Winter is drawing to a close and the days are getting longer, so it’s a good time for Light a Way to emerge like a daffodil from the spring meadow of the App Store (and Google Play).
In case you missed out on the early access build, Light a Way is a gorgeous side-scrolling action-RPG for mobile with inventive character designs and polished cartoon visuals. It sees you taking on the forces of darkness in the guise of a little girl with magical, light-wielding powers.
In a gameplay loop that will be familiar to modern mobile gamers, you have to dispel enemies and collect the stardust they leave behind. You then invest this stardust in powering up your own character and the three fairies that accompany you.
Light up your life
Or you can level-up the Lumis that join in shortly after you set off. These Lumis are invaluable because they chip away at your enemies’ health without you have to do anything.
The more monsters you beat, the stronger you get, and the more allies you attract, giving you the thrill of swatting aside powerful enemies that would have stopped you in your tracks half an hour before.
Light a Way has an impressive number of items and upgrades to unlock, including runes, staffs, spells, and more, so that there are always several different priorities to work towards depending on your mood.
Light A Way to happiness
So far so familiar, but Light a Way brings something new to the genre. While it looks from the screenshots like a platformer, or at least an RPG involving a bit of combat and action, it’s actually a much more modern and mobile-friendly kind of game: a cookie clicker.
It’s a genius move if you think about it. Most casual action-RPGs let you finish battles automatically, because the action is far less important than the overarching upgrade mechanic. Problem is, it’s not much fun watching a battle play out.
Light a Way gives you just the right amount of involvement, letting you feel part of the action without detracting from the real point of the game: to chase upgrades and grow more and more powerful until you’re surrounded by a swarm of colourful Lumis and fairies, all raining technicolour death down on your hapless foes.
If you’re in the market for a beautiful, expansive, considerately undemanding casual RPG romp through a charming fantasy world then you’ll want to download Light a Way for free right now on Google Play and the App Store.
