I was a bit disappointed with the ending because I think I was hoping that there was a twist or something more meaningful to find at the lodge. With that said, I still enjoyed the theme and gameplay and loved seeing how the relationships with the sled dogs played out and progressed on the journey.
The Red Lantern
Timberline Studio, Inc. · Oct 22, 2020
About
The Red Lantern is a rogue-lite, resource management narrative game where you and your team of 5 sled dogs, lost in the wilderness, must navigate the ever-changing events of the Alaskan bush to find your way home.
Trailers & screenshots
Scores by platform
Critic reviews
- Overall The Red Lantern is full of heart and charm, but with some disappointing execution that had much potential. The journey felt short, and I noticed a few bugs, at one point getting so bad I had to restart. I feel like it is too short to be $24.99. But if you love dogs, making choices, and the great Alaskan wilderness, this game would be worth picking up if on sale.
- 6.0Timberline Studio's debut game holds a lot of promise, with writing and animations that are both full to the brim with personality and wit. However, The Red Lantern's core game loop suffers from repetitive, punishingly random events that make the player feel passive and helpless to the whims of fate.
- Overall, The Red Lantern is a stunning game that offers a juxtaposition of being both a calming experience and one that can inspire a level of anxiety due to the more randomized nature of the mechanics. Watching that meter drop and feeling hope drop down with it can sometimes feel like a punch to the gut, but eventually a rhythm is found and relaxing around a campfire with a full belly, a warm fire, and adorable furry friends more than makes up for those dips in euphoria.
- 4.5If it had been a 1.5 hour purely narrative experience, it could have worked, but being a rogue-lite just makes it feel padded and pointless. The $25 USD price tag is also too high for what it offers, meaning that these dogs simply aren’t worth the trip.
- 7.0It's always reposeful when a video game can connect me with the experiences of my youth, and The Red Lantern does just that. It can be breathtaking at times, and it can also be pretty banausic, but the Musher's journey to her new home has enough beauty, adventure, and adorable dogs I just don't want to stop petting to make each trip worthwhile.
Related games
Rate this game
Drag or use arrow keys to rate
to rate this game.