5/5 ★ – MichaelROLeary's review of A Space for the Unbound.

With stunning pixel art and animations, a sweeping soundtrack that weaves a tapestry, and a vibe somewhere between Slice of Life and Magical Girl, A Space for the Unbound is a lo-fi anime game to get emotional over. It's a journey of self-acceptance, forgiving yourself and others, and learning that it's okay to move on because that’s not the same thing as forgetting. You play as Atma, who early on in the game experiences an extremely traumatizing event while attempting to help his young friend Nirmala while she is stuck out in a river during a storm. As things go wrong and fade to black you suddenly wake up in a classroom, to the smiling face of your girlfriend, Raya, not knowing if this or the river is a dream. That story-within-the-story will be a major part of the mystery you’re tasked to unravel, but there’s a natural point about halfway through where you’ll start to see the puzzle pieces fitting together, revealing the bigger picture. The path forward is all about exploring around town, meeting classmates and other denizens, and helping them uncover the mental roadblocks that are causing them distress and preventing them from happiness, acceptance, courage, or resolution. As an adventure game, there’s not a ton of gameplay mechanics you have to worry about but Spacediving through the psyches of townsfolk will keep you plenty occupied. Though there are mini games that nod to classics like Street Fighter and Phoenix Wright. Oh, and you can pet so many dang cats. Without going into too much detail because there are twists to be revealed, when the story is wrapping up there are a decent amount of scenes that could cause one to tear up, but there's one specific moment of emotional whiplash that just walloped me. Like at the drop of the hat I was full-tilt sobbing. This tale is beautifully told and carries with it a remarkable level of catharsis in how it affects the player and that’s its greatest trait. There’s an obvious thing I should mention about A Space for the Unbound: As much as I think things like its puzzles are approachable and characters endearing, if you don’t normally enjoy adventure games it’s going to be hard to suggest playing it. But if it’s a format you do gravitate towards, even if it’s only slightly, it’s a game that will definitely stick with you long after you play it.