A cozy Mexican-inspired puzzle game mixes Coco with Groundhog Day to create an enticing and unique puzzle experience.
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is the premiere game for Galla Games, a new indie company that aims to make an impression with its latest property while only being made by two brothers and their composer friends.
Kulebra features the campaign’s namesake, a skeletal snake who awakens in limbo without memories and soon finds itself drawn into the personal lives of the people across this plane. Kulebra will spend much of the game speaking with NPCs, seeking collectibles, and attempting to find a way to help make Limbo (a traditional dour plane of existence) a bit happier.
Limbo, as Catholic theology defines it, is a space between Heaven and Hell that is for those who are not exemplary models of morality, but not evil enough to deserve the condemnation in hell. It’s very ‘meh’, as are the residents in this Latin American-inspired story. Players will find themselves wrapped up in some sort of mystery regarding who they are and the role they’ll play in the future of Limbo.
Gameplay is often heavily centered on exploration and NPC exploration. Players roam the area and “roll” into various parts of the environment to unearth clues, currency, and new items to explore. They’ll talk to various NPCs, learn new clues, and then use those clues to unlock new dialogues that can then be turned around into helping solve the various quests.
Each section is self-contained but divided into three select sections of time where NPCs are interacting or living their lives: day, evening, and night. The story may change depending on the time of day. For example, the first zone has a flower shop for players to explore during the day, but it closes during the evening and night. There’s also a large talking rock that only engages with players at night.
What complicates this is the eternal circular cycle of memory. NPCs will forget all interactions they had with your character once the night is over, which means that it is an eternal cycle for them. The only way to break their memory free from this cycle is to interact with them in a way that sparks a significant emotional response.
Kulebra is a beautiful game with a fantastic soundtrack. The visuals capture the artistic merits of Latin American culture in such a vibrant manner that it’s hard to look away. Every character is a work of art and the scenes bring depth through a Paper Mario-esque style. The music captures the vibes of the region, but remains catchy and enticing.
The story is written in a set of adventures and quests that can be solved in each region before culminating in a ‘boss battle’ of sorts where the player’s knowledge of events from the region will help them to find the key to defeating their rivals. While this felt rather intriguing at first glance, it became a bit repetitive.
I had very few technical issues as I played Kulebra, as the game flows smoothly and communicates its focus clearly.
That said, the game’s ‘hook’ relies on the player’s investment in the mystery around Kulebra, the character. Who is he? Why does he matter? What will he do for Limbo? There’s a plethora of interesting NPCs in the game, but the reliance on a back-and-forth puzzle engagement can lose its flavor if it’s done for too long without much variation.
But that’s likely not why folks will play the game. They are most likely here to saturate themselves in the Day of the Dead aesthetics, to enjoy a simple adventure and to explore a world built in a very Mexico-inspired storyline. Having some familiarity with films like Coco and The Book of Life will definitely help players to grow more familiar with the world’s unique interpretation of the cultural origins of this story.
Kulebra is a short game, allowing players to get to the narrative’s core in a few hours. It’s a delightfully colored game with many personalities and a story transmitted through tragedy and comedy. Younger gamers will find the simple mechanics and colorful styles appealing, while older players will appreciate the emotional and narrative depth the game provides when dealing with the afterlife.
Kulebra And the Souls of Limbo is currently available on XBox and Steam.
Images Courtesy of Galla Games
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