Lifeless Moon Is An Ambitious Sci-fi Adventure That’s Both Dreamlike and Relatable

Lifeless Moon is a narrative driven exploration game with light challenge through platforming. There are puzzles but deciphering obscure instructions can sometimes be the most difficult part. The game follows an astronaut as they follow scientists who have discovered a way to travel to space and time. Gameplay consists of wandering through these locations until finding the point of interest that pushes the story forward. 

There are tense moments, but the game is mostly a walking simulator. Some sections require the use of a jetpack to get around. These are truly mind-bending moments that can be a little disorienting. The astronaut never really “dies”. At most the screen blacks out and you’ll need to run back. It’s more about experiencing surreal locations and Lifeless Moon’s dark story. 

With so little to interact with, there weren’t any major bugs. There’s a possibility of audio cues continuing to play after interacting with anything. A quick restart usually fixes the issues. Even with this “problem” there’s very little to stop progression. The lack of challenge can also be an obstacle. There isn’t much to keep players engaged outside of cutscenes.

Lifeless Moon offers a fantastical yet grounded look at the universe and everything left to explore. Alien locations and strange phenomena happen next to a normal street or lakeside cabin. It’s a slow experience that feels more contemplative than traditionally “exciting”. It’s only somewhat marred by the fact items can be so hard to find that your notebook will update though it isn’t clear what triggered the new page. Lifeless Moon is a good way to pass the time if you have a few hours to spare.