Light & Shadow
Flawed Designs · 2022 · Side Scroller, 2D Platformer, Collectathon, Rhythm, Platformer
PC
Very Positive93% · 179
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →
Screenshots
About Light & Shadow
When a star falls in a nearby forest, it spurs Po onto a quest to find that light and bring it into their life.
Welcome to Light & Shadow, a narrative-driven 2D platformer in shadow puppet form, where you face your anxieties, climb out of depression, and find the moments of joy in a grey world. You'll puppeteer Po through 26 levels spread over 5 Biomes, where you will collect music notes and seek out key special moments in each level, which will help you push back the manifestations of Anxiety and Depression which will obscure your view and slow you down on your quest to find the star.
Inspired by “Po's Climb,” a shadow puppet performance by Sequoia Erickson, and in collaboration with Shadowland Theatre, Light & Shadow features an art style heavily relying on the trappings of a shadow puppet show. The cutscenes are recordings of live puppet shows, which tie the world together.
In support of the main concepts of dealing with anxiety and depression, Light & Shadow was built in collaboration with mental health professionals and a youth advisory committee, to evaluate the themes and moments in the game in order to ensure they were portrayed accurately and effectively.
Leaning heavily into a linear narrative, and inspired by the creative team's film and theater backgrounds, Light & Shadow takes you (and Po) on a journey of hope and heartbreak, excitement and anxiety.
Finding your way isn't always easy, keep going!
Features:
-25 Levels
-5 Different Biomes
-Unique Layered Musical Health System
-List of Mental Health Resources
Welcome to Light & Shadow, a narrative-driven 2D platformer in shadow puppet form, where you face your anxieties, climb out of depression, and find the moments of joy in a grey world. You'll puppeteer Po through 26 levels spread over 5 Biomes, where you will collect music notes and seek out key special moments in each level, which will help you push back the manifestations of Anxiety and Depression which will obscure your view and slow you down on your quest to find the star.
Inspired by “Po's Climb,” a shadow puppet performance by Sequoia Erickson, and in collaboration with Shadowland Theatre, Light & Shadow features an art style heavily relying on the trappings of a shadow puppet show. The cutscenes are recordings of live puppet shows, which tie the world together.
In support of the main concepts of dealing with anxiety and depression, Light & Shadow was built in collaboration with mental health professionals and a youth advisory committee, to evaluate the themes and moments in the game in order to ensure they were portrayed accurately and effectively.
Leaning heavily into a linear narrative, and inspired by the creative team's film and theater backgrounds, Light & Shadow takes you (and Po) on a journey of hope and heartbreak, excitement and anxiety.
Finding your way isn't always easy, keep going!
Features:
-25 Levels
-5 Different Biomes
-Unique Layered Musical Health System
-List of Mental Health Resources
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
Light & Shadow is one of those free games you want to love. The shadow puppet art style is interesting. Cutscenes as live puppet recordings, very cool. The BGM is beautifully melancholic, and the game story is about mental health narrative about anxiety and depression. Performance was flawless. Running off a Micro SD card on Windows 11, the game locked to 120fps on my laptop's display. My wired PS5 controller worked without a hitch. And the game is under 1GB. The gameplay is rough. Not a good platformer. Verdict: Download it for the art, the thoughtful mental health themes. Just go in knowing the platforming is a hurdle, not a highlight.3 found this helpful
Great artstyle and sound but the gameplay is EXTREMELY boring. 90% = run around doing nothing but collect music notes. The rest = run away from bugs. I wanted to see the end but the levels feel like they never end. Guess I'll just Youtube it, instead.2 found this helpful
it's good game2 found this helpful
A good but short 2d platformer. The soundtrack is good and its not too hard but also not too easy. The art style is also Fantastic! 8/102 found this helpful
Great game1 found this helpful
A short but visually striking experience. Light & Shadow delivers great atmosphere and strong visuals, making it an enjoyable play from start to finish. It’s on the shorter side, but the presentation really carries it. I’d love to see save slots or chapter selection added in the future, as it would make revisiting the game for achievements and story moments much more convenient. Overall, a solid and memorable experience.1 found this helpful
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