Spoiler: Was Atma ever real in A Space for the Unbound?

• The article explains the truth and fate of Atma, a main character in A Space for the Unbound, a slice-of-life adventure game set in the late 90s rural Indonesia.
• The article reveals that Atma is not a real person, but a projection of Raya’s wish for a perfect partner that she created using a magic red book that can alter reality.
• The article describes how Atma helps Raya overcome her guilt and trauma, and sacrifices himself to restore reality to its original state. He leaves behind a message for Raya in the magic red book, telling her that he loves her and that he’ll always be with her in spirit.

A Space for the Unbound is a slice-of-life adventure game set in the late 90s rural Indonesia that tells a story about overcoming anxiety, depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers. The game features a mechanic called Spacedive, which allows the player to enter people’s minds and help them with their problems. The game also has a mysterious plot involving a magic red book, a cosmic entity, and the end of the world.

One of the main characters of the game is Atma, a high school student who is in love with Raya, a girl with extraordinary abilities. Atma is the one who finds the magic red book and learns how to Spacedive. He also helps Raya with her emotional issues and supports her throughout the game. However, there is a twist at the end of the game that reveals that Atma is not what he seems to be.

The truth about Atma

In Chapter 5 of the game, Atma and Raya confront Nirmala, the cosmic entity that is responsible for creating the magic red book and manipulating Raya’s powers. Nirmala reveals that she is actually Raya’s subconscious manifestation of her guilt and trauma. She also reveals that Atma is not a real person, but a projection of Raya’s ideal partner that she created using the magic red book.

According to Nirmala, Raya was involved in a car accident that killed her parents and her boyfriend when she was younger. She survived the accident, but was left with severe injuries and psychological scars. She blamed herself for the accident and wished that she could change everything. That’s when she found the magic red book, which granted her wish by altering reality.

The magic red book created a new world where Raya’s parents and boyfriend were alive, but they were different from their original selves. Raya’s parents became abusive and neglectful, while her boyfriend became distant and cold. Raya was unhappy with this new reality, so she used the magic red book again to create another wish: to have someone who would love her unconditionally and understand her completely. That’s how Atma was born.

Atma was designed by Raya to be her perfect match. He shared her interests, hobbies, dreams, and personality. He was kind, caring, supportive, and loyal. He was also able to Spacedive into people’s minds using the magic red book, which allowed him to help Raya with her problems and bond with her more deeply. However, Atma was not aware of his true nature or origin. He believed that he was a real person with a real life.

The fate of Atma

At the end of Chapter 5, Raya decides to face Nirmala and confront her guilt and trauma. She realizes that she can’t keep running away from reality or hiding behind her wishes. She also realizes that she loves Atma for who he is, not for what he represents. She tells him that he is real to her, even if he is not real in the objective sense.

Atma is conflicted by this revelation. He doesn’t want to lose Raya or his existence, but he also doesn’t want to keep living in a lie. He decides to help Raya defeat Nirmala and restore reality to its original state. He tells Raya that he will always be with her in her heart and memories, even if he disappears from the world.

In Chapter 6, Raya wakes up in a hospital bed after the car accident. She sees her parents and boyfriend alive and well, but they are different from their counterparts in the altered reality. They are kinder, warmer, and more loving towards her. Raya feels happy to see them again, but she also feels sad to lose Atma.

She then sees a red book on her bedside table. She opens it and sees a message from Atma:

