Reviews from

in the past


ASFTU has such a fantastic and well-realized ending that you’re going to wonder why the rest of the game doesn’t feel nearly that good to play. Still, it’s an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys well-told narratives and angsty feelings.

A gorgeous game packed with emotion and meaning. While the game may seem to be nothing more then a slice of life adventure at first glance, as the game starts to peel off the layers of its bright and sunny facade, a touching and hard hitting story is slowly revealed.

The setting and art are really charming, but the gameplay itself is really tedious and not very fun to go through - which is a shame cause I was really keen on this game.

A Space for the Unbound is an incredible blend of Omori and Inception that creates a deep and thought-provoking experience. The game goes deeply into how loss, grief, despair, and self-acceptance affect people, and explores these issues in fascinating and varied ways. I was initially intrigued by the trailers and the idea of a love story entwined with an imminent apocalypse, but I wasn't expecting the complexity and shocks that would be waiting.

I won't go into detail because doing so would ruin the amazing conclusion. Suffice it to say, the culmination of the narrative hits the player with an emotional force like a train. By the end of the story, I found myself wholeheartedly invested in the journey of Atma and Raya, their struggles resonating deeply within me and ultimately leading to genuine tears and unabated sobbing.

Few games have been able to stir up such strong feelings in me. In reality, I can name only a few of works that have had such a big impact on me. A Space for the Unbound expertly combines ambient elements and narrative expertise, a combination that is evocative of games like Omori. Similar to Omori, this game masterfully creates an atmosphere throughout each of its dynamic environments, leaving a lasting impression on the player's mind. The background music readily infiltrates your mind; its melodies turn into earworms that won't go away.

ASFTU's production quality and length for its $20 price point also surprised me. This game radiates an artistic quality that goes beyond the bounds of simple enjoyment and manifests as a genuine work of art. The painstakingly created pixel art displays astounding detail, outstripping the graphic prowess of other pixel art games.

When you take into account that the development team only consisted of 12–14 people, it is even more incredible. The game's creative and committed creators deserve high appreciation for their incredible effort, which manifested a world of complex beauty and maintained consistently excellent writing throughout. The soundtrack is an additional noteworthy portion of the game that also bears some similarities to Omori. It's a cute, deep, and emotional soundtrack that compliments every scene it's apart of. There are even times in the game where completely vocalized songs embellish the experience, providing an auditory treat best appreciated with headphones. 

ASFTU is infused with heart, soul, and a profound connection to human emotions. It should be warned that there are traumatic moments to be experienced, making it inappropriate for individuals who are easily upset. The voyage through these experiences is rewarded, though, with an extraordinarily wonderful conclusion that will live on in my memory forever. ASFTU is a unique find that is overlooked and merits more exposure. I strongly beg anyone reading this review to play the game because it is one of the most moving stories I have ever read in a game.

The first time A Space for the Unbound caught my eye was during an Indie World presentation, almost exclusively due to its name. Is it a shallow reasoning? Sure, but you have to admit its a killer title. One that suggests an unusual and intriguing experience awaits. Thankfully, the game itself largely delivers on the promise of its title!

The best way I can describe A Space for the Unbound is similar to the way in which I describe OMORI (which if you know me, is a very good thing). The first 80% or so of the game is a rather simple point-and-click-adjacent adventure game in a cozy Indonesian town absolutely brimming with charm. The pixel art and music are gorgeous, there's plenty of great characters to talk with, and it's all wrapped in a beautiful nostalgic feeling for an experience I never had.

However, unlike OMORI, the adventure aspect does wear itself really thin towards the end. The gameplay itself is entirely milquetoast: picking up objects to take them to other places and a threadbare "combat" system that really , REALLY did not need to be repeated the dozens of times it is. It's compounded by a scope creep that makes the game feel like it's flying off the rails. I was deeply confused, was the game really going to be able to stick the landing and fulfill the emotional promise both the game itself and so much talk around the game presented?

It sure did.

