It refers to the metaphorical state that the boy's development takes him through. Limbo, the word in the title, does not refer only to the physical world the game takes place in. The loss of his sister thus encapsulates all of The Boy's fears of losing himself, and he must find her in order to maintain his identity and remain a whole person during his oppressive trails on the way to adulthood. They're the closest to you anyone will ever be, both in terms of shared experiences and genetics. They are your closest relationship, your closest peer and your playmate, your interaction with them forming everything of who you will evolve into as a child. If you've had a sibling of a similar age, you'll know that that relationship forms the core of your whole childhood experience. This, with its grinding machinery, repetitive automated routines and treadmill conveyor belts, represents fear of being trapped into the perceived mundanity of adult working life.Īnd central to all of this is The Boy's search for his sister. It's a sinister, dirty, sleazy place, and the grotty hotel, with its sordid sexual connotations, is central to this whole metaphor.Īnd finally he reaches the roaring, screeching industrial area. Suddenly the world of grown-ups isn't the perfect place he believed it was. Away from the safety of his childhood, he encounters an aggressive wider peer group and established hierarchy, and has to survive by his wits and evasive skills against their organized, group-led violence.įollowing this is his first experience of the wider adult world at large, typified by the broken down hotel. This section, to me, carried a major Lord of the Flies feel, evoking the idea that this was The Boy's journey to high school. The next distinct environment occurs when The Boy moves underground and begins to encounter Limbo's more sentient inhabitants, the humanoid, weapon-using Lost Boy-style characters.
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