If you enjoy jumping around on enveloping pixelated architecture while basking in an atmosphere of pathological sadness, set aside some time on September 20th, because that’s when Rubeki’s first-person spelunking game Lorn’s Lure will be released on Steam. Ah, I’ve been waiting for this one for a while. Check out a new trailer below.
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Lorn's Lure tells the story of an android who chases a strange visual glitch through a massive, gloomy, dystopian edifice made of retro 90s PC textures. The game's signature trick is that you can climb up virtually any surface using your pickaxes, provided you have the stamina to do so.
It can be a grind – I tried the demo a few years ago and found myself stuck under a vast slate overhang. But it’s also very relaxing. There’s no rush to complete, no real active threat element, and plenty to discover. Who is this android you’re controlling, exactly? Why are they drawn to this problem? Who else inhabits this world?
“I like megastructures, I like abandoned megastructures, and I really like freely exploring an abandoned megastructure,” Alice0 (RPS at Peace) wrote of Lorn’s Lure in 2023, effectively describing the progression of my own thoughts as I played the demo. If you’re intrigued, the demo is still available and was recently updated with a new intro cinematic, Steam Deck compatibility, overhauled level design, and new music, among other additions.
For more on this kind of thing, check out Babbdi.