Lumo

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 130 reviews
  • graphics
  • gameplay
  • music
Lumo Game Cover
Lumo is a classic game that stays up to date with modern tools. The game's charming adventure easily bridges the gap between retro and modern.
Starting at $14.99Buy now
Get on Steam

"Lumo is a contemporary isometric adventure game, harkening back to the classic games of the 80s and 90s. With over 400 rooms, four zones, and six hidden mini-games, players will enjoy challenging gameplay and nostalgic touches. The game offers depth and discovery for those willing to search for it."

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 130 reviews
graphics10 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • Lumo is a beautifully crafted platformer that pays homage to classic isometric adventure games, featuring vibrant visuals and clever level design.
  • The game offers a delightful mix of challenging puzzles and platforming, with numerous hidden secrets that encourage exploration and replayability.
  • Players appreciate the nostalgic atmosphere and the variety of references to older games, making it a charming experience for fans of retro gaming.
  • The fixed camera angles and perspective issues can make platforming frustrating, leading to difficulty in judging jumps and navigating levels.
  • Many players find the game overly linear, with a lack of backtracking options that can lock them out of collectibles and exploration.
  • The controls can feel clunky and inconsistent, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience and can lead to unnecessary frustration.
  • graphics30 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their vibrant and colorful visuals, which evoke nostalgia and create a whimsical atmosphere reminiscent of classic isometric adventure games. Players appreciate the charming art style and the captivating environments, such as ancient ruins and enchanted forests, although some note that fixed camera angles can complicate gameplay. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, offering a delightful blend of retro aesthetics and modern polish.

    • “The game pays homage to classic isometric adventure games, featuring vibrant and colorful visuals that evoke a sense of wonder and whimsy.”
    • “Combined with the delightful visuals, Lumo creates a sense of nostalgia and warmth that will appeal to both old and new players alike.”
    • “A sumptuous homage to the isometric action adventure games popularized by companies such as Ultimate in the eighties, brought up to date with graphics and polish from the modern era.”
    • “It's everything there, including the fixed camera angles, cute graphics and puzzles made difficult because of perspective ambiguity.”
    • “I don't know what was the reason, maybe the graphics, maybe something else, but I couldn't make myself love the character and be passionate about him getting safe to the next location.”
    • “Graphics: very pretty!”
  • gameplay28 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by classic isometric platforming with a mix of puzzles, secrets, and varied mechanics that require strategic thinking. However, it faces criticism for its frustrating design choices, such as rigid camera angles and inconsistent control responses, which can make it feel tedious and punishing. Despite these issues, some players appreciate the clever mechanics and nostalgic references, finding the overall experience entertaining.

    • “Each level presents new obstacles and mechanics that require careful observation and strategic thinking to overcome.”
    • “Gameplay: it's very classic isometric platforming, with puzzles to solve and loads of little secrets and collectibles.”
    • “Gameplay is so smooth with many options for your control scheme.”
    • “I really would have enjoyed it since I enjoyed the games it was inspired by, but the game design choices (forced perspective 3D instead of isometric, collisions and gameplay depending on the physics engine...) made it barely tolerable.”
    • “The game is charming, but the gameplay is bland and gets very punishing as the game progresses, with mazes, time limits, and annoying pitfalls.”
    • “And yet, its yanky control response, excessive hitboxes, and rigid camera angle can make the overall gameplay unnecessarily hard.”
  • music22 mentions

    The music in the game is often described as whimsical and reminiscent of 8-bit and 16-bit eras, effectively setting a nostalgic tone. While some players appreciate the soundtrack and its integration with the game's atmosphere, others find it repetitive and lacking variety, with complaints about limited audio tracks. Overall, the music is seen as a mixed aspect, with some praising its charm and others noting it as one of the game's weaker elements.

