Lorn's Lure

About

Lorn's Lure is a single player platformer game with horror, fantasy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Rubeki Games and was released on September 20, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

An android is led through a vast structure by a glitch in his visual system. Lorn's Lure is an atmospheric narrative first-person platformer with novel climbing mechanics and modernized retro 3D graphics.

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,117 reviews

gameplay209 positive mentions

grinding25 negative mentions

Amazing atmosphere and immersive megastructure environments that make you feel small and alone.
Satisfying and challenging parkour and climbing mechanics with frequent new abilities to keep gameplay fresh.
Generous checkpoint system and fast restarts reduce frustration, allowing enjoyable trial and error progression.

Later levels, especially the final chapters, suffer from poor level design and frustrating, unforgiving precision platforming.
Inconsistent and unintuitive climbing mechanics and unclear pathfinding cause confusion and repeated failures.
The final level's drastic difficulty spike and frantic timed escape sequence severely disrupt the game’s tone and flow.

gameplay
711 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
66%
5%
Lorn's Lure offers a unique first-person platforming experience focused on climbing and parkour with a gradual introduction of varied mechanics that keep gameplay fresh and engaging. The movement mechanics are generally praised for their depth and fluidity, providing satisfying challenges and a rewarding mastery curve, though some, like the wall jump and tic-tac mechanics, are criticized for inconsistency and jankiness. While the core gameplay loop is compelling, the pacing and difficulty spikes in later chapters—especially the final one with its abrupt mechanic shifts and punishing platforming—can feel frustrating and detract from the overall experience.
- “Each chapter introduces a new mechanic and it's fun tinkering with the new additions to your kit, or interacting with a given chapter's gimmick.”
- “The mechanics are easy to understand and hard to master - just as I like it.”
- “The gameplay is tight; smaller movement techniques mixed with quick thinking and minimal hand holding make for satisfying and sort of skill-based travel and exploration.”
- “The final boss gameplay is extremely unforgiving and a lot of my deaths during it left me feeling cheated and angry.”
- “The last chapter sucks hard due to issues with unclear design and introducing a new mechanic at the last minute without giving the player enough challenges beforehand, while being extraordinarily difficult and time based.”
- “By chapter 7 and 8 this goes out the window as the game becomes more about repeating attempts at executing some pin point jump with unreliable mechanics; all atmosphere is washed off in the process and so is any fun, it almost feels like the person who made the first levels is completely different from the person who made the last ones; one of the most important mechanics in this game pretty much disappears in the last two chapters, the climbing picks are either unavailable or relegated to nothing.”
atmosphere
627 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
32%
2%
Lorn's Lure is widely praised for its dense, evocative, and immersive atmosphere, characterized by vast, incomprehensible megastructures and a haunting, oppressive tone that captivates players throughout most of the game. The interplay of ambient music, sound design, and minimalist visuals greatly enhances the feeling of isolation, scale, and mystery, making exploration deeply engaging. However, some note a decline in atmosphere towards the end due to a shift in gameplay style, which contrasts with the otherwise consistently strong and gripping ambiance.
- “Lorn's lure is a wonder to behold, a masterclass in atmosphere and grandeur; it's a game that truly understands the value I put into megastructures and the like, vast areas that are impossible to comprehend the true size of.”
- “The atmosphere is on point throughout the entirety of this game, and there is just something so fascinating about traversing the immense verticality of this unknown, mysterious megastructure that is captivating.”
- “Lorn's lure is, without a doubt, the most atmospheric game I have played in a long time.”
- “The atmosphere isn't as strong as it thinks anyway.”
- “By chapter 7 and 8 this goes out the window as the game becomes more about repeating attempts at executing some pinpoint jump with unreliable mechanics; all atmosphere is washed off in the process and so is any fun, it almost feels like the person who made the first levels is completely different from the person who made the last ones.”
- “The rules on what is climbable or not are unclear, it demands a UI to tell you how to progress (ruining the atmosphere), and it trades open-ended climbing for a first-person colonoscopy simulator on the third level.”
story
336 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The story in this game is atmospheric and primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling, subtle lore, and exploration rather than explicit narrative, creating a mysterious and immersive experience. While many players appreciate its intriguing, symbolic, and melancholic tone, some find the plot vague, sparse, or unsatisfying, particularly criticizing the abrupt and underwhelming ending. Overall, the story complements the gameplay and setting, rewarding players who enjoy piecing together lore through immersive exploration, but it may disappoint those seeking a traditionally structured or deeply explained narrative.
- “The story of this game, the name of this game, and everything about its lore is all tightly intertwined; you'll find yourself flying over chasms of empty space to skid off of metal plates in order to make a jump for a piece of rebar hanging out of a wall just to find out a little more about this game's story and characters, and you'll always be wanting for more, taking you to more and more dangerous and incredible places through seemingly impossible to traverse terrain.”
