Leila

One thing that I really like about the indie game scene right now is how developers are using the space to tell deeply personal stories that don’t necessarily need to appeal to a broad audience. That was definitely the case earlier this year with the narrative puzzle game While Waiting, the story of one man’s life told exclusively through the moments where he’s just waiting around. Now comes Leila, which in a lot of ways feels like the female companion piece. Through depression, anxiety, insecurity and writer’s block, we see the moments in Leila’s life that made her the woman she is today. It’s time to get introspective when I review the new game Leila by first-time developer Ubik Studios.

Set in the far-flung future of 2047, Leila tells the story of a middle-aged woman who uses a VR-style device to reflect on her past. From an insecure teenager to an unfulfilled housewife to a frustrated writer, we get a glimpse of the many sides of Leila that have changed who she is as a person. Told through a series of genuinely stylish and inventive puzzles, this is a narrative adventure that walks that line between being honest and uncomfortable.

As we take a stroll through Leila’s past, we begin to understand who she is and where she came from. An only-child to immigrant parents, we see a girl who is struggling to find her own identity and live up to the pressures the world puts on her. We see this in the types of puzzles constructed out of her life. When she deals with a teenage breakup, she obsesses over the boy’s MySpace page, carefully reconstructing herself out of the images she’s been cut out of.

This is the kind of narrative-driven puzzle that we see throughout Leila. A great example of that is a puzzle midway through where the woman has to come to grips with outgrowing her past memories. This works as both a good metaphor for what she’s going through, as well as a clever puzzle that is perfectly self-contained. Other puzzles may be more literal, such as helping Leila scour her bedroom to find the computer’s four-number password. There are also a few puzzles found in an old book, transporting us to a different time and place, where we must recreate the steps found in poetic verse.

For as much as I like the variety of puzzles and how they are expertly woven into the story, I have to admit that some of them are a bit obtuse. Sure, there are the puzzles where you know exactly what you need to do, such as rewiring a circuit board or pairing puzzle pieces together. However, there were more than a few puzzles that I didn’t even realize were puzzles at first. They hope that you’ll just poke around the stage or stumble into understanding what it wants from you.

This happened right at the start of the game, when Leila found herself searching the coffee shop for inspiration. What you’re supposed to do is look for parts of the background that resemble other things, like a fetus on the chalkboard or dialog bubble on the shelves behind the counter. Each of the ten items you find triggers a short inner monologue that helps us understand where she is in her life, but it took me longer than it probably should to even register that this was a puzzle. It’s like playing Where’s Waldo with an invisible guy.

At the same time, there are puzzles that feel pointless at first that ultimately pay off in a big way. I won’t spoil where it goes, but you’ll spend a surprising amount of time cleaning up your child’s room and scrubbing the toilet. There’s more than one sequence where the goal is to rearrange the refrigerator in order to fit a large pot into it. All this felt like busy work at first, but when it comes back around the second time, it hits on a more emotional level. This happens throughout the game, ultimately leading to an ending that you probably won’t see coming.

Although the story revolves around the life of a woman, I found a lot of this game to be easy to relate to. I may not share the same struggles, but her bouts with self-doubt and nihilism certainly ring true. I too have regrets about the mistakes I’ve made, and I know the emptiness of not being creativity fulfilled by your work. There’s just a lot about her life that is true of the human experience, male or female, and the whole thing is written in an intelligent way that feels like it came from a personal place.

That’s something that I really love about this type of small game. In a world where every big game feels like it needs to appeal to everybody at the same time, Leila feels like it’s made for a specific type of gamer. I guarantee that somebody is going to play this game and feel seen and understood. If that’s not you, that’s okay. This type of narrative puzzle game won’t be for everybody. But if somebody down the road tells me that Leila is one of their favorite games, I’ll completely understand why.

The thing this game does really well is create beautiful animated moments. The cinemas and transitions are stunning, giving this game a real sense of style and personality. It helps that we’re treated to the kinds of moments that you never see in games, like being in the same room when your father has sex. Even the simple stroll through the forest of memories has an otherworldly look and feel that sets it apart from everything else on the market. You can tell that a lot of time and love has gone into the visuals, and they won’t disappoint. Neither will the voice acting, which is strong across the board. This is the kind of experience that could have very easily been a cool, artsy short film, but the whole thing is actually elevated by having puzzles and interactivity.

While I wouldn’t say that all this comes together as well as a game like While Waiting, there’s no doubt that I got something out of Leila. For some, this is going to be nothing more than a simple puzzle game with cool graphics and transitions, but for those who connect with the character and her struggles, this is going to be a landmark game that will stick with you for years to come. I liked it, but if this looks like the kind of game you might be into, then there’s a good chance that you’re going to fall in love with Leila.