Lumino City

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Lumino City is a charmingly unique puzzle adventure game that takes you through a beautiful hand-crafted world made entirely out of paper, cardboard, and miniature lights. As a young resident of Lumino, you must solve a variety of intricate puzzles and explore the city to find your kidnapped grandfather. Along the way, you'll meet quirky characters, uncover secrets, and immerse yourself in a captivating storyline.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 324 reviews

graphics70 positive mentions

stability13 negative mentions

The game features stunning handcrafted visuals that create a unique and immersive experience.
Puzzles are creatively designed, offering a good mix of challenge without being overly frustrating.
The in-game hint system, presented as a 'Handyman's Manual', adds an interesting layer to puzzle-solving.

Some puzzles can be nonsensical or overly abstract, leading to confusion and reliance on guides.
The game suffers from occasional bugs and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay.
Character movement can feel clunky, with unskippable animations that slow down progress.

graphics
120 mentions
58 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and stunning art style, which features hand-crafted visuals and a charming aesthetic that enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the immersive and beautiful environments, created using real-life models and stop-motion techniques, as a standout feature, although some note that the visuals can occasionally hinder gameplay clarity. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a labor of love, contributing significantly to its appeal despite some minor technical issues.
- “The art style of Lumino City gives you an amazing cardboard experience.”
- “The graphics are outstanding on every front.”
- “The handmade aesthetic of this game is so different and so pretty, it seems finicky to complain about the occasional tricky navigation or unclear puzzle.”
- “It is unfortunate that the artistic concept and all the effort that went into creating the artwork were wasted on a game that completely fails to entertain in any way.”
- “In actuality, the gameplay is quite clunky, and it's often hard to know what you can interact with in the game because of the art style.”
- “Other complaints include the fact that all of their generated graphics (characters, speech bubbles) are noticeably uglier than the rest of the game.”
story
109 mentions
35 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally described as simple and linear, often revolving around a young girl searching for her kidnapped grandfather, with some charming interactions and whimsical elements. While the visuals and puzzles are praised for their creativity and engagement, many reviewers feel the narrative lacks depth and coherence, sometimes feeling disconnected from the gameplay. Overall, the story is seen as a light backdrop that enhances the experience but does not drive it, with some players appreciating its charm while others find it underwhelming.
- “The story and main character are quite compelling; Lumi's grandfather is kidnapped while she is downstairs making tea, just as he was about to tell her something important.”
- “A cute hand-crafted point & click puzzle game telling the story about a girl, Lumi, looking for her grandfather, the handyman of Lumino City, a very peculiar city built high in the sky.”
- “The story is simple but impactful—completely familiar but also impressively defiant.”
- “The actual story and explanation of how and why of the kidnapping and what led up to it is shown as short vignettes as the credits roll by at the end of the game.”
- “For me, the uninteresting, almost non-existent story, and the lack of strong connection between the puzzles and the story, negatively affected the enjoyment of the game.”
- “The dialogue is economical and lukewarm, and the story, a simple kidnap plot/quest, does just about enough to propel the game along nicely while doing nothing groundbreaking.”
music
74 mentions
58 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to create a relaxing atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting its soothing and uplifting qualities. While some found the soundtrack to be forgettable or lacking in variety, the overall consensus is that it complements the game's charming visuals and enhances the puzzle-solving experience. The combination of engaging music and appealing aesthetics contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a delightful experience for players.
- “The soundtrack is a blissful blend of minimal acoustic and electronic instrumentation which generates a fantastic atmosphere.”
- “A beautiful game: from the gorgeous character design to the unique architecture of the Lumino City world to the relaxing music, every part of this game has been lovingly created.”
- “The music is beautifully done and works great with the story.”
- “Music is nothing of note.”
- “The music is pretty boring in my opinion, soft chill tunes that melt into the background but aren't very memorable.”
- “The soundtrack is fairly mild and forgettable but works well with the game in that it doesn't distract you from the game.”
gameplay
47 mentions
30 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Lumino City is a mixed bag, with many players praising its unique puzzle mechanics and beautiful aesthetics, while others criticize it for being clunky, unresponsive, and riddled with bugs that hinder progress. Although the puzzles can be engaging, the overall experience is often marred by frustrating gameplay issues and overly long cutscenes, leading to a disappointing contrast between the game's visual appeal and its mechanics. Despite some players finding enjoyment in the gameplay, the consensus leans towards it needing significant improvement to match the game's artistic design.
- “Great mechanics and puzzles.”
- “Lumino City is a point-and-click puzzle game where you trek through a wacky mechanical city to investigate the mysterious disappearance of your grandfather.”
- “Beautifully crafted puzzle game with a wide variety of puzzle mechanics all using handmade sets and backdrops.”
- “Its gameplay takes a backseat to the vibes.”
- “Unfortunately, there is little else of value in this game, as the gameplay is extremely disappointing.”
- “Sadly, the mechanics of the game don't live up to its aesthetics.”
atmosphere
16 mentions
