Supernatural Adventure in the Classical Era of Indonesia, A Space for the Unbound Interview with Mojiken Studio

Seeing how the development of the game industry in Indonesia is increasingly leading to a much more advanced era, having a sense of pride in this achievement is a very normal response. If a few years ago the number of quality indie games made by local developers could be counted on the fingers, now we can see a myriad of new titles that have the potential to become extraordinary works. One of the games we feel has the greatest chance of achieving this is A Space for the Unbound.

This indie game made by Mojiken Studio is arguably the most anticipated release in 2021. Apart from the developer’s consistent track record in concocting quality games, visually to the concept of A Space for the Unbound it looks very interesting, especially from the focus on the supernatural story theme that takes Indonesian setting in the 90s era. The pixel art style approach it offers also looks very charming and creates a game atmosphere that is so comfortable to look at.

With this promising initial impression, our curiosity finally rose and prompted us to conduct an interview session with Mojiken Studio. In the interview that we submitted via email, the developer has provided many interesting details, some of which are about inspiration to the unique gameplay concept that they are trying to build in A Space for the Unbound.

GamerWK: Starting from the most boring question, what is the initial process that must be passed to find the right concept for A Space for the Unbound?

Mojiken: The forerunner of A Space for the Unbound (ASFTU) was born from Mojiken’s internal program called “MojikenCamp” in 2015. At that time, our members, who are mostly 2D artists, decided to conduct MojikenCamp with the aim of training each of our members to be can make games from 0 (zero) until finally released on the market digitally. Those of us who don’t have a programming background end up using an artistic approach in the projects we produce in this MojikenCamp. The results of these projects are in the form of small game prototypes that we release for free on itch.io. One of these prototypes is “A Space for the Unbound: The Bridge” which can be downloaded HERE.

The experimental prototype caught the attention of one of the publishers, so we finally developed the concept of story ideas from the prototype into a larger scale as it is now. Along the way, we have experienced several iterations, both in terms of gameplay mechanics and narrative design, until we finally found the right formula as it is now.

GamerWK: As a game that focuses on storytelling and exploration, this game is quite reminiscent of titles like 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, could there be inspiration taken from it or maybe other works?

Mojiken: At the time we started developing the game, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim had not yet been released. We were inspired by several other narrative games such as To The Moon, Night In the Woods, Oxenfree, Persona series, to Yakuza series.

GamerWK: We know that the game is set in Indonesia in the 90s, but did you ever have an idea to take a setting in the distant past or Indonesia in today’s modern era?

Mojiken: From the very beginning of our development, we have determined Indonesia in the late 90’s as the setting for ASFTU. This is because the majority of us grew up in that era and indeed we aim to document the environment of the city around us as we grow up with it.

GamerWK: What do you think is the main uniqueness of A Space for the Unbound compared to similar games? Are there any gameplay mechanics that make it feel different/special?

Mojiken: ASFTU’s main mechanic is the “Spacedive” mechanic, where the main character can enter into other people’s minds and solve various puzzles/challenges that represent the mental state of the person concerned. Actually, similar mechanics can be found in several other games such as To the Moon and Persona. However, what makes ASFTU unique is the thematic story that raises various mental health issues, especially in Indonesia and countries in Southeast Asia, which so far have not been well represented in popular culture media.

GamerWK: Given that the game development process has taken a long time, what do you feel is the biggest challenge?

Mojiken: The biggest challenge at ASFTU is in its Game Design Narrative. Because we want to be able to tell an interesting story through the mechanics we use in the game. Sometimes during the playtest, we found that there were some messages that couldn’t be conveyed properly through certain mechanics, so it took quite a long iteration until finally we were able to find the right formula in terms of storytelling and the fun factor of the game mechanics.

GamerWK: The captivating pixel art style approach was probably the main factor that immediately caught us off guard with the game, which many people probably also. To be able to mix up such a captivating art style, what is the process that the team must go through to find a composition that feels right?

Mojiken: Incidentally, we are fans of pixel art art style because it has a high nostalgia value, so choosing this art style does not require a complicated process. Apart from the above reasons, technically, by using this art style, it is easier for us to delegate the work on ASFTU game assets to some of our crew members.

GamerWK: Is the plot in this game running linearly, or is there a portion where players can be given the freedom to explore or take a different story scenario route?

Mojiken: The flow of this game will run linearly with limited exploration features and several side quests.

GamerWK: Apart from Atma and Raya, are there other supporting characters who also play an important role in the story?

Mojiken: Apart from Atma, Nirmala, and Raya, there will be several other supporting characters who will certainly play an important role in the ASFTU story. Each of these characters will be explained at a later date as we approach ASFTU’s release.

GamerWK: What is the most feedback given by players who have tried the demo version?

Mojiken: So far the feedback we have received has been very positive. Apart from the Art and Audio side, some players are also quite interested in the stories we present in the DEMO, and of course the most important feature is petting a cat!

GamerWK: Is there a message for GamerWK readers as well as players looking forward to the game?

Mojiken: We ask for your prayers and support so that ASFTU development can be completed properly until the end and don’t forget to wishlist the game via Steam. For those who haven’t tried the demo, please download the Prologue at the following page.

A Space for the Unbound itself is scheduled to be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC in 2022.

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A Space for the Unbound

Publisher: Toge Productions

Developer: Mojiken Studio

TB release date

Console, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One

A Space for the Unbound is a game that will take you on a supernatural adventure full of mysteries and secrets. In addition to the deep focus of the main story, the strongest attraction of this game is also the pixel art graphics that look charming with a typical 90s Indonesian retro atmosphere.

GT Games