Lorelei and the Laser Eyes is an eclectic, puzzle-filled, haunted-mansion mystery thriller for PC and Nintendo Switch. It’s a mystery game not only in the narrative sense; discovering what kinds of puzzles are hidden in its halls and what they look like on your screen is all part of its charm. But getting the answer is never enough as UI, art style and perspective all warp with the mystery. It’s not only a challenge to find a code, but also to read it, and then use it on whatever interface is in front of you.
Lorelei bears little resemblance to Swedish studio Simogo’s 2019 neon rhythm game, Sayonara Wild Hearts.
It’s slow, all greyscale with distinguished red accents, and its pacing is built around your own wit. Simogo has previously played in this realm to smaller acclaim: the text-based mystery game Device 6 was an early iOS hit.