I love games as a medium. Especially horror games. Horror is usually the genre where developers have the most freedom to go buckwild with ideas even if they don’t always pan out as well as you hope. That’s what intrigues me most about No One Lives Under the Lighthouse. On the surface level, it’s a PS1-style retro throwback in the vein of other recent indie titles; but deep inside it provides a haunting experience that is ingrained into my brain days later.
So what exactly is No One Lives Under the Lighthouse? The game is a slow burn horror title that borrows inspirations from the puzzle solving days of survival horror games. The game has a very intentional graphical style, evocative of the early days of the PlayStation. Players will take on the role of a lighthouse keeper who’s called in after the disappearance of the previous keeper. Slowly as you play out your nightly ritual of tending to the lighthouse, the story begins to unravel itself in surprising ways.
It’s a simple game; even non-gamers will be able to jump in and enjoy the experience.
Most of the gameplay revolves around light puzzle solving and exploration on the island. You are there to tend to the lighthouse so you’ll need to find the tools to keep it up and take care of it. It gets to a certain point that the lighthouse itself feels like a central character. Constantly looming overhead with a creepy aura about it. As changes manifest throughout the world it becomes increasingly clear that not all is as it seems, which is what makes No One Lives Under the Lighthouse so compelling. The gameplay represents a means to an end. Sure, the tasks you complete are monotonous and technically chores, but you’re rewarded with more story as you go along. Unfortunately, gameplay-wise I would’ve liked a bit more in this department. I won’t mention spoilers, but even though it opens up a bit later on I was still left wanting more.
The story on the other hand is where No One Lives Under the Lighthouse shines. While at first many will be quick to point out similarities to the 2019 film The Lighthouse, the game soon differentiates itself by allowing its environment to manifest physical changes in unexpected ways. And it’s all tied to the story that unfolds as an unraveling of sanity. It’s good stuff and I highly recommend you go spoiler free. Unfortunately, even as a 2-hour experience I wasn’t a fan of the slow burn storytelling. This isn’t a knock against it, though, because what’s on display is very well crafted. Fans of abstract horror in particular are sure to find something to love here.
At the end of the day, No One Lives Under the Lighthouse is a short but sweet experience for horror fans. With an intriguing story and absolutely haunting atmosphere that is sure to please fans of the genre and an art style that is reminiscent of your favorite retro games. It has a low barrier to entry and achieves everything it sets out to do. It may not be breaking any barriers but sometimes all you want is a well-crafted horror experience, and this one delivers in spades.
Review code provided by the publisher.
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