LiDAR Exploration Program

About

LiDAR Exploration Program is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by kenforest and was released on April 2, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

LiDAR Exploration Program is a exploration game where you can't see the world around you. Use the lidar scanner to colorize everything around you. The game contains several levels to explore, in each of which you have to scan unknown objects. Features Quite simple and addictive gameplay, just walk and scan. Each level has its own color palette. 8 levels available for exploration Customiza…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 119 reviews

atmosphere20 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and visually stunning experience, utilizing a LIDAR mechanic that allows players to explore beautifully designed environments.
It provides a relaxing atmosphere with minor creepy elements, making it suitable for players who enjoy exploration without the pressure of traditional horror games.
The developer is actively improving the game based on player feedback, which shows a commitment to enhancing the overall experience.

The game is often misrepresented as a horror title, as it lacks significant horror elements and can feel more like a walking simulator with minimal tension.
Players frequently encounter issues with character movement, getting stuck on small objects, which can detract from the exploration experience.
The gameplay can become repetitive, with a lack of narrative depth and interactivity, leading to a feeling of boredom for some players.

atmosphere
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
23%
10%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its chill, eerie, and visually stunning qualities, creating a unique blend of atmospheric horror that emphasizes exploration over traditional scares. Players appreciate the haunting soundscapes and the sense of unease that permeates the experience, although some note that the lack of interactivity can detract from the overall immersion. Overall, it offers a captivating and beautiful environment that encourages leisurely exploration, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of atmospheric games.
- “Very fun experience for the price; there's a weird atmospheric sense of dread as you explore that I'm a big fan of.”
- “The atmosphere is otherworldly and icy, and the music/soundscapes are great so far.”
- “A very chill, atmospheric horror game where you scan objects using lidar.”
- “The map has no interactivity and very few animated objects, which ultimately lessens the atmosphere.”
- “The game definitely has a dark atmosphere, but it also breaks that atmosphere to make some jokes and play stock applause sounds.”
- “The atmosphere is very intimidating when first booting up.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
50%
14%
The gameplay is centered around exploration and scanning objects using a lidar mechanic, which many players find enjoyable and visually appealing. While some criticize the lack of direct confrontation and depth, others appreciate the game's unique approach to horror and its relaxing exploration style. Overall, the gameplay is described as simple yet charming, with room for improvement in movement mechanics and gameplay depth.
- “The slower and more isolation-based horror the game provides is really a good change of pace from the constant jumpscare slop horror games you'll see. The style of the game and how the simple mechanic of clicking to reveal using the scanner/spray paint-based system is nice, and the addition of custom laser colors and scan decals is obviously good too. The game clearly has love put into it and doesn't really struggle to be a charming play regardless of how long you sit down and play it.”
- “I bought this game because of the lidar-style gameplay and visuals, and oh boy, it didn't disappoint. So far, it’s worth every cent if you enjoy strong visuals and lidar mechanics.”
- “Very interesting exploration game, using a unique game mechanic - fake light detection ranging.”
- “Those notes largely contribute to the horror tag, because from a gameplay perspective there is no active horror in this game.”
- “Jumping and sprinting help you get out, but it's compounded by often getting stuck on things you can't see... because that's the whole game mechanic.”
- “Defeats the purpose of the mechanic, as if it were done to be realistic you would have to scan again to tell if the item has moved or not (which would better suit the game and genre).”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
47%
33%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and incoherent, with many players noting a lack of explicit narrative or engaging plot elements. While some appreciate the atmospheric storytelling conveyed through the environment, others feel that the potential for a deeper narrative is overshadowed by disjointed level design and a focus on visual spectacle. Overall, the storytelling is described as vague and reliant on player interpretation, leaving many wanting more substance.
- “A hidden story in a world lost.”
- “The stages themselves tell a story, and while there is some sort of interconnection to each place.”
- “Story is very vibes-based, which I don't mind.”
- “There is no story at all.”
- “This game seems to have some sort of story, even though it's not very coherent.”
- “The game is also painfully light on story and is almost entirely devoid of any horror elements.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's graphics are praised for their striking and beautiful design, particularly the lidar-style visuals that enhance the immersive experience. While the visuals are generally appealing, some elements evoke a moderate sense of unease, complemented by music that adds to the atmosphere. Overall, players appreciate the unique art style and the engaging combination of casual exploration and visual aesthetics.
- “I love the graphical choices and design.”
- “Filling out the world with the dots your scanner creates gives the game a striking and beautiful style and aesthetics.”
- “However, as much as there is no active horror in the game, some of the visuals are moderately unsettling and the music is absolutely designed to give you an artificial sense of dread.”
- “The graphics are simple but create a very engulfing experience.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music in the game is designed to evoke a sense of dread, with creepy ambient tracks and effective sound design that builds tension before each level. While some users noted that the music assets seemed generic and sourced from external libraries, others praised the atmospheric soundscapes and menu music as highlights. Overall, the music contributes significantly to the game's unsettling ambiance, despite mixed opinions on its originality.
- “The menu music is great too.”
- “Creepy ambient music and interesting map layouts.”
- “I also really liked the sound design on this one, the music gradually getting slower before each level + the ominous sound effects add unique tension building that you don't seem to find even in 'traditional' horror games.”
- “As far as I could tell, almost every asset was downloaded from external sources (I presume publicly available, free ones), including music and sound effects, so they lacked distinct character and were mostly uninteresting.”
- “Cool concept; however, the game does not deserve the horror tag. It's not scary at all unless you count the 'creepy' music.”
- “However, as much as there is no active horror in the game, some of the visuals are moderately unsettling, and the music is absolutely designed to give you an artificial sense of dread.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game, particularly related to the 300 detail and bat scan achievements, to be tedious and lacking meaningful rewards, leading to frustration.
- “Additionally, the 300 detail and bat scan achievements are kind of tedious for seemingly no reason.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and lacks any real reward.”
- “I find myself doing the same tasks over and over again, which makes the gameplay feel monotonous.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor in the game particularly enjoyable, highlighting features like the ability to import pictures from their computer to the scanner, which they describe as "funny as hell."
- “But, even better, it allows you to import pictures from your computer to the scanner, which is funny as hell.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, with users reporting no major bugs or crashes, and only minor issues that are being promptly addressed through regular updates. The developers are actively improving the game, having released three updates within just five days of launch to fix bugs and implement user-requested interface changes.
- “I played on my Steam Deck and it runs smoothly. I did not experience any major bugs or crashes, and the minor bugs are being patched quickly. The game just released 5 days ago and has already had 3 updates fixing small bugs and adding interface changes requested by users, so the developers are constantly working on the game and improving it.”