Lantern Forge

54%
Game Brain Score Based on 178 reviews
  • gameplay
  • grinding
  • story
Lantern Forge Game Cover
Starting at €9.99Buy now
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"Lantern Forge" is a sandbox survival game with isometric hack 'n slash combat, set in a procedurally generated world with day/night cycles and dynamic lighting. Gather resources to build, craft, and explore different biomes filled with unique monsters and treasures. Choose from 4 skill trees, enchant equipment, and build a town center for trade. Descend 90 levels underground to find rare materials and power up.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

54%
Audience ScoreBased on 178 reviews
gameplay9 positive mentions
grinding24 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fun mix of crafting, building, and exploration, reminiscent of Minecraft and Terraria.
  • There are many activities to engage in, such as farming, dungeon crawling, and character development, providing hours of gameplay.
  • The graphics and art style are charming, creating an enjoyable atmosphere for players.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and crashes, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
  • The controls are clunky and unintuitive, particularly the movement system which lacks standard WASD controls.
  • The game feels unfinished and has been abandoned by the developers, leaving many features and promised updates unfulfilled.
  • gameplay30 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting enjoyable mechanics and a solid crafting system, but also highlighting significant issues such as bugs, crashes, and a lack of content that leads to repetitive experiences after a few hours. While some appreciate the RPG elements and combat, others criticize the controls and overall design, suggesting that the game feels incomplete and in need of further development. Overall, the game shows potential but currently suffers from a lack of polish and variety, making it hard to recommend in its current state.

    • “First the good: the combat is fun (although simple), and the RPG mechanics give it a little extra flavor that other similar games lack.”
    • “With 3 different difficulty modes, it's perfect for all paces of gameplay.”
    • “Besides the survival and crafting gameplay elements, the game offers a decent and solid RPG experience with different types of armor, weapons, enchantments, and skills for you to develop your own unique character.”
    • “Any updates after their initial offering on Steam have largely done nothing to improve either gameplay or bugs and glitches.”
    • “Unfortunately, broken gameplay, poor design decisions, and a buggy client make it really hard for me to recommend Lantern Forge in this stage of development.”
    • “No skills to unlock, no bosses, and no new mechanics, besides a numbers boost and even more absurdly overpowered enemies.”
  • grinding25 mentions

    The reviews highlight a significant issue with grinding in the game, noting that while farming and crafting can be enjoyable, they often feel unnecessary due to an abundance of resources from combat. Players find the gameplay repetitive and tedious, with many aspects of the game, including combat and exploration, becoming grind-heavy. Despite some enjoyment in the variety of activities, the overall experience is marred by janky controls and a lack of compelling gameplay, leading to a recommendation to avoid it in favor of better alternatives.

    • “So in the end, it's really repetitive and grindy, and I'd say avoid it, unfortunately.”
    • “This gets tedious rapidly, and the problem is this is the entirety of the game.”
    • “All progression is grinding.”
  • story24 mentions

    The game's story aspect is widely criticized for being weak or entirely absent, with many players noting a lack of objectives, quests, or a narrative to engage with. While some appreciate the freedom of a sandbox experience, the overwhelming sentiment is that the game feels incomplete and lacks direction, leading to a sense of purposelessness after initial play. Overall, players express a desire for more structured content, including a compelling story or missions, to enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “Shame considering the potential here, but that's an old story at this point.”
    • “Things to do and a purpose behind the game or at least a story of the world would be good.”
    • “The game has limited content to explore, and story-wise, the game provides no plot, no choices, and no sense of urgency to motivate me to keep advancing.”
    • “There is no story whatsoever - sandbox only.”
    • “Overall, I'd wait a spell for more bug fixes, some more enemies, a plot, story, or agenda to accomplish, and generally for it to be somewhat more expanded than this (if it ever is expanded on further).”
  • graphics21 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the charming art style and detailed environments, while others criticize the overall quality as "meh" and reminiscent of a browser game. Users report various graphical issues, such as bugs and a lack of polish, which detract from the experience. Despite these shortcomings, many agree that the engaging gameplay and unique biomes compensate for the graphics, emphasizing that content often outweighs visual appeal.

