Monolight

About

Monolight is a single player action game. It was developed by bit paradigm and was released on June 29, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

MONOLIGHT is 2D plat-former puzzle adventure game. Using tiny lantern, go through the maze.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 112 reviews

story15 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features intriguing puzzles that challenge players without being overly difficult, making it accessible yet engaging.
The atmospheric 2D graphics and unique mechanics, such as using a lantern to navigate through darkness, create a captivating experience.
It's a free game with a decent length, providing good value for players looking for a quick and enjoyable platforming experience.

The controls can be awkward and unresponsive, particularly the double-tap to run mechanic, which can lead to frustration during precise platforming sections.
The story suffers from poor translation and grammar issues, making it difficult to fully understand the narrative and context.
Some puzzles and interactions, particularly with levers, have small hitboxes that can lead to unnecessary deaths and hinder gameplay.

story
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
47%
15%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its unique presentation and emotional depth, while others find it confusing and poorly translated, making it hard to follow. Many reviews highlight that the narrative lacks depth and intrigue, often feeling minimalist or vague, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, some players enjoyed the artistic storytelling and the way it complements the gameplay, though the execution leaves room for improvement.
- “Overall, monolight offers a refreshing blend of platforming, puzzles, and storytelling.”
- “The game is filled with puzzles and a unique storyline; I recommend it to anyone who likes puzzle-type games.”
- “There is a nice little story thrown into the mix that goes very well with the artistic design of the game as a whole.”
- “The story is bland, predictable, and has terrible English. I found myself reading over every line thinking, 'What did that even say?' and I missed one or two of the boards with the story and knew exactly what they were.”
- “The story was confusing if there was any to begin with, and the messages between random passersby made no sense.”
- “You don't really care why you're going through this 'adventure' because the story doesn't give you any reason, other than to say you did it.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
57%
11%
The gameplay is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, primarily revolving around the use of a lantern to navigate light and darkness, which adds a unique twist to the experience. While the controls are straightforward and easy to learn, players note that the difficulty curve can be low, leading to repetitive elements in puzzle-solving. Overall, the game offers a beautiful atmosphere and solid mechanics, though some players wish for more depth and variability in challenges.
- “The use of a tiny lantern as your primary tool adds a unique touch to the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is simple to learn, but hard to master, with 3 main buttons to use (Z to toggle the lantern on and off, X to pull switches and interact with characters and signs, and C to jump).”
- “With as simple as the gameplay is, there is still variability to the levels; nothing feels repetitive.”
- “Game mechanics provide decent puzzle-like thinking but tend to be repetitive.”
- “The pacing is quite slow and the mechanics are fairly solid and straightforward.”
- “And the mechanic is fine and I can see how it could allow for complex puzzles, but from what I've experienced so far, the difficulty curve is just way too low.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The graphics of the game feature a minimalistic art style that evokes a sense of mystery and wonder, reminiscent of titles like "Limbo" with its spooky aesthetic and a blend of nature and decaying mechanical elements. While the visuals are generally praised for their simplicity and charm, some players feel they lack the dynamic details found in "Limbo," leading to a less fulfilling experience. Overall, the graphics are considered good for the genre, with a cute shadow aesthetic that stands out.
- “The minimalistic art style, though simple, evokes a sense of mystery and wonder.”
- “The cute shadow aesthetic stands out and isn't muted or muddled.”
- “The graphics are very similar to Limbo, but it lacks the ragdoll physics, limbs flying off, eyes closing when you die, and the specs of joy that Limbo had, so it feels unfulfilling.”
- “Besides the gloomy black and white look, it's also got that same sort of nature and gears aesthetic, where outdoor settings are interspersed with decaying mechanical ruins.”
- “The graphics remind me of Limbo, but not the plot.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players noting a complete absence of background music that weakens the atmosphere, while others enjoyed the initial music and theme. However, there are complaints about the loudness of the music at launch and issues with looping sound effects, such as crickets, which detract from the overall experience. Overall, the music seems to be a point of contention, with some finding it effective and others feeling it detracts from the game's ambiance.
- “I really enjoyed the initial stages of the game, both the idea of lantern usage, music, and theme.”
- “The music was also fantastic.”
- “♬ music / sounds ♬”
- “There are noises, but no music, and all the atmosphere is kind of weak because of this, in my opinion.”
- “The music adds nothing to the atmosphere, and the atmosphere lacks that impending doom feel.”
- “There is no music, just crickets chirping fairly loudly, and their loop is incorrect so that every once in a while you stop hearing them, and then they start back up again, making you realize that the game was better without them.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its immersive and beautifully crafted 2D environment, enhanced by interesting mechanics and engaging NPC dialogues. However, some players feel that the lack of music and a sense of impending doom detracts from the overall ambiance, resulting in a somewhat weak atmospheric experience.
- “The atmospheric ambiance excels in creating an immersive atmosphere.”
- “An exquisitely beautiful and atmospheric 2D platformer with some interesting mechanics and a decent plot.”
- “The atmosphere is dark, and some NPC dialogues are quite fun.”
- “The atmosphere is dark, and some NPC dialogues are kind of fun.”
- “There are noises, but no music, and the atmosphere is kind of weak because of this, in my opinion.”
- “The music adds nothing to the atmosphere, and it lacks that impending doom feel.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is inconsistent, with some users reporting a lack of glitches or bugs, while others experience significant game-ending issues, particularly with a lever mechanic that can lead to frustrating restarts. Overall, the presence of critical glitches detracts from the gameplay experience.
- “The only riveting content would be the glitches from time to time that don't allow you to click the levers.”
- “Hell no, I don't recommend this game. This is one of the worst games I've played by far. It has a game-ending glitch with the lever on a speed trap where if the character tries to pull the lever as she dies, the lever breaks. If you try to restart the stage, the game glitches out and you have to start all the way over.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its well-developed narrative, which resonates deeply with players and evokes strong feelings.
- “The game features a deeply touching story that resonates on an emotional level.”
- “The character development is exceptional, making you feel a strong connection to their journeys.”
- “I was moved to tears by the heartfelt moments woven throughout the narrative.”