27 Reviews:
Xplayerlol
Rating includes extra.
A really weird, but enjoyable adventure game. It starts with you being killed by a boss, and then you're teleported to a room where you must do some weird things, like jump inside the TV after going under you bed, to play some Arkanoid with two cherries. Once you beat the Arkanoid mini-game, a portal shaped like a door will be unlocked, and that is where the real game begins.
There are 6 worlds that you can beat in any order. The worlds are mostly basic platforming: Some tight maneuvering, traps here and there, some slightly precise needle jumps. There are a couple saves where you'll need weird platforming tricks to avoid some triggers. There's also a puzzle world, and a WTF world that I still don't fully understand how it works. Most of the platforming wasn't really interesting to me, but it wasn't bad either. The weird trick segments, however, reminded me a lot of other of Azure's games, Eternal, and these really got my attention. It's always good to learn new platforming tricks, no matter how weird are they (Actually, the weirder, the better). Also, the WTF world is something whose existence I'd rather forget.
The secrets are quite harder than the normal platforming. There are four of them (One of them isn't at any of the 6 worlds), so don't bother on looking for more. There's a normal platforming segment, a mini-game of targets, a infinite jumping section with lots of RNG and a beatmania secret boss. They are mostly easy to find, but very hard to get. Neither of the secrets was exactly unfair, although I would certainly appreciate less sniping cherries at the beatmania boss.
The bosses are fairly easy when compared to the platforming. They're somewhat interesting, using gimmicks and concepts that aren't seen at many fangames. I didn't really enjoy beating most of them, but they're certainly not bad.
One thing that I really liked and disliked at the same time is how you can teleport to the room at the beginning by pressing "O". I liked it because it's very useful when you're getting a secret after beatng the stage's boss. And I disliked it because the game doesn't tell you that, so you'll have to find it out by yourself after defeating your first boss (There's no warp for you after you beat the boss, so pressing "O" is the only way to go back).
What I really liked in this game (Probably made me give it a rating 2 points higher than it should be) is the extra stage. There are tons of unusual and very precise needle jumps scattered through two screens. There's one save for each jump for the most part, but some jumps are just so hard to figure out that it's still a very hard stage. Along with Eternal, this is one of the best ways to introduce needle players to Azure's harder needle games (A.K.A. Loner and Goner, and similar fangames from other makers), and I believe it's something definitely worth getting the secrets for (If you like needle games, of course). The extra boss is also quite difficult compared to the other bosses, being a tough RNG wall, regardless of how short its fight is.
Most of the platforming is quite uninteresting, but the extra is a real gem. Highly recommended to needle players with experience on adventure platforming (And beatmania), but I wouldn't really recommend it to adventure players, since the normal platforming isn't that great.
[5] Likes
A really weird, but enjoyable adventure game. It starts with you being killed by a boss, and then you're teleported to a room where you must do some weird things, like jump inside the TV after going under you bed, to play some Arkanoid with two cherries. Once you beat the Arkanoid mini-game, a portal shaped like a door will be unlocked, and that is where the real game begins.
There are 6 worlds that you can beat in any order. The worlds are mostly basic platforming: Some tight maneuvering, traps here and there, some slightly precise needle jumps. There are a couple saves where you'll need weird platforming tricks to avoid some triggers. There's also a puzzle world, and a WTF world that I still don't fully understand how it works. Most of the platforming wasn't really interesting to me, but it wasn't bad either. The weird trick segments, however, reminded me a lot of other of Azure's games, Eternal, and these really got my attention. It's always good to learn new platforming tricks, no matter how weird are they (Actually, the weirder, the better). Also, the WTF world is something whose existence I'd rather forget.
The secrets are quite harder than the normal platforming. There are four of them (One of them isn't at any of the 6 worlds), so don't bother on looking for more. There's a normal platforming segment, a mini-game of targets, a infinite jumping section with lots of RNG and a beatmania secret boss. They are mostly easy to find, but very hard to get. Neither of the secrets was exactly unfair, although I would certainly appreciate less sniping cherries at the beatmania boss.
The bosses are fairly easy when compared to the platforming. They're somewhat interesting, using gimmicks and concepts that aren't seen at many fangames. I didn't really enjoy beating most of them, but they're certainly not bad.
