#so this is still miraland

[stellacaerulea]

Kimi's bloodline finally broke the curse of smol

[infinityvalkariel]

✧・°・。・°・。・ confetti. - 2025.01.26

[neriyon]

Small test run of Infinity Nikki done! Mostly just finished the tutorial (and kicked Momo around), but it so far it seems pretty fun~

Also photo mode is so nice ♥

[ink--theory]

just finished chapter 7 and wow what a doozy @_@

I may need to read up on the lore and story surrounding shining nikki now...

[erytherion]

Why do all the Shining Nikki event plot lines always have to be so tragic?? Do they want my tears this much??

This dress-up game is always so dark LET THEM BE HAPPY SOMETIMES PLEASE!

Every event makes me want to go immediately write fix-it fics so they don’t have to be sad anymore but I also don’t want to undo the development they’ve had so I just sit here like 😭😭😭

[sakurapika]

A (possibly) helpful guide to the Nikki-verse for Infinity Nikki Players

❄️Updated December 28th

Although it’s not at all necessary to know the lore of the previous games (Love Nikki, Shining Nikki), here is some info that you might benefit from if you’re joining the fandom with Infinity Nikki!

❄️General Info:

Love Nikki, Shining Nikki, and Infinity Nikki are all stand-alone games with self-contained stories, but they have some commonalities that I will get into later.

Love Nikki (LN) has a 2D art style, and is where many of us "veteran" players began our journey. Shining Nikki (SN) has both 2D and 3D art. Both of these games are stunning, so check them out!

Before Love Nikki, there were two other dress-up games in this series that did not involve being transported into a magical world. They were called NikkiUp2U (released 2012) and Hello Nikki (released around 2016). These games are more obscure, with the latter currently only being available in China, so not much is known about them to international fans.

The developers of the game are Chinese, so expect to get a lot of goodies around Lunar New Year and other major Chinese holidays!

According to Hello Nikki, our main character is around 19 years old. In Shining Nikki, she talks about how she used to go to college before getting transported to Miraland. Her birthday is December 6, which is why Infinity Nikki came out last week and why we got a free outfit (we’ll get a new one every year!)

Nikki's Chinese name is Nuan Nuan, how cute!

Momo claims he’s not a cat, but a member of the “Momo Clan” (LN). He was a little annoying in Love Nikki, but he’s more endearing in later games.

Nikki and Momo are the only recurring characters in the franchise.

The biggest advice I can give as a veteran is: Don't bother with trying to make a visually cohesive outfit for styling battles unless you have a lot of clothing. We've all tried it. It won't work. For now, just layer on everything that has high stats. You're always free to wear your fashionable outfits during regular gameplay, and "glow up" your favorite clothes when you have enough resources, so that you can make better outfits for later battles.

I've seen a lot of people in other places asking about whether the Nikki games will have more androgynous or masculine clothing, and they probably will! It took a while for these clothes to appear in LN and SN, but there are definitely several options out there, from ouji fashion to streetwear to military-style outfits. Read about the seven nations below to find out more.

A lot of people also seem curious about representation for people of color. Unfortunately, the options can be quite limited, as it took a while for textured hair options to appear for players in Love Nikki, and I'm not quite sure about the situation in Shining Nikki. Different cultures are represented in Miraland (as explained below) but they still have their limitations. With Infinity Nikki being more oriented towards an international fanbase than previous games, though, perhaps the developers will be encouraged to branch out more.

❄️Worldbuilding

The world that Nikki has been transported into is called Miraland.

Miraland is composed of seven nations, each with their own distinct fashion style. That means that if you do not like the style of clothes we’ve been seeing so far in Infinity Nikki, do not worry! They’ll have everything eventually.

For some reason, they changed the names of the countries in Infinity Nikki, and I’m not sure why (I’m going to keep mixing them up…). Below, I’ve listed their LN/SN names first, and their Infinity Nikki names second.

The seven nations are:

🎀Lilith/Ninir/Heartcraft Kingdom: In the older games, it was known mostly for fairytale-inspired clothing and lolita fashion, with the occasional “pastoral” suit. It looks like Heartcraft Kingdom in Infinity Nikki has been leaning more into the pastoral aesthetic, but Nonoy’s outfit seems to be in the lolita style. Also, the suits we have been crafting so far for catching bugs and petting the animals is at least lolita-inspired. (People who wear lolita fashion, please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the Chinese version of this fashion is a lot more loose with the rules than the Japanese version I am more familiar with). This kingdom is always the first to be introduced in these games. Expect drama to follow whenever we get introduced to the royal family of this kingdom…it always happens. Nikki's first friend is always from this kingdom--we started with Bobo in Love Nikki, then Joy in Shining Nikki, and now Nonoy in Infinity Nikki.

🐉Cloud Empire/Lanling Empire: Known for traditional and modern Asian fashion. A vast majority of the fashions are going to be inspired by Chinese fashion, so if you’re a fan of period dramas or xianxia, you’re in luck! Aside from hanfu and qipao, they also usually have some representation of other East Asian cultures, featuring several kimono and the occasional hanbok. (Due to some controversies in Shining Nikki relating to conflicts between China and Korea, however, I’m not sure if the developers will continue to add hanbok in future games). Love Nikki also included some outfits for Chinese ethnic minorities like the Miao, and Vietnamese ao dai if I remember correctly. All games also have at least one Peking Opera costume—it’s like an industry staple. Overall, Cloud Empire is usually the second kingdom to be introduced in the game, so I’m sure we’ll see it pretty soon. Maybe we’ll go along with Tan Youyou, depending on how the story will go.

👠Apple Federation/Starhail Federation: Known for streetwear, high fashion, and casual clothing (like what you’d wear on an average day). I think Dada and Bebe’s outfits would be classified as Apple, even though they live in Heartcraft. Unlike the rural towns we have seen so far, Apple tends to be a very urban, city-based environment, filled with spies and shady businessmen. Nikki's girlfriend, Kimi (from Love Nikki), is also from here.

