Leila

Point-and-click adventure fans may be surprised by the more depressing tone of Leila, but the art style, emotional story, and challenging puzzles will carry them through. The game’s themes can feel heavy, but leave the player with a sense of hope.

85%Game Brain Score

story, emotional

stability, grinding

88% User Score Based on 161 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

Leila is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by Ubik Studios and was released on April 7, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

A story-driven experience with puzzles about a middle-aged woman trying to make peace with herself. Join her in this dive to her mind and travel through memories and traumas. The unique 2d art style, meticulous sound design and hand-drawn animations bring her to life

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 161 reviews

story29 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The hand-drawn art style is stunning and beautifully crafted, creating an immersive visual experience.
The game features a heartfelt narrative that explores themes of motherhood, identity, and personal growth, resonating deeply with players.
Puzzles are varied and engaging, providing a satisfying challenge that complements the emotional storytelling.

The narrative can feel shallow at times, lacking depth in character development and emotional exploration.
Some puzzles are poorly explained or overly abstract, leading to frustration and confusion during gameplay.
The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 2-4 hours, leaving some players wanting more content and a deeper exploration of the story.

story
109 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The story of "Leila" is characterized by its emotional depth and exploration of themes such as motherhood, personal identity, and community, resonating particularly with players who appreciate heartfelt narratives. While many praised its unique storytelling approach and beautiful visuals, some felt the narrative lacked depth and left them wanting more, with certain plot points brushed over too quickly. Overall, the game offers a poignant, introspective experience, though opinions vary on its execution and emotional impact.
- “The atmosphere and the way it tells its story are simply brilliant.”
- “Such an emotional and profound story of motherhood.”
- “Leila’s personal journey is about coming to grips with expectation versus personal desires, and rather than going for the straightforward idealistic 'be who you want to be no matter what' answer, it uses its already realistic life story to search for a more meaningful answer on how to live.”
- “The story leaves me empty wanting more, and the conclusion feels weak, as we didn't dwell on or experience that many things.”
- “But the story wasn't for me; the choices the main character made made me lose my empathy for her halfway through, and then there were a few annoying puzzles and grindy achievements.”
- “I was expecting something more profound and perhaps even unsettling, but the story remained a bit too shallow.”
emotional
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game "Leila" is widely praised for its emotional depth, exploring themes of motherhood, self-discovery, and community through a heartfelt narrative and evocative puzzles. Players report a profound emotional journey, often feeling deeply connected to the character's experiences, with many expressing that the story resonated on a personal level, leading to moments of reflection and even tears. While some found the emotional impact variable, the overall consensus highlights the game's ability to create a touching and immersive experience that invites players to engage with their own feelings.
- “Leila is a deeply personal and emotionally resonant point-and-click puzzle adventure that invites players into the fragmented psyche of its titular character.”
- “Players are taken on an emotional journey through Leila’s memories, exploring some deeply personal moments of her life.”
- “I was left in tears of emotional happiness at the end of it!”
graphics
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
43%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful hand-drawn art style, which creates a striking and cozy atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience. Many reviewers highlight the visuals as the game's greatest strength, noting their ability to convey emotions and support the narrative effectively. Overall, the combination of impressive artwork, smooth animations, and a fitting soundtrack contributes to an immersive and captivating experience, despite some critiques regarding other gameplay elements.
- “The hand-drawn art style of the game is striking but also has a cozy feel to it in some scenes.”
- “The combination of subtle sound design and striking visuals creates a meditative rhythm to the experience, encouraging players to reflect alongside the protagonist.”
- “The hand-drawn visuals and soft music wrap around you like a memory you forgot you had.”
- “It's aesthetic but... that's about it.”
- “3/10 game, only for the aesthetic, because it had nothing else to offer.”
- “They are more symbolic, really, rather than realistic or graphically detailed or anything like that.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
47%
8%