One thing that I really liked and disliked at the same time is how you can teleport to the room at the beginning by pressing "O". I liked it because it's very useful when you're getting a secret after beatng the stage's boss. And I disliked it because the game doesn't tell you that, so you'll have to find it out by yourself after defeating your first boss (There's no warp for you after you beat the boss, so pressing "O" is the only way to go back).
What I really liked in this game (Probably made me give it a rating 2 points higher than it should be) is the extra stage. There are tons of unusual and very precise needle jumps scattered through two screens. There's one save for each jump for the most part, but some jumps are just so hard to figure out that it's still a very hard stage. Along with Eternal, this is one of the best ways to introduce needle players to Azure's harder needle games (A.K.A. Loner and Goner, and similar fangames from other makers), and I believe it's something definitely worth getting the secrets for (If you like needle games, of course). The extra boss is also quite difficult compared to the other bosses, being a tough RNG wall, regardless of how short its fight is.
Most of the platforming is quite uninteresting, but the extra is a real gem. Highly recommended to needle players with experience on adventure platforming (And beatmania), but I wouldn't really recommend it to adventure players, since the normal platforming isn't that great.
Rating: 7.0
Difficulty: 75
Jul 4, 2015
Cosmoing
There's a lot going on in this surprisingly short game. You have 6 stages each with a different style or gimmick (although at the end, it's still azure needle, so expect a fair amount of tough jumps and traps) and 4 secrets. The secrets are required to access the end of the game, so you'll have to get them and 1 of them in particular is a hard and lengthy segment. That secret did have my favorite gimmick, the moving spikes and exploding spikes, so it was quite fun, but players that aren't so great at needle might have a pretty rough time. It is a good gatekeeper for the final stage however, since that's 2 screens of precise hard jumps. Most of them aren't too bad, but I would say its inclusion is questionable. There's also bosses but I don't remember anything about them, so they were either easy or unmemorable. Either way, this game is a nice short package you could easily spend 2 or so hours on.
[3] Likes
Rating: 6.0
Difficulty: 75
May 2, 2019
Wolfiexe
Dieary is another one of Azure's adventure-fests, with a whole variety of platforming and bosses dispersed across a number of stages. Here, you can choose the order in which you go through the 6 stages in this game. A number of these feature triggers and traps which may turn some players away, but they're usually very satisfying to pull off in their design, and whilst I'm not a fan of instagib flying spike traps, they somehow never really bothered me here. Gimmicks are also involved such as shooting spikes to move them, explosive cherries to bypass obstacles and some race-against-time segments.
There are also a number of bosses, and whilst I find them all pretty fun, a couple can be pretty tough on the RNG-side of things, such as Azusa (the boss of the pink portal) which can feel too overwhelming to be reasonable on some occasions. Special mention goes to the wolf/panda boss with a very hype song and simple but fun mechanics.
Once all 6 portals are completed and 4 secrets are collected (most of which are fairly obvious in their placement), the basic ending can be acquired, with the option of continuing into an couple of extra needle screens followed by an additional boss afterwards for the true end.
Dieary is overall a pretty fun adventure game, and despite the rough visuals in places and simplicity that it has, it ends up being interesting enough in design to make it a well varied and enjoyable fangame. Would recommend.
[3] Likes
There are also a number of bosses, and whilst I find them all pretty fun, a couple can be pretty tough on the RNG-side of things, such as Azusa (the boss of the pink portal) which can feel too overwhelming to be reasonable on some occasions. Special mention goes to the wolf/panda boss with a very hype song and simple but fun mechanics.
Once all 6 portals are completed and 4 secrets are collected (most of which are fairly obvious in their placement), the basic ending can be acquired, with the option of continuing into an couple of extra needle screens followed by an additional boss afterwards for the true end.
Dieary is overall a pretty fun adventure game, and despite the rough visuals in places and simplicity that it has, it ends up being interesting enough in design to make it a well varied and enjoyable fangame. Would recommend.
Rating: 7.5
Difficulty: 65
Jul 20, 2017
LOLGamer
I like the idea of a fangame based off of yume nikki, however this game doesn't really go for the same kind of surreal immersive atmospheric exploration aspect that game had and merely uses its concept and assets. The gameplay holds up fairly well with plenty of variety despite the game being really old, though one area in particular was too cryptic for me to figure out. Was a decently fun albeit a bit bland experience overall. Oh and also there is a rather pedophilic bossfight somewhere in the game that raises a few eyebrows. Would probably not recommend.