👑Pigeon Kingdom/Twinmoon Kingdom: Known for European fashions, including fairy costumes, witch/sorcerer outfits, Rococo dresses (with long skirts, compared to the lolita style in Lilith/Ninir/Heartcraft), and anything else you’d expect to see in a Western fantasy or period drama. Funnily enough, there is always at least one scene in the Pigeon Kingdom that has to do with a cathedral, so expect some fashions with gothic and Catholic-inspired imagery as well. Some of the inhabitants who live there are elves and fairies, like Timis. Although most of the ability outfits we have so far look like they're from Lilith/Ninir/Heartcraft, the "purification" outfit strikes me as something more typical of Pigeon.

⚔️North Kingdom/Empire of Light: A cold country best known for winter clothing—heavy scarves, overcoats, and hats—as well as military attire. There is also at least one "ice queen" style suit in every game. If I recall correctly, this kingdom has been having civil wars since Love Nikki, so expect a lot of action in this area. I suspect that Bettina is from here, but I'm not sure yet.

🐪Wasteland/Terra Alliance: The original name of this country sparked a lot of controversy, so I'm glad that they have changed it. This kingdom usually has desert-themed clothing, ancient Greek/Egyptian clothing, clothing inspired by nature, bohemian clothing, South, and Southeast Asian clothing (the cultural representation isn’t always the best, unfortunately…but I am optimistic that Shining Nikki and Infinity Nikki are more culturally sensitive than Love Nikki).

🤖Ruin Island/Whaleport: A mysterious island that features “futuristic” or sci-fi inspired clothing. In previous games, we have seen medical doctors with dubious legitimacy, scientists who experiment on themselves (?) and androids, so I’m curious to see who we’ll meet this time. Many players from the previous games who liked this style have felt that the developers often neglect this kingdom, unfortunately.

❄️Story and gameplay advice

Without spoiling the older games, I can say that, generally...

Most of the story is based on conflicts between different characters and sometimes different kingdoms. These problems, as mentioned before, are solved through styling battles.

Infinity Nikki seems to be going for a cozier vibe. However, both of its predecessors have sometimes gone into dark territories, featuring themes of war, violence, and betrayal. (I may or may not have cried over the death of a certain someone in Love Nikki...)

Therefore, dramatic things could very well happen in Infinity Nikki. I'm not saying that it can't be your comfort game if that is what you are hoping for, as the other games can still also be light, funny, and cozy. I just want to warn more sensitive players who might not be expecting it from a dress-up game.

When I first wrote this guide, I initially thought that the miracle outfits were like the "lifetime suits" of previous games, where crafting them was optional and not necessary to progress through the story. However, this seems not to be the case. Nevertheless, take your time while crafting them--there's no need to rush.

I'm not sure how f2p-friendly Infinity Nikki will be, but I haven't spent anything on either of the other games and I've been able to buy many of the suits I wanted. Just make sure that you budget accordingly and remember that if you want one suit but can't afford it at the time, another suit with a similar aesthetic might come out in the future. Also banners can re-run!

Keep an eye out for redeem codes! These are often posted by the game's social media, and you can get a lot of free stuff.

The fan-favorite kingdoms are usually Lilith/Ninir (Heartcraft) and Cloud (Lanling), followed by Pigeon (Twinmoon) and Apple (Starhail). The other three tend to get neglected, so if you like the sound of those the most, I'm sorry... :(

The last two sections include speculation, trivia, and an explanation of some inside jokes from the other games. Feel free to skip them if needed!

❄️Continuity and Fandom References to Other Nikki Games

Like I said earlier, the Nikki games can all work as standalone games, and the only returning characters are Nikki and Momo.

However, I've added this section to discuss possible theories and connections, as well as catch others up to speed on some of the inside jokes and characters that we Nikki veterans like to talk about.

If you keep hearing names like "Bobo," "Lunar," "Kimi," and "Nidhogg," these are characters from Love Nikki.

Bobo and Lunar are some of the first characters we met in LN. Kimi is the closest character we have to a canon love interest for Nikki. All of them are fan-favorites, so we're hoping to see any references to them in Infinity Nikki as well.

I can't say much about the very controversial and very popular Nidhogg without spoiling LN, but at least you now know where the name is from.

In Love Nikki, there is a "blood curse" that prevents people from using violence. Therefore, people often resolve conflicts by entering styling battles and destroying each other with the power of a good outfit.

Never ask a Love Nikki player what happened in Chapter 15.

Shining Nikki takes place roughly 700 years before Love Nikki, where there is no blood curse (which means certain people have managed to commit certain crimes...). Several SN characters are the ancestors of, or otherwise related to, LN characters.

Nikki veterans often like to make references to Ashley, Lilith (the person), Joy, and Qin Yi. These are all Shining Nikki characters.

So far, we haven't seen such a connection between old games and Infinity Nikki, so a lot of people suspect that this might be an alternate universe. When more about this version of Miraland is known, I might make another post.

❄️My predictions for future updates

Every time we enter a new country in Miraland, we will have new ability outfits to craft to fit the style of the new setting. This is because most of the outfits we have so far look like Lilith/Ninir suits in previous games, with very few influences from other nations.

The next country to be introduced will most likely be Lanling. I originally thought that they'd let us visit Lanling in time for Lunar New Year, but with the scope of the story, I think it may take some more time before that.

The next big update will be around Lunar New Year, where they'll probably hold some five-star banners, give free diamonds as a login event, and make a new short story, if they celebrate the same way as in Shining Nikki. They're probably also going to give us another free suit. (I hope it's Legend of the White Snake themed, since next year is Year of the Snake!)

Then, we'll probably see the equivalent of the Apple Federation, followed by Pigeon Kingdom.

We will get a new version of this stunning dress. It's called the Star Sea and has shown up in every game so far. I'm actually surprised we haven't heard about it in Infinity Nikki yet.

Please let me know if this guide has been useful, and if there's other parts of the games you'd like me to cover!