“Hey there,
I hope you’re doing well.
I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye properly.
I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with you longer.
But I’m glad I got to meet you.
You’re amazing, you know that?
You’re strong, brave, smart, creative, funny, beautiful…
You’re everything I ever wanted.
And I hope you know that you deserve everything you ever wanted too.
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Don’t let anyone make you feel less than you are.
Don’t let anyone take away your happiness.
You have so much potential.
You have so much to offer.
You have so much to live for.
So please,
Don’t give up on yourself.
Don’t give up on your dreams.
Don’t give up on your future.
Because I believe in you.
Because I love you.
And because I’ll always be here for you.
In this book,
In your mind,
In your heart,
In your soul,
I’ll always be here.
So whenever you feel lonely,
Whenever you feel sad,
Whenever you feel lost,
Just open this book,
And I’ll be there.
To talk to you,
To listen to you,
To comfort you,
To cheer you up,
To make you smile.
Just like we used to do.
Just like we always do.
Just like we always will.
Because you’re my best friend.
Because you’re my soulmate.
Because you’re my everything.
And nothing can change that.
Not even reality.
So don’t worry about me.
I’m fine.
I’m happy.
I’m free.
As long as you’re happy,
As long as you’re free,
I’m happy too.
So thank you.
Thank you for everything.
Thank you for being you.
Thank you for being mine.
Thank you for making me real.
I’ll never forget you.
I’ll never stop loving you.
I’ll never say goodbye.
I’ll always be here.
Waiting for you.
Until we meet again.
Your Atma.”

Raya reads the message and feels a surge of emotions. She cries, smiles, laughs, and hugs the book. She feels Atma’s presence and hears his voice in her head. She tells him that she loves him too and that she misses him. She tells him that she’s sorry for what happened and that she’s grateful for what he gave her. She tells him that he’s real to her and that he’ll always be real to her. She tells him that she’ll never forget him and that she’ll never stop loving him. She tells him that she’ll always be here too. Waiting for him. Until they meet again.

Conclusion

Atma is a complex and tragic character in A Space for the Unbound. He is not a real person, but a projection of Raya’s wish for a perfect partner. He is unaware of his true nature and origin, and believes that he is a real person with a real life. He falls in love with Raya and helps her with her emotional issues and supernatural problems. He also faces his own existential crisis when he learns the truth about himself and his world. He decides to sacrifice himself to help Raya restore reality and overcome her guilt and trauma. He leaves behind a message for Raya in the magic red book, telling her that he loves her and that he’ll always be with her in spirit. He is a character that represents the power of love, imagination, and hope in the face of adversity, despair, and loss.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: How can I get the best ending in A Space for the Unbound?

Answer: The game has two endings: a good ending and a bad ending. To get the good ending, you need to collect all the cat stickers in the game. There are 12 cat stickers in total, and they are hidden in various locations throughout the game. You can check your progress by looking at your inventory screen. If you collect all the cat stickers, you will unlock a bonus scene after the credits, where Raya meets a new friend who looks like Atma.

Question: How can I get all the achievements in A Space for the Unbound?

Answer: The game has 24 achievements in total, and they are divided into four categories: story, exploration, minigames, and trivia. You can check your progress by looking at your Steam profile or the game’s menu screen. Some of the achievements are easy to get by following the main story, while others require more effort and attention to detail. For a complete guide on how to get all the achievements, you can refer to this link.

Question: How long is A Space for the Unbound?

Answer: The game’s length depends on how much time you spend on exploring, talking, solving puzzles, playing minigames, and collecting items. On average, it takes about 6 hours to complete the game’s main story, and about 8 hours to complete everything else.

Question: Is A Space for the Unbound based on a true story?

Answer: No, A Space for the Unbound is a fictional story that is inspired by the developers’ personal experiences and memories of growing up in Indonesia in the 90s. The game is not meant to be a realistic or accurate depiction of Indonesian culture or history, but rather a nostalgic and emotional tribute to their childhood.

Question: Where can I buy or download A Space for the Unbound?

Answer: You can buy or download A Space for the Unbound from Steam, GOG, or itch.io. The game is also available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game costs $19.99 USD on all platforms, except for itch.io where it costs $14.99 USD.

Disclaimer

This blog article is not affiliated with or endorsed by Mojiken Studio, the developer of A Space for the Unbound, or any of its partners or distributors. The article is based on the author’s personal experience and opinion of the game, and does not reflect the official views or facts of the game or its creators. The article may contain spoilers, errors, inaccuracies, or outdated information. The author is not responsible for any damages or losses caused by the use or misuse of the information in this article. The author respects the intellectual property rights of the game and its creators, and does not claim ownership or credit for any of the images, sounds, music, characters, story, or other elements of the game that are used in this article. The author acknowledges that all trademarks, logos, and copyrights belong to their respective owners.