Lunistice

Lunistice is a 3D platformer giving us the best elements of 3D Sonic the Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot. Short enough that it won’t take up your week but addictive enough that you may want it to.

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"Lunistice" is a single-player, 3D platformer game with a science fiction setting and an intriguing story. With wonderful graphics and fabulous music, players follow Hana the Tanuki through different dreamscapes, from old shrines to food-themed worlds, in a short, simple, and affordable experience. The game boasts high replayability with S-rank challenges, time trials, and additional characters available via free patches.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,152 reviews

music231 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

Charming retro graphics and a delightful soundtrack create a nostalgic atmosphere.
Tight controls and fluid movement make platforming enjoyable and satisfying.
Varied level design with unique mechanics keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.

Some levels can feel repetitive, with limited enemy variety and mechanics that don't evolve significantly.
Difficulty spikes in certain levels may frustrate players, particularly in rhythm-based sections.
The story is minimal and not well integrated into the gameplay, leaving some players wanting more context.

music
371 mentions
62 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in this game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its catchy, upbeat tracks that enhance the overall gameplay experience. The soundtrack is described as a standout feature, perfectly complementing the game's charming visuals and level design, while also evoking nostalgia for classic platformers. Some levels creatively incorporate music into their mechanics, adding an extra layer of engagement, although a few players noted occasional repetitiveness in certain tracks.
- “The music is fantastic and helps make replaying every level a treat.”
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal.”
- “The music is also fantastic and each track fits the theme of the levels really well in addition to providing memorable tunes that stay in your head even after you're done playing.”
- “The music is pretty generic too.”
- “Platforming, enemies and even the stage music is near identical in each world.”
- “I hated the music sections because I'm bad at music.”
graphics
298 mentions
61 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming retro aesthetic, reminiscent of the PS1 and Sega Saturn eras, featuring low-poly models and vibrant colors that evoke nostalgia. Reviewers highlight the game's beautiful art style, smooth animations, and cohesive visual design, which complement its engaging gameplay and catchy soundtrack. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience and appeal of the platformer.
- “The graphics are gorgeous, the vibes are immaculate, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.”
- “Lunistice is a straightforward, simple game with fun platforming gameplay and retro style graphics.”
- “The art style perfectly captures the feeling of PS1 games while improving on how games actually looked like on the original PlayStation.”
- “The graphics are very purposefully low quality, though it's more so that they're 'pseudo-low-quality'.”
- “Short and enjoyable platformer; the only downside is the tree stage; the graphics were a bit rough for me and I found it irritating to look at.”
- “Nitpick: the lack of texture warping and fog makes this look a little too clean for its 32-bit aesthetic.”
gameplay
232 mentions
40 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Lunistice" is characterized by its smooth controls, engaging platforming mechanics, and a nostalgic aesthetic reminiscent of classic 3D platformers. While the game features a variety of level designs and introduces new mechanics as players progress, some reviewers noted a tendency towards repetition and simplicity, which may detract from long-term engagement. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its fun, fast-paced nature and the satisfying loop of collecting items, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.
- “The gameplay is fun and fast, the graphics are gorgeous, the vibes are immaculate, the price is right, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.”
- “Lunistice encourages a speedrunning mindset and measures your time and deaths, and gives you plenty of tools to min-max your time as you gain expertise with its mechanics.”
- “The controls elegantly ride the fine line between precision and speed, the game mechanics build throughout the whole game and none of them feel redundant or under-utilized.”
- “The game is also very short, but the repetitive sound and gameplay design of collecting hundreds of cranes per level is just tiring and annoying after the third time around.”
- “The gameplay is simple with lots of platforming, but it never really does anything meaningful beyond going from A to B.”
- “Good art and music isn't enough to make up for a bare-bones gameplay experience.”
story
113 mentions
35 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as minimal and often obscured, with many players expressing a desire for more depth and clarity. While some found the underlying lore intriguing and appreciated its presentation through collectibles, others felt it lacked substance and a satisfying conclusion. Overall, the narrative serves as a light backdrop to the gameplay, appealing to those who enjoy piecing together a story but may disappoint those seeking a more substantial plot.
- “Lunistice has a fairly simple but good story, mostly obtained through collecting the letters throughout each level.”
- “The story is simple but unfolds in a satisfying way.”
- “The vibes are immaculate and the story was nicely understated but evocative, and leaves me interested in learning more.”
- “The game obscures the story and ending behind collectibles that are also obscured.”
- “Only downside is a flimsy, vague plot that's easy to ignore.”
- “Story is there and even after getting the true ending I didn't really feel much of anything, considering a lot of the story is told through a total of 3 cutscenes and a letter from each level.”
replayability
72 mentions
42 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability despite its short playtime of around 3-4 hours, thanks to varied level designs, multiple unlockable characters with unique abilities, and challenges such as collectibles and speedrunning. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics that encourage repeated playthroughs, making it a worthwhile experience for both casual gamers and completionists. Overall, the combination of tight controls, charming aesthetics, and a focus on achieving high scores contributes to its high replay value.
- “It may be a little short, but it's highly replayable.”