[nikkigameslore]

Explaining the Nikkiverse

I got a few asks about this and I still don't know if i explained it well enough so hopefully this clears up any confusion about the timelines

Disclaimer this is just my understanding etc. etc.

Every Nikki exists in her own timeline, that is for the most part separate from the other Nikki's. They all have the same goal: save Miraland from destruction.

We know Nikki has tried and failed to save Miraland several thousands of times. In Love Nikki she is summoned by Queen Nanari to the year 680 and this is, from what we know, the first time she enters Miraland. She is given a year to save the world and whether or not she succeeds is not yet determined. We are however introduced to time travel.

Enter Shining Nikki. Shining Nikki is where we learn of diverging timelines, in this timeline Nikki failed to save Miraland in the year she was given from Love Nikki, she is summoned back in time to the Ark by Aeon and Marina (order and chaos) and tasked to save Miraland once more. We are also introduced to different worlds and timelines where Nikki tries and fails to save Miraland and this is where the creation of Star Sea comes into play, Nikki's unfailing hope and belief that Miraland can be saved no matter how many times she fails.

Infinity Nikki has pretty much confirmed with this update that this Nikki takes place in a different world/universe and the existence of more. I think the interesting thing here is the implication that everyone who is playing is playing a Nikki in a different world, as opposed to the other two games where we are just following Nikki as she goes on her adventure.

[koiiiso]

Lay My Curses All To Rest. (Make A Mercy Out Of Me.)

Caitlyn Kiramman/F!Mage!R!

Tags: @kings-paintbrush

Proofread: Yes/No

Summary: Within the world was a land neighboring Piltover and Zaun. A land where magic was normalized and accepted, praised even. When dear soldiers from this land were sent to assist their neighbors, a woman catches Caitlyn’s eyes. Perhaps it was the fact that she looked like that of a beast yet so human, or the fact that this woman was a practical parallel of her own self, both the one of the past and the present.

Oftentimes, memories are that of a mystery to ponder. To ponder your own thoughts and feelings amongst the experiences and expectations once set feels natural yet so odd, as if sinful. The case here within her large mind was similar to that, a questionable sense of idealism that could be so horrid was so prevalent among her thoughts.

The memories she had long since pondered, ones of magic questioned her knowledge of the rules. Piltover never allowed magic within its grand walls, to keep out all that wasn’t explained. Caitlyn liked it this way, she had the vast knowledge of sciences recorded at her fingertips at the daily.

Yet as almost a decade or two passed since the time she didn’t have knowledge to explain this, memory, it comes back more prevalent than before.

Then she looked into the foreign books, ones she wasn’t allowed to even mutter the names of, ones of magic.

She felt a guilty urge deep inside her, as if she was breaking the laws of science, the ones she adored, yet she pushed her feelings down. She needed an explanation. One for magic. One for you.

She hated you.

You were this mage from the neighboring nation, and you just so happened to live next to the border, which she lived next to on the opposing side.

The pair of you were opposites, truly.

You were magic, she wasn’t. She was wealthy beyond imagination, and you weren’t. You were a force of chaos, always joyful, and she was more peaceful than not.

You would oftentimes go over the boarder for whatever reason, always after either flowers or bugs needed. You showed her magic she couldn’t explain so easily, it was normalized for you.

She can recall when she asked you how you could do that, how magic is even feasible.

“Didn’t I just show you how?” You asked her, head tilting a bit as you lowered your hands, the magic once so vibrantly pulsing now dispersing.

“Well, just how do you do it?” She egged on, the accented voice of hers was softer than normal, she tilted her own head to meet your eyes, your pretty eyes. Her bangs got in her eyes for a moment, and just as pulled them back, you were gone.

That was the last time she saw you, and despite her dislike for you, she missed you. You intrigued her, and she missed her curiosity that seemed to overwhelm her when she was near you.

She missed you so goddamn much.

The tellings of war spread faster than the action given against the opposition.

Within the world of magic, rumors are their own powers. The words echoing forevermore amongst the systematical order of the world, of the hierarchy. 

Miraland was the neighboring nation to Piltover, full of joy and magic within. There were few exceptions for the more talented users. They were sent away to hone these skills they had, then sent off to different nations of war to just be used as a defense before death overtook them.

Miraland used to be a weapons capital, having great trade with those who needed to have violence as a surrounding factor. Then within a fit of rage, a mage, full of a bittersweet love he just lost to these weapons cursed the land forevermore.

The rumors of this curse spoke of horror to those who use their magic, their blessings, for violence, forced or not.

The first to happen would be their organs tightening until they burst inside of the magic user, keeping them alive still yet in such pain that could be considered torturous.

Then fire would replace the organs, cooking the person alive until they were nothing more than that of a pile of ash, lost within the wind.

You were a part of the advanced mages, unwilling. You didn’t want to die, never minded death but it certainly wasn’t a want. When the curse was described to you, it felt more like a prophecy than a warning.

You suppose it is one due to where you find yourself currently, on a one way cart to Piltover. You knew your fate was sealed.

Looking around at your fellows, those who graduated with you, they all seemed tense. They knew what you knew, and it was anything but comforting.

You were about to die, shipped off to a war you wanted no part in, and it made you hope to die not of the curse but of being killed. It would be more than merciful for you.

The cart arrived at the border, and your fate was sealed.

The gate to the border opened, and the cart went through, heading toward the entrance of the meeting point. Then the doors opened, you all got up and exited the cart, which left just as soon as it came.

Following the guards into the meeting room, you clutched onto your staff whilst looking around. The staff was a special one for you, carved of owl and goat bone, Titan blood poured upon the jewels, allowing a magic not yet known to flow through you. At the end of the staff was a flower, the white lily, a mourning flower. Your mother encased and sewed it upon your staff, she knew just as well as you did that you were to perish.

Finally, you stood before the doors to the meeting room. It’s time to meet your commanders and your killers, those who will knowingly lead you to your death and have to not care.

The doors open, and you all enter, coming face to face with them all. Then face to face with that girl. You remember her, and it seems she remembers you.

