A Space for the Unbound

About

A Space for the Unbound is a single player action adventure game with fantasy and drama themes. It was developed by Imagine Filmfestival and was released on January 22, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"A Space for the Unbound" is a cinematic, pixel-art narrative game set in a magical realist 90s Indonesian town. Players control Atma, a high school student with the power to enter others' memories, as he uncovers secrets and navigates relationships amidst a looming cosmic crisis. The game features exploration, puzzle-solving, and slice-of-life elements, promoting themes of love, loss, and self-discovery.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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99%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,276 reviews

story1.2k positive mentions

grinding59 negative mentions

The game features a very nice and heartwarming story that resonates deeply with players, often evoking strong emotions.
The pixel art and soundtrack are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience and atmosphere of the game.
The character development is well-executed, making players feel connected to Atma, Raya, and the supporting cast.

The gameplay can be slow-paced and repetitive, with many fetch quests that may frustrate some players.
Certain puzzles and mini-games can feel tedious, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the narrative.
The lack of a chapter select feature can be inconvenient for players wanting to revisit specific parts of the story or complete missed achievements.

story
2,605 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
2%
The story of "A Space for the Unbound" is widely praised for its emotional depth and relatability, exploring themes of love, loss, and mental health within a nostalgic 1990s Indonesian setting. Players appreciate the beautifully crafted narrative, which unfolds through engaging character development and unexpected plot twists, often evoking strong emotional responses. While some find the pacing slow due to numerous fetch quests, the overall consensus is that the story's impact and heartfelt delivery make it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “Its emotional, beautifully told story has stuck with me even a year after playing it.”
- “If you want a story that'll genuinely make you feel, this is it.”
- “The story is deep, emotional, and beautifully written.”
- “The story might relate to some people, as it brings up an issue that’s currently happening (I won’t mention it here. I’ll let you all guess what it’s about during the play).”
- “However, the reason I don't recommend it is because the game is too much of a fetch quest fest.”
- “The story took a turn and hit me like a truck; I definitely didn't expect it to make me emotional and cry.”
music
728 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
42%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling experience. Many players describe the soundtrack as beautiful and immersive, with a mix of vocal tracks and instrumental pieces that evoke nostalgia and resonate with the game's themes of love and loss. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, complementing the stunning pixel art and engaging narrative, making it a must-listen for players.
- “The music is sublime, gets the emotion going at the right time.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complements the emotional beats of the story, enhancing every moment with warmth, mystery, or melancholy as needed.”
- “The music beautifully complements the story, while the game's visuals, depicting an Indonesian city, are visually striking.”
- “The music feels like lo-fi songs that you can search on YouTube or Spotify.”
- “Combined with gameplay loops generally lacking depth and ultimately repetitive, this can lead to the middle segments feeling like an absolute slog, further punctuated by a soundtrack that's not quite varied enough for the game's length.”
- “My only critique is that the music rarely shuts off, as if the game doesn’t trust the player to stay engaged with the world’s natural ambience.”
emotional
663 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "A Space for the Unbound" is overwhelmingly praised, with many players reporting profound experiences that left them in tears. The game's narrative, which explores themes of love, loss, and mental health, resonates deeply, often catching players off guard with its heartfelt storytelling and relatable characters. Coupled with beautiful pixel art and a moving soundtrack, the game is described as a must-play for those seeking an emotional journey, with many reviewers expressing that it has left a lasting impact on them long after finishing.
- “Its emotional, beautifully told story has stuck with me even a year after playing it.”
- “Truly hit a few chords I was not prepared for and I'm proud to admit I cried quite a lot.”
- “The game's heartfelt narrative and exceptional character development will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.”
- “I really wish it wouldn't beat around the bush with boring characters and boring storylines so much.”
gameplay
642 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
65%
8%
