Infold Games is known for more than just pretty outfits. It also tugs at the heartstrings with its storytelling, as seen in its latest chapters in Infinity Nikki 2.5 and the aftermath. Infinity Nikki builds on the ending of the Itzaland arc with reflection: What those left behind will do after the bittersweet finale. The Infinity Nikki 2.6 update revolves around the Parksolian Tide Sending Ceremony, which draws inspiration from the Dia de los Muertos holiday from Mexican culture.

Here’s what to expect from Infinity Nikki 2.6.
 

Itzaland Epilogue

Given the themes of this latest arc, characters like Meghill have a lot to think about during the Tide Sending Ceremony festivities. We’re keeping details light to avoid spoilers, but the 2.6 story dives deeper into the backstory of the Itzaland arc antagonist and their effect on those once close to them. Nikki guides Medael’s teacher, Bones, through the journey of recovering her missing memories and completing the cycle of rebirth. She also helps Meghill, the Parksolian Chief, come to terms with his sister’s passing.

Soul Crossing 

The Soul Crossing, the setting for the Tide Sending Ceremony, is the latest area introduced in Infinity Nikki 2.6. Think of it as a marketplace for celebrating the ceremony with stalls and games managed by the four departments of the Boneyard. It isn’t an entirely new area, but one that pops up over an existing field. You should easily be able to find it with quest markers for the A Market Set for Farewell quest. Find the Parksolian named Estropia to initiate the quest.

During this quest, Nikki helps the stall owners with various requests and gets a sneak peek at Soul Crossing mini-games. You need to finish A Market Set for Farewell before you can experience all the content related to Infinity Nikki 2.6 has to offer.

Quests related to the Soul Crossing don’t pop up automatically after you finish the 2.5 story. Instead, you need to open the Event Log, where you will find the “End of Tide” tab dedicated to the limited-time events for Infinity Nikki 2.6. Most of these activities, including various side quests, are located under the “Fun to Play” section.

Within this section, you will see a unique tab for each stall at the Soul Crossing, alongside a temporary page for the Resurgent Tide quests (which tie directly into the Tide Sending Ceremony). Additionally, The Soul Tide Chronicles and Interesting Encounters serve as the official names for the version's new world quests and random encounters, respectively.
 

New Outfits

2.6 introduces a new 5-star outfit called Soundless Dawn and a 4-star outfit called Steps Against Order. 

Soundless Dawn (5-Star)

•     Main Attribute: Elegant
•     Secondary Attribute: Fresh
•     Styles: Classical, Aesthetic
•     Ability: Tranquil Resonance 
•     Effect: Summon a harp that calms animals and lures them close

Steps Against Order (4-Star)

•     Main Attribute: Cool
•     Secondary Attribute: Fresh
•     Styles: Whimsy, Classical
•     Ability: Whimsicality 
•     Effect: Summon a raven; good for photo opps

The abilities that come with these outfits are less game-changing than the ones from version 2.5. Still, Soundless Dawn in particular offers unique utility that free-to-play 5-star outfits lack. It is well worth getting if you struggle with animal interactions, love the forest princess aesthetic, or simply need its attributes to clear tough styling challenges.

On a side note, Infold Games has added a highly requested Outfit Switching feature in 2.6. With this update, you no longer have to exit Photo Mode to change outfits when you’ve already set up the perfect shot.

Five-In-A-Row, a new furniture item based on the existing mini-game, will also be available. You can place it anywhere from your home to designated spots in the open world to play with friends. As a quick reminder, you can find the original mini-game at the Sizzle & Spark Center on Firework Isles.
 

Exploration & Gameplay

The Soul Crossing has two limited-time games featured during the ceremony:
 

Soul Quizzes

Soul Quizzes are simply personality quizzes. Each quiz prompts you to select an answer based on a scenario like “what do you assume when a group of Shroomlings comes running toward you?” There are 16 Soul Quizzes in total and 16 possible results. The results are just for fun and don’t give you an advantage over other players in any way, so feel free to choose answers based on whatever you’re feeling at the time. 
 

Banquet of Repose

Banquet of Repose is a tile-placement strategy game that involves placing differently shaped blocks on a 6-by-6 grid to score points. Larger block shapes—such as those made with three or four tiles instead of just one—tend to garner more points. Different tile designs also possess unique abilities that can boost your score depending on how they are positioned on the board. You have four rounds to earn enough points to win, which is marked by a blue flag on the meter next to the board. Reaching the golden flag rewards you with a "perfect" score.

You start the game with a small amount of Offerings, the shell-like currency used for this mode. Each round refreshes the store, where you can purchase keys to unlock board spaces or buy more tiles. If better tiles appear as you progress, you can also sell your old ones. Note that you can continue refreshing the store even after buying everything currently on display; I highly recommend doing this as long as you have the currency to afford new items. (I didn’t realize this at first and kept losing because I couldn't fill up my board before round 4!)

In addition to these festival minigames, the 2.6 story also incorporates photographic and sound-related puzzles to enhance its storytelling.

New dungeon: Realm of the Past

Realm of the Past is a new dungeon that explores the character Medael’s history. Inside, you can learn more about the most significant chapters of her life, from her childhood to the hardships that shaped her. Expect to hear cryptic voice lines while navigating various environmental puzzles.

Even though this dungeon is directly related to the Tide Sending Ceremony, it does not appear under the same tab in the Event Log. Instead, you will need to open the “Current Adventures” tab and look for it under the Crimson Recollection icon, which looks like a pinwheel.

That said, if you want to participate in any of these festivities, I’d start with at least progressing through the Infinity Nikki 2.0 story. Many of the areas and quests are progression-locked, and the events have many spoilers for the Itzaland arc.