The Dark Heart of Infinity Nikki

Where whimsy, depression, and monetization meet

Jumping and flying around the game’s world is legitimately awesome. If only the rest of the game wasn’t a psychological nightmare. PS5 screenshot taken by the author.

Infinity Nikki is one of the most well made games of the year, but it wears its twisted core right on its sleeve. The game opens with the titular Nikki and her cat friend Momo exploring a dusty attic. They find a magical dress, go to a magical world — and meet a terrifying chained-up woman who shoves a possibly-evil “Infinity Heart” into Nikki’s chest that grants her powers. She’s then told to to play hundreds of hours of this video game, finding more dresses.

That interplay between fun whimsy and baffling darkness carries through the whole game, and it makes the whole thing feel like one of the most cynical exercises in player money extraction I’ve ever witnessed.

I’ve played a lot of these types of games over the years. I’ve explored the worlds of Genshin Impact, Path of Exile, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and more — pouring hours of my life into realms designed to hook me first, and give me a fun time later.

Infinity Nikki seemed like it would be a bit different. It’s a gorgeous new game set in a whimsical land of magical dress-makers, with a focus on fun activities and lighthearted character designs. I didn’t realize how burdened and let down it would be by an over-dark lore-filled story and the industry’s undying need to addict…