Life — what would it be without setbacks, without obstacles to overcome? Everything would be simple, everything would be easy. Leila explores precisely those setbacks, depressive states, and how we can face them, confront them, and, above all, keep moving forward — always with the hope that better days will come.
Leila is a visually appealing title, where every stroke reflects the personality of this peculiar character. Pastel tones dominate the aesthetic, conveying a sense of comfort — like a warm hug — even as the narrative is punctuated by drama, in the style of a point-and-click/visual novel.
In this game, players enter the mind of Leila, a middle-aged woman going through an existential crisis, confronting her past, her regrets, and her journey of self-discovery. With the help of a mysterious device given to her by her daughter, Leila revisits key moments within the mental structure of who she is. Each memory is portrayed with emotional intensity, brought to life through hand-drawn animations and engaging voice acting that deepens the player’s connection to the story.
The narrative unfolds over four chapters, each one featuring puzzles and mini-games closely tied to the story, adding emotional depth to the experience. Some puzzles are reminiscent of titles like Gorogoa, requiring players to precisely position elements for events to unfold and progress to be made — puzzles based on understanding, matching, or forming images.
The gameplay is designed to be intuitive, with point-and-click mechanics allowing the player to interact naturally with the environment. In this context, a touchscreen mode would make perfect sense — particularly for the Nintendo Switch’s handheld mode — enhancing the immersion in this intimate adventure. However, I did notice that the controls could use some refinement: certain puzzle elements are very small, and clicking on them can be more challenging than solving the puzzle itself.
Even so, the roughly two hours it took me to complete Leila were spent switching between TV and handheld mode, with the experience remaining engaging throughout.
Leila stands out as a compelling narrative adventure, blending an artistic visual style, a melancholic soundtrack, and an emotionally rich story. Its exploration of complex themes through interactive gameplay offers a unique experience that encourages introspection and empathy. That said, the experience wasn’t flawless. At times, I found it difficult to form an emotional connection with the main character, which slightly diminished the narrative’s impact in certain moments. Additionally, some puzzles became frustrating due to the point-and-click mechanics previously mentioned, where the controls didn’t help — particularly because the interactive elements were too small for the precision required by the joystick. These moments, although minor, somewhat disrupted the immersion.
This is a title best suited for those seeking a game that delves into the layers of human emotion and memory.
[Note: Review based on the final Nintendo Switch version of the game, kindly provided by Ubik Studios.]