The gameplay in "A Space for the Unbound" is generally described as simple and straightforward, primarily involving exploration, puzzle-solving, and fetch quests, which can become repetitive and tedious over time. While some players appreciate the unique mechanics, such as the "spacediving" feature that enhances storytelling, many feel that the gameplay often serves as a barrier to the narrative rather than an engaging experience in its own right. Overall, the game is more focused on delivering an emotional story, with the gameplay being a secondary aspect that may not appeal to those seeking more complex mechanics.
- “The gameplay is simple but engaging and really ties the whole experience together.”
- “The gameplay is easy to understand and you don't need some kind of hard mechanic to finish the game.”
- “The gameplay, the narrative, and the characters all fit well together to show the story the game wanted to tell.”
- “The overall gameplay got boring after a while, but the ending was really beautiful.”
- “My only main gripe with it is that the gameplay is a bit 'meh' with some of the latter chapters just having pointless and drawn out fetch quests that I feel were implemented to pad the runtime, often having little relevance to the plot or being relevant but just flat out unnecessary; it's ~6 hours of good content stretched to 10 with boring objectives for little reason.”
- “The gameplay can feel a bit 'fetch questy', or text heavy time to time, but was good overall - a balance of little actions and puzzles.”
graphics
379 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
40%
1%
The graphics of "A Space for the Unbound" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning pixel art style, which effectively captures the essence of 90s Indonesia while evoking nostalgia. Players appreciate the vibrant colors, charming character designs, and the emotional depth conveyed through the visuals, which complement the game's heartfelt narrative and soundtrack. Despite being pixelated, the art style is described as beautiful and immersive, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- “The visuals are gorgeous, the animation is incredible, the music is beautiful, and the writing will make you laugh and cry and everything in between.”
- “What a gorgeous game... with such charming graphics, simple gameplay, and a well-done tearjerker story, you will not regret buying this.”
- “The pixel art graphics were pretty, full of vibrant colors in the school and town.”
- “But I also noticed that if he were to move slightly faster, there will be graphics synchronization issues.”
- “The gameplay itself isn't particularly difficult, but I don't think it needs to be as the story, visuals, and music are the main driving force of this game in my opinion; that is not to say, at all, that the gameplay is bad or not enjoyable, quite the opposite in fact.”
- “It's a tempestuous bildungsroman, where happy slices of life collide with horrible events building up to a beautiful close, both narratively and pixel art graphically.”
atmosphere
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning pixel art, immersive soundtracks, and nostalgic representation of 90s Indonesia, creating a deeply emotional and engaging experience. Players feel a strong connection to the story and characters, with many noting how the atmosphere evokes feelings of nostalgia and longing. Despite some gameplay criticisms, the overall ambiance and artistic design are highlighted as standout features that enhance the storytelling and emotional depth of the game.
- “The art and backgrounds are stunning, creating a beautiful atmosphere.”
- “The pixel art is gorgeous, and the atmosphere really pulls you in.”
- “The music, art direction, and overall atmosphere of the game fills me with something I can only describe as nostalgic adolescence and yearning for the 'have been'.”
- “The timeline takes place during 90s Indonesia which I didn't experience, but I feel like the devs got the atmosphere of Indonesia in the 90s just right.”
- “I'm not Indonesian, but as a Southeast Asian, it felt so nostalgic and familiar exploring each corner of the map and drinking in the atmosphere - appreciating every tiny cultural detail the developers lovingly put in.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is really butterfly in the stomach, is relaxing and really enjoyable, the story is really depressing at the end, tears were coming everywhere in my eyes, really worth it for a pixelated game if you're into puzzle-solving games.”
grinding
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
The reviews highlight that the gameplay in "A Space for the Unbound" can be quite tedious, primarily due to repetitive fetch quests and backtracking, which some players found to drag the experience down. While many appreciated the emotional story and satisfying ending, they noted that the pacing and quest design often felt like unnecessary filler, making the overall gameplay experience less enjoyable. Despite these criticisms, some players still found the journey worthwhile, emphasizing the game's strong narrative elements.
- “This is truly so incredibly well done and really is a great way to combine point-and-click adventure that isn't tedious or tiresome and is fun!”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The gameplay mainly consists of fetch quests and QTE fights, which can feel tedious at times.”
- “Wholesome 10-11 hour game that could've been 5 hours if not for the tedious quests that are just not enjoyable.”
- “There's probably a good story in there somewhere but it's buried beneath endless tedious fetch quests and minigames.”
character development
