Review: A Frigid Space

A Frigid Space, developed by Rinzamakani, is a chilling tale about a girl who has awoken in a strange place with no recollection of how she’s gotten there. Take control of the nameable protagonist as you try to make sense of the situation you now find yourself in. Will you stick by a handsome stranger’s side, or will you try to find a way to survive on your own? 

Story

The story starts when the player character, a twenty-year-old college student, awakens in a town that has been plunged into an eternal winter. She has no recollection of how she has gotten there. She eventually stumbles into Noelani, a town local who offers to help her. From here, it is up to you to decide if you’d like to follow him or go your own way. 

A Frigid Space has multiple endings and a good number of choices, making the game an experience you may want to play in more than one sitting. Each choice is meaningful and begins to reveal more information about the elusive stranger and the town’s culture and traditions. 

Unfortunately, we only get small glimpses into Noelani’s life and the town’s past. It’s just enough to wet our tongue, but not enough to satiate our thirst. The game introduces a lot of interesting lore that it never goes into explaining. Why is the town experiencing an eternal winter? How has Noelani survived this long on his own? Is this place a hidden secret, or does the rest of the world know about it?

Characters

Perhaps what’s most frustrating of all is that the main character doesn’t question these things herself. She accepts that she’s lost in this new town, but doesn’t seem to question why beyond her initial reaction. She doesn’t ask Noelani if he knows why she found herself in this town, or where this town even is to begin with. 

What’s more, the player character isn’t trying to get home. She doesn’t try to find a way out of the town, or even try to recollect some of her memories. She goes along with the idea of surviving in this new town with almost no resistance. 

Noelani is perhaps the most interesting character, having his own motivations that he holds close to himself and a plethora of town knowledge that he talks about with the player. Noelani is walking a thin line between wanting to be loved and wanting to maintain control over his world. The developers have done an amazing job with keeping him aloof, but also caring.

Ambiance

What A Frigid Space does best is creating a cold and unfamiliar feeling as you play the game. The music is suspenseful but calm. You always know in the back of your head that you need to keep your guard up in this new place but you’re also willing to ease into the peaceful moments with the other characters. 

The teal and blue color scheme of the backgrounds, UI, and even Noelani, creates a cool but somber effect. It’s a reminder that the world the player finds themselves in is full of despair, and yet there’s something beautiful about it all. 

New Game+

The main story of the game is lacking in a lot of details, but if you’re able to unlock the new game plus, you’ll be able to find out more information. It doesn’t fix the problems mentioned above, but it will give you more insight from a new perspective. 

The new game plus feature unlocks a completely new route with endings of its own. This longer route is more intriguing than the main story, and if you like the concept of the game, it’s worth trying to unlock it.

Verdict

A Frigid Space creates a melancholic yet alluring experience for players, but its story could be stronger. Still, that doesn’t mean you should skip it! There are a lot of hidden gems that you’ll unearth in this game if you give it the chance. Plus it seems like the developer is actively updating the game! 

You can get A Frigid Space for free on itch.io.