[2] Likes
Rating: 4.3
Difficulty: 61
Mar 4, 2023
LastTISisLife
Based on 100 % clear. This game... goes really hard sometimes. I would say majority of it is very fun with good placed secrets and unique stages. Green stage with puzzle was cracked in every possible way tho and also extra was pretty dumb
[1] Like
Rating: 6.5
Difficulty: 73
Apr 9, 2023
xva
very interesting and old adventure game. something I really like about this game is its very unique and never-before-seen platforming, along with some standard bosses with equally good ideas thrown in
the game's generally yume nikki-styled, so some weird stuff is to be expected. the way you even access any of the stages in the game is to go to sleep until its nighttime, then go through the door at the top. most stages have secret items and a boss, where the stage outweighs the boss in difficulty pretty much every time. this game's difficulty is derived from like two main stages (purple and red trap-heavy areas) which both have the hardest platforming in the game not counting the last stage. the rainbowloid 9hp boss is my favorite, as it has quite a unique gimmick to it. it's something you'd expect to see in a game like Emperor (partially since Emperor has a boss that is rather similar to this - Reimu). the other bosses all have unique ideas or unique execution. a unique idea would be the bomb boss, while unique execution would be the wolf boss. what other bosses do you know of that shoot WWF logos at you and have two phases, of which the second is accessed by physically dropping down to the room below where the next phase begins. see what I mean?
there's also some weird doll room you can access by sleeping too much. it's just a jpg of a closeup of a hollow-eyed doll that slowly approaches you and kills you. I found that quite memorable for some reason, it kinda freaked me out when I first got to it by accident
overall good game, has some rough patches but is generally fun. recommended
[0] Likes
the game's generally yume nikki-styled, so some weird stuff is to be expected. the way you even access any of the stages in the game is to go to sleep until its nighttime, then go through the door at the top. most stages have secret items and a boss, where the stage outweighs the boss in difficulty pretty much every time. this game's difficulty is derived from like two main stages (purple and red trap-heavy areas) which both have the hardest platforming in the game not counting the last stage. the rainbowloid 9hp boss is my favorite, as it has quite a unique gimmick to it. it's something you'd expect to see in a game like Emperor (partially since Emperor has a boss that is rather similar to this - Reimu). the other bosses all have unique ideas or unique execution. a unique idea would be the bomb boss, while unique execution would be the wolf boss. what other bosses do you know of that shoot WWF logos at you and have two phases, of which the second is accessed by physically dropping down to the room below where the next phase begins. see what I mean?
there's also some weird doll room you can access by sleeping too much. it's just a jpg of a closeup of a hollow-eyed doll that slowly approaches you and kills you. I found that quite memorable for some reason, it kinda freaked me out when I first got to it by accident
overall good game, has some rough patches but is generally fun. recommended
Rating: 7.6
Difficulty: 63
Nov 22, 2024
PlutoTheThing
This review is based on a 100% clear
As with all of Azure's games, Dieary is very creative and strange, it's largely based around the platforming because the bosses have a very small presence, they aren't very hard at all and are often quite short, although some of them are pretty funny or have a cool concept. There's a lot of really cool screens in this game, I'm sure everyone is aware of the K2 screen, but there's a stage with black spikes you can shoot to move, a trigger stage with some pretty interesting movements, secrets like a shooting accuracy test and a weird rhythm game bit, there's a lot of different sections throughout this relatively short game making for an experience with a lot of variety that feels quite densely packed. The final stage is a little weird, a precision needle stage that's alright followed by a really anticlimactic final boss, especially since it was foreshadowed at the start of the game, but I still think as a whole the game is quite good and really impressive for it's time.
[0] Likes
As with all of Azure's games, Dieary is very creative and strange, it's largely based around the platforming because the bosses have a very small presence, they aren't very hard at all and are often quite short, although some of them are pretty funny or have a cool concept. There's a lot of really cool screens in this game, I'm sure everyone is aware of the K2 screen, but there's a stage with black spikes you can shoot to move, a trigger stage with some pretty interesting movements, secrets like a shooting accuracy test and a weird rhythm game bit, there's a lot of different sections throughout this relatively short game making for an experience with a lot of variety that feels quite densely packed. The final stage is a little weird, a precision needle stage that's alright followed by a really anticlimactic final boss, especially since it was foreshadowed at the start of the game, but I still think as a whole the game is quite good and really impressive for it's time.