- “Using unparalleled atmosphere and environmental storytelling through scans and otherwise, you are subjected to the aftermath of many world events in this strange and ancient land.”
- “At its best, this game is a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling.”
- “Frustrating game if you want a game with a proper story, well thought-out level design, graphics that don't make your eyes want to give out, and a unified vision that was seen through-and-through.”
- “Not to even mention the atrocious last level of the game which was not only disappointing due to the story being ended in such a horridly uninspired way, but also the way you had to grind this level to a fine dust to beat it.”
- “I really wanted to recommend this but quite frankly the already thin story and mystery of the megastructure basically goes nowhere at all in one of the most frustrating ending sequences in a story.”
music
289 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
49%
6%
The game's music is widely praised for its atmospheric, melancholic, and haunting qualities that perfectly complement the vast, eerie environments and immersive exploration. The soundtrack, largely composed by Phrakture, is often described as beautiful and mood-setting, enhancing the sense of scale and emotional tone throughout most levels. However, the final level's music, featuring loud, repetitive, and intense techno/rave tracks, received mixed reactions for being jarring and frustrating, sometimes detracting from the experience during challenging sequences.
- “The soundtrack is stellar for the setting, in my opinion, and has made my time with this game resonate with me even further.”
- “The music is gorgeous, thoughtful, and often soothing; the musician, phrackture, has breakdowns on his YouTube channel on exactly how and why he developed the music the way he did.”
- “The music and sound are wonderful accompaniments to your journey, setting each zone's mood flawlessly.”
- “By about the halfway point it stopped feeling like solving movement puzzles and more like janking my way through the game in unintended ways, with every realization of what to do making me frustratedly say "oh come on are you serious." The final level culminates with checkpoints that kill you if you don't move perfectly, combined with really loud, droning music. I had to completely turn off the sound eventually, and I'm writing this with a headache from the music and frustration.”
- “The game, shortly after giving you the grappler, immediately tests you on it in a big timed section with barely any checkpoints and the most repetitive rave music I have ever heard in my life.”
- “All of those last points culminate in one of the worst final levels I've ever played in a game, complemented by abysmal music that gets worse the more you're forced to replay the last 30 to 60 seconds of gameplay because of a random red blob spawning in front of you.”
graphics
245 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The game’s graphics feature a distinctive retro, low-poly PS1-style aesthetic that effectively conveys a massive, eerie megastructure atmosphere reminiscent of the manga "blame!". While many praise the immersive and haunting visuals for their unique style and scale, some players find parts of the design overly simplistic or repetitively dark, which can obscure navigation and cause frustration. Overall, the graphics strongly enhance the game’s mood and vibe, though they may not appeal to everyone due to their deliberate nostalgic minimalism and occasional clarity issues.
- “The graphics and overall vibe have very high highs.”
- “The visuals are absolutely stunning, and the blame inspirations ooze out of every crack and corner.”
- “The game’s ps1-style retro 3d visuals evoke a sense of decay, perfectly complementing the cold, mysterious ambiance of the massive structures within.”
- “Frustrating game if you want a game with a proper story, well thought-out level design, graphics that don't make your eyes want to give out, and a unified vision that was seen through-and-through.”
- “It might be the ambient noises, the atmosphere it creates with its simple visuals and effective presentation. Combined with the fact that the limited color of the low-poly art style can conceal the intended path forward in a confined space and this whole sequence is just grating.”
- “I must've died at least 50 times, and there is no indication in the level geometry outside of the pipes of what is climbable, and what is not due to the low-poly/psx art style.”
emotional
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
"Lorn's Lure" delivers a deeply emotional and unique experience, evoking feelings of loneliness, melancholy, and awe through its atmospheric exploration and soundtrack. While some players found parts frustrating due to punishing mechanics like instant death from touching walls or water, the game excels at making players feel small yet motivated, creating moments of genuine beauty and introspection rarely matched by other games. However, unclear navigation and difficulty spikes in the ending slightly detract from the overall emotional impact.
- “Great game — it delivers a truly unique emotional experience, at least in my opinion.”
- “Maybe it was because I was still a bit emotional, but some of the scenes in this game genuinely made me cry, as I just stopped and took in the vast scenery, with the melancholic but beautiful soundtrack elevating these moments further.”
- “Nothing I've played in all my life made me feel like Lorn's Lure did, there's something about it I can't really put into words, something beautiful but with a deep dark void in it.”
grinding
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
Grinding in the game is often described as tedious and frustrating, with repetitive textures and inconsistent mechanics making traversal feel obtuse and punishing, especially in later chapters. While the atmosphere and occasional moments of compelling gameplay provide some relief, prolonged grinding leads to annoyance and diminished enjoyment for many players. However, some appreciate the challenge and soothing atmosphere it offers after more intense games.
