The Town of Light

61%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,554 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
The Town of Light Game Cover
The Town of Light is a powerful experience and you’ll certainly be affected by its story. There are a few issues with music breaks and some of the things you’ll see may provide too upsetting, but overall you’ll never forget your time in Volterra.
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The Town of Light is a first-person psychological thriller set in the Volterra Psychiatric Asylum. Players explore the ruins of the asylum and uncover the story of a young woman, Renée, who was once a patient there. The game is based on real documentation and events, and aims to provide an empathetic vision of mental illness.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

61%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,554 reviews
story422 positive mentions
gameplay32 negative mentions
  • The game features a deeply emotional and haunting story that explores the treatment of mental illness in the past.
  • The graphics and atmosphere are beautifully crafted, creating an immersive experience.
  • The voice acting and sound design effectively enhance the storytelling, making the experience more impactful.
  • The gameplay is slow-paced, with no option to run, which can lead to tedious exploration.
  • There are moments of confusion regarding objectives and navigation, making it easy to get lost.
  • The game can be emotionally distressing due to its heavy themes, which may not be suitable for all players.
  • story1,544 mentions

    The story of "The Town of Light" is a deeply emotional and disturbing narrative centered around the experiences of a young woman named Renée, who was institutionalized in a mental asylum during the 1930s and 1940s. While the game effectively tackles heavy themes such as mental illness and the brutal treatment of patients, many players found the storytelling to be slow-paced and at times disjointed, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. Despite its flaws, the game is praised for its haunting atmosphere and the impactful, true-to-life story it conveys, making it a compelling experience for those interested in narrative-driven games.

    • “This game was amazing as was the heartbreaking story of a young girl shut away in a mental institution.”
    • “The story is very compelling.”
    • “I ended up crying due to the moving story and I definitely plan on playing through it again.”
    • “The town of light is a video game that tackles heavy themes such as mental illness and institutionalization, but its storytelling falls short.”
    • “The plot is confusing and disconnected, and the slow pacing can make it difficult to stay engaged with the game.”
    • “While the game attempts to explore important topics, its lackluster storytelling and slow pacing make it challenging to recommend.”
  • graphics402 mentions

    The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beauty and detail, effectively creating an immersive and eerie atmosphere, particularly within the decaying mental asylum setting. However, many users noted performance issues, including unoptimized graphics that can lead to poor framerates, and some found the graphic content to be excessively disturbing. Overall, while the visuals are striking and contribute significantly to the storytelling, they may not be suitable for all players due to their graphic nature and technical inconsistencies.

    • “The graphics in this game are incredible and so detailed where you can see each leaf on each plant or tree and especially the buildings and environment.”
    • “The developers expertly captured the eerie atmosphere with fantastic graphics and creepy music.”
    • “At every moment, this game displays an astounding mastery of graphics to evoke different emotions.”
    • “Although the historical parts offer a mature narrative of the brutal history of treating mental illness, this game gets a big not recommended because of the long, graphic simulations of electro-shock therapy and lobotomy.”
    • “Even if you noticed that small notice on the third page, you may still be unprepared for the intensely graphic, personal, prolonged, and unskippable game elements that deal with self-harm and suicide.”
    • “The graphics are horrible and do not at all represent anything realistic.”
  • gameplay235 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a slow-paced walking simulator that emphasizes exploration and narrative over interactive mechanics, often leading to a tedious experience for players. Many reviewers noted the lack of engaging gameplay elements, repetitive tasks, and numerous bugs, which detracted from the overall immersion and enjoyment. While the story and atmosphere received praise, the gameplay itself was frequently described as simplistic, clunky, and at times, frustratingly slow.

    • “The gameplay is simple, usually asking you just to go from point A to point B, with minimal chances for interaction with the story.”
    • “Every game mechanic here is aimed towards immersion and making you more connected to the story.”
    • “I definitely recommend this to any gamer who enjoys mysterious/creepy settings with gameplay consisting mainly of exploration and story development.”
    • “Gameplay is very poor and there are too many bugs.”
    • “The gameplay is slow and boring and there is this constant, forced atmosphere of something creepy, there's a constant feel that a jump scare is about to happen but it never does.”
    • “So if you're interested in the story just watch a playthrough video, because playing it yourself is just a drag and rather boring, since the gameplay is pretty much nonexistent.”
  • atmosphere215 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the eerie essence of a decaying asylum setting. Players appreciate the combination of beautiful graphics, sound design, and a well-curated story that evokes feelings of dread, decay, and emotional depth, despite some criticism regarding the slow pace and limited interactivity. Overall, the game is considered an atmospheric masterpiece that excels in creating a chilling and thought-provoking experience.

    • “The atmosphere is very well done and the theme is interesting (albeit very bleak).”
    • “The developers expertly captured the eerie atmosphere with fantastic graphics and creepy music.”
    • “The atmosphere in the game is pretty haunting and it can leave you generally unnerved, especially during certain scenes.”
    • “The gameplay is slow and boring and there is this constant, forced atmosphere of something creepy; there's a constant feel that a jump scare is about to happen but it never does.”
    • “I have no problem whatsoever with a creepy atmosphere, but the way it's done in this game is just bad.”
    • “The game world is pretty, but totally lacking in atmosphere and any kind of tension.”
  • emotional176 mentions

    The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, exploring heavy themes such as mental illness, abuse, and the inhumane treatment of patients in historical asylums. While many players found the narrative to be heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, some criticized the pacing and gameplay mechanics, which detracted from the emotional impact. Overall, it is recognized as a powerful and poignant story that can leave players feeling profoundly affected, albeit with a warning for those sensitive to its intense subject matter.

