A Space for the Unbound Reviews
Disparate parts pull together to form a beautiful game that's only more potent for its awkward adolescence.
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 a wonderful and intensely emotional experience. If you're interested in dark psychological scenes mixed with day to day life and appealing anime inspired visuals, you'll be extremely happy.
Mojiken's supernatural high school romance surprises in all the best ways. A Space For The Unbound's world-ending coming-of-age adventure holds incredible weight while also being sentimental and heartfelt.
A Space For The Unbound is an unforgettable gem that finds a magnificent nexus point between a relaxing slice-of-life adventure and a supernatural exploration of mental anguish. It explores trauma made manifest within dreamscapes that bend time and space while engrossing players in a captivating rural Indonesian setting that begs to be explored.
The story of Atma and his reality-warping girlfriend Raya demonstrates a flair for the dramatic and will keep you guessing right up to the end
The deep, meaningful narrative, partnered with the lovely pixel art and outstanding music composed by Masdito Bachtiar, create a mysterious title that we couldn't put down until we had seen it through to its satisfying conclusion. We would highly recommend A Space for the Unbound for anyone who loves a good story-driven adventure game — just expect to be run through the wringer in this powerfully emotional tale.
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 is a narrative adventure about issues as important as they are difficult to deal with, but it does so with extreme tact and elegance through a particularly apt allegory. Despite some flaws in the gameplay mechanics, rather repetitive towards the end of the game, the story of Atma and Raya is one worth experiencing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite the runtime being padded out by some meandering requests, A Space For The Unbound is a perfect little adventure title to curl up with on a rainy day. The myriad puzzles, while never overtly challenging, switch things up often enough to keep from growing tedious. At the same time, we wholeheartedly recommend it for its bittersweet, sombre narrative alone. It never veers too far into melancholic territory yet handles some heavy topics with grace. We didn't come away gloomy from the potentially depressing themes depicted via the wonderful inhabitants of this beautifully rendered snapshot of Indonesia. Rather, we came away genuinely touched and inspired.
A Space for the Unbound triumphs in capturing what’s between the lines of the story: the life-and-death emotions of Raya. The game’s not afraid to peer at her faults right alongside everyone else’s, and if, as one character puts it, “The most perfect world is one with imperfection,” then, emotionally speaking, this is a pretty perfect game.
A Space for the Unbound is an insightfully thought-provoking adventure game.
A Space for the Unbound is a heartwarming but dark tale about Atma and Raya, and it's one that will stick with you. The beautiful scenes, stellar score, and unique gameplay far outweigh the few negatives the game has.
A Space for the Unbound tries to stand on its story, but wraps it in a gameplay that is unbearably tedious.
Underneath the layers of cute pixelated art and a calming lofi-like OST is a short yet memorable story. It will leave you in need of Atma to dive into your heart after it is shattered time and time again by the tales to be told of feeling fearful of one's future.
A Space for the Unbound is a little gem that no one should miss.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A Space for the Unbound is a well executed indie title that masterfully deals with some heavy themes while delivering an engaging experience.
With stunning pixel art visuals, a soundtrack wrapped in melodies ranging from cozy to mysterious and a delicate and thought-provoking story, A Space for the Unbound transports the player back to the late 90s and invites us to see the world with different eyes, showing that happiness can be in the simplest details of life.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The game deals with some very heavy subjects at times, but always does so respectfully and without making them seem like a crutch for the narrative to lean on. There are also a lot of cats that can not only be pet but can also be named, something some people may see as a very worthwhile bonus (I know I do). If you like your adventure games to try and yank some tears out of your poor, poor eyes, A Space for the Unbound is easily your first great choice of 2023.
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.