Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo by developer, Galla Games:
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo (Nintendo Switch)
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is a beautifully crafted adventure game developed by Galla Games, and published by Fellow Traveller. The game is heavily rooted in themes of loss, guilt, and regret and tasks the player into helping lost spirits overcome them so they can move on to the afterlife. The game draws a lot of inspiration from the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Paper Mario with game design drawing from Latin American culture.
Players take control of a dead snake called Kulebra who is a bright soul with a heart of gold. Kulebra awakens in the world of Limbo with no memory as to why he may be there. Upon finding an old lady tied to a rock with vines, Kulebra helps the old lady and in return, she hands him a notebook and tells him to help the lost souls of limbo. Every time Kulebra learns something new about another soul, it’s entry is added to the notebook so the player can keep track of what they may need to do next.
The souls in Limbo are cursed to relive the same day over and over again, and it is up to Kulebra to help them work through their issues by completing a series of tasks so they can eventually move on. Each day cycle is broken up into day, dusk, and nighttime. When a new day arises, anything that has happened before is reset with the exception of certain events leaving a soul mark on a character that they will help them remember things on the next cycle. Some tasks can only be completed during certain times of the day and there are some characters that move around to diffirent locations during the day. Remembering the routines of certain characters, helps you with knowing their whereabouts in case you need to track them down to complete a task.
In regards to what these tasks may be, it does differ for each soul. For example, in initial part of the game, you will find yourself in the Dead Valley where Rosa’s Flowershop is. Rosa needs to sell three plants so that her and her mother can close up shop and move on. At the same time, you need to gift these plants to a lonely talking boulder so that he has company. As you help both of these characters, you will learn more about their life stories and gather clues that can help them move on. Not all tasks can be completed in the same day, though, but you may open up new dialogue that wasn’t available the previous day and can help you progress.
Other tasks can be simple fetch quests that require you to give specific items you have found to certain characters or even puzzle related. The latter may require you to combine items in a particular order, unlock combination locks or guess the correct order in order to pick locks. There is quite a variety of puzzles which do help keep things from feeling too repetitive. As for how you how you obtain items, you may find acquire them from merchants by using the in-game currency of Pearls, which can be found throughout the world of Limbo. Not all items you acquire are key items to help out other characters. Some can be used to Kulebra’s own benefit like giving him increase speed or slowing down time so the player has more time to get things done in a day.
For the most part, Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is a very lighthearted game even though it deals with very heavy situations and delicate circumstances. The game burns at a slow and comfortable pace but does have moments where it can get a bit dark when dealing with raw emotions and getting to the real gritty motives behind why some spirits can’t move on. This is because they have succumb to the darkness that is plaguing its way through Limbo and corrupting souls it has come into contact with. In these moments, it is up to Kulebra to recall key moments that will help a soul reject the darkness and embrace the light.
I have had a lot of fun playing Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo. I will admit that it did fly under my radar a little before but after interviewing the developers Paulo and Pavel of Galla Games, courtesy of Fellow Traveller (feel free to check out the interview on our YouTube Channel), it became apparent to me that I really needed to play this game, and oh my, what a journey it has taken me on. I love the aesthetic and its blend of Majora’s Mask, Paper Mario, and even Spiritfarer elements and themes that has created such a rich and endearing game that has kept me hooked from beginning to end.
Game Specifications:
Developer: Galla Games
Publisher: Fellow Traveller
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Action, Adventure
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: May 16, 2025
Price: $19.99
File Size: 3.1 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
