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Lumino City

Beautiful to look at but the story and gameplay prove far less fascinating than the real world model-making skills of the developer.
Lumino City Game Cover
81%Game Brain Score
graphics, story
grinding, stability
85% User Score Based on 839 reviews
Critic Score 65%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

PCTabletMac OSPhoneiPadMobile PlatformiPhoneWindows
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Lumino City Game Cover

About

Lumino City is a single player casual action adventure game. It was developed by State of Play and was released on December 2, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Lumino City is a BAFTA-winning puzzle adventure game where you play as Lumi, searching for your kidnapped Grandad in a beautifully hand-crafted city. Explore unique environments, interact with intricate mechanical puzzles, and uncover the story of this charming world, all while helping its inhabitants. With its innovative design and engaging gameplay, Lumino City offers an unforgettable experience for players of all ages.

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Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
Lumino City screenshot
+7
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85%
Audience ScoreBased on 839 reviews
graphics214 positive mentions
grinding47 negative mentions
  • The game features stunning hand-crafted visuals that create a unique and immersive experience.
  • Puzzles are varied and clever, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating.
  • The soundtrack is calming and complements the game's atmosphere beautifully.
  • Some puzzles can be vague or unintuitive, leading to moments of frustration.
  • The character movement can feel slow and unresponsive, making navigation tedious at times.
  • There are occasional bugs and crashes that can disrupt gameplay.
  • graphics
    378 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of Lumino City are widely praised for their unique and stunning hand-crafted aesthetic, resembling a vibrant papercraft world that combines real-life materials with digital design. Many reviewers highlight the game's artistic craftsmanship, noting that the visuals create an immersive and charming atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. However, some players feel that while the graphics are beautiful, they can occasionally detract from gameplay clarity, leading to confusion during puzzle-solving.

    • “Lumino City is one of those rare games where the craftsmanship behind its visuals is as impressive as the game itself.”
    • “Every frame glows with artistry, giving the world a warmth and texture that digital graphics rarely achieve.”
    • “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.”
    • “Aside from some graphical glitches that require you to reset the game to continue on occasion, Lumino City is just as magical, if not more so than the first.”
  • story
    314 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Lumino City" is generally described as simple and charming, revolving around a girl named Lumi searching for her kidnapped grandfather. While some players appreciate the lighthearted narrative and its integration with the game's beautiful visuals, many find the plot underdeveloped and lacking depth, with significant story elements revealed only during the credits. Overall, the game prioritizes puzzles and aesthetics over a compelling storyline, leading to mixed feelings about its narrative engagement.

    • “The story is lovely, and I love the way at the end, the whole story is... well, you'll just have to play it, but I suggest watching all the credits.”
    • “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.”
    • “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 not very developed; however, the whole game is mostly about going from a place to another and discovering some unique landscapes, but it does not bother me at all since the environments and the dialogs are quite enough to entertain you during the searching parts.”
    • “The game story is not really engaging, and most of the dialogues are pretty boring.”
  • music
    214 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its soothing and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a blend of calming instrumentals and engaging soundscapes. Many reviewers highlight how the soundtrack complements the game's beautiful visuals and handcrafted art style, creating a meditative environment for puzzle-solving. However, some players noted that the music can become repetitive or unmemorable at times, detracting from the otherwise enchanting experience.

    • “The soundtrack, with its mellow tones and delicate instrumentation, complements the handmade visuals perfectly, creating a meditative rhythm to exploration.”
    • “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 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 got a little grating after a while and there were several sections where, when I was stuck on a puzzle, I had to mute the game because the music was bothering me.”
  • gameplay
    135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Lumino City is a mixed bag, with many praising its clever puzzles and unique stop-motion visuals, while others criticize it for being clunky, frustrating, and lacking polish. Players appreciate the artistic design and the integration of puzzles into the environment, but many find the point-and-click mechanics outdated and the gameplay experience hindered by bugs and unresponsive controls. Overall, while the game offers a visually stunning world and some engaging puzzles, its gameplay often falls short, leading to a less satisfying experience for many players.