Caitlyn’s lips part slightly. The meeting paused as the others turned to examine you all. There was a girl with poorly dyed black to pink hair, a goddess-like woman, and a bear-like man there as well.

You cleared your throat, going to speak, and address what is to happen upon your side. “I would like to make you lot aware of what is to happen in case you were not informed. When the magic is violent we have a small window to use it when it’s active. During this window the magic is shrinking our organs before they burst and then burn us inside until we are only mere ashes. This is protocol. So we will need a plan to be informed of.” You stated, blunt. This was a standard upheld, let them know what hell you were to go through and hope you don’t have to use magic.

Then a pause.

Then a plan came.

Throughout the conversation, Caitlyn stared at you. You missed her, and it seemed like she missed you as well.

The plan was enacted, and the magic did its part. It was hell.

Most died before the plan failed, leaving only you and a girl. She was a stranger to you, only having short interactions at the school. Janna you wish you would have spoken to her.

From the upper levels you saw what happened, it was all a failure. Caitlyn and Ambessa were fighting it out, those of the undercity just appeared, and it was chaos as they were mostly taken in the arms of the robots that caused so much grievance.

Taking the girl’s hand within your own, you led her up higher. You needed to get to a better vantage point. You needed to see what was happening and cause a distraction.

You reach the top, unaware of the robots that were following you two until the swarm came upon you. You didn’t have time to think, setting the girl down as she started to gasp for air, choking on her own blood as the fire seemed to overtake her. Her reaction to the curse was delayed to the point you thought of her as a survivor.

The robots surrounded you, nearly atop you. So you did what you could. Raw magic poured from your hands, connecting to your staff as you slammed it into the ground, shattering it.

The bones cracked, the jewels shattered like glass, Titan’s blood bursting out like that of whips. The white lily became that of a ball of light, so you spread it, larger than Piltover itself, all in hope of dissolving the robots.

You succeeded mostly, but that has its consequences.

The robots completely disappeared into little bulbs of light.

Then your own death started. Yet it was different, it felt different.

Grass grew upon you, overtaking you fully before your staff came back to life, finally in your hands one last time. Eyes were upon you as your body turned to mold before becoming that of light and disappearing. It was a beacon, and a distraction and then.

Then you were gone.

Yet Caitlyn was still here.

She recalls those stupid smiles, that stupid grin you always had! How your stupid magic always had an effect! She hates-!

Then she woke up, her arms around Vi’s waist. She felt sticky as sweat clung to her. With a sigh she burrows her face into Vi’s neck, giving it a gentle kiss before dozing off once more into her thoughts.

How could she miss and mourn someone she barely knew?

[mortalityplays]

Does it seem like Infinity Nikki is building on the lore in the previous games, or is it doing its own thing? It's been a few years since I played Love Nikki Dress-up queen, and all of the proper nouns seem to be different than I remember.

Okay let's talk about Nikki lore!!!

if you've come straight from Love Nikki, Infinity Nikki probably feels strikingly different and yet eerily familiar. It presents itself as a clean slate for new players and a straight reboot for returning players, with Nikki and Momo encountering a magical outfit and being pulled into Miraland where they learn a whole new set of terms and mechanics for the dress-up game you're about to play. All the proper nouns have changed - 'styling power' is still the same, but now magic and tech are 'whim' and base currency is 'blings' etc. The story, setting and characters are all a little different too. So it's a total reboot for the new format, right? Makes sense.

TL;DR: for everything I'm about to unpack:

Doylian answer: IN is a clean reboot of the basic isekai premise, allowing them to easily onboard new players and update the core nature of the game.

Watsonian answer: the reboot is itself part of the ongoing canonical lore of the Nikki series!!!

The context you're missing is Shining Nikki. SN actually pulled this move first - it was a total overhaul of LN to move the series from 2D paper doll graphics to full 3D models, and like IN it seemed to begin the isekai type story of LN again from the start. Not too many people in english speaking markets played the first two games in the series (Nikki Up2U and Hello Nikki), but what you need to know about them is that they were both set in Nikki's own earth-like world, where fashion was an ordinary element of everyday life (i.e. the player was asked to dress her appropriately for real-world situations, with the context that she was an aspiring fashion student). They were also direct instalments in an ongoing story.

Here's the timeline up to where you stopped:

NU2U: Fashion student Nikki and her talking pet Momo practise her skills as a stylist in everyday situations. Though it's usually played as a joke, both Nikki and Momo acknowledge that he's a 'cat-like thing' - not really an earth cat.

HN: Nikki and Momo travel their world, finding styling inspiration in different locations / through meeting various characters. Some of the costumes she creates in this game continue to appear through each sequel as lower-level outfits, implying continuity.

LN: The first game that really broke through in english-speaking markets, and the first in the Miraland cycle. Nikki is preparing for graduation, when she finds a mysterious outfit in the attic. Touching it gives her a vision where she glimpses a strange realm brimming with fashion-related power of some sort. When she comes to, she and Momo are in a field of flowers. They've been transported to another world called Miraland, where styling has literal magical power that's used to settle disputes in place of violence. She embarks on a quest to attain a set of uniquely powerful dresses at the centre of a burgeoning magical/political crisis, in order to save Miraland.

^ Big sideways jump, right? The Doylian explanation for all this is very mundane. They have to keep rebuilding this game for newer phones, and updating the graphics/mechanical gameplay as the series goes on. There are only so many times you can ask a player to dress Nikki up to go to a café or whatever, and the isekai genre is massively popular among the target playerbase. BUT they retain the canonical continuity of the series with LN - Nikki frequently refers to her sister Yoyo and their travels around the world throughout LN and SN, and Momo hints that Miraland may be the origin of his clan (or at least tied to their origin somehow). It would have been an easy place to wipe the slate clean, but they didn't.

And then comes Shining Nikki. On starting the game, Nikki speaks to you directly from a meta-realm where you set up your username and get introduced to basic concepts. Nikki has an encounter / vision with a mysterious figure related to this styling meta-realm, and then she wakes up. She and Momo find themselves in a field of flowers, in a world called Miraland - sstop me if you've heard this one before.

