Lumino City

About

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

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 822 reviews

graphics210 positive mentions

grinding46 negative mentions

Stunning hand-crafted visuals that create a unique and immersive experience.
Clever and varied puzzles that provide a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating.
Charming story and characters that add depth to the gameplay.

Some puzzles can be unintuitive, leading to confusion and frustration.
Character movement can be slow and unresponsive, making navigation tedious.
The game occasionally crashes and has bugs that can disrupt the experience.

graphics
372 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
42%
2%
The graphics of Lumino City are widely praised for their stunning, hand-crafted aesthetic, which combines real-world materials like paper and cardboard with innovative stop-motion techniques. Reviewers highlight the unique art style as a major draw, creating an immersive and whimsical atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. However, some players note that while the visuals are exceptional, they can occasionally detract from gameplay clarity, leading to confusion during puzzle-solving.
- “The art style is unique, having a realistic look while using paper and cardboard; it has also been improved to be smoother and just looks absolutely gorgeous.”
- “Lumino city looks amazing, with one of the prettiest and most unique art styles I have ever seen in a game.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, puzzles are fun, and the attention to detail is amazing.”
- “The visuals are very pretty, but do an absolutely terrible job of actually relaying useful information.”
- “I found myself getting lost a few times or just didn't notice key details because of how cluttered the aesthetic can be.”
- “However, the graphics are also what makes the game easy to get stuck.”
story
311 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
7%
The story in "Lumino City" is generally described as simple and linear, primarily revolving around the protagonist, Lumi, searching for her kidnapped grandfather. While some players appreciate the charming and whimsical presentation, many find the narrative lacking depth and engagement, often relegating it to a secondary role behind the puzzles and visuals. The conclusion of the story is delivered in the credits, which some players find unsatisfying, as it leaves much of the plot unexplained and underdeveloped.
- “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.”
- “The story is simple yet charming and is set in an environment that feels alive, but looking back was very small and linear in a good way.”
- “Lumino City is a beautiful and charming point-and-click game with a unique aesthetic and a pleasing story.”
- “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.”
- “The story is simple and absolutely linear.”
- “The story is the weakest part, unfortunately.”
music
211 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
35%
2%
The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a blend of comforting instrumentals and ambient sounds. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, contributing to the game's charming aesthetics and relaxing gameplay, although some note that it can occasionally fade into the background or become repetitive. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and a well-crafted musical score creates a captivating and immersive environment for players.
- “An absolutely fantastic game with beautiful visuals, a nice soundtrack that switches between comforting instrumentals and eerie ambient, and puzzles that are enough to give you a challenge, and make you feel smart for solving them, but not so difficult as to need to dive for a walkthrough every other time.”
- “The music and sound are perfect, using a mix of acoustic and electronic influences to create a relaxing backdrop which nevertheless emphasizes the theme of technology in the game.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing as well, and the whole game had a bit of a vintage feel to it.”
- “The mediocre music and boring dialogue detracts from an otherwise beautiful presentation.”
- “The music is very light, almost unnoticeable, and in some scenes missing completely.”
- “The music is pretty boring in my opinion, soft chill tunes that melt into the background but aren't very memorable.”
gameplay
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
The gameplay of Lumino City is a mixed bag, with many players praising its clever puzzles and unique mechanics, while others criticize it for being clunky, frustrating, and lacking polish. The point-and-click style can feel outdated, and issues such as bugs and unresponsive controls detract from the overall experience. Despite its beautiful visuals and creative design, the gameplay often fails to meet expectations, leading to a sense of disappointment among players.
- “Great mechanics and puzzles.”
- “Beautifully crafted puzzle game with a wide variety of puzzle mechanics all using handmade sets and backdrops.”
- “The gameplay is fun and easy in some parts and a little bit more challenging in other parts, a good mix.”
- “Also, the Morse code mechanics were very frustrating to interact with, and I could see some people literally being unable to complete the game due to real-life physical inability to operate the signaling correctly.”
- “While beautiful to look at, it clearly lacks polish on the gameplay elements.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay can be frustrating, even annoying.”
grinding
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, with many puzzles described as either overly simplistic or unnecessarily complicated. The controls and animations contribute to the clunkiness, making navigation and puzzle-solving feel laborious. While some puzzles are appreciated for their creativity, the general consensus is that the experience is marred by a lack of engaging gameplay and excessive backtracking.
- “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.”
- “The puzzles are frustrating in that they're very simple but with no instructions, so you sit there going 'I know how to solve it, I just don't know how they want me to solve it.' All there is to the game are its puzzles, but getting to each puzzle is tedious and boring.”
- “I wanted to enjoy the game more, but it was just too tedious for the most part, and the fulfilling puzzles were too scarce.”
atmosphere
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
33%
8%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, soothing soundtrack, and charming aesthetic, creating a relaxing and immersive experience for players. Many reviewers highlight how the atmosphere enhances the gameplay, often overshadowing the puzzles, while the handcrafted environments and whimsical design contribute to a feel-good ambiance. Despite some criticism regarding pacing and complexity, the overall sentiment is that the game's atmosphere is a standout feature that captivates and soothes players throughout their journey.
