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I almost missed this one.
Planet of Lana came out back in 2023, and it sat on my someday list until a reader of the site was kind enough to gift it to me. I am glad they did, because it turned out to be one of the most quietly lovely things I have played in a while, and it deserved better than my backlog. So, consider this both a review and a thank you.
The short version: Planet of Lana is a calm, gorgeous puzzle adventure that trades action for wonder. It is short and gentle, but the art, the music, and the bond between a girl and her little companion carry it a long way.
| Developer | Wishfully |
| Publisher | Thunderful Publishing |
| Platforms | PC and Xbox at launch, later PlayStation and Nintendo Switch |
| Release date | May 2023 |
| Length | Around five to six hours |
| Genre | Cinematic puzzle platformer, adventure |
| Score | 4 out of 5 |
You play Lana, a young girl in a warm, painterly world that gets turned upside down when a swarm of machines descends from the sky and starts carting people off, including her older sister, Elo. There are no gun toting aliens here, and that is important. The invaders are cold, mechanical robots, and the whole look of the game leans on that contrast: soft, living nature on one side, hard, humming metal on the other.
Lana sets off to get her sister back, and she does not go alone. Early on she meets Mui, a small cat like creature who becomes your constant companion and, honestly, the heart of the whole thing. Most puzzles are built around the two of you working together, you boosting Mui up to a ledge, Mui distracting a machine or slipping through a gap you cannot reach. It never turns into a fetch quest of button pressing. It feels like looking after someone.
The art is the headline, and it lives up to it. This is hand painted, storybook stuff, all lush silhouettes and glowing horizons, and it clearly owes a debt to Studio Ghibli. I caught myself just stopping to look more than once, which is not something I do often. No two screens feel the same, and the world always seems to open onto something bigger just past the edge of the frame.
The music does just as much work. It is gentle and a little haunting, and it swells at exactly the right moments without ever shouting. Between the score and the wordless storytelling, the game earns its emotional beats honestly. The bond with Mui, in particular, sneaks up on you. By the end I cared about that little creature more than I care about most fully voiced protagonists.
And the pacing is the part I keep thinking about. This is a game about discovery and exploration, not action. It reminded me of the old cinematic classics like Out of This World in the way it moves, deliberate, atmospheric, letting a moment breathe, except without the sudden gory deaths that game was famous for. Planet of Lana keeps the mood and drops the cruelty. It is calm in a way very few games are brave enough to be.
I have to be honest about who this is not for. If you want challenge, tension, or action, this is not your game. The puzzles are clever but rarely hard, and you are almost never in real danger. For me that was the point, it is a wind down, sit with it kind of experience. But if you need stakes and difficulty to stay engaged, you may find it slow or slight.
It is also short, around five hours, and once it is over there is not much reason to go back. I do not hold the length against it, because it says what it wants to say and then stops rather than padding itself out. Just go in knowing it is a lovely evening or two, not a sprawling adventure.
| ➔ Planet of Lana is proof that a game does not need to raise your heart rate to stay with you. It is calm, charming, gorgeous to look at, and quietly moving, carried by its art, its score, and one very good little companion. It loses a point only for being short and light on real challenge, which will bother some players more than it bothered me. If you have any patience for a slower, gentler kind of adventure, this is an easy one to recommend. And to the reader who sent it my way, thank you. You picked a good one. |
| ➔ Review Score | 4 out of 5 |
Pros
Cons
How long is Planet of Lana?
Around five hours for a single playthrough, roughly one or two relaxed evenings.
Is Planet of Lana a hard game?
No. The puzzles are clever but rarely difficult, and you are seldom in real danger. It is built as a calm, atmospheric experience rather than a test of skill.
Is there any combat in Planet of Lana?
Not in the traditional sense. It is a puzzle adventure focused on exploration, stealth, and teamwork with your companion Mui rather than fighting.
Who is Mui in Planet of Lana?
Mui is the small cat like creature who becomes Lana's companion early in the game. Many puzzles revolve around the two of you helping each other, and the bond is the emotional core of the story.
Is Planet of Lana worth playing in 2026?
Yes. It is a short, gorgeous, gentle adventure that has aged perfectly well, and it is available across PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. If you like slower, story led games, it is well worth a few evenings.
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