- “Checkpoints felt very inconsistent and often times I had to repeat the same tedious easy sections over and over just to retry small jumps (the tower at the end of chapter 6 is the biggest example).”
- “Unfortunately, where this game inevitably fails is that the traversal is a mix of boring and incredibly tedious.”
- “One closer to the elevator pitch of the game where you get to explore massive levels at your own pace without worrying about unfun stamina management, abysmal falling damage mechanics, and a plethora of wonky and needlessly specific movement abilities; further away from hours of frustrating, tedious, and unbelievably precise platforming that has you staring at horribly implemented wall textures instead of the gorgeous maps so you don't slide off of a 1% grade surface to your death for the 100th time.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
42%
16%
The game offers strong replayability through exploration, collectibles, NG+ mode, and a focus on speedrunning, appealing especially to players who enjoy skill challenges and mastery. Though the main story lasts about 8-12 hours and some controls feel clunky, the variety of modes and incentives for repeated play ensure plenty of reasons to return. A few note the game's length limits replay potential, but overall it provides a satisfying amount of replay value.
- “When you finish the story there is still plenty to do and a lot of replayability with the speedrun mode, simulation levels/the simulation marathon game mode, as well as just exploring more.”
- “The levels are very much replayable, with some collectibles to find which unlock bonus small challenge stages and a New Game+ mode which lets you play through the entire game again, this time with all your tools unlocked for maximum speed and fun.”
- “I'm thankful that New Game+ exists; it gives the game good replayability and makes it easy to go back and collect crystals or scans that you've previously missed.”
- “[*] Low replayability.”
- “Some sections are quite hard or maybe a bit too maze-like, but overall it was a great 10-ish hours of gameplay with a decent amount of potential for replay value, grinding out the secrets and better times.”
- “Somewhat clunky controls (but not that bad really) and the duration of the main game is around 8 to 12 hours your first play-through and there are options for replayability too.”
humor
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often praised for clever jokes and amusing characters, providing lighthearted moments that enhance the experience. However, some attempts at humor, especially in the final chapter, can be jarring or detract from enjoyment. Overall, the humor is quirky and adds a unique charm, though it may not consistently resonate with all players.
- “The music is nice and atmospheric, and I can count at least 5 jokes about Linux users, which I find very funny.”
- “Story is serviceable, excellent at impressing that there's more just behind the surface than there is - but at times nothing really pulls you forward except the funny bird.”
- “It's funny - I've seen some of the reviews complain about how you can't tell if the way that you're going is the 'intended solution', but I feel like that's actually the whole point, and the main trick of the game.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is currently hindered by various bugs, including freezing issues, inconsistent checkpoints, and problematic mechanics like wall-jumping, especially on the Linux version. While the Windows Proton build performs better, players still encounter game-breaking glitches and audio-visual inconsistencies. Despite these issues, the developer is actively working on patches, and the game remains enjoyable for many.
- “I really like the vibe but right now there is a weird bug where my entire gameplay just freezes, but I can still hear myself moving and the sound of me opening the pause menu and the static. Please fix.”
- “Have experienced multiple game-breaking glitches and bugs, restarting will not help and half of the levels had obtuse and confusing paths forward.”
- “It’s incredibly buggy at the moment (it's a single dev project and Rubeki is working hard to fix as many bugs as he can) and the last chapter was, quite literally, a journey through hell for me, but it’s still a great game with beautiful visuals, fine gameplay and pretty reasonable price.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game demonstrates excellent optimization, delivering large, detailed levels with smooth performance, fast loading times, and no stuttering or frame issues. While some users hope for further improvements, overall the performance is solid and well-managed given the game's modest polygon and texture budgets.
- “The audio visuals are very nice; of course the models don't have a lot of polygons, and the textures are low resolution by design, but if we get levels this huge without any massive performance problems, then that's a win in my book.”
- “The result with Lorn's Lure being monolithic levels that have many corners to explore in depth, with amazing performance to make it seamless.”
- “Performance is solid too, never had an issue with stuttering or frame drops and everything loads very fast.”
- “I don't know if this is some kind of innate Unity engine bloat or a failure in optimization, but a game with a polygon budget of 3 shouldn't cause any computer built within the decade any problems.”
- “Hoping someday there's an optimization patch so I can play and change this review to a wholly positive one.”
- “The audio visuals are very nice, of course the models don't have a lot of polygons, and the textures are low res by design, but if we get levels this huge, without any massive performance problems, then that's a win in my book.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users highlight the character design as a key element of character development, noting detailed and visually appealing designs that enhance the overall gaming experience.