- “The soundtrack is really soothing and adds a lot of atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere created by the outstanding visuals and sound makes the playthrough a real treat for the player.”
- “Beautiful game with relaxing atmosphere and simplistic (but not in a bad way) 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.”
- “Sure, this turns Lumino City into an old-school puzzle game that doesn’t hold the player’s hand, but it also makes game mechanics feel dated and frustrating, preventing us from fully immersing ourselves in the magical atmosphere of the scenery.”
- “They really could have taken a leaf from other games and let you speed through the talks when you have already finished reading; it contradicts the relaxing atmosphere, or maybe that's just my irritation with slow text speaking.”
stability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with numerous players reporting crashes, freezes, and various glitches that disrupt gameplay. While some users experienced smooth performance on lower-end systems, many encountered significant bugs, particularly during puzzles and animations, leading to frustration. Despite promises of support from developers, unresolved issues persist, impacting the overall experience.
- “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've also had weird freezes and crashes several times, and I'm only halfway done.”
- “The game performs in buggy execution with the main character occasionally warping out of place unpredictably and frequent game crashes.”
humor
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
16%
The game's humor is widely praised for its quirky characters, snappy dialogue, and silly puzzles, creating a colorful and charming adventure. While many players find the humor engaging and reminiscent of classic games like Portal, some critique the length and quality of the dialogues, suggesting they can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the blend of funny interactions and creative storytelling contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Humor - there's a quirky pantheon of characters with distinctive personalities and snappy dialogue.”
- “The writing of the story is also very good, with a lot of humorous elements combined with some more sincere ones, it adds a lot to the characters of the city.”
- “The quirky world and the characters who inhabit it are funny and interesting.”
- “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 feels forced and falls flat, making it hard to stay engaged with the story.”
- “I expected some laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off, leaving me more confused than entertained.”
emotional
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
81%
19%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming storyline, charming characters, and engaging interactions that evoke a sense of community and nostalgia. While some players found the story and characters lacking depth, many appreciated the game's wholesome aesthetic, beautiful visuals, and the emotional resonance of its narrative. Overall, the game successfully combines clever puzzles with a touching atmosphere, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “The gameplay is good, and the story is heartwarming.”
- “Fun, cute music, touching story!”
- “This game was incredible; the production team did a great job making these models in real life, which helps the game feel very human and touching.”
- “This game has a unique, likable style, but has a boring story, paper-thin characters, and tedious puzzles.”
- “Boring story and characters.”
- “Nice soundtrack, beautiful art style, but a boring story.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
50%
29%
Overall, the game has low replayability, with most players completing it in about 4 to 10 hours and feeling that the experience does not warrant revisiting. While some recommend purchasing it on sale for its engaging story and gameplay, many agree that its full price is too high given its short length and lack of replay value.
- “The gameplay is a bit short and it doesn't have much replay value, but for the price, I'd say it's completely worth it.”
- “It has a low replayability, but the story is amazing, and the game will take you around 5-10 hours to complete depending on how patient you are.”
- “Overall, an amazing gameplay experience with replay value if for nothing but the scenery.”
- “The replay value is low, as is the nature of such games, and its full price is expensive for how short and unreplayable it is, but I'd definitely recommend picking it up in a bundle or with a sufficiently good discount if you're into puzzle games, point-and-click adventure games, or relaxing stuff in general.”
- “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.”
- “Sadly enough the story and the game feels done, there is no replay value for me.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
30%
40%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting issues like stuttering during credits and occasional glitches, while others praise its ability to run smoothly on lower-end hardware. While there are calls for improved accessibility options and UI feedback, many agree that these issues do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “One big plus is the capability to run on a low performance PC.”
- “It runs smoothly on my MacBook with no heating and great performance.”
- “I agree with some of the negative reviews that the game could use more accessibility options and better feedback/UI optimization, but I don't think it's egregious enough to skip the game.”
- “The stuttering made it visually hard to look at, which was disappointing as the credits reveal the true ending to the game.”
- “Bad optimization; the game crashed when I got back to the menu and had low FPS.”
- “I also had some issues with the game stuttering while I was watching the credits.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking depth, with simplistic designs and minimal backstory for characters. While some players appreciate the initial development of the main character, the overall narrative and character arcs are considered underwhelming, with most development occurring only in the end credits. Despite these shortcomings, the game's aesthetic and relaxing atmosphere are praised, making it enjoyable for casual play.
- “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.”
- “A likable story idea and main character development kicks in right at the start; you learn how to play Lumino City in stages, although the learning gets a bit slow when all of the dialogue becomes repetitive.”
- “It lacks a little depth and character development.”
- “The story is simple - no real character development happens, but it's a great way to spend a few hours.”
- “That's basically the story (and 90% of the character development is in the end credits, so stick around for that).”