Planet of Lana

Introduction

Planet of Lana follows a young girl through a colourful, alien-yet-familiar world under invasion by a cold, mechanical force, accompanied by Mui, a small creature whose abilities become central to solving the puzzles standing between Lana and her captured sister. Developed by Wishfully and published by Thunderful Publishing, it released 23 May 2023 for NZ$28.99. Over two years on, it holds 10,364 Steam reviews sitting at Very Positive, roughly 93.1%, with recent sentiment holding close at 91% across its most recent 100 English reviews. This review reads a substantial share of both the negative and positive samples, and finds a game whose presentation draws close to unanimous acclaim, wrapped around a puzzle-design argument specific and consistent enough to be this review's central finding.

Presentation reviewers agree is genuinely exceptional

Start with what draws the clearest, most consistent praise across this review's sample: Planet of Lana looks and sounds extraordinary, and reviewers describe it with real specificity rather than generic approval. Art direction earns credit as some of the strongest in its genre, with painterly, colourful environments reviewers say stay memorable well after finishing the game — one reviewer described the combination as "if Inside and Gris had a baby." Music and sound design draw matching, consistent praise for reinforcing emotional beats without overpowering them. The relationship between Lana and Mui is repeatedly singled out as the game's strongest storytelling device, conveyed almost entirely through animation, body language and small behavioural details rather than dialogue — a genre convention Planet of Lana executes with real specificity rather than as a gimmick.

A puzzle-design argument that names its influences directly

Set against that praise, this review's sample surfaces a large, specific and consistently repeated argument about the puzzles themselves. Reviewers describe most solutions as immediately obvious, with layouts and mechanical ideas repeating across similar areas rather than escalating in complexity as the game progresses. What makes this complaint worth reporting in detail is how consistently reviewers frame it against the same two reference points: LIMBO and INSIDE. Several reviewers explicitly credit those games as clear inspirations for Planet of Lana's tone and visual language, then argue in the same breath that the puzzle design doesn't clear the bar those games set — one detailed review specifically noted there were only "two puzzles in the whole game that actually made me reconsider" a solution, in a genre those earlier games built around exactly that kind of friction. A related, smaller complaint concerns recurring stealth segments, which several reviewers describe as padding added to extend runtime rather than integrated puzzle-platforming content.

Story reception splits along a familiar line

Story draws a more genuinely mixed response than the puzzle-design complaint. Some reviewers find it intriguing and emotionally resonant, carried by the visual storytelling around Lana and Mui's bond; others describe events as feeling arbitrary or convenient, arguing the narrative doesn't fully earn its bigger emotional swings. That split runs through both the positive and negative samples rather than cleanly separating them, suggesting it's a genuine matter of individual taste rather than a consensus complaint the way the puzzle-design argument is.

A completion rate that suggests most players see it through

Steam's own achievement data offers a useful data point here. The "creditroll" achievement — reached by finishing the story — sits at 36.8%, a healthy figure for a three-to-five hour game and roughly consistent with reviewers' reports of finishing the whole thing in a single sitting. Combined with Planet of Lana's comparatively modest price against its length, several reviewers specifically credit the game with getting that balance right, unlike some genre peers whose runtime draws more direct criticism relative to their price.

Final Verdict

Planet of Lana earns its Very Positive standing through presentation this review's sample agrees on almost without exception: art direction and music that hold up against the best in its genre, and a central relationship told with real craft through animation rather than dialogue. What keeps this from a stronger score is a large, specific and consistently argued complaint about the puzzles themselves — solutions reviewers describe as immediately obvious, measured directly against LIMBO and INSIDE, the very games Planet of Lana draws inspiration from and invites comparison to. For players who want a beautiful, atmospheric few hours built around mood and story rather than puzzle-solving, that trade-off is an easy one. For genre veterans specifically chasing the puzzle difficulty its influences are known for, this review's own sample suggests tempering that expectation.