The most popular indie games are without a doubt some of the ones that leave a lasting memory in your hearts long after completion. Unlike triple-A developers, indie teams have a lot riding on the line as they make a game, hope it does well, and equally show off their talents to gamers across the world. One game we had our eyes on for quite a bit was from small developer Mojiken and published by Toge Productions called A Space for the Unbound, which screamed old-school art style with a nice tinge of adventure and exploration.

We finally have our chance to dive into this very deep adventure and we have much to discuss. Is A Space for the Unbound the next indie-darling or have we seen this format too much and become jaded by it? We find out in our review for A Space for the Unbound for PC!

A Space for the Unbound follows the tale of Atma and his girlfriend, Raya, as they embark on a surreal adventure that starts off quite normal—despite a prologue we won’t spoil as it almost made us cry and we want you to experience that too—which is almost trying to surprise the player. A Space for the Unbound is very realistic in the sense that both Atma and Raya are your run-of-the-mill couple who want to squeeze out every last drop of their youth before their school days close and a life-altering event does it for them.

You will explore various Indonesian-inspired landscapes—which the synopsis for A Space for the Unbound says are aiming for that 90s experience—talk to random strangers and use a rather strange power that allows Atma to literally jump into random people’s minds and see what their thoughts are. A Space for the Unbound is strange but wait till we explain more of the gameplay so you can truly see how simple and yet shocking this adventure game really is!

Introduced quite early on as a central mechanic of A Space for the Unbound, Atma obtains a Red Book that gives him the ability to dive into certain individuals and alter their minds/attitudes via their dream-like mental states. When you aren’t diving into individuals trying to ascertain their thoughts or solve some puzzles, you’ll be exploring a 2D world where you can interact with people, pick up collectibles and use environmental tools to also solve puzzles but not within the mind of people via a book. This might seem very old-school and extremely simple—which it is—but A Space for the Unbound keeps the players engaged by having each character feel different and making the puzzles not feel ripped from an escape room but from everyday life.

From getting a ladder to climb into a girl’s room—it’s not as bad as it sounds—to hiding from teachers as you try to skip school, A Space for the Unbound creates a gameplay world that feels relatable and less supernatural. Don’t be fooled though, those puzzles we described happen in the first hour of the game. Later, more happens but to avoid spoilers—which would thoroughly ruin this game—we need to keep what happens to a bare minimum.

Utilizing a pseudo-retro art style, A Space for the Unbound is very attention-grabbing. Most indie titles like this are set in the future with sci-fi themes or even in fantasy settings. As we mentioned earlier, A Space for the Unbound is set in Indonesia and it is a nice change of pace with a mix of island/small city vibes. We love it when an indie game tries to go into a new realm of thought and direction as it keeps the style fresh and original! Seriously though, A Space for the Unbound is visually pleasing to the eyes and there are even cutscenes that scream the 90s!

Spoiling the tale of A Space for the Unbound would be doing the developers and readers a disservice, so we won’t tell you what happens but let us say there are a lot of feelings—still—in our hearts after seeing the tale of Atma and his world unfold. You’re bound to experience a plethora of emotions in your playthrough and we bet sometimes you’ll be shocked at where those emotions come from. Atma’s tale is engrossing and it will stick with you far after the credits roll. That alone makes A Space for the Unbound worth playing!