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Static Dread: The Lighthouse

Static Dread: The Lighthouse crafts a chilling lovecraftian narrative, though its gameplay struggles keep it from fully illuminating its potential.
Static Dread: The Lighthouse Game Cover
87%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, stability
91% User Score Based on 320 reviews
Critic Score 70%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneSteam DeckWindowsPlayStation
Static Dread: The Lighthouse Game Cover

About

Static Dread: The Lighthouse is a single player casual simulation game with a horror theme. It was developed by solarsuit.games and was released on August 6, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Static Dread: The Lighthouse plunges players into an atmospheric horror story set on a forsaken island where a lone lighthouse keeper battles supernatural forces threatening the seas. As eerie encounters and mysterious disappearances escalate, players must navigate strange rituals, protect loved ones, and face unknowable horrors with multiple possible endings. The chilling tale explores sanity and survival amid creeping darkness.

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91%
Audience ScoreBased on 320 reviews
story54 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions

  • The game effectively captures Lovecraftian horror with a rich atmosphere and engaging story, keeping players invested throughout.
  • Gameplay features a unique blend of resource management and narrative choices, allowing for multiple endings and high replayability.
  • The art style and sound design contribute significantly to the immersive experience, enhancing the overall tension and mood.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive and tedious, with some mechanics feeling underdeveloped or unnecessary, leading to a lack of engagement over time.
  • Certain narrative elements and character interactions may feel disjointed or confusing, detracting from the overall coherence of the story.
  • The absence of configurable keybinds and some interface issues can hinder the user experience, especially for players with different preferences.
  • story
    141 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a compelling blend of Lovecraftian horror and engaging character arcs, featuring multiple choices that significantly impact the narrative and lead to various endings. While the atmosphere and writing are praised for their depth and intrigue, some players noted that the plot can feel fragmented or repetitive, particularly towards the end. Overall, the story captivates players with its twists and immersive world-building, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and clarity.

    • “The characters and the plot itself are really interesting, and I found myself invested in their stories.”
    • “The story is great and keeps you preoccupied.”
    • “The mystery and confusion, once you think you know where the story is headed, it takes a left turn without taking away from the plot.”
    • “The only con would be the fact that the player cannot leave the lighthouse and is forced to only watch the overall story unravel outside.”
    • “Sometimes it's hard to follow and seems to blend together in a messy array of story, as if it was just stuffed with as much as possible at times.”
    • “Your actions have essentially 0 consequence on the story other than two decisions at the very end.”
  • gameplay
    98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the engaging atmosphere and interesting story, but criticizing the repetitive and sometimes simplistic mechanics. While some elements, like resource management and decision-making, add tension and depth, others feel underdeveloped or overly easy, leading to a lack of challenge and immersion. Overall, the game offers a solid experience with room for improvement in gameplay variety and execution.

    • “The gameplay is fun enough, the story is interesting and told well, and the atmosphere is stellar.”
    • “The game has a fantastic atmosphere and engaging, fun mechanics.”
    • “Love the art style, sound design, gameplay loop; the lore keeps you hooked.”
    • “The gameplay loop is boring af; even though it tries to be a 'Papers, Please'-like game, you really don't feel the need for money.”
    • “Neither the gameplay nor story warrant this length.”
    • “Those three gameplay elements are the core of the game, and all of them are weak, dull, and repetitive.”
  • atmosphere
    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively creating a sense of dread and isolation that enhances the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the combination of sound design, art style, and narrative elements that contribute to a captivating ambiance, making it ideal for fans of atmospheric horror. However, some reviews note that the intensity of the atmosphere can diminish over time due to repetitive elements or intrusive sound effects.

    • “Great atmosphere, perfect game for a chilly November night and a warm cup of tea.”
    • “The looming threats at the door and radio/ships as well as managing resources and lights create a captivating and tense atmosphere, while the daytime phases give you a moment to breathe, plan, and uncover the story.”
    • “The atmosphere is terrifying, sending chills down your spine at every turn.”
    • “Also, so many things are constantly beeping, knocking, buzzing, or flashing that it takes away any horror atmosphere.”
    • “And while the game thrives on its atmosphere, this too really starts to fall off in the second half because there is this utterly incessant droning noise that is loud and never shuts up.”
    • “I wanted to like this game, but there are too many issues that totally ruin the atmosphere; the writing is really bad.”
  • graphics
    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their unique art style and atmospheric design, effectively capturing the Lovecraftian aesthetic and enhancing the overall horror experience. Many reviewers highlighted the combination of visuals and sound design as key elements that contribute to a sense of impending doom and cosmic indifference. While some noted minor issues with immersion and simplicity, the majority found the graphics to be engaging, charming, and integral to the game's storytelling.

