Toronto-made Unleaving is one of the most stunning games I’ve ever played

Impressively, every frame has been painstakingly hand-painted by artist Sura Karnawi, giving the game an absolutely mesmerizing visual style.

That artwork is the primary means of storytelling, with the only other direct form of narrative coming from enigmatic on-screen phrases like “you yearn for a candle to burn beyond…”

I quickly appreciated this unorthodox poetic approach, though; like any good piece of abstract art, it challenges you to draw your own conclusions.

Truthfully, seeing the girl run past withered treehouses, shattered circus equipment and strange mechanical constructs evokes a strong sense of melancholy.

This means you’re generally only running left to right with the occasional jump and object interaction, like moving a box or flipping a switch.

This is offset somewhat by an optional hint system that appears after several consecutive deaths, providing a small illustration to offer a clue without, mercifully, outright spelling it out for you like other games frustratingly do.