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Lantern

Lantern Game Cover
55%Game Brain Score
music, emotional
gameplay, story
65% User Score Based on 34 reviews
Critic Score 60%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
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Lantern Game Cover

About

Lantern is a single player action game. It was developed by Storm in a Teacup and was released on November 15, 2016. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Be the wind and guide a beautiful lantern that spreads the powerful message of everlasting love, by bringing life and color back to the world around you. Lantern is a relaxing game experience full of positive emotions.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
Lantern screenshot
+4
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65%
Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews
music11 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Beautiful art style and soothing visuals create a relaxing atmosphere.
  • The game features a calming soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Gameplay is simple and meditative, allowing players to explore and bring color back to the world at their own pace.
  • Lack of save options can lead to frustration, as players must complete levels in one sitting.
  • Controls can feel sluggish and difficult to master, especially with a gamepad.
  • The game may induce motion sickness in VR, making it uncomfortable for some players.
  • music
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is generally praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the relaxing gameplay experience, with many players appreciating the soothing soundtrack and cultural influences. However, some users noted that the music can be repetitive and lacks smooth transitions, suggesting a desire for more variety in the tracks. Overall, the soundtrack complements the game's artistic direction, contributing to a calming atmosphere.

    • “I loved this game, such wonderful music, inspiring messages, loved the way you could bring back color to the world, and although the story had no words, you could see the whole story; I would not change a thing as it is a masterpiece.”
    • “Transforming everything to as lively as it used to be all while listening to a relaxing beautiful soundtrack.”
    • “With the lively colors and the soothing cultural music and sounds, Lantern is stimulating for both the eyes and the ears.”
    • “The soundtrack could have used a few more tunes for good variation, but even as it is now, you won’t be disappointed.”
    • “Each season has its own traditional Chinese style music, and the sound design is rather well done.”
    • “With the lively colors and the soothing cultural music and sounds, the game is stimulating for both the eyes and the ears.”
  • gameplay
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is characterized by janky visuals and challenging controls, leading to a sense of busy work despite its relaxing nature and beautiful music. While some players appreciate the simple mechanics and the exploration of a colorful world, others find the lack of direction and depth a significant drawback. Overall, the game offers a unique painting mechanic that can be enjoyable for those who appreciate its artistic elements, but it may not satisfy players seeking more engaging gameplay.

    • “Definitely recommending this to everyone who just wants to sit back and enjoy beautiful music and easy, relaxing gameplay.”
    • “I was still playing around with the game mechanics and exploring/coloring the world when I realized it, so it was quite alright for me.”
    • “What truly helps it stand out is not the colors and shapes, but their clever mix within the gameplay and the central role played here by diversity in opposition to the initially monochromatic levels.”
    • “Janky visuals, uneasy control on the joypad, scenery-coloring gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay, however, just has almost nowhere to go and ends up just feeling like busy work.”
    • “Regardless, the gameplay itself was a deal breaker in this instance.”
  • story
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is minimalistic and largely conveyed through visual elements rather than dialogue, focusing on themes of depression and renewal as players restore color to a grey world. While some reviewers note the lack of a deep narrative, they appreciate the emotional impact and simplicity of the story, describing it as beautiful and inspiring. Overall, the experience encourages players to interpret and create their own narrative within the game's framework.

    • “I loved this game, such wonderful music, inspiring messages, loved the way you could bring back color to the world, and although the story had no words, you could see the whole story; I would not change a thing as it is a masterpiece.”
    • “Lantern is a year-long story of a princess who falls into depression, and her tears turn the world grey.”
    • “Very relaxing, beautiful game with a pretty story to go with in my opinion.”
    • “There's no deep storyline or cutscenes.”
    • “Not much of a story to spoil here and I won’t be doing it anyways.”
    • “It's up to you to write the story inside.”
  • graphics
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics have received mixed reviews, with some praising the colorful visuals and beautiful art style, while others criticize the janky visuals and low poly design as underwhelming for 2025. Overall, the art style and level design are highlighted positively, but the technical execution leaves room for improvement.

    • “Brilliant colorful visuals.”
    • “Beautiful art style and level design.”
    • “Soothing visuals and relaxing soundtrack.”
    • “The visuals aren't the best either, not in 2025 at least.”
    • “Janky visuals, uneasy control on the joypad, scenery-coloring gameplay.”
    • “The low poly graphics are nice but not exceptional.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is limited, with some users noting that it may not be of the best quality. However, despite its short length, there are elements that encourage players to revisit the experience.

    • “While it may be short in length, it certainly has some replayability.”
    • “While it may be short in length, it certainly lacks significant replayability.”
    • “The game feels repetitive after the first playthrough, diminishing any incentive to replay.”
    • “Once you finish the game, there's little motivation to go back and experience it again.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, as it requires covering all grounds in each season to unlock the next level, leading to a repetitive experience.

    • “I just found it too tedious.”
    • “You must cover all grounds in each season to unlock the next level, which can become very tedious.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is generally praised for its quality, reflecting the developers' experience with previous projects. However, some users note that sluggish controls can disrupt immersion and lead to frustration.

    • “The development team has had their fair share of atmospheric projects on Steam, and I'm pleased to notice that all that previous experience was put to good use, ultimately giving us such a wonderful example of independent gaming.”
    • “The controls are sluggish, requiring attention and causing some frustrations, which often breaks the atmosphere.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users report that the emotional impact of the VR experience can be intense, with some experiencing significant discomfort and nausea, which detracts from their overall enjoyment.

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60%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Lantern is a action game.

Lantern is available on PC and Windows.

Lantern was released on November 15, 2016.

Lantern was developed by Storm in a Teacup.

Lantern has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its gameplay.

Lantern is a single player game.

Similar games include Flower, Proteus, Shape of the World, Feather, AER Memories of Old and others.