    • “The whimsical soundtrack sets the tone, transporting you back to the era of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming.”
    • “Highly playable, gorgeous graphics and brilliant subtle music and sound.”
    • “Audio: beautiful music and the sound effects blend well with the rest of the game.”
    • “Audio and music are arguably its weakest parts.”
    • “Gets really repetitive and old really quick, only one song played the hour I played, all the rooms look the same, puzzles aren't hard but instead consist of frustratingly difficult and precise jumps which are made harder by the isometric view.”
    • “Special shout out to the music which I had to search out and buy.”
  • atmosphere18 mentions

    The atmosphere in Lumo is widely praised for its captivating visuals that transport players to a magical realm, blending nostalgic elements of classic isometric adventure games with modern aesthetics. While many appreciate the charming and whimsical ambiance, some critiques mention inconsistencies in controls and linear dungeon layouts that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully evokes a nostalgic yet fresh atmosphere that resonates with fans of the genre.

    • “From ancient ruins to enchanted forests, Lumo's visuals create a captivating atmosphere that transports you to a magical realm.”
    • “Lumo captures the essence of classic isometric adventure games, creating a nostalgic atmosphere that will resonate with fans of the genre.”
    • “It has such a gorgeous look and feel, coupled with the chilled ambient electronica atmosphere; it's a really lovely looking experience.”
    • “Controls are wonky and inconsistent, the atmosphere is absent, and the dungeon layout is entirely linear.”
    • “The theme and atmosphere have a silly whiff to it and, honestly, it just makes it better, you are a teen going to your school science show then you enter your broken PC as a walking infant to gather the necessary parts to fix it, where you can also collect rubber ducks for whatever reason.”
    • “It will take too long to list all features of this outstanding work, so I'll just say that this is a must-have if you like 80/90s games and want to see it modernized to today's standards without losing the key atmosphere.”
  • story10 mentions

    The game's story is characterized by subtle environmental storytelling and visual cues that allow players to piece together the narrative at their own pace. However, many reviewers feel that the story lacks clarity and depth, with some noting a significant absence of narrative direction for a substantial portion of the game, leading to a less engaging experience overall.

    • “The game's narrative is conveyed through subtle environmental storytelling and visual cues, allowing you to piece together the larger story at your own pace.”
    • “I do wish it had a more refined story though; it almost seemed like there was something there, but it just wasn't clear enough.”
    • “I do wish it had a more refined story; it almost seemed like there was something there, but it just wasn't clear enough.”
    • “Add to that a forgettable sound design and complete absence of any story or long-term goal for about half of the game, and you end up with no reason to play at all.”
    • “I wish the story was more fleshed out, but that doesn't really matter in the end.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The game's stability is mixed; while some users report a frustrating experience with numerous bugs, others note the absence of crashes or glitches, highlighting a generally stable performance.

    • “A buggy and frustrating mess of a game.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with the lack of challenge becoming apparent only in the middle stages. This results in a gameplay experience that feels monotonous rather than rewarding.

    • “The gameplay is not interesting and feels incredibly tedious.”
    • “The problem is that it takes until the middle of the game for some of the rooms to become particularly tedious, which makes this game less challenging.”
    • “The gameplay is not engaging and only brings to mind a sense of tedium.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for being both funny and challenging, with players enjoying its hilarious and charming references, particularly in the context of its classic isometric view and fun platforming elements.

    • “The game features a classic isometric view, fun platforming, and hilarious references that keep the experience entertaining.”
    • “The humor in this game is both funny and challenging, making for a delightful experience.”
    • “The combination of humor and challenging gameplay creates a unique and enjoyable atmosphere.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players find Lumo to be an emotional homage to classic puzzle adventures, drawing comparisons to titles like Solstice and Equinox. While some feel it could benefit from more enemies, the game's heartfelt design and challenging rooms create a compelling experience that resonates with nostalgia and innovation.

    • “Lumo might not be perfect, but in resurrecting a very specific sort of puzzle adventure that the industry has seemingly forgotten, Gareth Noyce’s heartfelt love letter to the past succeeds in weaving a yarn that feels both fresh and compelling at the same time.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The reviews do not provide specific insights into the monetization aspect of the game, focusing instead on its linearity and gameplay design. Therefore, no clear conclusions about monetization can be drawn from the provided texts.

  • replayability2 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability thanks to numerous hidden secrets and an "old-school" speedrun mode that features limited lives, encouraging players to revisit and refine their strategies.

    • “There is quite a bit of replay value due to the many hidden secrets and the 'old-school' speedrun mode, which has limited lives.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

Buy Lumo

Videos

Similar Games