The Lightkeeper

About

The Lightkeeper is a single player action game with a horror theme. It was developed by Darkphobia Games and was released on September 7, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

The Lightkeeper is a psychological horror game set in the 1920s, following Arthur, a WWI veteran who takes a solitary lighthouse job to escape his traumatic past. Isolated on a remote island, he uncovers sinister secrets behind previous keepers' deaths while battling his fragile mental state. Players face multiple endings shaped by critical choices affecting Arthur’s fate.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 412 reviews

story87 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a beautifully crafted atmosphere that enhances the horror experience.
The story is engaging and thought-provoking, with multiple endings that encourage exploration.
The game successfully builds tension and suspense, providing a few well-placed jump scares.

The game is very short, with a playtime of around 2 hours, which may leave some players wanting more.
There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including problems with sound settings and interaction mechanics.
The use of AI-generated voice acting detracts from the overall experience, leading to a lack of emotional depth in the narrative.

story
185 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
47%
6%
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it intriguing and atmospheric, while others criticize it for being predictable, derivative, and filled with plot holes. Many appreciate the dark and immersive narrative, drawing comparisons to films like "The Lighthouse," but feel it lacks depth and coherence, often leaving players wanting more. Overall, while the visuals and ambiance are praised, the story's execution varies significantly among players, leading to a consensus that it is decent but could benefit from further development.
- “The atmosphere is haunting yet beautiful, pulling you into a mysterious world filled with eerie isolation and quiet storytelling.”
- “Arthur’s story of guilt and redemption is one that resonates long after the credits roll, not because of the monsters you see, but because of the ones you imagine.”
- “Overall: a fantastic indie horror with great atmosphere, smart scares, and a story worth talking about long after you’re done.”
- “The story is decent at times, but mostly it's a semi-coherent narrative, largely stolen or copied from the movie 'The Lighthouse' during big portions of the plot, about a lighthouse keeper tormented by his past as a military man.”
- “There are tons of plot holes, and the game often comes to a halt because you didn't look in a specific direction to trigger another cutscene or similar.”
- “The game has some interesting ambiance and spooky scenery, but the story makes little sense, is kind of generic, and several of the endings felt like too much was left unexplained, resulting in a poor resolution.”
graphics
117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
35%
3%
The graphics of the game receive a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the stunning visuals, atmospheric design, and attention to detail that enhance the horror experience. While some critiques mention inconsistencies and a few technical issues, the overall consensus highlights the game's impressive art direction and immersive environments, making it a standout feature for many players. Despite some shortcomings, the graphics are often described as a major strength, contributing significantly to the game's eerie vibe and storytelling.
- “The graphics are *insanely* gorgeous, the story is gripping, the spook factor is excellent.”
- “The graphics and sounds and atmosphere are amazing.”
- “The graphics were stunning and I feel like Darkphobia really captured the tension with the grey-ish tone, the fog, and overall eerie atmosphere.”
- “Outside of the cutscenes, the graphics are comparable to the average 2007 release.”
- “The reason I figured out that this was from the same developer was because the game followed the exact same model: all graphics, no substance.”
- “There are also noticeable texture seams in the ocean and the graphics are faded and washed out during nighttime sections.”
atmosphere
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
32%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its eerie, immersive quality, enhanced by stunning visuals and effective sound design. Many players appreciate the slow-building tension and psychological horror elements, although some note that the reliance on jump scares can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, creating a haunting and captivating environment that draws players into its unsettling narrative.
- “The atmosphere is haunting yet beautiful, pulling you into a mysterious world filled with eerie isolation and quiet storytelling.”
- “The lightkeeper nails the creepy atmosphere, with tense sound design and an environment that keeps you hooked until the end.”
- “The atmosphere, ambiance is really good.”
- “There were some good visuals, but I didn't find the game developed its atmosphere very well.”
- “Maybe it's all about creating atmosphere and feelings... but for me this game is 10x too slow and there's nothing there to make it intriguing.”
- “Get 20 minutes in and the spooky atmosphere falls apart.”
gameplay
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
79%
7%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive, confusing, and lacking in depth, often describing it as a generic walking simulator with sluggish controls and poorly designed mechanics. While some appreciated the atmospheric elements and narrative focus, others criticized the lack of engaging gameplay, arbitrary tasks, and frustrating interactions that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game is seen as a short, linear experience that may appeal to those who prioritize story over gameplay complexity.
- “Overall, I really enjoyed this game and would recommend it—as long as you’re okay with slower-paced gameplay, simple puzzles, and a bleak atmosphere.”
- “The gameplay blends exploration, survival, and narrative decision-making into a cohesive structure.”
- “Bloody fun gameplay with fantastic smoke effects and beautiful visuals and vibes, 10/10 experience, a masterpiece of a game.”
- “A decent story, but the gameplay was repetitive and often confusing.”
- “The gameplay loop is basically find item, wait for jump scare, then repeat.”
- “Much of the gameplay consists of completing arbitrary unguided tasks, so you will spend a good amount of the game getting stuck in rooms for several minutes at a time until you realize you have to click a small piece of paper on the ceiling or move a poster on the wall before the doors will reopen.”
optimization
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance on high settings without crashes, others experience significant issues like FPS drops and stuttering, making it unplayable for them. Overall, the game shows potential but could benefit from further optimization to enhance the experience for all users.