    • “The real star, though, is the design: the puzzles are baked into the world in clever, tactile ways, from rewiring power systems to navigating mechanical gardens.”
    • “Beautifully crafted puzzle game with a wide variety of puzzle mechanics all using handmade sets and backdrops.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it's a simple adventure/escape the room game filled with puzzles.”
    • “Gameplay really suffers.”
    • “Unfortunately, there is little else of value in this game, as the gameplay is extremely disappointing.”
    • “The gameplay is too slow and the puzzles feel quite clunky.”
  • grinding
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 sense of tedium, making navigation and puzzle-solving feel clunky and time-consuming. While some puzzles are enjoyable, the frequent occurrence of tedious tasks detracts from the overall experience, leading to a mixed reception.

    • “The puzzles are clever, not too tedious or hard and not too simple.”
    • “This game was charming and beautiful with an insane variety of puzzles, but some of the puzzles were a little tedious, like having to memorize a 20-30 note song and play it back perfectly without any mistakes.”
    • “The downside is that some were simple and tedious, meaning that you would know exactly what to do, but it took a while to complete all the actions required to solve the puzzle.”
    • “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
    40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 themselves, and contributes to a feel-good ambiance that makes the game enjoyable and memorable. Despite some criticisms regarding pacing and complexity, the overall sentiment is that the game's atmosphere is a standout feature that captivates and engages players throughout their journey.

    • “For those who value atmosphere and ingenuity over spectacle, it’s a journey well worth taking.”
    • “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, which contradicts the relaxing atmosphere, or maybe that's just my irritation with slow text speaking.”
  • stability
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches, particularly during puzzles and animations. While some players have managed to play without major issues, many have encountered game-breaking bugs that have persisted for years, leading to frustration. Overall, the game's performance is described as buggy, impacting the overall experience despite its engaging puzzles and visuals.

    • “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.”
    • “For a couple of hours of solid but unspectacular puzzles, I've also encountered a couple of crashes, a few animation and dialogue glitches, and a game-breaking bug that's been reported continuously for 3 years in discussions (with a 'looking into this' from a developer right after the first reports).”
  • humor
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by memorable characters, snappy dialogue, and a quirky world filled with silly challenges and funny puzzles. While many players appreciate the heartfelt and unique comedic elements, some find the humor occasionally generic or overshadowed by lengthy dialogues. Overall, the blend of humor with creative storytelling and engaging visuals contributes significantly to the game's charm.

    • “The characters were immediately memorable and the writing was heartfelt, funny, though not too deep.”
    • “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.”
    • “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, with jokes that feel forced and outdated, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I expected a lot more laughs, but the attempts at humor are so cringeworthy that they ruin the overall experience.”
  • emotional
    18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its heartwarming and charming storytelling, with memorable characters and a light, wholesome aesthetic that resonates with players. While some reviews note that the narrative may lack depth and the puzzles can be tedious, the overall experience is described as touching and engaging, enhanced by beautiful visuals and a delightful soundtrack. However, a few players found the story and characters to be somewhat boring or lacking in substance.

    • “The game play is good, and the story is heartwarming.”
    • “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.”
    • “A very clever game with a heartwarming storyline.”
    • “This game has a unique, likable style, but has a boring story, paper-like characters, and tedious puzzles.”
    • “Boring story and characters.”
    • “Nice soundtrack, beautiful art style, boring story.”
  • replayability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    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 multiple playthroughs. While the story and gameplay are praised, many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale due to the high price relative to its short length and lack of replay value. However, it may still appeal to fans of the genre if purchased at a discount.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • optimization
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews. While some players report smooth performance on lower-end systems, others have experienced issues such as stuttering, crashes, and low frame rates, particularly during critical moments like the credits. Additionally, there are calls for improved accessibility options and better UI feedback to enhance 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 whilst I was watching the credits.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is generally criticized for its lack of depth, with simplistic designs and minimal backstory for characters. While some players appreciate the initial development of the main character, the overall narrative feels shallow, with most character growth occurring only in the end credits. Despite these shortcomings, the game's aesthetic and engaging world design are noted as highlights.

    • “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, however 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).”
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65%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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5h Median play time
6h Average play time
5h Main story
6h Completionist
5-7h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Lumino City is a casual action adventure game.

Lumino City is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, iPad and others.

The main story can be completed in around 5 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 6 hours to finish. On average players spend around 6 hours playing Lumino City.

Lumino City was released on December 2, 2014.

Lumino City was developed by State of Play.

Lumino City has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its grinding.

Lumino City is a single player game.

Similar games include Machinarium, Lume, The Dream Machine, The Tiny Bang Story, Lilly Looking Through and others.