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In the Indonesian indie adventure/magical realism game, A Space for the Unbound, you play as Atma in his final days of high school. Turns out it is also the final days of the world.
Prepare yourself for an emotionally impactful story about loss, grief, and mental illness that is brought to you in a warm, pixel art world. I have no idea what a seaside town in Indonesia was like in the 1990s, but the game absolutely transported me to this place the developers created. The game is powerful at making you feel nostalgic, even if like me, you have no nostalgia for this type of place IRL. The original score (and an original ballad!) add to the ambiance.
Fair warning: a lot of the gameplay involves running around doing fetch quests, so if that is something you hate, you might find that annoying; however, the charming world, compelling characters, and interesting story kept me engaged through those parts of the game. There is also some mild puzzle solving and even fighting mechanics!
Reviews for this game are pretty universally glowing, and they are all right. If you heard about this game last year and didn't play it, this is your sign! If you haven't heard of it, now you know :)
PET. EVERY. CAT and prepare some tissues. I cried!
Apr 9, 2024
Related Recs
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it’s been a minute since i indulged in a good indie game as i have been in my dark souls bag as of late but these were the games i would recommend that i love!
MUTAZIONE - DIE GUTE FABRIK (2019)
a gorgeous game which follows a girl named Kai on her journey to meet her dying grandfather. set on an island near rio which was struck by an asteroid causing the island to be inhabited by mutants. help their island thrive by working with the surrounding nature and meet everyone! the most beautiful soundtrack of any game i’ve ever played, gorgeous visuals too. if you are looking for a low stakes low maintenance game to chill with then this is the one. there is also a free play mode where you can just make lovely gardens!
AFTERPARTY - NIGHT SCHOOL STUDIO (2019)
the lesser known cooler younger sister of OXENFREE (which i would also recommend). afterparty follows two recently deceased best friends navigate their way through (and hopefully out) of hell. after some digging they find a loophole to give themselves another chance at life; to out drink the devil. very personalised player experience with multiple different endings, and even your own personal demon criticising you for every decision you make. very good game, can be multiplayer, mostly point and click with a few minigames, more of a work out for the brain!
ABZU - GIANT SQUID (2017)
this game is a spiritual experience. you, as the player are given a vessel to explore the beauties are ocean has to offer. you’re job is to restore the various species to their rightful habitats. the game is so gorgeous, the soundtrack is amazing and you might learn something about your local marine life!
NIGHT IN THE WOODS - SECRET LAB (2017)
night in the woods is based in Mai Borowski, a recent college drop out’s, hometown. she seeks to find meaning and stability in her old life which is irreparably different than before. with mystery and emotional depth, many find this game to be the perfect thing to play when you’re feeling lost in life!
SPIRITFARER - THUNDER LOTUS GAMES (2020)
in spiritfarer you play as stella, a girl with big shoes to fill. stella’s new job is to be the ferrymaster and escort the across the everdoor and to the afterlife. stella reunites with loved ones and departs from them too, in the mean time accommodating to the spirits whims. gorgeous game that deals with themes of grief but has a lot to do in it!
CHEF RPG - PIXEL ARCHITECT (2024)
chef rpg made by noah, otherwise known as pixel architect, is an upcoming “stardew valley” game centering a young chef who flees their life in the big city to white ash harbour to revive a once famous restaurant. the coolest thing about this game is that you can watch the developer make it! on noah’s youtube channel you can watch him create this game piece by piece. im really looking forward to it coming out!
COFFEE TALK - TOGE PRODUCTIONS (2020)
this game has a special place in my heart. in coffee talk you play as a barista in a coffee shop that’s only open at night. you spend your time making drinks for regulars and listening to their story develop night after night. the drinks you make have a big impact on the game. there’s a second game now which i haven’t played yet but this is a super relaxing games which packs a good punch in the emotional department!
STRAY - BLUETWELVE STUDIOS (2022)
i’m sure you’ve seen this game before. you, a little cat, navigate the ghost of an underground metropolis. the empty and failing city seems a little less lonely when you meet B-12 the friendly drone that assists you in navigating the unknown territory!
