Glitchhikers:
The Spaces Between

Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between (2021) is a loose adventure game about experiencing the journey, not the destination. Play involves exploring each scene, talking to the various characters that fade in and out as you blink and reflecting on thoughts while the ambient music plays. It stands out for this sublime experience that lets you relax through its minimal interactivity.

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Set in a dream-like world, you play a nameless character set on meeting people to build connections with. There are four journeys: a late-night highway drive, a quiet train car in the early hours, a walk through a moonlight park, or the endless wait in a deserted airport. Each is filled with unique characters that discuss grief, abuse, and substance addiction - all of which can be turned off in the settings.

To progress, you traverse each space. As you talk to fellow travellers, you select dialogue to ask and answer questions. The driving and train ride experiences focus on laying back and relaxing as you listen to the strange DJ music on the radio. The park and the infinite airport offer exploration as you search for unique objects and views. They all encourage you to reflect on your inner thoughts and emotions as you process the varying character's experiences.

The result is an experience that evolves from the classic system of other games, eschewing goals to focus instead on the space it creates for the player.

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Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between 4 weeks ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 4 weeks ago.