Rating: 8.0
Difficulty: 58
Apr 15, 2024
Nearigami
Dieary is a game where for every 3-4 things it does really well, it does one thing absolutely terribly. Your mileage may vary but for me I found myself enjoying it overall despite what I would consider pretty rough patches. If it seems interesting to you, you should play it!
[0] Likes
Rating: 7.0
Difficulty: 65
Jan 8, 2024
ElCochran90
*Cleared on 25/05/2023*
Rating and difficulty score include “extra”, but I’d highly debate it is actually extra. Secrets are required to go for the true ending, but there is really no ending for making only the basic stages.
Azure is one of a kind. When it comes to platforming ideas, there is nothing new, and the overabundance of traps will make you chop your head off. However, there is a story behind this fangame that is quite intriguing, as subjective as it might be. It has RPG splashes all over it.
The story opens with an undefeatable boss that is meant to be impossible until everything turns out to be a dream. At this point, your intuition will whisper: “this is obvious foreshadowing for the final boss I’ll have to face when I’m more powerful”. You wake up. Nice to see the Kid finally owning an apartment with a nice view; what this fangame plays with is the notion between what is real and what is not, and this “portal” between the two realms seems to be his bed. One could theorize that the entire game is a dream and the final boss is a projection of his internal fears or loneliness (can’t ever read too much in a fangame), as there doesn’t seem to be an ominous danger for the planet, but inner challenges the Kid must face. There is even a secret in Kid’s bed, which might also indicate everything is happening in a dream.
All is beautiful so far, but it is the stages that make you forget about Azure’s intriguing conception of bringing a fantasy adventure story to life and take you back to generic half-assedness. Some are fun to play (Bomberman, chase of spike walls and roofs with the wooden tilesets), one is cryptic (puzzle) and one of them in particular (red warp which takes you to a purple stage; for some funny reason colors never coincide) is completely mental with the traps. Do not even dare play this in Hard Mode; it’s obvious many are meant to be played in Medium Difficulty for save balancing.
One review stated there is a lot going on in this “surprisingly short game”. Make no mistake, as this is no short fangame at all. For reference, Wolfie’s first playthrough took more than 2 hours, and the WR currently for 100% is 25:42 (17:46 for any %). The game has six main stages, each one with a visual style and platforming of their own; there is a secret in each stage, which location are more than often cryptic, but they are fun to get. At least the game provides variety, and if you’re suffering through a stage, you have the guarantee that the next one will be slightly different at the least. A secret in particular requires dancing at a beat while dodging, and although it is quite mental, the game gives you enough error margin for pulling it off.
Bosses are not that generic, so expect zero cherries, which is an overused old-school trope. One boss in particular (all I will say is it involves a dog) is so sudoku-looking and yet so sentimental that you have no idea what the intention behind the boss is, and once you get the funny-looking segment, there is a second phase that gives you no prior warning of what it was meant to be. There is a troll boss, maybe for the laughs, but it is shown in one of the longest stages, so maybe it is not such a good idea to reward the player looking for adventure bosses with a troll boss after so much effort was invested in a long stage considering their length and difficulty is all over the place and you can take them in any order you wish: it’s a dice’s roll.
The reason I debate extra is because there is not a “Thank You” screen once you jump off the balcony; it just says “The End” in an obvious “This is not the intended end, bro”. Getting the secrets is more than commended, because it will lead to the most special section of them all: the final stage before the boss.
This stage is easy to confuse with an L_game, and for being such an early game, that notion could be challenged. Azure is the author of an infamous fangame called “I Wanna Be the Goner”. In short, it is a freaking J-Tool default tileset with extremely precise cancer-ish jumps, but with a save immediately after each jump. Sounds like L, but it is not, as it mostly restricts the jumps to 16px, but mostly it is 32px. Align knowledge is utmost recommended. The final stage is a Goner-like stage, perhaps the prototype for Goner and Goner-like games, as I don’t know the actual release of Goner. It’s THE Guy-Rock-themed, generic-looking stage of the game, but just like the route to the right in Go the Dotkid!, it is oh-so-fun. For 2011-2012, it was strange to find something like this and, as far as I’m concerned, you cannot softlock (theoretically, you should try really hard to get there). It has only two screens, and believe me, it is enough. Azure was really conscious about the unusual difficulty peak, so there is a counter of your deaths on the top right corner that belong exclusively to this area. I wish this area had another song and visual style, but I swear it was so fun.