- “Performance was ok, but could be better.”
- “The game was also extremely well optimized... whereas I have to reduce the graphics on most games that release so it doesn't stutter my system while playing the game and streaming... I was able to run this game on 'high' without any hiccups.”
- “Very good graphics, well optimized and the story was interesting.”
- “It's a shame, the game seems like it could be fun and even a little spooky... but I wouldn't know because I couldn't get more than half an hour into the game before the constant FPS drops, crashes, and stuttering video made it unplayable.”
- “However, the game could be better optimized.”
- “Noticed some stuttering here and there.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users noting significant bugs and glitches, including graphical issues and audio problems. While some players report smooth performance on high-end systems, the overall consensus highlights a need for improvements in stability due to the frequent technical issues encountered.
- “Runs great.”
- “Runs great performance-wise (4070 Ti, i9-13900K, 64GB RAM, and an SSD).”
- “Bad - the game is a bit buggy.”
- “Atrocious, buggy with terrible voice lines.”
- “There were several other glitches, for example, reloading an earlier save while in a room that was playing a bottle rolling sound effect.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The music in the game is masterfully designed to enhance the unsettling atmosphere, featuring low drones and ambient tones that evoke anxiety and tension. It effectively complements the sound design, creating a haunting experience with elements like ghostly calls and eerie melodies. However, content creators should be cautious, as the presence of copyrighted music may lead to issues with video monetization on platforms like YouTube.
- “The sound design and visuals work hand in hand — the crashing waves, flickering lights, and subtle music all create a sense of tension and wonder.”
- “Through incredible design (in all ways - the graphics, music, sound, and tone is masterful), the game provides a genuinely unsettling and frightening experience.”
- “When the music swells, it does so subtly—low drones and echoing notes that stir anxiety rather than announce it.”
- “Be prepared for lots of stair climbing, jump scares, and some terribly unnerving sound effects and ambient music.”
- “One negative if you're creating content on YouTube, there is a bunch of copyrighted music in this game.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its psychological depth and moral ambiguity, creating a lasting impact that resonates beyond mere scares. Players appreciate the slow-burn storytelling and immersive atmosphere, which evoke feelings of isolation and introspection, making it a memorable experience despite its brief playtime. While some may find the pacing tedious, the emotional weight and thought-provoking narrative ultimately reward patient players.
- “This psychological duality gives the story emotional resonance beyond its scares.”
- “For fans of slow-burn psychological horror, The Lightkeeper offers a beautifully constructed and emotionally heavy journey into the darkness of isolation—a reminder that sometimes, the scariest place to be trapped is within your own mind.”
- “Its gripping atmosphere, strong visuals, and emotional storytelling make it one of the most memorable indie games I've played in a long time.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to long back-and-forth travel and predictable jump scares. Many express frustration with the lack of efficient navigation options, which exacerbates the feeling of monotony during gameplay.
- “Going up and down that long spiral staircase inside the lighthouse lost its visual appeal and just became tedious well before the 6th or 7th time.”
- “The directions were tedious and frustrating at times, involving randomly walking around clicking until something happened.”
- “Moving from location to location and back again became tedious and cried out for some sort of click-to-fade travel mechanism.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game offers some replayability through multiple endings, which enhance its themes of perception, guilt, and redemption. However, the overall length of 2–2.5 hours and limited gameplay variety lead some players to feel that it lacks significant replay value.
- “There is replay value in multiple endings which I will be exploring again soon. Is it worth its price tag?”
- “These endings lend the experience replay value, but more importantly, they reinforce the game’s exploration of perception, guilt, and redemption.”
- “It's 2–2.5 hours long with basically no replay value.”
- “The game doesn't really have much replay value, which is common in this type of game.”
- “There are also multiple endings, so it adds some replayability to the game.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Many users express a desire for deeper character development and a more engaging storyline, indicating that the current depth is lacking and leaves them wanting more.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, their backstories and motivations are deeply explored.”
- “The depth of character development really enhances the emotional impact of the story.”
- “I kind of wish there was more to the story as well as character development.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
- “I expected deeper character arcs, but they all seem to follow predictable paths.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate a strong sentiment that the monetization strategy of Darkphobia's games relies heavily on asset flips and recycled content, leading to perceptions of them as poorly made cash grabs. Players express frustration over the lack of originality and quality in these titles, suggesting a focus on profit over genuine game development.
- “Will Darkphobia ever make a game that isn't just asset flips, AI, and copied content crammed into a cash grab?”
- “Graveyard Shift, Homeless, Amenti, and now this... all the same cut-and-paste poorly made cash grabs.”
- “But alas, it just ends up feeling like a cheesy cash grab.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its numerous flaws, which players find amusing rather than frustrating, allowing them to enjoy the experience through laughter. The presence of Lovecraft's influence adds a whimsical touch, as players feel as if they are part of a darkly comedic narrative filled with unexpected twists.
- “I spent more time than I expected just exploring every single problem this game has and laughing at it, because at that point it was the only way to make it enjoyable.”
- “Lovecraft himself was there occasionally laughing beside you, pen in hand, personally writing you into yet another jump-scare twist that brings you to the brink of madness!”