A Space for the Unbound Reviews
A Space for the Unbound shoots for the stars and lands in the Milky Way, making it a 2023 stand out already. Whilst the gameplay wanes in the final hours, the story, characters and plot conclude in an immensely satisfying and emotional way.
A Space for the Unbound is an insightfully thought-provoking adventure game.
A Space for the Unbound is one of the first surprises of the year, offering a powerful and heartfelt story in an Indonesian town in the 1990ss
Some surprising depth and creative storytelling mechanics help this pixel adventure stand out
What starts as a sweet and endearing homage to 90s gaming evolves into a sophisticated and, at times, dark exploration of two troubled youths, in one of the best indie games of the year.
A Space for the Unbound is Mojiken and Toge Productions at their best. If you weren’t paying attention to this powerhouse team yet, correct this mistake now with the literal masterpiece that is A Space for the Unbound. It proudly stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of To the Moon and Rakuen with its impeccably unique flair, ready to laugh with players during the high moments and cry with them in its lows. If you have a fondness for emotional narrative-driven games and have been even remotely curious about A Space for the Unbound, don’t wait a moment longer and get this game (and some tissues).
Mojiken's well crafted, charming small town, and it's handling of delicate subject matter, combined with its captivating narrative, carry you through to its bittersweet end, despite some pacing issues, and gameplay elements that feel out of place.
A Space for the Unbound only looks pixels deep, but it is a masterpiece for its breadth of storytelling, its authenticity, and how it tackles difficult topics, from cultural expectations to mental health. As the game ended, it left me with a beautiful feeling of closure, accompanied by a hankering for cherry-chocolate-flavoured cake and Indonesian food.
A Space for the Unbound gently reminds us of the value and importance of human connection through our words with dream-like, mindful storytelling.
A Space for the Unbound is a great coming-of-age game that presents difficult topics to players in a compelling way. The game’s art style is beautiful, with many detailed scenes clearly lovingly created by the artists at Mojiken. While there are moments where it feels slow, this is a game that will last with players for many years to come.
A Space for the Unbound is an ode to teenage nonchalance, and an emotional lesson in learning to let go, all wrapped up in a story about a superpowered calamity. Its disparate parts thoughtfully work together to create a heartfelt story, full of characters you won't want to say goodbye to.
I was surprised at just how tightly the narrative in A Space for the Unbound grabbed me, and it's sure to be either one of the indie hits of 2023 or one of the most under-played gems.
"A Space for the Unbound" is a delightful homage to nostalgia-driven whimsy, with a unique art style and engaging story.
A Space for the Unbound brings, with great charm and subtlety, an exciting story about the transition from youth to adulthood, traumas, personal desires and the consequences of intervening in the lives of the people around us, all with a touch of fantastic literature. Despite having some drawbacks, the game seduces with a well-crafted plot and a fantastic and immersive audiovisual presentation, making it an instant recommendation for fans of the adventure genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
A Space for the Unbound delivers its story of domestic/school violence (and overcoming it!) with its own imagination and well written characters. The tiny little details in the game that introduce Indonesian culture not only showed the developers' affection for their home country, but also made me want to know more about the country.
Review in Korean | Read full review
A wonderful adventure with a fantastic story and a bit of padding in its gameplay. You will remember it for a long time.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Sometimes you come across a game that is actively striving to evoke emotions within you, and as mentioned above I think Mojiken did an amazing job in driving their intended point home. I truly found myself contending with some dormant feelings as I experienced A Space for the Unbound, and while it does have some things that bog it down (mainly just the long and repetitive fetch quests), it is certainly much more than its flaws. It trades off all the running around with a culturally rich environment/cast of characters, a realistic view into adult issues like depression, anxiety, loss, and loneliness, and for the price also provides pretty good replayability and entertainment value.
The ease with which A Space for the Unbound can bounce between tonal shifts – the goofy and sincere, the difficult and moving, the supernatural and the grounded – without feeling at odds with itself speaks to the strength of both the story and the writing as a whole. It’s a carefully crafted game, one that succeeds at almost every turn, spinning a deeply moving and touching story all the while. After last year’s cavalcade of strong stories in games, with any luck, A Space for the Unbound will herald another coming of incredible stories in games this year.
A Space for the Unbound is an emotional odyssey of love, pain, growth, acceptance, and healing. It is an easy game to play and love. Once someone’s hooked, it’ll be challenging to set the game aside before the 12-hour runtime ends. Though the players can often feel that the game is going in circles, the ability to bring the characters’ lives full circle is a beautiful experience.
Disparate parts pull together to form a beautiful game that's only more potent for its awkward adolescence.