NOT INDIE: BEYOND TWO SOULS - QUANTIC DREAM (2013)
every single time someone says they like life is strange i tell them they have to play this! Jodie is a girl who has had a gift her whole life, what she does with that gift is up to you. with multiple different endings, it can be pretty high stakes. you should def play!!!
so sorry this was so long, i hope you enjoy some of these as much i have! xoxo
Jun 6, 2025
THE COSMIC WHEEL SISTERHOOD!!!! - I’ve rec’d it before cause it’s so good, if you love a good story this is defo for you. Its so so gorgeous (pic below is from it). You’re a witch who’s been in exile for centuries, who summons a demon to help. Choose your own adventure style story game with elements of collage (you make your own oracle cards).
Night in the woods - a weird lil walking sim story game that feels like a graphic novel. Existential and dark and mysterious.
Wylde Flowers - a cosy witchy farming and story game. i find pure farming/management sims a bit boring but this has a linear storyline which kept me entertained.
Spiritfarer - such a moving game unlike anything else I’ve played since. You play as a psychopomp ferrying souls into the afterlife and carrying out their final wishes.
Also if you wanted to get into more RPGs, I just finished Sea of Stars. It’s an adventure RPG with gorgeous pixel art. It’s made to have the nostalgia of old 90s RPGs, but you’d definitely be able to appreciate it without having played them. It has combat, but it’s turn based which might be easier for someone who isn’t as good at combat, and there’s relics you pick up that you can activate to make the fighting easier. Turn based combat in general is probably the way to go if you wanna move into fighting games!
Mar 6, 2024
"ꀤ ꌃꍟ꒒ꀤꍟꃴꍟ ꀤꈤ ꍏ ꀎꈤꀤꃴꍟꋪꌗꍟ ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꀸꂦꍟꌗꈤ'꓄ ꉓꍏꋪꍟ ꍏꈤꀸ ꉣꍟꂦꉣ꒒ꍟ ꅏꃅꂦ ꀸꂦ"
mae borowski returns to her hometown of possum springs, and with her return comes some long-time-coming reunions and unsolved mysteries
this game broke me
played it the week it came out back in 2017, and in hit me in that way some media does where it comes at a point in your life where it feels all too specific to your circumstances and it opens wounds you didn't even know went that deep. this shit felt like the therapy session you needed but reeeeally didn't want to go to. healing and hurtful, all at once
also just happens to be extremely funny. it's a very specific kind of humor, where even in the rare moments it doesn't land, it still lands because the circumstances around it make it all the funnier. something as simple as a too-long pause in the dialogue will have me in stitches
deserves all the love in the world, and it will forever have my whole heart. WITCHDAGGAH
Apr 19, 2024
Top Recs from @jasmine001
Her videos just keep getting longer and longer!
I reference her thoughts in "Opulence" so often that I made my mom watch it (with me) and she sat through the whole 2 hours. Can't believe it came out FOUR years ago.
The final chapter regarding our era being a Gothic one (and the decay of malls) is the best part.
Apr 4, 2024
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When I was 19-20 I worked on Haight Street at a retro revival/rockabilly dress shop. The company had expanded too fast and blew all their money, so my store was closing and what was usually very expensive clothing was on super sale.
One day I arrived to work and everyone called out except me. My manager told me to run the (large) store all by myself. At some point the landlord for the building showed up to tell me the company hadn't paid rent in months. The store was so busy due to the sale that I couldn't take a break for hours due to the constant stream of people. The landlord decided she wanted to be "helpful" and was taking customers to the stock room to find clothes that weren't on the floor. It was chaos.
When finally there was a moment of the store being empty I locked the door, had a panic attack, and angrily scribbled the "closed early because overworked and underpaid" sign and left.
I was fired haha.
Apr 20, 2024
Changed my life. If I had it together enough I would sometimes put my pills in those weekly pill boxes but never stuck to it.
Now if i ask myself "have i taken my meds today?" i can look at the bottle and KNOW! 23 hours ago! Time to take meds. 30 hours ago! oops forgot. 6 hours ago! lol already took em today and have no memory of it but the cap does!
Mar 26, 2024