The final boss was a first try, which is beyond stupid. It was one of the most anti-climactic feelings I’ve ever had after such a huge build-up.
Recommended; there’s more than meets the eye.
[0] Likes
Rating and difficulty score include “extra”, but I’d highly debate it is actually extra. Secrets are required to go for the true ending, but there is really no ending for making only the basic stages.
Azure is one of a kind. When it comes to platforming ideas, there is nothing new, and the overabundance of traps will make you chop your head off. However, there is a story behind this fangame that is quite intriguing, as subjective as it might be. It has RPG splashes all over it.
The story opens with an undefeatable boss that is meant to be impossible until everything turns out to be a dream. At this point, your intuition will whisper: “this is obvious foreshadowing for the final boss I’ll have to face when I’m more powerful”. You wake up. Nice to see the Kid finally owning an apartment with a nice view; what this fangame plays with is the notion between what is real and what is not, and this “portal” between the two realms seems to be his bed. One could theorize that the entire game is a dream and the final boss is a projection of his internal fears or loneliness (can’t ever read too much in a fangame), as there doesn’t seem to be an ominous danger for the planet, but inner challenges the Kid must face. There is even a secret in Kid’s bed, which might also indicate everything is happening in a dream.
All is beautiful so far, but it is the stages that make you forget about Azure’s intriguing conception of bringing a fantasy adventure story to life and take you back to generic half-assedness. Some are fun to play (Bomberman, chase of spike walls and roofs with the wooden tilesets), one is cryptic (puzzle) and one of them in particular (red warp which takes you to a purple stage; for some funny reason colors never coincide) is completely mental with the traps. Do not even dare play this in Hard Mode; it’s obvious many are meant to be played in Medium Difficulty for save balancing.
One review stated there is a lot going on in this “surprisingly short game”. Make no mistake, as this is no short fangame at all. For reference, Wolfie’s first playthrough took more than 2 hours, and the WR currently for 100% is 25:42 (17:46 for any %). The game has six main stages, each one with a visual style and platforming of their own; there is a secret in each stage, which location are more than often cryptic, but they are fun to get. At least the game provides variety, and if you’re suffering through a stage, you have the guarantee that the next one will be slightly different at the least. A secret in particular requires dancing at a beat while dodging, and although it is quite mental, the game gives you enough error margin for pulling it off.
Bosses are not that generic, so expect zero cherries, which is an overused old-school trope. One boss in particular (all I will say is it involves a dog) is so sudoku-looking and yet so sentimental that you have no idea what the intention behind the boss is, and once you get the funny-looking segment, there is a second phase that gives you no prior warning of what it was meant to be. There is a troll boss, maybe for the laughs, but it is shown in one of the longest stages, so maybe it is not such a good idea to reward the player looking for adventure bosses with a troll boss after so much effort was invested in a long stage considering their length and difficulty is all over the place and you can take them in any order you wish: it’s a dice’s roll.
The reason I debate extra is because there is not a “Thank You” screen once you jump off the balcony; it just says “The End” in an obvious “This is not the intended end, bro”. Getting the secrets is more than commended, because it will lead to the most special section of them all: the final stage before the boss.
This stage is easy to confuse with an L_game, and for being such an early game, that notion could be challenged. Azure is the author of an infamous fangame called “I Wanna Be the Goner”. In short, it is a freaking J-Tool default tileset with extremely precise cancer-ish jumps, but with a save immediately after each jump. Sounds like L, but it is not, as it mostly restricts the jumps to 16px, but mostly it is 32px. Align knowledge is utmost recommended. The final stage is a Goner-like stage, perhaps the prototype for Goner and Goner-like games, as I don’t know the actual release of Goner. It’s THE Guy-Rock-themed, generic-looking stage of the game, but just like the route to the right in Go the Dotkid!, it is oh-so-fun. For 2011-2012, it was strange to find something like this and, as far as I’m concerned, you cannot softlock (theoretically, you should try really hard to get there). It has only two screens, and believe me, it is enough. Azure was really conscious about the unusual difficulty peak, so there is a counter of your deaths on the top right corner that belong exclusively to this area. I wish this area had another song and visual style, but I swear it was so fun.
The final boss was a first try, which is beyond stupid. It was one of the most anti-climactic feelings I’ve ever had after such a huge build-up.
Recommended; there’s more than meets the eye.
Rating: 4.6
Difficulty: 75
Nov 5, 2023