Lightmatter taking shape for late 2019 release

Written by Jack Allin — June 8, 2019 at 10:03

We should always be a little wary about what might be lurking in the shadows, but what if it's the shadows themselves that pose imminent danger? That's the premise behind indie Danish developer Tunnel Vision Games' upcoming first-person puzzler, Lightmatter. 

Players find themselves thrust into a "sci-fi story about a maniac inventor who has created the ultimate power source called 'Lightmatter.'" While exploring his enigmatic facility, it is your job to investigate and try to "understand what's going on." However, you'll soon discover that in this place the shadows on the floor are as deadly as lava. You can jump over some, but in order to progress you will need to manipulate different sources of light to create traversable paths. 

Inspired by acclaimed physics puzzlers like Portal and The Talos Principle, this game employs a much different art style than its forebears, featuring a "comicbook" presentation with muted colour palette and "gloomy sci-fi atmosphere." Voiced by David Bateson, best known as the bald assassin in the popular Hitman series, Lightmatter aims to take "common aesthetic elements in games – lights and shadows – and use them as an active game mechanic" to create "mind-bending puzzles" that will require lateral thinking to overcome. Along the way, the sci-fi narrative promises to include a "twist of dark humour" even as it tackles relevant themes of the day such as alternative energy sources. 

Originally conceived as a short university project before being significantly expanded into a full-fledged game, Lightmatter has been in production since 2016 but is now nearing completion, with a launch on Steam expected sometime later this year. Console ports are also possible, but no specific release details have yet been confirmed.