Lumis, a brain game for adults
In Lumis you never steer anyone directly. The little light creatures set off on their own, and you decide who digs, builds a bridge or stands still at the right moment. You play for free online in your browser, with no sign-up.
What there is to think about
Every level has a trick you first have to spot. The lumis come out of a crack in the rock and walk stubbornly straight ahead, over the next edge if need be. You have a few skills at hand, each only a few times. Which ones you need is often clear quite quickly. The tricky part is which lumi gets them and where.
When things get tight, press pause. Everything freezes, and you can still hand out skills. That leaves time to think, even when the group is already heading for the drop.
Five puzzles from the game
The Scout (Glowing Caves)
Down below there is an edge that only a Lightstep can bridge. One lumi floats ahead with a Dandelion and builds it. The real puzzle is the group behind it: how do you stop them until the bridge is done?
No Holding Back (Sunken Ruins)
With a Vine the lumis climb over a wall. One bend later they climb over the next one just as keenly, and behind it lies the abyss. Climbers only turn round when a Beacon stands in their way.
Crystal Arrow (Crystal Mine)
Crystal has a direction. A Beam only gets through along the arrow and gets stuck against it. The group reaches the wrong wall first.
Mind the Plate (The Light Works)
Up to here every switch plate has been a help. In this level it opens a trapdoor right in front of whoever steps on it. The way has to lead over the plate without touching it.
Only From Above (Cloud Isles)
Clouds carry anyone who drops onto them from above. Walk into one from the side and you fall straight through. This cloud floats a hair above the ground, and there is nothing next to it to drop from. Not yet.
How the levels get harder
Lumis has five worlds of 20 levels each. You meet every new skill and every new obstacle in a safe spot first. After that the game mixes it with what you already know, and the last levels of a world ask for all of it together. From the third world on you get exactly as many charges as the solution needs. One wasted skill then usually means starting over.
When you are stuck
The menu holds the hint lamp. It shows with light marks where and when the solution hands out a skill. In the browser game hints are free. For truly hopeless cases there is Ignite all: every lumi burns out at once and you start the level again.
Points and leaderboard
A level is solved as soon as enough lumis get home. Your points count every lumi you save, your speed and every skill you have left over. Solve a level with fewer charges and you climb the leaderboard. Joining is optional, and a name of your choice is all it takes.
Who Lumis is for
For adults and teenagers who enjoy a puzzle and would rather make a plan than tap fast. Some solutions still need quick fingers, for example when a Shooting Star has to take off at exactly the right moment.