    • “Brilliantly made interactive walking story experience that packs an emotional punch.”
    • “This is a heartbreaking, mesmerizing, soul-haunting, and thought-provoking telling of reality.”
    • “Playing through to the end of the town of light was one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had playing a video game.”
    • “This was the biggest waste of time; very boring story.”
    • “This was the biggest waste of time; very boring story.”
  • music135 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its haunting and immersive qualities that effectively set the mood. While some felt the soundtrack could have been utilized more frequently, others appreciated the emotional impact of specific tracks, particularly during key moments like the ending. However, there were criticisms regarding abrupt music cuts and a lack of variety in the audio experience, which detracted from the overall immersion.

    • “The music really is the leading role in terms of setting the mood/atmosphere.”
    • “Using haunting music, voices, and institutional sounds, you feel as if you are actually reliving the patient's experiences.”
    • “The music is beautiful and fitting, and perfectly adds to the atmosphere.”
    • “There's also the problem with music suddenly cutting off for no reason before it properly ends.”
    • “My biggest disappointment is the sound: music triggers and stop suddenly, most of the time you don't have any ambience playing in the background, footsteps are not well randomized, loops are too evident and the sound design itself is quite raw.”
    • “The graphics are nothing to be made out, the music is obnoxiously annoying, the whole 'anti-gravity' section where you walk on walls in a walking scene made me wonder what the heck is going on.”
  • optimization50 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including mouse stuttering, poor graphics optimization, and instability, particularly on certain hardware like AMD and in VR mode. While some users noted decent performance on mid-range systems and praised the game's visuals at lower settings, the overall consensus highlights a need for better optimization to enhance the gaming experience.

    • “Optimization is pretty good too.”
    • “The game was amazing, very beautiful and pretty well optimized.”
    • “- great optimization (120fps most of the time, occasional drops to 80)”
    • “There's always some sort of stuttering present.”
    • “This game has some of the worst stability/performance issues I've ever seen.”
    • “My only issue with the game is the cripplingly poor optimization for AMD.”
  • grinding38 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often citing slow pacing, repetitive chapter restarts, and a lack of engaging gameplay elements. Many reviewers suggest that tightening the pacing and reducing the length could significantly improve the experience, while others note that the game’s exploration can feel unnecessarily drawn out. Despite some appreciation for the game's visuals and story, the consensus leans towards a need for more dynamic gameplay to alleviate the tedium.

    • “If the developers could tighten up the pacing and shave off an hour (or even two) of tediousness, changing nothing else in the process, this game would be ten times better.”
    • “The only thing I was annoyed with in the game was having to replay a chapter from the beginning if I couldn't finish it in one sitting. Since one is restarting a chapter, the repetition of things to get from the chapter beginning (to where you left off), without being able to skip through some medical diaries that you saw previously, was tedious.”
    • “After watching the trailer and seeing the rave reviews, I expected an overwhelming emotional experience, but it turns out I was left with an incredibly tedious experience.”
  • stability28 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs, long loading times, and glitches that detract from the experience. While some users experienced smooth gameplay without issues, others faced frequent crashes and technical problems, particularly in VR mode. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game is plagued by stability issues that may hinder enjoyment for those lacking patience.

    • “There have been no glitches or anything wrong with it.”
    • “There have been no glitches or anything wrong with it.”
    • “However, the bugs or glitches which the developers like to say are 'rare' are anything but that.”
    • “Then, when it finally finishes loading, it says 'please wait', freezes, then crashes.”
    • “Be warned, this did not work at all for VR and I could not get my refund; it's buggy as hell at the start and the graphics are not polished enough.”
  • replayability24 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the different paths and choices that can alter the story presentation, many note that it ultimately leads to a single ending. The game is relatively short, taking about 4.5 hours to complete, and offers limited replay value primarily through exploring various story arcs and chapter selections. Overall, it provides a niche experience with some replay potential, but it may not satisfy those seeking significant variation in outcomes.

    • “They also incorporated different paths through the story to give it replay value.”
    • “Choices you make in the game affect the storyline, which gives some replayability.”
    • “It's a niche game with no replay value but quite the experience.”
    • “Some replay value in there are choices that change how elements of the story are presented, but there is only one ending.”
    • “It took me about 4.5 hours to complete, and there is replay value, going back to see a few different story arcs (although they all lead to the same ending).”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as unintentional and often derived from awkward design choices, such as a poorly executed character controller and bizarre visual elements that evoke laughter in a negative way. Players found amusement in the absurdity of the situations, like encountering strange decals and mis-translations, which provided levity amidst the game's darker themes. Overall, the humor seems to stem from a mix of awkwardness and unexpected moments that contrast with the game's serious setting.

    • “The first-person character controller is way, way, way wrong, but in a funny way.”
    • “My perception of the scale of the character made me laugh a few times.”
    • “I played this game with friends, and the only thing providing any levity or motivation was the anticipation of the next hilarious mistranslation or grammatical error.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

55% average critic score

Buy The Town of Light

Play time

5hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
3-11hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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