Without getting deeply into spoilers, the last section of the game delivers a beautiful, heartfelt, incredibly well written experience that was well worth reaching. I was brought to the edge of tears and so much of its imagery in the final act has stuck with me vividly. It punches so far above its weight class and is just such a sight to behold. A Space for the Unbound is able to deliver on the promise of its title, a strange, truly remarkable title.


Every game should have a feature where you get to name every stray cat you see.

It's an incredibly moving story that tackles some important topics and is likely to have a pretty broad appeal, but it's held back a bit by some pacing issues in the first half. 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. Still, the overall playtime is pretty short, and it's well worth putting up with this game's minor hiccups to get to its true heart - a touching narrative & convincing characters that will likely stay with you for a long, long time.

An emotional experience, The ending to the game meant a lot to me. I've had times in my life where I spent it living in my own little fantasy world.

Some of the gameplay bits definitely dragged (especially in the middle acts), but as any good Adventure and Adventure Game does the story carries the day especially for those who can relate to some of the subject matter it delves into.

Inesquecível. Não tem outra palavra pra resumir esse jogo.

Perfeito e lindo do começo ao fim.

This game is legitimately something special. The story that it tells is beautiful and made me cry so hard near the end. Such a good indie game that deserves way more attention than it currently gets. Everything from the story to the setting and the insane vibes this game gives off are perfect.

muito lindo muito fofo amei a storyline e a soundtrack é incrível! tô só meio bolada porque não consegui platinar jogando pela primeira vez mas depois eu volto tem problema não <3

Que jogo lindo! É um jogo pixelado 2D visualmente mt bem feito sobre um casal na época do ensino médio se autodescobrindo e trazendo assuntos sobre depressão, ansiedade, insegurança e solidão.

A jogabilidade se baseia em exploração e quiz focado bastante na narrativa e história (bem simples msm) e a melhor parte é poder acariciar os gatos pela cidade e dar nome :) , porém o jogo tem um ritmo lento (dizendo ser um slice of life) então recomendo jogar um capitulo por dia (foi o q eu fiz), assim podendo apreciar bem mais o jogo. Quanto a história não dá pra falar mt para não tomar spoiler, mas achei muito bonito e bem contado são assuntos que não são novidade na mídia porém o jogo soube muito bem desenvolvê-lo. E que trilha sonora absurda de boa tanto quanto a direção sonora de barulho de cenário quanto as ost que casam mt bem com a narrativa.

Agora os pontos negativos, o game por exigir mt backtracking para achar itens e etc ele possui mt animação de loading e isso chega a incomodar, e além disso não é um jogo feito para rushar tem um começo lento então tu pode achar tedioso. Uma observação, é possivel platinar em uma run porém se você não for atento e deixar passar alguma conquista terá q rejogá-lo se não tiver um save fácil e pelo ritmo lento isso de platinar fica um pouco complicado.

Em resumo, recomendo jogar com calma e apreciando o game possui mts cenários bonitos e uma trilha sonora boa tbm, apesar de a história não ser tão profunda, mas a maneira que ela é desenvolvida e contada ainda mais com a conclusão me fez dar a nota máxima (fodase eu chorei no final msm ;-;)

Tem o Ronaldo fenômeno no jogo

First of all a very special thanks to a buddy of mine Moo for gifting me this game! As a fan of old school point and click adventure games, I figured I might vibe with this one, and I certainly did. It's a fun game, with a lot to like, although I do have some complaints that truly hold it back from being great to me.

The first half of this game, I was really really into it. The vibes were fantastic, the story was interesting and carried my attention, and there was a lot of cool stuff going on. I found closer to the end my attention slipping away a bit, the game turned into more of a Quick time event, story driven then just the pure point and click adventure goodness I so love. I really wish there was a way to speed up your walking speed in the game, as so many times it would me stumbling around trying to find the right place to go (a map also would have been quite useful)

The story by the end is touching, and is resolved well. Raya and Atma are very interesting and well made lead characters, but everyone else is mostly forgettable for me.