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
43%
9%
The character development in "A Space for the Unbound" is widely praised for its depth and emotional resonance, with players highlighting the well-crafted narratives and relatable character arcs that enhance the overall experience. The game's detailed character designs and expressive storytelling contribute significantly to its impact, making it a standout in the indie game scene. Many reviewers noted that the character development not only enriches the storyline but also fosters a strong connection to the themes of friendship and personal growth.
- “The character development is where the game truly shines.”
- “The game's heartfelt narrative and exceptional character development will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.”
- “What I really love is the character development of the characters and that you can understand how and why they feel that way.”
- “You’ll get 30-40 minutes of some focused character development and tantalizing crumbs to future prospects of current actions, the chapter will end, and then you’ll do the fetch-quest loop for another 2 hours before you can get back into it.”
- “Some fetch quests and puzzles can certainly be removed, as they do not add any meaningful value to the storyline or main character development.”
- “Karakter utama disini tuh punya ciri-ciri dan perkembangan karakter/character development yang beda² dan mayan kontras.”
humor
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, seamlessly blending lighthearted moments with deeper emotional themes, resulting in a mix of laughter and poignant storytelling. Players appreciate the engaging dialogue, relatable characters, and clever references, which contribute to a fun and often absurd experience. Overall, the game balances humor with serious topics, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking.
- “It effortlessly shifts between lighthearted and humorous moments of high school life and intense, emotionally charged sequences that deal with the darker aspects of the human experience.”
- “The dialogue is a masterclass in realistic conversation, while not losing some goofy and downright hilarious beats of writing (a standout is a quiz-obsessed trio of fellow students).”
- “Delicate, touching, funny, lovable adventure about overcoming depression, anxiety, and being your best self.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the achievements and the engaging gameplay that encourages exploration, many criticize its linear structure and lack of features like chapter select, making it difficult to revisit without significant effort. Some find it enjoyable for a single playthrough, but overall, it lacks substantial replay value.
- “Gives it nice replay value and for such a cheap price it was worth every penny.”
- “It has replayable values to figure out what things you are missing from the last playthrough.”
- “Which is nice for replay value.”
- “I do have one criticism about the game's replayability; I would have wished to be able to backtrack and collect the things I missed along the way, though maybe not as Atma but as Raya. That's all the criticism I have for the game.”
- “- no replayability value”
- “[b]Replayability value:[/b] not really... there are achievements, but going back for these without a chapter select (and if you did not manually save each chapter) can be a pain, as it is a linear story and there is no auto text skip.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that the game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, indicating strong stability throughout the approximately ten-hour gameplay experience.
- “The story is about ten hours, and yes, it runs great on the deck.”
- “The game maintains a smooth performance throughout, with no noticeable glitches or crashes.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it never lags or stutters, making for an enjoyable experience.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game is praised for its overall quality, it is noted that the absence of voice acting detracts from the experience, suggesting that this could have elevated the game's performance significantly.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the user reviews, but the mention of intricate details like cigarette ads and cultural elements suggests a focus on immersive and potentially nostalgic content, which may imply a premium pricing model or in-game purchases tied to these features.

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

A Space for the Unbound
Thesixthaxis.com
80%

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8h Median play time

7h Average play time

4-10h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 17 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

A Space for the Unbound is a action adventure game with fantasy and drama themes.

A Space for the Unbound is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam Deck and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing A Space for the Unbound.

A Space for the Unbound was released on January 22, 2020.

A Space for the Unbound was developed by Imagine Filmfestival.

A Space for the Unbound has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

A Space for the Unbound is a single player game.

Similar games include Until Then, Life is Strange, To the Moon, Rakuen, Night in the Woods and others.

A Space for the Unbound

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