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A Space for the Unbound

A Space for the Unbound

Mojiken · released Jan 18, 2023

AdventureIndiePCPlayStation 4, PlayStation 5Xbox One, Xbox Series XNintendo SwitchiOS (iPhone/iPad)

A magical adventure about two high school sweethearts set at the end of their school days - and the end of the world. Explore a crumbling town and help friends face their inner demons, which could be the key to stopping reality itself disintegrating. And don’t forget to pet the cats.

89
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence
94%
At launch
97%
Steam all-time
85%
Press
83%
Player sentiment
96%
Recent sentiment

PC 89 · PlayStation 79 · Xbox 82

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)8563
All-time Steam reviews97%931000
Metacritic user ratings8231
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)96%9150
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 91.0, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 7,907 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 142 reviews sampled · 122 total reviews in window · weighted 111.8 up / 4.5 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (69)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 85
    trust 70Feb 9, 2023

    Underneath the layers of cute pixelated art and a calming lofi-like OST is a short yet memorable story. It will leave you in need of Atma to dive into your heart after it is shattered time and time again by the tales to be told of feeling fearful of one’s future.

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  • 80
    trust 69Jan 29, 2023

    A wonderful adventure with a fantastic story and a bit of padding in its gameplay. You will remember it for a long time.

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  • 90
    trust 68Jan 18, 2023

    A Space for the Unbound triumphs in capturing what’s between the lines of the story: the life-and-death emotions of Raya. The game’s not afraid to peer at her faults right alongside everyone else’s, and if, as one character puts it, “The most perfect world is one with imperfection,” then, emotionally speaking, this is a pretty perfect game.

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  • 80
    trust 68Jan 18, 2023

    Despite the runtime being padded out by some meandering requests, A Space For The Unbound is a perfect little adventure title to curl up with on a rainy day. The myriad puzzles, while never overtly challenging, switch things up often enough to keep from growing tedious. At the same time, we wholeheartedly recommend it for its bittersweet, sombre narrative alone. It never veers too far into melancholic territory yet handles some heavy topics with grace. We didn’t come away gloomy from the potentially depressing themes depicted via the wonderful inhabitants of this beautifully rendered snapshot of Indonesia. Rather, we came away genuinely touched and inspired.

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  • 80
    trust 66Jan 30, 2023

    I especially recommend it if you’re a fan of adventure games with a lot of puzzles. You definitely won’t be disappointed given how plentiful and unique they are. Overall I am happy I got to play this gem of a game and am looking forward to more from Mojiken.

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  • 90
    trust 66Jan 19, 2023

    Simply put: this Indonesian indie title is one for the ages (for 2023 anyway), despite that one problem which is honestly a genre issue. Hats off to the humble team at Mojiken Studios for finally releasing a huge passion project that puts a lot of big-budget narrative-driven video games to shame.

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  • 83
    trust 65Jan 24, 2023

    Some surprising depth and creative storytelling mechanics help this pixel adventure stand out

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  • 90
    trust 65Feb 13, 2023

    Overall, A Space for the Unbound does everything it seeks to accomplish. It creates a beautiful world full of vibrant characters, and it shares a story of love, friendship, loss, and growth. It does this with delicacy in a world that feels familiar, even if you’ve never walked down a dusty city road in Indonesia. And while its gameplay meandered at moments, it’s still a game worth dedicating 9 to 12 hours of your life to.

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  • 80
    trust 65Jan 31, 2023

    A Space for the Unbound is an emotional odyssey of love, pain, growth, acceptance, and healing. It is an easy game to play and love. Once someone’s hooked, it’ll be challenging to set the game aside before the 12-hour runtime ends. Though the players can often feel that the game is going in circles, the ability to bring the characters’ lives full circle is a beautiful experience.

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  • 80
    trust 65Jan 18, 2023

    The deep, meaningful narrative, partnered with the lovely pixel art and outstanding music composed by Masdito Bachtiar, create a mysterious title that we couldn't put down until we had seen it through to its satisfying conclusion. We would highly recommend A Space for the Unbound for anyone who loves a good story-driven adventure game, just expect to be run through the wringer in this powerfully emotional tale.

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  • 85
    trust 65Feb 28, 2023

    At the end, A Space for the Unbound is one of the best indies of the year so far. The gaming experience is pleasant, but also emotional and capable of generating some unpleasant emotions. Definitely, it's an indie game worth giving a chance, even though its story and ending may break our hearts, and the Space Dive reminds us to take care of our mind and emotions.

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  • 85
    trust 64Jan 20, 2023

    Overall, A Space for the Unbound is a must play for those that enjoy getting an emotional experience from their games. The puzzles are generally easy to understand, and the game does a good job of making each space dive throughout the story feel different from the last in some meaningful way, helping gameplay not get stale as you go. It may take a tad longer than it should to get to the various emotional payoffs, but those moments are well done and generally worth it.

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…and 57 more tracked reviews.

Patch history