Overall, a solid experience and one I had a good time with despite my complaints. Worth playing for sure, especially if you're a fan of adventure games and want a little bit more of those in your life.

Wasn't sure if this game was my bag, but it was a recommended game to play by the Sony CEO Shuhei Yoshida, and also to get his Playstation Stars model, so I thought why not, let's see the kind of game this man would pick.

Well, turns out he has very good taste! This slower paced game was a welcome change for me, the mild combat system evoked a simplisic approach akin to a game like Undertale.

The story is moving, the pixel art is glorious. A true work of art the visuals and consistency are a sight to behold, monster and character designs are just flawless and bring the world to life.

I highly recommend this game if you are looking for a change, or perhaps to pick up a somewhat easier platinum trophy without much pressure.

In the end it actually leaves you yearning for a little bit more from a similar game, I can see a lot of potential for a future with a game of this style adding improvements herea and there.

This is just a fun (point-and-click?) game for the most part that builds up and crescendos into a highly emotional story that's incredibly gripping and compelling yeah. Its gameplay or rather its gameplay loop isn't exactly my thing but that's more a subjective thing i guess. That story is really what you should be checking out this game for. Topped off with a great pixel art and incredible ost/score by Masdito Bachtiar to accompany all the compelling drama and story beats of the game, it makes for quite the memorable experience. Do check it out ye

A Space for the Pleasant Surprise.

I'm a little bit apprehensive about pixel games, because there's a lot of titles out there with charming visuals and music to match but no bite to meet their bark. Couple that with a developer I'm not familiar with (though I do know the producer Toge,) and A Space for the Unbound by all means should have been a game that escaped my radar. The reception to this title is what set it apart for me, it seems like everywhere I looked be it Steam, Backloggd, or my insular JRPG Youtube space that this game had been getting rave reviews. A consumer none the wiser I jumped in... and honestly I'm glad I did.

Since it's practically a VN, I can't speak too much about the story but to say that it is touching, however missed the mark in its early-mid game delivery to me. When I got to the end, I felt the emotional spark the game set out to hit, though I personally wasn't as Affected as I was in games like the To the Moon franchise of which Space for the Unbound reminded me quite a bit of. A Space for the Unbound touches on depression, anxiety, and familial abuse and the way it affects those around us, and to that I think the team did a very good job from not shying away from said actions while also not making the story too dark.

Gameplay here was a bigger part of the miss for me, and that feels a bit unfair in a game as story heavy as this is, but I came away with the conclusion as I was playing that each elementary puzzle was taking my enjoyment away more and more as I played. None of them are particularly difficult, just tedious and plentiful. The Spacedive mechanic is alright, however it didn't captivate me as a primary gameplay loop since you're using it over and over to do these light puzzles. Whether its making cakes or hiding from wolves... I could have done without the attempted intricacy.

Visuals are beautiful and the music is quite nice. Writing is also well done in making these characters feel like actual friends in a real place. Speaking of the setting, it's absolutely awesome that I got to play a title based in 1990's Indonesia, a country and time that are woefully under-represented in media. I spent some time this weekend at a museum learning about the instruments of Southeast Asia and Indonesia specifically... it's pretty neat to play a game set in that location by an Indonesian team as well!

Overall I had a good time... some nitpicks and this game is definitely not perfect, however I'd recommend this to people looking for a neat medium length pixel adventure that deals with heavy topics.

The more I think about this game the more I come to really like it. I’m not the biggest fan of the pacing with how much it tends to drag, but the story itself is very well thought out and the way each element incorporates itself in the ending is truly incredible. It doesn’t even need to make you emotional via reliance on heavy handed drama, the story is just that naturally good.

As much as I feel I should point out a few of my gripes with this game like some of the painfully slow segments or clunky puzzles to lower my score to something like 4/5, I'm not going to because reviewing is arbitrary and I get to make the rules. So yeah, this game isn't perfect but I'm giving it a perfect score. Why? Because I thoroughly enjoyed my time all the way through and it's the first piece of media in years to make me tear up.