- “The game controls well, the movement is fun, and there's a lot of replay value, whether it be mastering the game's movement to get good times or getting all of the collectibles.”
- “Roughly two hours long on the first playthrough, but the replay value on this game is through the roof; lots of highscores and rankings to beat.”
- “Understand the collectibles encourage replayability, but they are dotted around awkwardly and you would have likely gotten most of them already.”
- “It has a lot of replayability, though at almost 20 hours in the game I find myself very ready to take a break, at least until there is new content - which I guess is on the way!”
- “While it can be completed in 4-5 hours, there’s a lot of replay value here for completionists and speedrunners.”
grinding
12 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While some enjoy the engaging rail grinding mechanics and speed boosts, others feel that the requirement to replay levels multiple times can become tedious, especially when the controls are not as polished as in other platformers. The enjoyment of grinding seems to depend on personal preference, with some players appreciating the challenge and fun, while others find it repetitive and frustrating.
- “It's alright, but I think having to 100% the game three times is very tedious.”
- “If I had to give criticism, during repeat playthroughs on other characters, the bonus levels can feel tedious to reach as you're just replaying the original levels with a slightly different moveset.”
- “The next to last world, which I won't spoil anything about, except that some of the grinding segments can be a bit persnickety about when you need to jump, leading to some deaths that will set you back a ways, as the last checkpoint was quite some time ago.”
atmosphere
10 mentions
70 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charm and personality, enhanced by a delightful soundtrack and visually appealing pixel graphics reminiscent of classic PS1 titles. Players appreciate the cozy and immersive environment created through superb level design and engaging gameplay, although some minor bugs can disrupt the experience. Overall, it is considered one of the most atmospheric platformers, successfully capturing a sense of wonder and nostalgia.
- “Adorable main character, excellent leveraging of crunchy PS1-ish graphics, superb level design, atmosphere, soundtrack... everything about Lunistice just oozes charm and personality and is executed with mastery and grace.”
- “Extremely charming visuals with a relaxing atmosphere and gameplay.”
- “One of the most atmospheric platformers I have ever played.”
- “Only complaint is this weird bug I've been getting in the forest segment with the mushroom switches that activate vine rails; the music just randomly cuts off and completely kills the sense of wonder and atmosphere the dev worked so hard to capture.”
stability
9 mentions
89 % positive mentions
-22 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with tight controls and smooth performance, running well on various platforms, including the Steam Deck. While most users report a bug-free experience, one player noted a potential issue with a rail grind object in later stages. Nonetheless, the game is generally regarded as enjoyable and reliable.
- “No glitches, tight controls, all in all nice, and you can get the true ending in a single sitting if you're skilled enough.”
- “It runs great, the platforming and movement handle really well, the music is good, the characters are cute, overall just a very enjoyable little game!”
- “Bug free as far as I can tell.”
- “I don't know if it's buggy or I just didn't notice it properly in the first stages, but in the later stages, the rail grind object changes to something different and shortens the track. Once you reach the end of it, you just fall down and waste a jump.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
- “I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the overall gameplay experience.”
optimization
8 mentions
50 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its smooth performance, quick loading times, and effective draw distance, particularly in windowed mode. It runs well on various platforms, including the Steam Deck, and is designed with speedrunning in mind, although some tracking features for performance could be improved. Players appreciate the nostalgic elements and level design, which encourages a satisfying gameplay flow despite being mostly linear.
- “As a bonus, the game runs smoothly on Steam Deck.”
- “In terms of performance, it's buttery smooth at all times, loading times are quick, and the draw distance is large enough to see most collectibles from far away and plan your route.”
- “Perfectly optimized and runs smooth, cool nostalgia options, and the gameplay itself knows exactly what it wants to be and what it's doing with itself.”
- “While you're ranked for overall performance at the end of each level, this doesn't seem to be tracked anywhere, while your best-of for collectibles and deaths are tracked, but separately.”
- “And these levels are all incredibly fun to play through thanks to their design, while most are linear, there is little optimization you can do all over the place to really get a satisfying flow going.”
character development
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highlighted by its cute and excellent character designs, which contribute to the overall gorgeous presentation, including art style and color palette. Players appreciate how these designs enhance the storytelling and gameplay experience, making the characters memorable and visually appealing.
- “This game is incredible, with a great story, soundtrack, character design, and level design.”
- “What I got was a really good platformer game that doesn't outstay its welcome. The controls feel good, and I really like the design of the game; the character design is excellent.”
- “+ Gorgeous presentation, including art style, color palette, character design, and UI.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players highlight the emotional impact of the game's soundtrack, noting that a standout OST enhances their connection to the experience. Many describe the game as a wholesome masterpiece that evokes positive feelings, while also acknowledging some mixed emotions regarding specific tracks. Overall, the game is praised for its heartfelt tribute to classic titles and its ability to evoke joy.
- “For me, music gives an emotional connection to a game, so I really love it when an OST stands out.”
- “10/10 wholesome little masterpiece.”
- “Lunistice is a really great game that just made me feel good to play.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is initially charming and amusing, particularly with the unexpected inclusion of sonic elements that were absent in the demo. However, some players feel that the humor eventually becomes overshadowed by frustration.
- “It is funny to see the sonic elements as they were not present in the demo at all.”