We unveil the Dream Diary podcast, about indie cult classic Yume Nikki.

This was not meant to come out today. But as you may have seen, earlier on, the cult indie classic Yume Nikki was released on Steam, and a new game was teased by its enigmatic creator.

For the past several months, The Indie Game Website founder and publisher Lewis Denby – oh, let’s drop the bullshit, this is me writing now – I’ve been working on a podcast called Dream Diary, which explores Yume Nikki, essentially asking the question: what’s the deal? How did this weird little game, released without fanfare in 2004, become so important to so many people? And whatever happened to its creator, Kikiyama, who seemed to disappear without a trace just a few years after its release?

Now, it seems as though Kikiyama may be coming out of the woodwork. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on but, in the meantime, I’ve decided to change approach. Instead of waiting until all the episodes are complete and then releasing them as a full series, I’ve decided to get the first couple of episodes online, then switch to reporting ‘live’ on developments, alongside the usual podcast content.

You can expect several more episodes over the coming weeks, up to and beyond the big Yume Nikki reveal set for the end of the month. If you’re into podcasts like Serial and S-Town and have even a passing interest in games, it’s been made with you in mind.

The Dream Diary podcast is available via iTunes, from the website, and probably via a whole bunch of other services once Libsyn syndicates it properly. It’s released in partnership with The Indie Game Website.

Here’s the first episode, to get you started.