Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo, an indie adventure that blends heartfelt storytelling with clever puzzles and unique boss fights, sets itself apart in the crowded Switch lineup.
I have a pretty good idea of what games deserve a high score now that I’ve played a lot of independent games, ranging from great finds to forgettable flops. There are a lot of indie games that are made for specific groups of people, which is fine, but the games that really stand out are the ones that go outside of their comfort zones to appeal to more people. Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is able to do that.
The small team that worked on this game had a clear vision for it. It goes beyond its indie roots by dealing with a very sensitive subject, trauma, and the emotional weight we carry even after we die. It’s not your typical bright platformer or puzzle adventure.
Instead, it’s an emotional trip through Limbo where the souls you meet are haunted by pain they haven’t dealt with. The stories are told in a way that is nuanced, real, and very different from the usual shallow stories you find in games of this size.
You play as Kulebra in Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo. Kulebra is a recently deceased soul who wakes up in Limbo, a place that is like purgatory. Kulebra is different from most souls who are stuck in this in-between state because she can help other souls move on. Your journey takes you through the different areas of Limbo and helps the trapped souls by revealing their memories, understanding their deepest fears, and facing their traumas.
The story of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo builds up slowly, starting with a quiet, almost empty introduction to Limbo’s first area and then moving on to denser areas with more souls and more complicated stories. You don’t just meet one-dimensional souls; the problems they’re going through range from common family problems to scary, complicated mental illnesses. Without avoiding it, the writing leans into the pain and heaviness of trauma, which makes every interaction real.
At times, I was moved in ways I didn’t expect, and I could really relate to these lost souls. The main things you do in the game are explore and solve puzzles. A lot of your time will be spent exploring Limbo’s different zones, each with its own look, characters, and story, looking for clues that will help you figure out what’s stopping each soul. You should check out every corner, talk to non-player characters (NPCs), and put together memories that are missing pieces.
The storyline of the game is pretty linear, but there are a lot of side quests and hidden areas that are fun to explore. It makes me think of old-school 2D adventure games, where the fun is in finding things and figuring things out instead of fast-paced action. Your main goal is to learn enough about a soul’s trauma before you face them.
Here’s what makes Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo unique: boss fights that feel like mental battles. These “boss fights” aren’t about fancy moves or complicated combos. Instead, they’re minigames that test how well you understand the trauma of the soul.
When you face a soul’s inner demons, you go through a question-and-answer round where you have to correctly guess details about their past. Based on your answers, a “darkness gauge” fills up or goes down. Giving the wrong answer can throw you curveballs like false memories or bad choices that make you think carefully and sometimes bluff your way through.
This mechanic adds both tension and humor. There are times when telling a soul they’re lying or guessing the best answer can lead to surprisingly funny conversations. As you go further, Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo gets harder. Later enemies require you to pay closer attention and make smarter deductions.
This way of doing “combat” is smart and works well. It turns what could have been a simple story-based adventure into an emotional puzzle that you can solve. The balance between difficulty and ease of use is mostly good: early encounters make it easy to get into the game, while later fights require real focus and can feel intense.
But some puzzles that aren’t related to these fights are more likely to be frustrating. There aren’t always clear clues, so some parts feel more like a test of patience than an adventure. That being said, it fits with the theme—these souls are stuck in mental loops and confusion, so the design shows how painful it is for them.
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo isn’t based on normal leveling or XP systems. More than anything else, moving forward depends on finding out stories and helping souls leave this world. This method keeps the pace tight and stops grinding, which works well for the emotional story. You either solve the puzzle of a soul’s trauma or you don’t, so it’s not about fighting over and over again. Instead, it’s about exploring and paying attention to the little things.
The art direction in Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is truly amazing. Each of the world’s three zones has its own style and color scheme, which change as you move through the game. It’s clear that the art was influenced by popular 2D games like Paper Mario and even Coco. The warm, fuzzy colors stand in stark contrast to the dark, sad themes of the story.
The smooth edges and detailed environments make the world feel both strange and friendly, perfectly balancing the serious subject with a bit of hope and fun. It’s not often that a world can feel both cute and sad at the same time, but this game does it perfectly.
The sound design of Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo goes really well with the visuals. The music is soft and moody; it never gets too loud and always fits with the mood of the room. It’s relaxing when you’re exploring, tense when you’re meeting your boss, and emotionally powerful when important story events happen.
There isn’t much or any voice work, which works well because the soundtrack and environmental sounds really pull you into Limbo’s creepy but strangely comforting world. You can also use sound cues to help you focus on finding clues, which is an important part of the game.
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is a great independent game that does a lot of great things. It mixes story and gameplay in a way that feels natural and interesting. It doesn’t force you to feel anything; instead, it lets the emotions flow through the souls you help.
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo is different from many others because it deals with trauma honestly and deeply, while many others avoid such heavy topics. Its unique boss fight system adds an unexpected but welcome level of difficulty, and the graphics and sound design make the world vivid and memorable.
Some puzzles can be hard to figure out for no reason, but these problems don’t take away from the overall experience. Instead, they make it feel like you and the characters you’re trying to save are stuck in Limbo.
If you like adventure games with deep stories and smart puzzles, you should definitely play Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo. This indie title doesn’t stick to a narrow niche and instead offers something that can appeal to a wide audience, which makes it stand out on the Switch eShop.
