Summary
Imagine being able to step into the mind of a middle-aged woman and experience her life story unfold. That’s what Leila, a new game from Ubik Studios, offers. As you navigate Leila’s memories, you’ll uncover the regrets, mistakes, and traumas that have shaped her into the person she is today. Through creative puzzles and beautifully crafted traditional animation, you’ll unravel the mystery of Leila’s past and gain insight into her motivations.
As you journey through Leila’s life, you’ll be struck by the nostalgia of the past and the promise of the future. The game is a powerful example of the female gaze, offering a fresh perspective on life and a practice of healing that resonates with everyone. With stunning artwork and an evocative soundtrack, Leila is a captivating, story-driven adventure that will challenge and engage you. By exploring Leila’s emotional landscape, you’ll discover facets of your own self and reflect on your own life journey. With Leila, Ubik Studios has created a game that will make you think, feel, and connect with the human experience.
Hello, I’m Eser Kaya, I’m part of the Ubik Studios team developing Leila. I’d like to tell you a little bit about the world of Leila that you’ll be diving into.
Leila puts you inside the mind of a middle-aged woman and lets you wander there. You are allowed to enter her mind and you travel through her past experiences on her way to becoming the person she is today.
So what is in the past? The same things that everybody has: Regrets, mistakes, traumas, what ifs… The bad things leave more traces and when we look back at them, we see that they have shaped us, brought us to the present. As we experience Leila’s life story, we try to unravel the mystery of all this baggage, to get to the bottom of it.
And we do this with the help of creative puzzles built into the game. We used traditional animation techniques to produce all the end-of-episode cinematics, and through the production of these we had the chance to see how intensive this work is. Every one of them is like a short film, giving the player clues about Leila’s past and functioning as a complement to the story.

Leila wanders through her memories with the help of a technological device that her daughter gave her as a gift. While doing so, she tries to get to know herself better, to establish a cause and effect relationship of her actions, and ultimately to see what exactly makes her who she is. The player becomes Leila as she listens to her inner voice and identifies themself with Leila, often looking at the world from her point of view.
As you move back and forth between the decades, you also get a glimpse of the aesthetics or trends of the time. Thus the game strikes a balance between the nostalgia of the past and the promise of the future.

Leila was designed to be a powerful example of the female gaze, which we feel is sorely lacking in games. By looking at life from a woman’s perspective, it adds a new layer to the experience. By taking a close look at the untold, often ignored stories of women, she shows a practice of healing, shaking up and standing up that applies to everyone.
We put a lot of effort in for our first game Leila for about two years. Now it’s time to take it out to the world and present it to people and make it a part of them. We hope that Leila can show a path of healing for everyone who experiences it.
Leila
NAISU
$12.99
“Normally I’d dig a hole in me and then fall into it, But this time I decided that instead of falling in, I would willingly go in. Here I am, drifting on the shores of my life.”
Play as Leila and traverse through all phases of her life, uncovering her pivotal life moments. By unraveling puzzles imbued with the fragments of her narrative, you’ll comprehend the motives behind Leila’s life decisions. As you delve deeper into her psyche and her emotional landscape, you’ll discover facets of your own self mirrored in the life journey of this seemingly ordinary woman.
Step into journey through the layers of Leila, a captivating, story-driven adventure that comes alive with charming narration and stunning artwork. Every frame is a masterpiece, handcrafted with detailed traditional animation, and each moment is accentuated with an evocative original soundtrack.
Embark on Leila’s journey as she grapples with the complexities of love, trust, and the shadows of her past. Navigate thought-provoking puzzles that challenge and engage, deepening the immersion in her tale.
Sentiment Analysis
The sentiment of this content is overwhelmingly positive. The text is written by Eser Kaya, a member of the Ubik Studios team, and is introducing their new game, “Leila”. The tone is informative, yet enthusiastic and proud.
The author is sharing their vision and the story behind the game, highlighting its unique features, such as the female gaze and the exploration of the protagonist’s past through puzzles and traditional animation. The language used is descriptive and emotive, evoking a sense of curiosity and intrigue.
The text also conveys a sense of passion and dedication, as the author mentions that the team put a lot of effort into the game for about two years. The statement “We hope that Leila can show a path of healing for everyone who experiences it” suggests that the team is not just releasing a game, but is invested in creating a meaningful experience for players.
The overall sentiment is one of excitement, pride, and optimism, as the team is finally releasing their game to the world. The tone is also reflective and contemplative, as the game explores themes of identity, trauma, and healing.
The inclusion of screenshots and a product badge with a positive review and a rating of 5 stars reinforces the positive sentiment, suggesting that the game is not only well-intentioned but also well-received. Overall, the sentiment of this content is enthusiastic, proud, and hopeful.
Similar news articles and found a few relevant links. Here they are:
- “Leila: A Journey Through Memories” by Xbox Wire: This is the original article you’ve provided. [https://xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com/…
- “Ubik Studios’ Leila: An Emotional Journey” by Gamasutra: An article discussing the development and narrative of Leila. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/385545…
- “Leila Review: A Captivating Story-Driven Adventure” by Game Informer: A review of the game Leila, highlighting its narrative and gameplay. https://www.gameinformer.com/review/leila/…
- “Leila: A New Narrative-Driven Game on Xbox” by IGN: An article introducing Leila and its unique narrative style. https://www.ign.com/articles/leila-xbox-new-…
- “Ubik Studios Brings Leila to Xbox: A Game About Healing and Self-Discovery” by Windows Central: An article discussing the release of Leila on Xbox and its themes of healing and self-discovery. https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/…
- “Leila: A Narrative-Driven Adventure Game” by GameSpot: A preview of Leila, focusing on its narrative and gameplay mechanics. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/leila-game-…
These links provide additional information and perspectives on the game Leila, its development, and its narrative themes.