56 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, charming handcrafted levels, and a blissful soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the lighthearted and dreamy ambiance, which complements the puzzle-solving elements, although some find the atmosphere can become repetitive over time. Overall, the game successfully creates a relaxing and engaging environment that draws players in.
- “Short and imaginative, Lumino City provides a lighthearted atmosphere to solve an array of (mostly simple) puzzles.”
- “A fitting soundtrack supports the game and gives a great atmosphere for solving the puzzles.”
- “Lumino City comes in a distant third place, with too much text and overcomplex puzzles for small kids to enjoy until they are older, by which time they find the game's atmosphere a little trite.”
- “I may have to go back and replay this one just for the atmosphere.”
- “The colorful city and peaceful background music create a dreamy atmosphere.”
stability
13 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent glitches, crashes, and buggy animations that hinder gameplay, particularly during puzzles. While some players experienced smooth performance on simpler setups, others faced significant issues that required restarting the game to progress. Overall, the game's charm is overshadowed by its technical problems, leading to a frustrating experience for many.
- “I can't even play the game; the lemon puzzle just freezes the game or crashes it. God, let me try to do the puzzle.”
- “I discovered upon consulting a guide that I was approaching the problem correctly, but buggy behavior on the game's part meant that I had to execute the correct step several times in a row before it would actually 'stick.' The animations were notably buggy in several areas as well.”
- “It freezes if you try to use the Steam overlay.”
grinding
13 mentions
8 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
92 % negative mentions
Overall, the grinding aspect of the game is characterized by a mix of tedium and occasional cleverness in the puzzles. While some players find the puzzles entertaining, many describe them as tedious and frustrating, particularly due to control issues and a lack of satisfying challenge. The experience can feel drawn out, with players often feeling that the effort required does not match the rewards.
- “The puzzles are clever, not too tedious or hard and not too simple.”
- “This is very doable for a veteran, but tedious and not worth the effort.”
- “Puzzles are sometimes interesting but tedious as it takes forever to click through them.”
- “Also, if you've been going at a puzzle for 30 minutes or so, the fact that you can't cancel your actions gets tedious.”
replayability
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with most players noting that it offers little incentive to play again after completing the main story, which lasts around 4 to 6 hours. While some players mention the potential for revisiting NPCs or enjoying the scenery, the consensus is that it is best purchased on sale due to its limited long-term engagement.
- “Overall, an amazing gameplay experience with replay value, if for nothing but the scenery.”
- “The only downside to this is that I don't think there's much replayability, at least in the short-term.”
- “It took me about 4.5 hours, start to finish, and I don't see any replay value, so wait for a sale, but I would definitely buy it during that sale.”
- “At $20, the price is a little high for a game that should take around 6 hours to finish, especially since it has little replay value.”
- “There's not really any replayability, though I might go back and talk to some NPCs some more and look around a little.”
humor
7 mentions
86 % positive mentions
-29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its quirky humor, featuring a diverse cast of characters with snappy dialogue and creative, funny puzzles. While many players enjoy the humorous interactions and unique visuals, some criticize the lengthy and sometimes nonsensical dialogues that detract from the overall experience.
- “Overall, a really nice point-and-click puzzle adventure game, with lots of humor and unique visuals.”
- “Humor - there's a quirky pantheon of characters with distinctive personalities and snappy dialogue.”
- “Dialogues are filled with humor, and puzzles are very creative.”
- “I don't mind the 720p-only resolution, I don't even mind the sometimes obscure puzzles, but the technical issues, hidden items, and the horrible font they use for the sometimes overly lengthy, nonsensical, unfunny dialogues just break the enjoyment for me.”
- “The humor in this game falls flat; the jokes feel forced and lack any real wit or charm.”
- “I expected a lot more laughs, but the attempts at humor are cringeworthy and often miss the mark entirely.”
emotional
7 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its heartwarming storyline and emotional depth, featuring touching interactions among characters that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the clever puzzles that evoke a sense of accomplishment, complemented by cute music and gorgeous visuals that contribute to the game's charm. Overall, it delivers a sweet and engaging emotional journey.
- “Heartwarming and sweet.”
- “A very clever game with a heartwarming storyline.”
- “Gorgeous visuals, intriguing puzzles, and a heartwarming story.”
optimization
5 mentions
20 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on low-performance PCs and does not overheat, some users have reported stuttering issues, particularly during the credits, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “It runs smoothly on my MacBook with no heating and great performance.”
- “I also had some issues with the game stuttering while I was watching the credits.”
- “The stuttering made it visually hard to look at, which was disappointing as the credits reveal the true ending of the game.”
- “One big plus is the capability to run on a low-performance PC.”
character development
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
While the game is praised for its stunning character design and immersive world-building, the reviews do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development. Overall, the focus seems to be more on the aesthetic and atmospheric elements rather than the evolution of characters themselves.
- “The character development in this game is truly remarkable, with each character evolving in ways that feel authentic and engaging.”
- “I love how the characters grow throughout the story, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
- “The depth of the characters and their backstories adds so much richness to the gameplay experience.”