Lost in Shadow

About

You play as a boy's shadow navigating a towering structure filled with puzzles and hazards. Guide the shadow through shifting environments by jumping on shadowy surfaces while avoiding light. A magical companion can adjust light sources to reshape shadows creating new paths. Occasionally the boy briefly appears in 3D to interact with objects directly. Released in 2010 for Wii and later on Wii U eShop this indie-style adventure blends clever level design with a unique visual gimmick. The creative use of light/shadow mechanics keeps challenges fresh though some find the controls finicky. Community ratings hover around 70% on Metacritic with praise for inventive puzzles and a moody aesthetic. Shorter than most platformers at 4-6 hours but satisfying for those who enjoy spatial problem solving.

Storyline

The game starts with a boy imprisoned and seemingly suspended in mid air. A stranger enters and strikes at the boy with an odd looking sword. Oddly, this does not harm the boy but it does sever the connection between him and his shadow, which the stranger throws from the tower. In the story the player takes the role of the shadow as it works its way through the tower to the top. During this journey the player must stay in the shaded areas and can, for the most part, only interact with the shadows of things and not things themselves. In this quest the player is aided by 'Spangle', a sylph who can sometimes usefully change the angle of light - thus changing the shadows of objects and thus making impossible jumps achievable and unreachable objects accessible.