    • “The art style is not bad at all on the characters, monsters, and icons.”
    • “The graphics are awesome; I loved the different biomes that made each game unique.”
    • “The lovely art style and perfect overview of the isometric perspective is also very refreshing in a genre that is getting very saturated these days.”
    • “The interface is janky, the graphics are meh... really, there are a lot of better games to spend your time on.”
    • “- graphic/memory bugs (from visiting 2 biodomes on, night cycle gives black flickering tiles, doors get blocked, items disappear) only solution is then to save and start again.”
    • “Finicky and unnecessarily difficult/weird controls, overly simple graphics, really bad GUI and it just always feels like a browser game for some reason.”
  • stability12 mentions

    Overall, the stability of the game is criticized for being plagued with numerous bugs and glitches, leading to a frustrating experience for many players. While some users report no crashes and a solid build, the majority highlight significant issues that hinder gameplay, suggesting that the game feels unfinished and has been abandoned by developers. Despite its potential, the game's stability remains a major concern, with many recommending caution before purchasing.

    • “Any updates after their initial offering on Steam have largely done nothing to improve either gameplay or bugs and glitches.”
    • “It is unfinished and buggy as hell.”
    • “Unfortunately, broken gameplay, poor design decisions, and a buggy client make it really hard for me to recommend Lantern Forge in this stage of development.”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate its fitting atmosphere and integration with the game's graphics, others criticize it for being monotonous and unresponsive, with reports of bugs affecting its playback timing. Additionally, there are issues with the music not transitioning properly during gameplay, leading to a less immersive experience.

    • “Fitting music and sound.”
    • “Graphics and animation are sweet; the music and sound effects fit the game nicely, creating a great atmosphere.”
    • “I get a black screen with music that I cannot exit from with any key combination.”
    • “The background music plays, but no logo or main menu pops up.”
    • “(Music puts you to sleep and doesn't change in combat) (very limited and dull GUI).”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Players find the game enjoyable and packed with content, offering significant replay value for its low price of $10. Despite some feeling that the developers left certain aspects unresolved, the overall experience encourages repeated playthroughs.

    • “Yes, the devs sort of left us hanging and it hurts since the game is very fun and has a lot of potential to be something more, but the game you do get is very enjoyable and has a lot to do for that $10, and has replay value.”
    • “That equals infinite replayability for a measly ten bucks.”
    • “The developers left us hanging, which is disappointing because the game is very fun and has a lot of potential to be something more. However, the game you do get is enjoyable and offers a decent amount of content for $10, providing some replay value.”
    • “After completing the main storyline, I found little incentive to return. The lack of new content or challenges makes replaying feel more like a chore than a choice.”
    • “While the game is enjoyable, once you've experienced everything it has to offer, there isn't much reason to come back. The replayability factor is quite low.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Recent updates have significantly improved the game's performance, addressing previous issues with long load times and enhancing overall optimization. The developers continue to work on the game in their spare time, providing regular patches that include both performance improvements and additional content.

    • “The devs have also been working on patches lately and have improved performance, which was one of my biggest negatives since changing z-levels caused painfully long load times. They've also added some new content.”
    • “Now, working in their free time after their jobs, they just released a new update that includes optimization, some polish, and a little more content.”
    • “The developers have been making some improvements lately, but performance issues remain a significant concern, especially since the change to z-levels has resulted in painfully long load times.”
    • “Despite the developers working in their free time to release updates, the optimization still feels lacking and the game struggles with performance.”
    • “While there have been some patches aimed at improving performance, the overall optimization of the game is still one of my biggest frustrations.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Players appreciate the character development in the game, noting its potential for crafting and adventuring, which enhances the overall experience.

    • “If you are into crafting, character development, and adventuring, this game has great potential.”
    • “The character development in this game is incredibly deep, allowing players to truly shape their heroes' journeys.”
    • “I love how the game allows for meaningful choices that impact character growth and relationships.”
  • humor1 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the humor in the game, noting that its comedic elements enhance the overall experience, even in its incomplete state. The anticipation of future content adds to the excitement and potential for even more laughs.

    • “The funny part is that it's already a great game and not even done yet, so there's still more to come.”
    • “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever writing and hilarious character interactions.”
    • “I can't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and absurd situations the characters find themselves in.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its appealing graphics and animations, complemented by fitting music and sound effects that enhance the overall experience.

    • “The graphics and animation are stunning, and the music and sound effects perfectly complement the game, creating a fantastic atmosphere.”
    • “The immersive atmosphere draws you in, making every moment feel intense and engaging.”
    • “The combination of visuals, sound, and environment creates a captivating atmosphere that keeps you hooked.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

37hMedian play time
36hAverage play time
6-70hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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