The story is hard to explain without giving too much away, but I think it has pretty wide appeal. Otherwise, the game has the feel of an old school point-and-click adventure title. I liked that, and while others may not I don't think it would be that much of an obstacle to enjoying the narrative.

This review contains spoilers

MAJOR SPOILERS

A conflicting point and click adventure. The narrative is the star with very relevant issues with an abusive father and bullying both contributing to making one lack confidence in oneself and because of your meekness due to trauma, bullies can identify it and then target you. Leads to her closing herself off and thinking something is wrong with herself. To become jaded and a misanthrope. Builds up a wall around herself to protect herself. Sees the bad in people and has trust issues. I was able to identify with a lot of these themes.

Gameplay wise it’s kinda stale. It’s primarily point and click easy puzzles (that become complex very late into the game with spacediving into peoples’ minds and opening rifts even further). There are also fighting sections with combos and timing bars that block attacks. Then the sneak areas are the worst gameplay. Really monotonous to walk and stop and repeat. Especially when you get caught.

Decent visuals that are sometimes beautiful. Nice music but there needed to be longer tracks or more variety in heavily traveled areas in town. A bit too long for how simple the gameplay is. There are also many grammar errors, but it wasn’t too distracting. It was really creepy was her facade world broke down and characters started becoming distorted with smiles on their faces. A very cool segment.

Maybe I'm just becoming more emotional in my old age of 25 -- or maybe it's because the heavy topic of helping loved ones navigate through mental health obstacles resonates with me so strongly -- but A Space for the Unbound absolutely made me feel things. It's a beautiful game in both its writing and its presentation, with its stunning pixel art only complementing its tackling of a tough subject matter. I adored the game's story, characters, most of its puzzles and, of course, the Spacedive mechanic that's so important to the overall gameplay. There are some pacing issues midway through -- and some tedious fetch quests don't help with that -- but, once the game hits its climax, it's only uphill from there. I wouldn't be surprised if this little indie gem ends up in contention for not only my Indie GOTY, but my overall GOTY for 2023.

(P.S. Don't be a monster -- make sure to pet & name every cat you can find. You won't regret it.)

the beginning was so cute, i loved the idea of a summer bucket list and completing it, discovering the town etc, so i wish the game had more of those moments. the way the story was told didn't really pull me in, i would prefer if the story was told in a more casual way instead of the magical elements. my favorite part was completing the bucket list, petting every cat, beating the high score in the arcade, juggling the ball, doing the quizzes, i enjoyed those moments a lot but got super sleepy whenever the spacedive button appeared honestly. spacedive was used too often especially towards the end... also should've been a 5-6 hour game, my playthrough was 13 hours and there were many times where i almost fell asleep BECAUSE I HATED THE SPACEDIVE MECHANIC :(

it's nice to get some weebbait out of what is essentially the worlds foremost up-and-coming weebfactory nation (i say this endearingly)

not exactly profound in its message, but the story is delivered well enough that if its the first time youre hearing it and youre like 16 or going through some shit it'd probably be impactful - the plot is well constructed, even if its a bit bloated, and the art and music support it well

gameplay design is extremely zzz and feels like it drags on after having interacted with it for about 0.7 seconds

Critical: 7.5/10
A narrative-driven game with a beautiful presentation and an intimate story that mixes both interpersonal and supernatural struggles. Although some backtracking and activities can prove tedious, this 10-hour journey is closely attuned to its characters and the conflicts they face.

Personal: 7/10


Something special. A story that will stick with me and a wonderfully enjoyable experience. Early game is peak cozy and then once you see the plot begin to unravel it's fantastic. Please play this game

Verdaderamente es un viaje especial que trata de temas como la depresión, bullying, violencia intrafamiliar. Me ha dejado rota por como me he identificado, al menos tienes michis para acariciar y pasar el dolor.

Felt like things went on a bit too long, that last big puzzle sequence was a little much for me, but I still had a fun time with it overall. Was much more of an Adventure game than I was expecting.

didn't expect this to make me cry