SN is where things started to get really interesting, and where I suspect the writers started laying down some intentions for the series going forward. As Nikki travels around Miraland, she runs into a variety of people and places that are reminiscent of, yet different from, the cast and setting of Love Nikki. And little by little, she begins to recover memories of that game.

As it build towards its climax, SN does one of the coolest things I've ever seen from a rinkydink fantasy mobile gacha. Nikki comes up against an opponent she can't beat, and you're asked to style-battle them again and again. She starts to dissociate and refuses to back down, and then- well at this point my phone couldn't handle the 3D effects and it booted me back to the game's home screen.

SN was pretty ambitious with its 3D elements, to the point that the home screen itself featured a 3D nikki you could dress up, who would move around and strike poses, and spit out lighthearted quips when you tapped her ('I wont give up on my friends!', 'If Momo eats any more BBQ he's going to turn into a beach ball...' etc.) So anyway, my game was locked up apart from homescreen Nikki's idle animations. And then she started talking to me, by username, commenting on the defeat she was suffering repeatedly in the story chapters.

At this point, SN introduces the idea that the player is (from Nikki's perspective) a powerful being from another parallel world, who has been influencing her styling choices the whole time. It also introduces a meta-meta-realm where outside observers can access people's memories to subtly alter their world's timeline. When I say this game got high concept...they had a limited-time event at one point where Nikki essentially explores the lingering cognitive dissonances left behind by the inhabitants of Omelas. I'm insane about this series. Anyway.

A LOT went on in SN, but what you need to know is this:

Nikki learns that she found herself in the story of SN because she went back in time 600+ years from the events of LN in a last ditch effort to prevent the apocalypse she failed to avert.

By accessing the Ocean of Memories, she also learns that this is not the first time she's done this. She has been stuck in a time loop for thousands upon thousands of cycles, perpetually failing to save Miraland, going back in time, and creating new causal offshoots that she again fails to save.

Nikki realises that by doing this, she is perpetually rebooting the lives of all the friends she keeps meeting and bonding with and then failing to save, and wrestles with whether this is ethical. Ultimately she decides to persist, determined to save Miraland.

Now here's the million-dollar question: Is Infinity Nikki a straight reboot, wiping the slate clean to simplify the lore and onboard new players? Or is it a continuation of Nikki lore to date, setting her on a new cycle in the same sequence? I would answer: yes and yes.

Every game in Miraland seems to follow a certain pattern with minor changes, and IN is no exception:

Nikki arrives in a tutorial zone themed around cosy rural villages and flower fields.

She meets a friendly girl who introduces her to Styling and its role in Miraland, and who puts her on the path to her first set of competitions (rip Bobo greatest anime betrayal of all time)

Nikki gets drawn into a political crisis centred on Miraland's system of styling contests, inevitably involving mercenaries and corporate espionage at some point.

Reference is made to an ancient fallen monarch who had a personal connection to certain outfits of immense power.

Reference is made to an elusive but powerful spiritual being (a god, a prophet, ???) whose divine power is bound up with the mysterious source of Styling Power.

Nikki encounters a reclusive society of magical beings whose life force depends on that same power source.

She travels to a variety of regions including Fairytale Forest, Gothic Lolita Town, Literally China, Uncomfortable Desert Realm, Big City, and Separatist Tech Freak Island. [in progress]

War breaks out somewhere and Nikki ends up on the run [hasn't happened yet, but I believe]

Vampires/demons get involved [hasn't happened yet, but I believe]

There is a goofy yellow mascot that looks like a fat duckling. [I'm a Gifty truther, what does it all mean.]

So far we're only a few chapters into IN, but I can already see a lot of familiar pattens starting to take shape. Factions are an interesting twist on regional styling competitions, and elements like Eureka and the Mira Crown contest (and the repeated motif of mirrors and fragmented crystals) look a lot like the seeds of more meta-realm content to me. Well, and the actual literal meta-realms accessed via waypoints and whimstars.

If you read all this, well done!!! You are definitely insane enough to enjoy the Nikki series.

[mysticasrandomhorde]

Noble's Will Au: Warden Trials (Pearl Clan Editon)

Pearl Clan: (first two by @creatingnonsense )

Lian: Participated in a test of staying in one place and not flinching when Lord Kleavor swings their axes close to their body. Was the youngest participant there. Managed to gain the noble's favor by staring them down when they swung their axe-like hand an inch from his face. Gained a "x" scar on his left arm as his marking.

Blessings: Geomancy, ability to summon and sense different types of rocks or geodes in an area. Tough as rock skin, making him durable to most damage. Can use and shape rocks around him as a way to defend or protect himself. Small control of the earth, still learning how to control it.

Calaba: In her younger days, her trail was searching for a personal item that Lord Ursaluna hid itself in the Miralands. Fighting off wild pokemon and wading through pools of mud, her persistence is what gained the noble's favor. Has a large paw marking on her back.

Blessings: Expert level Terraforming, ability to cause mudslides and sandpits along with diging out safe caves and holes. Increased sense of smell, her tracking techniques are unmatched. Has fangs and claws similar to her noble, along with a light layer of fur on her limbs.

Palina: Gave up her chance of becoming a Clan leader to become a warden. Had to walk along a small path of heated volcanic rocks lit by Lord Arcanine, made it to the other side with burns on her feet and hands from losing her balance. Amazed by her determination, Lord Arcanine gave her a flame marking on her ankles for winning his favor.

Blessings: Immunity to heat and fire. Mastery over Pyrokinesis, including lava. Can summon volcanic rock to get across liquid surfaces. Can Generate flames from thin air from her hands and feet. Gained her noble's facial markings along with claws and fangs.

Ingo: An unlikely canidiate due to being an outsider, but was given a chance by Lady Sneasler herself. Participated a trial against other people, receiving a scratch wound caused by the noble laced with their poison, then having to climb up a rocky cliffface without succumbing to the poison's effects. After stumbling a few times, Ingo managed to make it to the top with shaking and very cut up hands. Gained three claw scratches run along his neck, collarbone and upper chest as his marking.

