“A Space for the Unbound – Prologue” by Mojiken Studio, Eka Pramudita Muharram, Dimas Novan Delfiano, Alice Elwin, Pandu Rukmi Utomo, Roland Melvin Z., Bluilisht, Dio Al Sabah Akbar Z., Masdito Bachtiar, Jenny Raftery & Frederick Tirta.
“Experience a day of adventure in a peaceful rural city[.] […] This is the prologue chapter and proof of concept of […] an upcoming [slice of life] adventure game with beautiful pixel art set in the late [nineties] rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers.”
“A Space for the Unbound – Prologue” introduces its players into a magical world, even though the description claims that it is only set in an Indonesian city in the late nineties. Here, the college student Atma and the young girl Nirmala pair up to write a beautiful fantasy story about the South Star Princess. But somehow Nirmala in her role as the leading creative mind of the duo forgot how she wanted to end the plot. She seems afraid or having a writer’s block.
Luckily, they are in the possession of a very special item called the Magic Red Book. With its help, one can enter the mind of a person to get to the roots of a problem. Atma realizes that Nirmala is scared of being perceived as a weirdo for writing this tale, but after a little motivation boost the work continues. There is just one object missing, so Atma walks off to get it from Nirmala’s room.
Telling you more about the story would ruin the ending of the demo. Even though “A Space for the Unbound – Prologue” is just an appetizer for the game to come, it already moved me. I was sad and happy at the same time, and this rollercoaster of emotions got even better when I watched the ending scene, that could be seen as a teaser video for the full version. This prototype with its masterful pixel art, kind characters and calming background music could very well be the starting point of a mystical journey. I cannot wait to see Nirmala and Atma again, at another time and another place. [PLAY]
