Lume: Gorgeous Graphics, Disappointingly Short
Lume ($1.99) by State of Play Games is an indie puzzle adventure game that was built from scratch using paper, cardboard, and glue.
The entire visual aesthetic was created using a model set with miniature lighting, and a handheld camera to film the game in high definition. Later, that footage was made interactive, and populated with paper puzzles, giving Lume a look that’s not quite like anything else in the App Store.
In fact, the primary reason to download Lume is for its beautiful graphics and ultra cute characters, though the game itself is an experience. Let me sum up Lume’s gameplay in two words: really hard.
That’s right, Lume is one game that will put your puzzle-solving skills to the test. Have you mastered Machinarium? Blown threw A Tiny Bang Story in mere hours? Do you eat complicated puzzles for breakfast?
If so, Lume may be just the game for you. The puzzles are overly long at their best and incredibly obscure at their worst. This is essentially a point and click (or tap) puzzle game, so I’m going to skip over the controls. They’re simple to figure out, and consist mainly of tapping and dragging.
The story itself has the heroine, Lumi, visiting her grandad in the forest. When she gets to his house, he’s gone and the power has been mysteriously shut off, so Lumi must solve all of grandfather’s puzzles to turn the lights back on. The intricate puzzle system that Lumi’s grandfather has set up to restore power must be ridiculously inconvenient during blackouts, but it is what it is.
You’ll solve puzzle after puzzle, and let me tell you, Lume doesn’t ease you in. The puzzles are well done and fun to work on at first, but they do tend to become tedious due to Lume's lack of a hint system. You will do things like reroute electrical wires, find door codes with obscurely located numbers, and play musical notes to unlock a door.
There is absolutely no way a younger child will be able to play this game alone, and even many adults will struggle not to throw their iDevices in frustration. You know those safety straps they put on Wiimotes? You might want to get one for your iPad or iPhone before you start playing Lume. Just kidding. Sort of.
I loved Lume for its graphics, but the game itself turned out to be disappointingly short, even after taking the time to solve all of the puzzles. There are only three main areas, and if you’re a puzzle whiz, that equates to only an hour or two of gameplay.
Despite that fact, if you thrive on hard puzzles and go into the game knowing the length, you will absolutely love Lume. Also, if you appreciate gorgeous graphics, Lume is beautifully done and worth the download.