The music in the game has been widely praised for its emotional depth and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall narrative and gameplay experience. Reviewers describe the soundtrack as delicate, melancholic, and immersive, often likening it to a comforting embrace that complements the game's visuals and storytelling. While some users noted minor issues, such as the inability to mute the music, the overwhelming consensus is that the soundtrack significantly enriches the game's emotional impact and aesthetic appeal.
- “The soundtrack is delicate and melancholic, composed of soft piano notes and ambient tones that fade in and out like distant echoes.”
- “The beautifully composed soundtrack only deepens the emotional experience.”
- “The hand-drawn visuals and soft music wrap around you like a memory you forgot you had.”
- “No proper instructions, can't mute the music, just overall meh.”
- “The music, subtle and atmospheric, feels like an undercurrent of long-buried emotions rising to the surface.”
- “Time to time I felt like just to stop and feel the soundtrack of the scene; some of them were incredibly soul-touching, I was astonished.”
gameplay
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
64%
9%
Gameplay in the game is characterized by minimalistic mechanics that often lead to frustration due to unclear puzzle solutions and a lack of effective guidance, prompting some players to seek external help. While the hand-drawn art and emotional storytelling are praised, the gameplay can feel aimless and occasionally drags, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, some players found enjoyment in the unique approach to puzzles and the integration of narrative elements, though many felt that the gameplay could benefit from more creativity and fluidity.
- “Very unique game - the main attraction here is the hand-drawn art and the deeply compelling writing, but it also does some clever things with rudimentary gameplay mechanics that I enjoyed.”
- “The gameplay was fun, and while I did have to look up the answers to some puzzles and use hints because I'm a little slow-headed, I thoroughly enjoyed this.”
- “It offers delightful visuals, an immersive soundtrack, an emotive and heartfelt narrative, and engaging and varied gameplay.”
- “However, the storytelling didn’t fully resonate with me, and the gameplay occasionally dragged, especially during moments where I had to click around aimlessly to figure out what to do next.”
- “My one frustration with it is that some puzzles really needed a little more guidance; that would’ve been nice as after clicking around for minutes I had to check a gameplay video to be able to continue.”
- “But the story and gameplay are only just kind of average, and I flat disliked the primary voice acting, which made it a lot harder for me to experience the emotional impact the game was going for.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
28%
29%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its brilliant storytelling and gradual build-up, encouraging players to immerse themselves in the rich visual and auditory experience. The combination of hand-drawn visuals, atmospheric sound design, and evocative music creates a cozy and emotionally resonant environment, making it a standout feature of the game. While some players noted a desire for more fluid game mechanics, the overall ambiance and narrative depth are considered strong points.
- “The atmosphere and the way it tells its story are simply brilliant.”
- “The story never hurries; instead, it gradually builds atmosphere, encouraging players to slow down and absorb each scene’s visual cues, soundscape, and emotional weight.”
- “The hand-drawn visuals, atmospheric sound design, and strong voice acting come together to create a compelling experience.”
- “I'd have preferred the game mechanics to be a little more fluid, though I really liked the music, atmosphere, and narrative.”
- “Finally, I must say that the atmosphere, art, and audio are all strong points of the game.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, particularly noting that the game freezes during critical moments, such as at the end sequence involving the child. This has led to frustration and disrupted gameplay experiences.
- “When I get to the end with the book, it replays the sequence when the child was there and then it just freezes my game.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
- “I experienced multiple bugs that caused the game to become unresponsive, ruining my experience.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers note that the game's visual style cleverly conceals both beautiful elements and humorous moments, adding a layer of depth to the overall experience.
- “There are beautiful and funny elements cleverly hidden due to the visual style.”
- “The humor in this game is both clever and unexpected, making every moment enjoyable.”
- “I love how the game blends humor with its storytelling, keeping me entertained throughout.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the non-obvious achievements that require extensive exploration and repetitive tasks. This can detract from the overall experience, especially when combined with frustrating puzzles and a lack of empathy for the main character.
- “But the story wasn't for me; the choices the main character made caused me to lose my empathy for her halfway through, and then there were a few annoying puzzles and grindy achievements.”
- “The achievements are mostly for non-obvious tasks and rewards for exploring and experimenting; a few are rather grindy.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users generally find the monetization aspect to be entertaining and believe it enhances the overall experience of the game.