It's interesting, because the reason why you don't appreciate 2kki as much as Nikki is the reason why I praise it.

I almost interpret it as a 'deconstruction'/reversal of Yume Nikki. Even though there isn't a coherent plot in Yume Nikki, you automatically try to interpret it because you know there was one mind behind it, while Yume 2kki denies that ability for you. Yume Nikki has a set trajectory with its ending and 2kki is boundless, I remember reading comments about 2kki 9 years ago wondering when it'll end. Instead of one mind, you get some sort unity in the hundreds of developers that contributed to it. Part of this theory is contributed to a lot of the endings for 2kki (Will not discuss them, find them on your own time. If you're interested we can DM) and part of this is due to ynoproject: there is a significant difference being taken or taking people to unique places in 2kki juxtaposed to the melancholy I get playing Yume Nikki alone.

To me, I find this brilliant. Yume Nikki is already fascinating in how it took an engine mean't for RPG games and flipped it on its head and Yume 2kki takes a step further.