The Lighthouse
- October 31, 2019
- Shadow Knights Studio
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"The Lighthouse" is a first-person thriller where you play as Private Investigator James Irvine, searching for a missing woman named Lily Beaumont in the abandoned property of Maine's wealthiest family. Solve environmental puzzles and obstacles using the lighthouse's light and your flashlight, while avoiding a dangerous presence. The game features unique and memorable 1960's-inspired environments and a gripping, haunting story.
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features high production value with beautiful graphics, an engaging atmosphere, and a compelling story that keeps players interested.
- Gameplay includes interesting puzzles and crafting mechanics that enhance the narrative experience, making it immersive and enjoyable.
- The developers are active in the community and show promise for future updates, indicating a commitment to improving the game and expanding its content.
- The game is currently very short, with only about an hour of content available, which many players feel does not justify the price.
- There have been no significant updates or new content released for years, leading to frustration among supporters who expected more development.
- Some gameplay mechanics are clunky, and there are issues with sound mixing and optimization that detract from the overall experience.
- story24 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its intriguing and immersive qualities, blending a familiar narrative of searching for a missing person with psychological and thriller elements. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the atmosphere, visuals, and music, which enhance the overall experience, while the narrative unfolds through exploration, puzzles, and collectible notes. Although some find the story abstract and the puzzles basic, the engaging storytelling and well-executed cutscenes keep players invested in the unfolding mystery.
“So much attention to detail, atmosphere, story, music... you can tell this game is a labor of love.”
“The lighthouse is beautiful, the story is interesting, and the whole setup is gripping.”
“The gameplay is unique, consisting of exploration and puzzles with a very mysterious and engaging story told through diary entries, cutscenes, and the environments which are very detailed and engage the player with lots to see and do as you piece together the story.”
“It is like a series of experiences threaded together rather than a coherent story.”
“The story is all too familiar, another plea to find a missing person.”
“The lighthouse is a thriller with a solid, but abstract story and basic puzzles.”
- atmosphere15 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging and eerie qualities, effectively blending unsettling elements with a noir aesthetic. Reviewers highlight the meticulous attention to detail in visuals, audio, and story, which collectively create a chilling and immersive experience, particularly in the isolated setting of a lighthouse. While some minor technical issues were noted, the overall ambiance is described as both alluring and spine-tingling, making it a standout feature of the game.
“So much attention to detail, atmosphere, story, music... you can tell this game is a labor of love.”
“The way everything is presented to you at first is a little unsettling, then seemingly normal, and right back into creepy with sprinklings of noir atmosphere.”
“Everything has an eerie atmosphere that is both purposely uncomfortable yet alluring at the same time.”
“Although these are minor gripes, I do believe sound is vital to creating the atmosphere and tension that is needed in horror games, if the intention is to conduct a fearful response in players.”
- music14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in the story. Composed by Mimi Page and a team, the soundtrack is noted for its beautiful and eerie melodies that evoke strong emotions, although some players felt that certain musical cues did not seamlessly integrate with the gameplay. Overall, the attention to detail in the music contributes significantly to the game's chilling atmosphere and narrative depth.
“So much attention to detail, atmosphere, story, music... you can tell this game is a labor of love.”
“Filled with beautiful environments and blending with eerie music, you can really tell the artist(s) have taken their time to paint a gorgeous scenario.”
“Well thought-out story so far, graphically stunning, very immersive, and the soundtrack fits perfectly!”
“Instead it was to engage in the gameplay, allowing the atmosphere and Mimi Page's chilling music to work its way down to your spine, sending goosebumps throughout your whole body.”
“Alike with the music, sometimes it just came seemingly out of nowhere and did not blend well into the gameplay.”
“And the music, and sound effects, and subtle nuances, once again stirring alarm and apprehension - everything was done very efficiently, the work was done titanic.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a mix of exploration, puzzles, crafting, and narrative elements, providing a well-thought-out experience, though it is limited to just one to two hours. While the mechanics function adequately, some users noted that certain aspects could benefit from further polishing, and the difficulty level of puzzles may not challenge all players. Overall, the varied dimensions and atmospheric elements enhance the experience, despite some clunky mechanics.
“There are various puzzles you have to solve, dealing with well-thought-out crafting mechanics and using various parts of the environment to move forward throughout the narrative-driven story. Overall, they're not too difficult, and I believe that most folks will appreciate getting back into the story.”
“Different dimensions are weaved into each act, creating varied gameplay.”
“The gameplay is based around what we usually see in these genres: exploration, puzzles, item collection, crafting, and finding notes to follow the narrative story.”
“What is there is pretty good, but with only one to two hours of gameplay, I cannot give it a recommendation.”
“There are various puzzles you have to solve dealing with well-thought-out crafting mechanics and using various parts of the environment to move forward throughout the narrative-driven story, but overall they're not too difficult.”
“Some clunky mechanics.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are highly praised for their high production value and stunning art style, contributing to an immersive atmosphere. While some reviewers note that the visuals may not reach AAA realism, they still find them impressive, especially in cutscenes, and suitable for an indie horror title. Overall, the graphics enhance the storytelling and audio experience, making for a well-rounded presentation.
“The game has a high production value; it's very well done art-style wise.”
“Well thought-out story so far, graphically stunning, very immersive, and the soundtrack fits perfectly!”
“As it currently stands, the graphics are decent and especially so for an indie horror title.”
“The game has quality components, namely the voice acting and graphics, however its short amount of playtime does not warrant such cost.”
“The graphics definitely exceeded my expectations, with the standout element being the cutscenes.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players report a generally stable experience in the early access version of the game, with some noting minor glitches during specific events. While some users experienced brief screen freezes, many others reported no significant issues, indicating a solid performance for an early access title.
“From the walkthrough video above, it is in early access, so if there are any lags or glitches, that's normal.”
“Minor glitches occur when an 'event' triggers, causing my screen to freeze for a few seconds [i5 RTX 2060].”
“Bugs and glitches.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the emotional depth of games that resonate deeply with players, often evoking strong feelings through poignant storytelling and impactful scenes. They express a sense of heartbreak when passionate projects fail to gain the recognition they deserve, underscoring the importance of emotional engagement in gaming experiences.
“Not long after do we face the real chills, emotional scenes that would hit any normal person right at the heart.”
“The lighthouse, an emotional haunting ride.”
“Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing an amazing game that obviously has a lot of passion behind it, never come to fruition because it just didn't get the publicity to keep it going.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some users experiencing inconsistent performance, averaging around 45-50 frames per second on mid-range hardware. While the visuals are stylish, certain areas of the game exhibit optimization issues that detract from the overall experience.
“Visually, the game also looks very stylish, although in some places I had problems with optimization.”
“One puzzle and chase are a bit obtuse, and my machine's performance was a bit all over the place (970 with 6th gen i7 and 16GB RAM was averaging about 45-50 frames) especially when running.”
“One puzzle and chase are a bit obtuse, and my machine's performance was inconsistent (970 with 6th gen i7 and 16GB RAM was averaging about 45-50 frames), especially during intense moments.”
“Visually, the game looks very stylish; however, I encountered optimization issues in certain areas.”
