The Town of Light
A psychological horror adventure set in an abandoned asylum.
The Town of Light is a psychological horror adventure game from developer LKA and publisher Wired Productions. It launched on PC on February 26, 2016, followed by PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on June 6, 2017, and Nintendo Switch on February 7, 2020. The story takes place in the Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra, a real hospital in Tuscany, Italy. Players control Renée, a woman who was a patient there in the 1940s. The game opens with Renée entering the crumbling asylum to revisit her past. Flashbacks reveal she was admitted for promiscuity, depression, and a troubled relationship with her mother. She found solace in a doll named Charlotte. As she walks the halls, she experiences memories of her stay and earlier life. It becomes clear that a male nurse or doctor sexually abused her. Renée meets another patient, Amara, and the two begin a romance, but staff separate them when it is discovered. Later, Renée finds her medical records, which suggest Amara never existed and was a figment of her imagination. However, searching the patient property section uncovers Amara’s belongings, proving she was real and that the medical team falsified aspects of Renée’s condition. A note states Amara died in 1942. Other medical notes describe Renée as verbally and physically aggressive, often restrained to her bed. She receives electroconvulsive therapy and multiple sedative injections to manage her behavior. Renée also discovers that letters from her mother were withheld from her, a fact she finds in the property section. After years of censored communication, she learns her mother died, and she attempted suicide several times. The game concludes with Renée undergoing a lobotomy. A doctor narrates that her long-term recovery after the surgery is uncertain. On Metacritic, the game holds a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 from 22 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. A three-part series in PC Gamer details how designer Lorenzo Conticelli created the asylum setting. A Nintendo Switch version was announced on February 1, 2018, and released on February 7, 2020.
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Town of Light
- Developer
- LKA
- Publisher
- Wired Productions
- Platforms
- Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Released
- PC · February 26, 2016 · PS4, Xbox One · June 6, 2017 · Nintendo Switch · February 7, 2020
- Genre
- Adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set in the Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra, a hospital in Tuscany, Italy. The player character is Renée, a former patient at the hospital in the 1940s. The game begins as Renée enters the now dilapidated asylum to relive her stay. She was admitted due to promiscuity, depression, and a volatile relationship with her mother, and found comfort in her doll, Charlotte. As Renée walks the corridors, flashbacks reveal her inpatient stay and prior circumstances, including sexual abuse by a male nurse or doctor. She discovers another patient, Amara, and a romance ensues; when nurses discovered this, they were separated. Renée finds her old medical files implying Amara did not exist and was a figment of imagination, but later finds Amara's possessions in the patient property section, proving her existence and that the medical team falsified aspects of her mental illness. A note reveals Amara died in 1942. Medical notes indicate Renée was verbally and physically aggressive, often tied to her bed, and received electroconvulsive therapy and multiple sedative injections. Renée discovers correspondence from her mother was censored by hospital staff; she later learns her mother died and that Renée attempted suicide multiple times. The game concludes with Renée receiving lobotomy surgery, and a doctor narrates that her long-term recovery is unclear.
Reader's Guide
The Town of Light received a Metacritic score of 64 out of 100 from 22 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. A three-part series for PC Gamer detailed how Lorenzo Conticelli designed the asylum setting. The Nintendo Switch version was announced on February 1, 2018, and released on February 7, 2020. The game's significance lies in its unflinching portrayal of historical psychiatric abuses, including sexual abuse, electroconvulsive therapy, and lobotomy, based on real practices at the Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra. Its legacy is as a narrative-driven horror adventure that challenges players to confront the mistreatment of mental health patients, though its mixed critical reception suggests its execution divided reviewers. The game remains a notable example of using interactive storytelling to explore dark historical realities.
Did You Know?
- The game is set in the real Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra in Tuscany, Italy.
- Renée's doll is named Charlotte.
- A note found in the game states that Amara died in 1942.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Town of Light?
It is a psychological horror adventure game developed by LKA and published by Wired Productions in which players explore a decaying asylum and piece together the traumatic history of its former patient. The title refers to the unsettling, memory-laden atmosphere of the facility rather than a literal town.
Who is the protagonist and what is her backstory?
You play as Renée, a woman who was committed to the institution in the 1940s for depression, a troubled bond with her mother, and what the doctors labeled promiscuity. The narrative unfolds through her present-day walk through the ruins and the flashbacks that surface as she moves room to room.
Where is the game set?
The entire experience takes place inside the Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra, a genuine psychiatric hospital in Tuscany, Italy. By the time Renée re-enters the building, it has long been abandoned and left to crumble.
What platforms and release dates does The Town of Light have?
The PC version shipped on February 26, 2016, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions followed on June 6, 2017, and the Nintendo Switch port arrived on February 7, 2020.
How did critics receive The Town of Light?
It holds a Metacritic score of 64 out of 100 drawn from 22 critic reviews, placing it in the mixed-to-positive range. Reviewers generally praised its moody, atmospheric presentation while noting that the puzzle and inventory mechanics can feel underdeveloped.
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