Child of Lothian

About

Child of Lothian is a single player casual action adventure game with a historical theme. It was developed by Exploding Apples and was released on June 16, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In Child of Lothian, you play as an orphan robbed of her childhood as her family is put on trial by malicious witch hunters. You are left on the streets to escape their persecution inside the bustling 18th century Edinburgh.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 86 reviews

story12 positive mentions

stability9 negative mentions

The game features an interesting story and setting, providing a unique experience in 18th century Edinburgh.
For a free game, it offers enjoyable gameplay with fun stealth mechanics and a charming atmosphere.
The sound design, music, and voice acting are well-executed, enhancing the overall experience.

The game suffers from numerous bugs, including broken achievements and performance issues, which can detract from the experience.
Graphics and animations are subpar, with washed-out visuals and low framerate affecting immersion.
Gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with basic mechanics that may not evolve throughout the playthrough.

story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
40%
12%
The story of "Child of Lothian" is generally praised for its intriguing narrative and engaging world-building, with players appreciating the voice acting and atmosphere. However, some critiques focus on the presentation and pacing, noting that while the story is compelling, it could benefit from a more polished delivery and additional depth. Overall, the game is seen as a promising experience, especially for fans of stealth gameplay.
- “A very nice game, with a short and interesting story, in which I learned that patience matters.”
- “Child of Lothian has a very intriguing story.”
- “Loved the play-through I did and was captivated by the story and stealth encounters in this game.”
- “Child of Lothian is a simple stealth game following a Scottish orphan being pursued by witch hunters, with an out-of-nowhere and confusingly storyboarded ending.”
- “The only thing I would want is more to the story.”
- “How the story is shown needs to be worked on; the story isn't bad, but the presentation of it is.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting washed-out visuals and performance issues, particularly on lower settings that drastically increase gamma. However, many appreciate the captivating art style and realistic architectural details, praising the overall visual appeal despite some character animation shortcomings. Overall, while there are areas for improvement, the graphics are generally well-received, especially on modern PCs with 4K support.
- “What a Plague Tale did better was the graphic design and character depth.”
- “You get a few graphics tweaks and 4K support, so the game will look nice and play well on modern PCs.”
- “The game looks amazing; you can see the amount of work that has been put into the visuals. It looks realistic on an architectural level, though the characters could use some improvements on their facial expressions.”
- “Washed out graphics.”
- “My framerate was chugging even with graphic quality all the way down.”
- “Another thing I've noticed is that if you set your graphics to 'very low', it will increase the gamma in-game by about 150-200%, which is insane since if you have a bad PC and need more FPS, I got bad news for you.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
43%
21%
The gameplay is characterized by basic mechanics focused on stealth, with players navigating between safe spots while avoiding guards. While the game features smooth controls and clever puzzles, it suffers from repetitive visuals and optimization issues. Overall, the gameplay is linear but evolves through level design, offering a mix of stealth and action that can be engaging despite some technical flaws.
- “The game mechanics work fine thanks to the venerable Unreal Engine 4, and there's some simple but clever puzzles to solve in order to progress the game.”
- “Was fun to figure out all the mechanics in the game!”
- “Its mechanics are extremely basic, not really evolving past 'sneak between safe spots while guards are turned around'.”
- “The game starts off like any other stealth game, until the bush mechanic fails and you get spotted, at which point you find that it's much more efficient to just sprint through the rest of the game confusing enemies.”
- “A bit linear, the game goes multiple times over the stealth mechanics it presents itself with and keeps evolving on it through the level design.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably poor, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and crashes during gameplay. Achievements are also described as unreliable, failing to activate consistently. Despite these issues, some players still found the experience enjoyable and expressed interest in a more polished version.
- “The game is still very unpolished and buggy.”
- “I came across a few minor glitches in the gameplay and it crashed once during my first session.”
- “It's a buggy, lower quality, free version of Plague Tale: Innocence.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to complement the overall tone and atmosphere, enhancing the player's experience. Reviewers appreciate the sound design and voice acting as well, contributing to a well-rounded auditory experience that elevates the gameplay.
- “The music fits the tone of the game very nicely.”
- “After playing it for a while and about to run a speedrun on the game, I can wholeheartedly say that I love this game. The atmosphere, the music, the sound design, and even the voice acting are amazing, not to mention the story.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game engaging overall, though it can become tedious, especially after repeated deaths in challenging sections.
- “It doesn't get boring, but it can become tedious when you die too many times; some sections can be quite challenging.”
- “The grinding feels endless and often frustrating, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I find the repetitive nature of grinding to be a major drawback, as it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game to be a notable highlight, with many noting that it provides laughs despite some bugs in the demo version. Overall, the comedic elements contribute positively to the gaming experience.
- “It was funny, if nothing else.”
- “Here's the demo version; it's a bit buggy and pretty funny.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, leading to a subpar performance despite decent gameplay. Users consistently report that the overall experience is hindered by poor optimization.
- “The game is also very poorly optimized.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users noting its ambitious execution for a student project. The combination of immersive music, sound design, and voice acting contributes to a captivating experience that enhances the overall storytelling.
- “It's atmospheric and ambitious for a student project.”
- “After playing it for a while and about to run a speedrun on the game, I can wholeheartedly say that I love this game. The atmosphere, the music, the sound design, and even the voice acting are amazing, not to mention the story.”