Luna

Luna is a 2D side-scrolling adventure game set in a whimsical fantasy world. Players navigate a dreamlike environment, solving environmental puzzles and platforming challenges to restore a disrupted celestial balance. The game emphasizes a serene, non-violent experience with a focus on exploration and discovery, making it a family-friendly alternative to more action-oriented titles.

Luna: A Celestial Fable Lost in the Shadows of Its Predecessors

In the vast cosmos of video games, where blockbuster franchises often shine the brightest, there exist quiet, contemplative experiences that seek not to dominate the cultural conversation but to offer a moment of serene reflection. Luna, developed by the veteran-led indie studio Funomena and released in 2017, is one such title—a beautifully crafted, musically rich interactive fable that, despite its artistic ambitions, ultimately finds itself adrift between its lofty goals and the stark realities of its minimalist design.

Introduction: A Dream Interrupted

From the minds behind genre-defining classics like Journey and Flower comes a game that wears its heart on its sleeve—a poignant, wordless tale of a bird’s quest to reassemble the fragmented moon and find its way home. Luna is a game that unabashedly prioritizes atmosphere and emotion over complex mechanics, positioning itself as a meditative experience meant to be savored rather than conquered. Yet, for all its visual and auditory splendor, Luna remains a divisive entry in the pantheon of indie darlings, celebrated by some for its purity and criticized by others for its lack of depth. This review will explore how Luna‘s legacy is not defined by its innovations but by its inability to fully realize the potential of its enchanting premise.

Development History & Context: A Star-Studded Team with a Vision

Funomena, founded by Robin Hunicke (known for her work on Journey and The Sims 2), assembled a team of industry veterans with credits spanning some of the most beloved titles of the past decade. This included composer Austin Wintory (Journey, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate), whose involvement signaled the studio’s commitment to audio-driven storytelling. Developed using the Unity engine, Luna was conceived as a multi-platform release for both PC and VR, with later ports to PlayStation 4 and Oculus Quest.

The gaming landscape of 2017 was dominated by narrative-driven indies (What Remains of Edith Finch, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice) and VR experiments seeking to define the medium’s potential. Luna emerged amidst this zeitgeist, aiming to blend the tactile interactivity of VR with the emotional resonance of a children’s storybook. However, the team’s ambition was tempered by budgetary constraints and the challenges of creating a universally accessible experience. As revealed in post-release interviews, the development process was fraught with iterations and refinements, as the team grappled with balancing simplicity and engagement.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive: A Silent Story of Loss and Redemption

Luna‘s narrative is elegantly spare: a bird, nestled in the Golden Gate Bridge, is lured by an owl into swallowing the last piece of the waning moon, scattering its fragments across a series of celestial realms. The player’s task is to guide the bird through these environments, solving puzzles to restore each biome and ultimately reassemble the moon.

The story unfolds without dialogue, relying instead on visual cues, environmental storytelling, and Wintory’s evocative score to convey emotion. Themes of curiosity, consequence, and reconciliation are gently explored—the bird’s impulsive act disrupts the natural order, and its journey becomes one of atonement. Each restored environment—a shadowy forest, a sparkling lake—serves as a metaphor for healing and renewal.

However, the narrative’s minimalism is both its greatest strength and its most significant weakness. While some players may find profundity in its silence, others will critique its lack of character development or emotional depth. The bird remains a cipher, its motivations unclear beyond a basic desire to return home. Compared to the rich, wordless storytelling of Journey or Gris, Luna‘s narrative feels underdeveloped, more a vignette than a fully realized tale.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems: Beauty in Simplicity, Frustration in Repetition

Luna‘s gameplay is divided into two primary loops: puzzle-solving and world-building.

• Puzzle-Solving: Each level features a series of celestial puzzles, typically involving aligning stars into constellations or replicating musical sequences (a la Simon Says). These puzzles are intentionally straightforward, designed to be accessible rather than challenging. While this aligns with the game’s relaxed pace, it also means that seasoned players may find them monotonous and underwhelming. The puzzles lack variety, repeating the same mechanics with slight variations across the game’s short runtime (approximately 1-2 hours).

• World-Building: After solving a puzzle, players are tasked with revitalizing a diorama-like terrarium by placing flora and fauna. This segment is meant to be a creative, sandbox-style interlude, where each placed element contributes to a musical soundscape. Unfortunately, the interface is often clunky, with imprecise controls (particularly in the non-VR version) limiting the sense of agency. The customization options are shallow—only a handful of plants are available, and they cannot be rotated or edited with any depth.

The UI is minimalist to a fault, offering few options for customization or accessibility. Notably, the PC version lacks basic features like v-sync toggle, leading to performance issues on even high-end systems.

World-Building, Art & Sound: A Masterclass in Atmosphere

If Luna excels in any single area, it is in its audiovisual presentation. The art style, reminiscent of a hand-illustrated storybook, is lush and vibrant. Each environment is rendered with a dreamlike quality, blending 2D scrolling with cinematic camera angles to create a sense of wonder. The terrariums, once populated, burst with color and life, selling the fantasy of nurturing a world back from desolation.

Austin Wintory’s score is, predictably, magnificent—a haunting, melodic composition that evolves dynamically as players interact with the world. The sound design is equally meticulous, with every action producing a musical tone, transforming the game into an interactive instrument.

In VR, these elements shine brightest, offering an immersive, tactile experience that elevates the simple mechanics. However, on traditional platforms, the magic is somewhat dimmed by the mechanical frustrations.

Reception & Legacy: A Niche Gem with Limited Impact

Upon release, Luna received mixed-to-positive reviews. Critics praised its aesthetic and soundscape but criticized its repetitive gameplay and short length. It holds a “Very Positive” rating on Steam (86% of 104 reviews), though deeper analysis reveals a divide between players who valued its tranquility and those who found it boring.

• Critical Reception: Reviews highlighted the game’s charm but noted its lack of challenge. As one player noted on Backloggd, “It’s more of a musical toy than a game.” The VR version was generally better received, as the immersive format mitigated some of the gameplay shortcomings.
• Awards and Nominations: Luna was nominated for Steam’s “Whoooaaaaaaa, Dude! 2.0” Award in 2017 and won accolades like “Best VR Game” at the Brazil Independent Games Festival, though these were niche recognitions.
• Legacy: Luna‘s influence on the industry is minimal. It remains a footnote in the careers of its creators, overshadowed by their previous work. However, it exemplifies a growing subgenre of “zen” games (Luna, GNOG, Form) that prioritize mood over mechanics. Its true legacy may be as a case study in the challenges of translating VR-centric design to flat screens.

Conclusion: A Fleeting Dream Worth Experiencing—Once

Luna is a game of contradictions: breathtakingly beautiful yet mechanically shallow, emotionally resonant yet narratively thin. It is a title that will undoubtedly captivate a specific audience—those seeking a brief, meditative escape—but frustrate players craving substance or challenge.

Its place in video game history is secure as a curio, a well-intentioned experiment from a talented team that ultimately could not transcend its limitations. For VR enthusiasts and audiophiles, Luna is a worthwhile experience, especially on sale. For others, it may feel like a missed opportunity—a celestial fable that, much like the moon it seeks to rebuild, remains tantalizingly fragmented.

Final Verdict: Luna is a charming, albeit flawed, interactive storybook. Approach it not as a game but as a poetic interlude—a brief, shining moment in the dark expanse of gaming’s cosmos.