Leila

This is a lovely narrative-driven puzzle game that tells a really interesting story of the narrator's life, with gameplay that does a great job at reinforcing the narrative and has a ending that had a surprising message that I really appreciated and find rare in today's cultural climate.

The ending

Spoilers, obviously. The ending has a really positive message about restorative justice. The story essentially spends most of its time humanizing this person who is revealed to be an adultress, and resolving the plot not with comeuppance or even confessing to their spouse what they did, but rather acknowledging that the issue was that Leila had become disconnected from those around her, and fixing that.

The game concludes with a recipe for such reconnection, which I think is very well put:

• Face and accept
• Cherish what you have
• Cleanse away your burdens
• Do what's good for your soul
• Do something for tomorrow
• Connect with the world

This ending recognizes that punishment is not a deterrent and is not what Leila needs - indeed, I think the depression chapter is representing Leila punishing herself. The real issue was her alienation, and the correct solution is restoring her connection with her loved ones and her community, which she does.

The ending sequence showing others dealing with similar problems as Leila and coming together demonstrates that not only is it important to reconnect with your family, but community.