Blessings: Gained expert-like agility and reflexes, along with immunity to poison. Increased speed and ability to climb steep surfaces. Has claws and fangs laced with poison, light fur covering his arms.

Gaeric: Had to take a plunge into freezing cold water before making the trek up to the peak of the Icelands while Lord Avalugg blasted cold air down, making the participant be knocked off the path. Managed to make it up there before sunrise, on his knees half -frozen and slowly succumbing to frostbite. Gained a snowflake tattoo as his forearm as his marking.

Blessings: Immunity to the cold along with immense strength, crystals of ice collect on his skin and harden like armor. Can summon and manipulate snow/ice, along with summons snowstorms.

Bonus one

Irida: Gained the role of clan leader after her older sister, Palina, refused it so to take the Noble Arcanine's trial. After taking the Oath, she takes a trek up to the Temple of Sinnoh at Sundown, getting past obstacles made by the wardens.

Blessings: Gained a pink tattoo of a group of stars between her shoulde blades. Ability to wrap reality around her to travel small distances (teleportation) and a greater affinity with manipulating water of any state around her, including the vapors in the air.

Noble Pokemon names:

Lord Kleavor: Taichi "Great sword"

Lord Ursaluna: Hanzou "Half, to hide"

Lord Arcanine(past): Hiyoshi "Sun's blessing"

Lady Sneasler: Onna "woman, lady"

Lord Avalugg: Satoru "Enlightenment, wisdom"

[perfectblves]

still annoyed at infold for how they handled sea of stars storyline so heres a rough rewrite/redo/whatever you wanna call it

firstly, its part of the main story, but is a new chapter instead of a random retcon to the beginning. i personally think it flows best after unlocking silvergale, but if they really want people to unlock it asap, the earliest it can be introduced is after nikki learns about the coma cases. i think the old introduction is really well done and an important tutorial for the basic gameplay loop (so it really confuses me that they just scrapped it)

this way, the nikkiverse can be introduced OR expanded on, without burning down what was already established to players. bc the game *does* mention alternate timelines, they just chose to deal with it in the most obnoxious way. if it canonically happens after giovannis timeline quote, then it gives more weight to it. if it happens before that, then it doesnt come as such a random surprise lol

ANYWAYS. onto the (semi) rewrite.

- after fulfilling whatever requirement, you get a new quest notification that tells you to go to the stylist guild

- once ur there, you get a short cutscene of nikki being like "momo .. lately somethings been off about the heart of infinity... it hurts and it feels like someones calling for me" (if it happens earlier than after silvergale, nikki just says the heart of infinity hurts and she feels someone calling for her)

- obvs momo is like what!!! lets ask dada

- before they can enter though, nikki goes "ow momo, its happening again-" and momo panics as she wobbles on her feet and passes out

- this could go momo-less or have momo. choose what u wanna believe in lol

- we then see the cutscene of A Different nikki and ruined miraland. *our* nikki is watching all this happen and is really worried, and she tries to use her floating outfit to reach the other nikki

- she doesnt make it, so she wakes up in the water... space... thing like the intro screen

- seer is there and shes like Oh my pink star thank goodness i managed to save you. obviously nikki is confused and lost, and worries about her friends in miraland, and especially the person she just saw.

- seer replies that it wasnt *her* miraland that was destroyed, so she shouldnt worry too much. also there should be some dialogue that heavily implies that The Other nikki tried to summon Our nikki for help, whether on purpose or accidentally.

- the rest proceeds mostly the same, just without the random ass tutorial shoehorned in. seer can infodump as much as she wants since NOW it makes a little more sense

[infinityvalkariel]

✧・°・。・°・。・ peony. - 2025.02.13

[daily-nikki]

Optimization Preview | Version 1.5

From the Official Nikki Website.

Breaking News: Version 1.5 Drops MASSIVE Optimizations + FREE 10 Pulls!

Keep Reading for more in depth coverage of what's in store.

[Camera] Optimization: Enhanced Photography Experience!

Momo's Camera is getting a major update in Version 1.5!

Version 1.5 will introduce vertical photo mode for PS5 and PC platforms. For mobile devices, due to the wide range of models and screen specifications requiring extensive optimization, this feature is still under active adjustment and will be released once fully polished. We sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of our mobile players!

The new update will also allow you to save and share up to 20 custom photo settings. Preserve your favorite configurations, then effortlessly share them with friends.

On top of that, we've addressed feedback about limited composition options due to Nikki's fixed poses. After the 1.5 update, Momo's Camera will debut a free movement mode, enabling Nikki to move freely during photoshoots. This "small step" for Nikki could lead to a giant leap in capturing stunning shots—get ready to immortalize even more dazzling moments with her!

*This is an in-development version of the game. Please refer to the actual in-game content.

Leila has arrived! The previously teased camera merchant Leila arrives in Version 1.5! you can use camera modification tools to unlock 8 new photo poses, including "Drowsy Yawning," "Play the Pipa," and "Graceful Floating." In the future, Leila will also offer additional poses, filters, and other photography goodies for purchase or exchange—so stay tuned!

After snapping your shots, you'll now be able to rotate photos and edit them with stickers and text! Experiment with a variety of stickers to personalize your memories and craft dazzling keepsakes!

*This is an in-development version of the game. Please refer to the actual in-game content.

Embark on an Adventure with Nikki: New Storyline Unlocked!​

Version 1.5 Bubble Season brings a thrilling new chapter.

What begins as a lighthearted graduation trip soon spirals into an epic journey. Guided by a mysterious stranger, Nikki witnesses a world in crisis and steps into a rift in time and space, venturing toward the primordial Sea of Stars. There, she'll uncover secrets about her past, present, and future—and encounter countless versions of herself from parallel worlds.

