinity Nikki had to offer, curiosity got the better of me and off I went to the Infinity Nikki site to download something calling itself a cozy open world game with dress-up elements.
Here’s the thing: before I even talk about the game, let me share a bit about myself. Growing up as a millennial, there was a clear divide for what toys and media would be appropriate for young boys and girls with something down the middle only being made for the younger audience. You had nerdy things like Pokemon, Digimon, Trading Cards, Video Games, and Comics for the guys while girls got Dolls, Dresses and all sorts of pretty things that I’m not sure of because I was an adorable yet awkward kid.
That divide definitely existed then and it still exists now and I think one thing most of the guys from back then in my age group could agree on is that most of us with cable probably watched Totally Spies and enjoyed it but didn’t admit it back then because it was “girly”. These days with games like dress to impress being played and streamed by men and society being somewhat less discriminatory, I’m glad I could talk about it a bit. (Alex was my favorite btw)
Monologue aside, what even is Infinity Nikki?
Infinity Nikki is the 5th game under the Nikki series of games from developer and publisher PaperGames or Infold Games outside of mainland China, released globally on either December 4 or 5, 2024, depending on where you are in the world.
It’s a cozy open-world RPG utilizing costumes as its primary gameplay mechanic with these costumes being used for exploration, fashion, and event-based gameplay progression.
Prior to finding Infinity Nikki, I actually thought it was a game related to Goddess of Victory: Nikke, games that are genuinely on opposite sides of the spectrum with Nikki catering more to the female audience and Nikke over to the males. One thing in common between the two though is how it actually transcended these gender stereotypes while still catering to their intended audience and still providing a fun gameplay experience for everyone in one way or another.
What’s the gameplay like?
If you’ve ever played an open-world RPG in the past decade primarily something like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or more recently Genshin Impact, you could already imagine how Infinity Nikki would be. There are some noticeable differences in terms of difficulty primarily with the absence of or easier combat or how different exploration acts with no climbing or swimming or the mechanics involved but gameplay-wise, it gives off a very similar experience.
For the uninitiated though, how does the open-world RPG gameplay loop actually work? Unlike 2D platformers where you go from point A to point B doing one quest after another being brought along for a ride. With an open-world RPG, you still go from point A to point B but instead of being linear, it’s an entirely nonlinear experience? Wanna go exploring instead of fighting? Go for it! The world’s ending? It can wait because I have muffins baking in the oven. Exploration is key and worldbuilding is strong but at its core, you’re free to do whatever you like as long as it’s within your capabilities.
What makes it fun?
While there were elements in the game that felt eerily similar to other gacha games even in the same genre, it still had its own sense of identity and that was through its aesthetics or more specifically, your outfits.
Unlike other gacha games where equipment just provides combat bonuses with this equipment rarely seen or relegated to the inventory, you are what you wear in Infinity Nikki, and in Infinity Nikki, skinning is winning. I kid you not but when I tried out this game for the first time recently, I spent most of my time mixing and matching outfits rather than actually going through the gameplay loop. With a multitude of sources between quests, the gacha and even the ability outfits, it’s so easy to get lost in a trance trying to make what you have work aesthetically.
When I finally started the gameplay loop two aspects of the game caught my attention heavily with this being the skill tree which looks intimidating but is actually interesting as it incentivizes exploration even more and the mini-games involved.
On the topic of mini-games, you’re treated to a multitude of puzzles and side games similar in vein to those presented in BotW with various difficulty and even if it wasn’t my insistent need for completing one of the various collectibles available in Infinity Nikki primarily the Whimstars which are used to unlock nodes in the skill tree, I’m sure the completionist in me is already getting more than my money’s worth. Did I mention the game is a free-to-play gacha game?
When it comes to the skill tree, I think the initial skill tree image is a good indicator of how much content there is and so far from what we learned in the story, the show hasn’t even begun.
Should you try it?
If you’re looking for a fun little side game to try over the holidays or something relaxing instead of your normal game grind or just a fun little game to turn your mind off to and feel pretty to, look no further than Nikki. The possibilities are endless with Infinity Nikki and while it may seem out of your comfort zone, now’s the best time if any to try it, especially with the ongoing banners and freebies you get.
I used to grow up thinking dressing up wasn’t fun and therapeutic but who knew being pretty was fun? Try out Infinity Nikki if your devices can handle it. It’s available now on PC, Mobile, and PS5!
