Lume Review

Lume is beguilingly beautiful. It offers an unique look that I haven't seen elsewhere, namely the fact that the game is made from paper and cardboard. Developers, State of Play, created a model set, along with miniature lighting than started filming. It's spectacular to look at and offers a charm seldom seen with conventional graphics. A similarly warm and calming soundtrack plays in the background, adding a further touch of class to proceedings.

Immediately endeared towards the game, I jumped in and realised it's really pretty short. Short but sweet, yes, but with a few glaring flaws.

Lume follows the tale of a girl of the same name who visits her grandfather and discovers the power has gone at his house and he's nowhere to be seen. It's down to the player, through her, to restore the power just in time for dear grandad's return.

This is all done through completing a number of different puzzles, ranging from the simple to downright obtuse, and exploring the surroundings. With only a few different rooms to browse, it's the puzzles that will take the longest to complete in this brief but fun experience. One of the early puzzles focuses on solving a maze by rotating tiles which is simple yet satisfying. Others get a little more brainteasing however, with some feeling bordering on bewildering. This is where a hints system may have been useful but it also would have considerably shortened the experience.

Lume only takes an hour or two to complete (even faster if succumbing to a walkthrough - something I strongly recommend not doing) so a hints system would slash that time in half. Once completed, there's no reason to go back as the puzzles are exactly the same, rather than randomized in any way. State of Play promises that this is just Part 1 of the experience but a longer journey would have been welcome even despite the low price. There is also an iPhone version of the game available for download.