A brand-new multiplayer map will open, featuring unique gameplay mechanics and co-op challenges. Co-op is entirely optional—solo players can enjoy the map at their own pace, with a focus on relaxed, stress-free exploration. Dive in and savor the adventure!

Alongside the update, Nikki's MV "Echoes of the Stars" will debut, where Nikki will tell the story of her celestial journey. Follow /@InfinityNikkiEN for updates—prepare to be swept away by the harmonies of the Sea of Stars!

But the adventure doesn't end there! Nikki will visit the secluded Serenity Island, where she'll meet new Piecey companions and unravel long-forgotten tales. Immerse yourself in the island's rich bathing culture and leisurely charm—a perfect respite before your next cosmic quest!

Unleash Boundless Creativity With Custom Ability Styling!

As Nikki's journey across Miraland unfolds, she gets better at harnessing her Whim. After collecting a set number of Ability Outfits and completing their story quests, Nikki will be able to use abilities freely, unbound by specific outfits.

Once an Ability Outfit is fully collected and its power unlocked, head to the Ability Setup interface to customize its appearance. Mix and match your favorite aesthetics to create unique looks for each ability.

Some abilities require specific items to function (e.g., handheld items). For these, you can swap the design of the required item (e.g., choosing a different style of cleaning brush for the Default: Animal-Grooming ability) but cannot replace it with an item from unrelated abilities (e.g., scissors from Tailor: Animal-Grooming, fishing rods, or bug-catching nets).

Some outfits, like ​​"Daughter of the Lake"​​ and ​​"Spectral Mist,"​ feature special effects. These are tied to their full sets and can only be activated by wearing the complete outfit.

*This is an in-development version of the game. Please refer to the actual in-game content.

Visual Upgrades & Ability Enhancements!

With the launch of customizable ability styling, we've upgraded the visual effects of select Ability Outfits to make their powers stand out even more! The following outfits have received art upgrades and ability refinements: "Crystal Poems," "Froggy Fashion," "Breezy Tea Time," "Shark Mirage," and "Forest's Fluttering." The "Crystal Poems" outfit now features a special purification animation: Nikki will wield her wand to cast Purifying Orbs, accompanied by a shimmering snowfall effect around the wand. While many stylists requested customizable orb colors, these hues are tied to future story developments—stay tuned for Nikki's evolving abilities on her adventure! The "Froggy Fashion" outfit has been upgraded to the new [Croaker Chorus: Whimsicality] ability, allowing Nikki to summon four Croakers for a lively choir session. This ability upgrade will debut alongside the [Croaker's Whisper] rerun event during Version 1.5's 4-Star Resonance period. Outfits available in the permanent Resonance event like "Breezy Tea Time," "Shark Mirage," and "Forest's Fluttering" also receive polished ability animations. Upon acquisition, their ability items—a bug-catching net, fishing rod, and cleaning brush—can now be swapped for exclusive new designs during use!

Glow Up & Recolor! Enhanced Benefits Await!

An upgrade will elevate the Glow Up experience: 5-star/4-star outfits and pieces unlock new color variants after being fully glowed up. For 3-star outfits and pieces, glowing up won't unlock new colors directly, but you can now use materials in the dyeing feature to unlock additional unique hues.

Starting in Version 1.5, fully glowed up outfits will grant color variant pieces directly via the Glow Up interface. More outfits will gain this feature in future versions.

*This is an in-development version of the game. Please refer to the actual in-game content.

Interaction & Gameplay Improvements​

We have been continuously enhancing visual performance across mobile and PC platforms. Detailed improvements will be announced separately via our official channels.

In addition to visual optimizations, we have also optimized button interactions during gameplay. We've added ​​X/Y-axis inversion for keyboard/mouse and controller, and the ​​custom keybinding system​​ will now support ​​combo key customization​​ (e.g., assigning keys for the ​​Timeless Melody's​​ exclusive skill).

Additionally, we have reduced grind for the two PS trophies ​​"I Swear, This is the Last Time"​​ (using Surprise-O-Matic 1,000 times) and ​​"Heart Full of Wonders"​​ (100 Iridescent Eurekas), allowing everyone to obtain Platinum trophies within a more reasonable timeframe.

Other Ongoing Optimizations

Album Sorting Fix

The display order problem in Momo's Album will be resolved in Version 1.5. Thank you for your patience!

​​Streamlined Main Interface + Immersive Mode

In Version 1.5 Bubble Season, a function hub button will be added to declutter the main interface, grouping and organizing secondary features into a tidy menu.

Additionally, a new immersive mode hides all UI elements (except an exit button) and interaction prompts while retaining shortcut functionality. Perfect for distraction-free exploration and photography!

Whim Calendar

Track event progress and manage Vital Energy efficiently with the new Whim Calendar on the main interface. Plan your adventures smarter!

The path of optimization never ends—future updates will bring even more refinements to your adventure. To all our beloved stylists, thank you for your unwavering support of Infinity Nikki. Your feedback and passion have been the guiding stars lighting our way forward. As a token of gratitude, 10 Revelation Crystals will be gifted to all players upon the launch of Version 1.5 Bubble Season. Let's set sail toward new horizons together!

The celebration of creativity goes on, and our pursuit of excellence never rests. Ahead lies the boundless Sea of Stars, where every twinkling star holds a story waiting to be heard. Together, we shall march onward, embracing a future sparkling with endless possibilities. Here's to brighter days ahead!

[dcs-teaspoon]

I want to talk about the Nikkiverse's use of fashion in Miraland

Some spoilers under cut

Everytime Nikki is in Miraland (please let this girl rest) there is always some sort of impending conflict. The people of Miraland tend to resort to fashion battles to avoid escalation of conflict

Stuff like the Blood Curse are probably why Miraland has resorted to fashion battles

In Love Nikki, Miraland may be experiences the results of an over-reliance on fashion battles. Every little thing warrants a fashion battles, and now the entire fashion-based political system is being destroyed

Items of clothing are conduits. They are vessels to store power and abilities. The story could make marbles the conduits and it would still work. Miraland just so happened to pick fashion.

