AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA initative is an adventure game combining mystery, puzzle, and visual novel elements. It was released on June 24, 2022 and is the highly anticipated sequel to 2019 title AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES. It was developed by Kotaro Uchikoshi, best known for the Zero Escape trilogy, and published by Spike Chunsoft, also known for the Danganronpa series. As expected, it features a number of tricky puzzles to solve and unique secret achievements to unlock. This guide will detail how to unlock the hidden achievement “Hanako’s Nightmare BAD END.”
Like its predecessor, nirvanA Initiative centers around ABIS, a group of detectives able to use AI technology to see into the dreams of their victims. Exploring these dreams, called “Somnium,” makes up the majority of the game’s puzzle segments. Each Somnium features a number of objects to interact with in various bizarre ways. While a Somnium is timed the first time you run through it, you can choose to play it in untimed “Unlimited Psync” mode afterwards. It is recommended that you use Unlimited Psync mode when unlocking this achievement, as it technically counts as a Bad End and will require you to restart the Somnium after finding it.
Because this achievement is unlocked very late in this game’s final route, this article contains SPOILERS for AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA Initiative. You should not proceed if you have not already reached the game’s final route and final Somnium.
This secret achievement is hidden inside the Somnium “Nightmare Irreconcilable” in Chapter 5 of Mizuki’s M1 Route. This is the second Somnium belonging to Amame Doi, and involves investigating items and gathering evidence inside Amame’s workplace, the maid café Sunfish Pocket.
Progress through the Somnium as normal by talking to Amame and showing her evidence until a set of items appears containing a torn-up magazine. The magazine will be located in the corner of the café near where Amame is standing. Choose to “Read” the magazine. Mizuki will remember that it is an occult magazine discussing the urban legend of “Hanako-san.”
Then, use the directional buttons to enter the following combination:
Up Down Up Down Left Right Down Down
You will know that you have entered the code correctly if a green TV set appears and begins slowly zooming in. Usually, Hanako is the ghost of a young girl who appears in school toilets, but here it seems she has taken inspiration from The Ring’s Sadako/Samara, because she comes out of a television instead. Encountering Hanako causes an immediate game over, but the “Hanako’s Nightmare BAD END” achievement will unlock.
Achievements are used to unlock bonus costumes for your AI partners Aiba and Tama, so it is highly recommended that you seek out as many as possible when playing this game. Check out GameLuster’s other nirvanA Initiative articles to learn more about other hidden achievements in this game!
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA Initiative is currently available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
