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About Diluted
Diluted is an indie adventure-strategy game from studio Lumenforge, released on January 1 2026 for PC. Set in a surreal world where nightmares bleed into reality, you play Archie, a teenager trapped in a decaying orphanage. The story revolves around figuring out the orphanage’s dark history by navigating between corrupted memories and eerie dreamscapes. The game blends exploration with resource management, as Archie balances reality and nightmare states to solve puzzles. It’s a slow-burn mystery with a focus on environmental storytelling and psychological tension.
Gameplay
Diluted uses a 3/4-top-down perspective, with WASD movement and mouse-based camera control. Core gameplay involves exploring interconnected zones like forests and hallways that shift between “reality” and “nightmare” states. Puzzles require manipulating objects in one dimension to affect the other, like moving a tree in a dream to block sunlight in reality. Archie has a limited “nightmare energy” meter that depletes when in dream mode, forcing careful planning. Combat is minimal but tense, with Archie using sound-based traps to fend off shadow creatures. Sessions often involve backtracking as new areas open after solving earlier puzzles.
What Players Think
PlayPile users rate Diluted 78% with 72/100 on Metacritic. Average playtime is 14 hours, but completion rate is low at 32%. Community moods are split: 68% Dread, 24% Curiosity. Players praise its “atmosphere and clever dimension-switching puzzles” but criticize pacing. One review calls it “a haunting concept held back by sluggish design.” The game has 30 achievements (100 points), with “Nightmare Architect” (solve 50 puzzles) being the most earned. Price at launch was $29.99.
PlayPile's Take
Diluted is a niche pick for fans of slow-burn psychological mysteries. While its unique premise and visual style shine, uneven pacing and repetitive puzzles may frustrate. The $29.99 price tag and 30 achievements make it a risk for casual players. Stick with it if you enjoy figuring out cryptic stories through environmental design. Not for those craving action or fast progression.
Game Modes
Single player
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