Being able to create and use these vessels is valuable. That is part of why stylists are so important. They are sort of like an artificer and conduit class rolled into one.

A DEFINITE OVERANALYSIS ON MY PART: The Nikkiverse tends to have an ongoing theme of the ego of man being the death of God. (In Shining Nikki we literally are the aftermath of said death) And throughout history, man has displayed its greatness by creating art. Or in the case of fashion - a wearable form of art.

[momo-shut-the-fuck-up]

So i ve done the main story in infinity nikki and im gonna stop playin now, before i squeeze the game dry of content and have nothing (new) to do on release.

Time for a lil review/thoughts post

I m not gonna review every single mechanic in the game, simply things that stood out to me or that i wanna talk about. I also wont add more images, i kinda want ppl to see the world for themselves... i ll share more when the game comes out tho.

There s a lot of text under this. Tldr, i like the game i think it's a solid, enjoyable experience with a good gameplay loop, the story isn't for me, and i'll keep playin of course. And u should try it too if ur device wont blow itself up tryin to run it.

Dress up

The bread and butter of Nikki games... it's good as usual. Game doesn't shy away from long skirts or coat tails or complicated ballgowns just cuz nikki can run and jump and dash now and i'm very happy bout that. There's some clipping issues once in a while, but it's nothing major and the clothes we do have in the game are lovely. There s an evolution system for some of the sets, which makes em a diff color.... usually they can evolve once, but i saw Three extra evolutions for one of the UR sets and that scares me. Bcs to evolve them u have to craft the suit again. So u have to pull 4 copies of a suit to max it out..

Combat

Game's definitely succeeding in its quest for being cozy. There's no real stakes, combat isn't difficult in the slightest but i do welcome it- super simple but it's pretty fun regardless. The boss fights were surprisingly creative and fun for what they are, it's just unfortunate that you have to do them more than once or twice (crafting mats)- but they do change what the boss does so it's different depending on what mat u are farming for... and u can claim double or triple or however much stamina u got-le of the mat after u complete it once. So that s rly nice.

Exploration

I actually think it's really really good. Again this isn't a difficult or complicated game, not yet i guess... but with the major goal being "get new clothes" and "take pretty pictures maybe", the open world feels actively engaging to participate in. There's collectibles everywhere, little challenges you can do that are diverse but quick, styling battles, collecting everythin from animals fur to bugs to fish, and allll of this brings u closer to that never ending goal of woo more clothes.

However even if a challenge doesnt give you a blueprint, it's still just. Really Nice to exist in this world. It's very whimsical, as expected of Lilith, and the world has a combination of realism and cartoon artstyle that is just soso appealing to me. It's genuinely how i would've imagined miraland to look in 3d. Shame it's not the same miraland we know..

Story

Hmm... silly is one word i could use for it. Cute also. The story isn't doin anythin bad per se, and i did start skippin dialogue near the end w the pieceys because i want to keep at least Some part of the story for the game's release... but i get the gist of it, and it s just not my thing.

It feels like a story made for children, and it definitely would get a G rating. Easy and simple to follow, there's moments of tension or sadness sure but with the antagonist bein a literal babie lookin cutey fairy with a grown man's voice, or the creatures that i'm interacting with are a bunch of. Fuckin weird lookin big eyed balls of fabric that look closer to plushies than somethin Alive... it's all so silly and dramatic sometimes i can t help but cringe.

Part of it is a me problem, if u just open ur heart and free urself from the cringe the story is fine. It's just a little too kiddy for me and i so desperately hope it won't stay like this forever. My prayers might be answered though, there's a whole war beyond the borders and we have refugees around... shit's lookin bad for Umbrosa.

Other things i noticed that i liked:

The effect on nikki's skin when it's raining, she actually has water dripping down her face... its so cool

Momo capes are actually kinda neat ngl. Especially cuz the fucker follows u around everywhere, at least i can bedazzle him

Npc models look really good im a fan. They do suffer from "everyone is very beautiful" syndrome, which makes some of the npc villains look/sound ridiculous, but they have kid-teen-adult-elderly versions of models (i never see teen models in these games! Its cool!) And some body variation. The grandmas look so lovely i cry

The dark skin tone is really dark, and it looks quite nice and natural.

The lighting engine in this game is just rly good in general. God bless UE5

The edges of the map where there s forest, which u obv cant go thru, the forest is made to be darker, thicker.... i m a huge fan of this idk y. It's not just *invisible wall in front of an open field* nopee cant go there lets explore that area later tee hee. And it looks good to boot.

Camera function is p robust, has more options for changin brightness/saturation/contrast etc which i feel Shining Nikki lacks.

Some of the creature designs are so good man i looove themm <3.... the pieces are awful tho. Ok creature design is a hit and miss sometimes but the stray hatty? Peak. All the weirdy fashionable animals? Peak.

Bein able to quick switch thru ur saved sets while in the overworld is real neat

Oke that was it. Bye

[clicksonawhim]

Old Fashion Map of Wish Field

(Wish Field Map)

@wereah at some point had mentioned wanting to gather up the lore of Infinity Nikki because apparently no one has compiled that information. At least as far as we know (if you have or know of a location someone has, please tell me).

So I got a bee in a my bonnet and decided that when the mood struck me, I would go lore hunting. And by the way, lore hunting isn't just about the many, many... many readable pages in Miraland, but also the environment.

Such as this map, this map which has been sitting in the mayor's office from the moment you met her. At the time of meeting Mayor Grace for the first time you have not yet been to Stoneville, the Abandon District or the Wishing Woods, and now that I think about it, probably not even Breezy Meadow. This is important because the way the map works in Infinity Nikki is that any large scale location on the map will be covered by fog until you enter that location for the first time.

As a result, for a new player, most of this map isn't seen on their map, but you can still see the full ass map in the mayor's office. This also means that in the game, there are hints to what comes next, though often in hindsight.

Also randomly, can I say I find it funny there is environmental proof that Mayor Grace has a coffee addiction?

(Mayor Grace's Coffee Stash)