    • “The visuals and audio combine to give a persistent sense of looming calamity and cosmic indifference.”
    • “Incredibly atmospheric in its art style, sound design, music, writing, and character design.”
    • “The lovecraftian vibe is the best executed I’ve seen in a game before, and the art style and writing are perfect.”
    • “Also, not that this usually matters to me, the graphics are an eyesore and I can't immerse myself at all.”
    • “Despite the very simple graphics and the action taking place only in the lighthouse, the game is very interesting and at times also has horror elements.”
    • “The worldbuilding seems incoherent as does the art style.”
  • music
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its eerie and immersive qualities that complement the gameplay and story. While some found the music to be underwhelming, the majority highlighted its effectiveness in creating suspense and emotional depth, making it a memorable aspect of the overall experience. The soundtrack is described as a beautiful blend of horror and calm, with many recommending the original soundtrack for those who appreciate music and ambiance.

    • “The writing, the atmosphere, and the music are all on point.”
    • “The art style is creepy, and the soundtrack really adds to the suspense.”
    • “But the music is kind of lame, as well as the physics.”
    • “If you're really into music and atmosphere, buy the OST with the game - do not repeat my mistake.”
    • “Lastly, the music creates an ambiance that's so intense, I kept playing it in my head after closing the game and hyping myself to continue the story.”
  • replayability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers high replayability due to its multiple endings, decision points, and a "butterfly effect" system that encourages players to explore different choices. While many players appreciate the replay value and the intriguing variations in gameplay, some find the prospect of replaying lengthy sections tedious. Overall, the game's design supports a solid replay experience, making it worthwhile for those interested in exploring all its narrative possibilities.

    • “The game's numerous decision points, secrets, and multiple endings give it a high replayability.”
    • “The game has many endings and is extremely replayable; with each chapter having many different achievements tied to the decisions you make.”
    • “All in all, it's a very solid experience and length-wise not too shabby either, even better when you consider that it has some replayability value if you want to go with different choices (there's some kind of 'butterfly effect' system in the game that recaps the choices you made every time you finish a chapter).”
    • “There are multiple endings, so the replayability is certainly worth the money (hell, one playthrough for me was 11 hours of gameplay!).”
    • “There's a lot of replayability, but... that seems like torture with how tedious and boring the actual gameplay is.”
  • grinding
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, with frequent interruptions and busy work that detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the slow ramp-up of complexity in gameplay elements, many express frustration over the constant need to perform mundane tasks, leading to a sense of boredom and a lack of engagement. Despite the potential for replayability, the grind is often viewed as a chore rather than an enjoyable challenge.

    • “I hate the tedious cleaning of Cthulhu graffiti every 3 seconds, having to rehang all the paintings every 2 seconds, and having to turn on the lights every other second.”
    • “Gameplay interrupts itself and said interruptions become very tedious over time.”
    • “There's a lot of replayability but... that seems like torture with how tedious and boring the actual gameplay is.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers praise the game's character development for its immersive atmosphere, highlighting the effective integration of art style, sound design, music, writing, and character design that enhances the overall experience.

    • “The character development is incredibly atmospheric, enhanced by the art style, sound design, music, writing, and character design.”
    • “The depth of each character's backstory and growth throughout the game is truly impressive.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve based on player choices, making each decision feel impactful.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviews indicate a mixed emotional impact, with some players finding the storytelling superficial and overly simplistic, while others appreciate the unpredictable emotional roller coaster it provides. This contrast suggests that the game's emotional depth may vary significantly among players.

    • “It was an emotional roller coaster with constant shifts I couldn't expect.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players have reported experiencing glitches and bugs during gameplay, particularly in environmental interactions. However, there is some optimism as patches have been released to address these issues since the initial launch.

    • “I did experience some glitches in this game, but I believe since I have played it, they have released some patches to correct what I experienced.”
    • “The environment becomes buggy throughout the game; it was really difficult just to switch on the light at the end.”
  • monetization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, with players appreciating the art style and game mechanics, particularly the immersive experience of sifting through radio signals. However, there is no specific mention of monetization practices, suggesting that it may not be a significant concern for users.

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8h Median play time
9h Average play time
8-11h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Static Dread: The Lighthouse is a casual simulation game with horror theme.

Static Dread: The Lighthouse is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS and others.

On average players spend around 9 hours playing Static Dread: The Lighthouse.

Static Dread: The Lighthouse was released on August 6, 2025.

Static Dread: The Lighthouse was developed by solarsuit.games.

Static Dread: The Lighthouse has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Static Dread: The Lighthouse is a single player game.

Similar games include Last Report, Call of Cthulhu, No one lives under the lighthouse, DREDGE, Moons of Madness and others.