The verdict on Lanternfall
3 of 5 wanted to keep playing, 1 stopped early, median 34 minutes. Fix first: The second boss's slam has no readable tell.
- Size
- Demo Check (5 players)
- Played
- 5 days
- Sessions
- 5, 1 stopped early
5 players with 20+ hours on Steam played and answered, including 1 who stopped early and told us why. With this few players, read the counts as a direction; the recordings are the main result.
What happened in the sessions
Drawn from the transcripts of 5 of 5 sessions. Check the moments that matter to you against the recordings. Every quote matches the transcript word for word, and each link opens the recording at that moment. Counts are sessions where the moment came up.
Players liked the look and the lantern loop, and three of five wanted to keep playing. The second boss and the unexplained oil meter cost the most goodwill: one player stopped at the boss, and two were confused by oil until well into the session.
Top issues
The second boss's slam has no readable tell 2 sessions, loses players
Players died to the slam without seeing it coming, and the checkpoint is a long walk away.
- “Where did that come from? I didn't see him wind up at all.” Session 3 at 13:32
- “Okay, that slam is brutal. And now I walk all the way back.” Session 2 at 24:50
The oil meter isn't explained 2 sessions, slows them down
Players didn't learn that lanterns refill oil until 15 to 20 minutes in.
- “Oh, the lanterns refill it. That would've been nice to know.” Session 2 at 18:25
Map has no markers 1 session, polish
One player got lost backtracking.
No quotes from sessions in the report right now. A session being checked after a flag leaves the report until the check is done.
What players liked
Lighting lanterns and pushing the fog back 4 sessions
- “Oh that's gorgeous, the whole valley just opened up.” Session 1 at 4:20
Why players stopped
Repeated deaths at the second boss 1 session
- “Eleventh try. I think I'm done for now.” Session 3 at 14:20
Would they keep playing?
3 of 5 wanted to keep playing when they stopped.
Median playtime: 34 minutes (from Steam where it reported, otherwise the recording or the player's own estimate).
Where players stopped
1 of 5 stopped before 30 minutes because the game lost them.
Still playing after
| Minutes in | Still playing | Players |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min | 100% | 5 of 5 |
| 10 min | 100% | 5 of 5 |
| 15 min | 80% | 4 of 5 |
| 20 min | 80% | 4 of 5 |
| 30 min (asked) | 80% | 4 of 5 |
Minutes come from Steam playtime during the test (4 sessions) and the recording's length (1 session). We use Steam when it reports, then the recording, then the player's estimate. The 30-minute row is the length the test asked for.
What made them stop, in their words
- The second boss took me eleven tries and there was a long walk back each time. I stopped there.
The summary above lists what they said out loud when they stopped.
Ratings
Each dot is one player, on a 1 to 5 scale.
What they wrote
In random order, without names.
What confused you or slowed you down?
5 answers
- The map icons for shrines and shops look the same, so I walked to the wrong one twice.
- Nothing big. The upgrade menu took a second to figure out.
- The second boss's slam has no tell that I could see, I just died.
- I kept losing track of where I'd been. No map markers.
- I didn't know the oil meter refills at lanterns until about 20 minutes in.
What was the best moment?
5 answers
- The bell tower climb. Tense, and the music swells at the right moment.
- The opening village was beautiful.
- Lighting the first lantern and watching the fog pull back across the whole valley.
- The lantern lighting effect.
- Finding the hidden path behind the waterfall.
Which game you've played does it remind you of, and how does it compare?
5 answers
- Like Death's Door but harder than it needs to be early on.
- Closest to Tunic, with fewer secrets so far.
- Reminds me of Ori for the mood, but the combat is slower and heavier.
- Feels like a smaller Hollow Knight with a cozier tone. Movement is not as tight yet.
- Hollow Knight, but I got lost more here.
If you could change one thing, what would it be?
5 answers
- Explain the oil meter the first time it drops, not later.
- More enemy types in the first area.
- Let me rebind dodge. It's on a key my hand keeps missing.
- Let me place markers on the map.
- Move the checkpoint closer to the second boss.
Any bugs or crashes? Say where they happened. Write "none" if there weren't any.
2 answers
- Audio cut out for a few seconds in the caves.
- Fell through the floor once near the mill, had to reload.
Every session
In a real report, each session opens to the player's recording playing beside its transcript, where every line jumps the video to that moment, and every quote above links to its moment. Here are the answers.
Session 1
34 min on SteamWanted to keep playing
- Enjoyment
- 5/5
- Clarity
- 4/5
- Buy intent
- 4/5
- What confused you or slowed you down?
- The map icons for shrines and shops look the same, so I walked to the wrong one twice.
- What was the best moment?
- Lighting the first lantern and watching the fog pull back across the whole valley.
- Which game you've played does it remind you of, and how does it compare?
- Feels like a smaller Hollow Knight with a cozier tone. Movement is not as tight yet.
- If you could change one thing, what would it be?
- Let me rebind dodge. It's on a key my hand keeps missing.
- Any bugs or crashes? Say where they happened. Write "none" if there weren't any.
- none
Session 2
41 min on SteamWanted to keep playing
- Enjoyment
- 4/5
- Clarity
- 3/5
- Buy intent
- 3/5
- What confused you or slowed you down?
- I didn't know the oil meter refills at lanterns until about 20 minutes in.
- What was the best moment?
- The bell tower climb. Tense, and the music swells at the right moment.
- Which game you've played does it remind you of, and how does it compare?
- Reminds me of Ori for the mood, but the combat is slower and heavier.
- If you could change one thing, what would it be?
- Explain the oil meter the first time it drops, not later.
- Any bugs or crashes? Say where they happened. Write "none" if there weren't any.
- Fell through the floor once near the mill, had to reload.
Session 3
14 min recordedStopped early
- Enjoyment
- 2/5
- Clarity
- 3/5
- Buy intent
- 2/5
- What made them stop
- The second boss took me eleven tries and there was a long walk back each time. I stopped there.
- What confused you or slowed you down?
- The second boss's slam has no tell that I could see, I just died.
- What was the best moment?
- The opening village was beautiful.
- Which game you've played does it remind you of, and how does it compare?
- Like Death's Door but harder than it needs to be early on.
- If you could change one thing, what would it be?
- Move the checkpoint closer to the second boss.
- Any bugs or crashes? Say where they happened. Write "none" if there weren't any.
- none
Session 4
38 min on SteamWanted to keep playing
- Enjoyment
- 4/5
- Clarity
- 4/5
- Buy intent
- 4/5
- What confused you or slowed you down?
- Nothing big. The upgrade menu took a second to figure out.
- What was the best moment?
- Finding the hidden path behind the waterfall.
- Which game you've played does it remind you of, and how does it compare?
- Closest to Tunic, with fewer secrets so far.
- If you could change one thing, what would it be?
- More enemy types in the first area.
- Any bugs or crashes? Say where they happened. Write "none" if there weren't any.
- none
Session 5
31 min on Steam
- Enjoyment
- 3/5
- Clarity
- 2/5
- Buy intent
- 2/5
- What confused you or slowed you down?
- I kept losing track of where I'd been. No map markers.
- What was the best moment?
- The lantern lighting effect.
- Which game you've played does it remind you of, and how does it compare?
- Hollow Knight, but I got lost more here.
- If you could change one thing, what would it be?
- Let me place markers on the map.
- Any bugs or crashes? Say where they happened. Write "none" if there weren't any.
- Audio cut out for a few seconds in the caves.
Every report comes with the recordings, a PDF and a CSV of every session. See prices.