We have a Lore FAQ page. If you have Story/Lore related questions - make sure to check it out!
I just got Ending E
If you are here for the first time and have no clue on what all of this is, then you should know that Yoko Taro is known to use different kinds of media besides video games to tell his stories.
For example, NieR Automata story is a direct continuation of a YoRHa Stage Play (which is shortly summarized in the game to in a form of a visual novel).
After the game came out, several books were released that included novellas, short stories and other bits of lore. There also was a series of live music concerts (NieR Music Concert) featuring different recitation dramas performed by original Japanese voice actors on stage. We generally call all of these "Side Materials". Square Enix never officially published anything outside of Japan so huge thanks go to our fellow fans for translating everything.
Various Side Materials take place before the game's events, during the game and also feature a small epilog after the Ending E.
The suggested reading order below is your best way to experience the extended story, it also includes interviews and q&a sessions with Yoko Taro. Keep in mind that stories in the list are not strictly in chronological order. For a list of all stories with an ability to sort by relative timeline, check out Stories Catalog.
Please take your time reading these and prepare for the feels yet again.
Suggested Reading Order
- Make sure that you are finished with the game by checking out In-Game Materials
- Character Entries from World Guide
- Memory Cage
- Orbital Bunker Observation Diary
- Memory Thorn
- A Much Too Silent Sea
- Small Flowers
- Game Chapters Comments
- NieR Automata Dinner Talk Show
- NieR Music Concert
- Soundtrack
- Yoko Taro Q&A for Dengeki Playstation
- Black Box Edition Artbook
- Timeline
- Famitsu Weekly NieR Automata Special Feature
- A Long Story
- SINoALICE: Recollections of the Puppets
Everything else: Side Materials, Interviews, etc.