By the time Cobb deals with expelling Mal's 'shadow' from his subconscious, Saito has begun to perceive himself as an old man. When Saito 'dies' from the gunshot wound he received on level 1 of the dream, his mind falls into Limbo, and Saito remains there for the minutes it takes Cobb and Ariadne (Ellen Page) to follow him into Limbo - those minutes in one dream state feel like decades to Saito in his Limbo state. She frees herself from the pressure and trauma of, literally, saving the world.In Limbo, the mind works so fast that actual minutes can be interpreted as years gone by. After so long being the sole person who can stop the spores, she learns to let go, no longer sacrificing the relationships with her family and accepting the inevitable fate of the islands. There are many stories about humanity's battle with nature, but Minute of Islands is one where the main protagonist gives up her journey for the good of her well-being-even at the cost of her physical health. It's a melancholy story, but not completely. Everything will be wiped out, and a vibrant new world will take its place. It looks like nature is reclaiming its world, even to the detriment of humans. This new force is something that cannot be stopped. The further you play through the story, Mo's quest to keep the islands safe begins to feel more and more futile. If that means it's the end times for humans, that's the way it is.

Is Mo's world on the brink of collapse, or rejuvenation? It's not explored explicitly, but whether the spores are a natural progression of the world itself or an alien invader, it's now part of the ecosystem. But in Minute of Islands, it feels different. It's often the case in global crisis stories that humans are 'losing' the world to a powerful force.

They burst from the smallest cracks, spread like vines up the tallest structures, and cover every inch of available space, coating humankind's metal and wooden fixtures with bursts of colour. Vibrant flora and fauna engulf everywhere the alien fog touches, thriving in the newly created atmosphere. The spores emit a sickly gas that cloaks the archipelago, and what grows in the aftermath is nothing short of beautiful. Their only reason for staying-even to the detriment of their health-is to not abandon Mo, which places a strain on their relationships with her. Mo's unwavering commitment to her cause has created a rift between her and her family. There are stories of humans who eventually left the islands, but we've no idea where they are now or if they are even alive. Vibrant flora and fauna engulf everywhere the alien fog touches, thriving in the newly created atmosphere Even if one purifier breaks, the spores move in instantly, choking the islands and their inhabitants.

Humans have tried to adapt, wearing shoddy hazard suits and having air purifying technology, but the alien spores are relentless. Since the invasion of the poisonous fungus, people left in droves until only a small family remained-Mo being part of the group who stayed. Minute of Islands is set on a small archipelago many humans once inhabited. There are a lot of different narrative threads at work, but this main conflict-human survival against the fungus threatening their existence-is one that really spoke to me. The game's main story follows Mo, a young girl on a mission to stop her world from being slowly suffocated by alien spores. Don't be fooled by the girl in the cute yellow raincoat, this post-apocalyptic adventure is a grim story of isolation, broken families, learning to let go, and lots (and I mean lots) of gross, squishy gore. Minute of Islands (opens in new tab) is a dark game.

Minute of islands endings