Lunark
A retro cinematic platformer inspired by Prince of Persia and Flashback.
Lunark is a 2023 cinematic platformer with a retro feel, developed by Canari Games and published by WayForward. It launched for Windows, macOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on March 30, 2023, with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions arriving on April 5, 2023. Players control Leo, a boy with special physical traits and abilities—including a weapon for shooting—as he navigates traps, solves puzzles, and seeks the truth about humanity’s origins. The game contains 12 levels.
The story is set centuries after Earth became uninhabitable, with a 10-year survival forecast. An artificial intelligence named Noah, created by scientists, turned the Moon into a giant spaceship. This project, called Lunark, was humanity’s last hope to transport millions to a new home. On the planet Albaryne, humans are about to celebrate 300 years since arrival. Leo returns to investigate rumors that no human has ever died there, and meets a figure named Gideon. After flying to the level “Hitting a Wall,” he is sent on a mission for an artifact but soon realizes someone is framing him. As he uncovers why, puzzles block his progress.
Development began in 2016 when creator Johan Vinet made demakes for fun. Inspired by 1980s and 1990s games like *Prince of Persia*, *Flashback*, and *Another World*, he decided to turn his hobby into a real project. He founded Canari Games and launched a Kickstarter in 2019, raising over 81,655 Canadian dollars. *Prince of Persia* creator Jordan Mechner noted the game looked like something Eric Chahi might have made. Vinet originally planned only Windows and macOS releases, but WayForward reached out with a publishing deal, enabling ports to more platforms. The plot draws from science fiction films, TV, books, and adventure movies like *Indiana Jones* and *Back to the Future*, as well as the biblical story of Noah’s Ark. Vinet aimed for a colorful, dynamic tone rather than a dystopian one, and composed the music himself, citing *Blade Runner* and Vangelis as influences. He used extensive rotoscoping for cinematics, filming all footage personally due to the small production scale.
The game hit digital storefronts on March 30, 2023. Limited Run Games later produced physical and collector’s editions for Nintendo Switch. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions arrived on April 5, 2023.
- Developer
- Canari Games
- Publisher
- WayForward
- Release date
- March 30, 2023 (initial); April 5, 2023 (PS4/PS5)
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Genre
- Retro-style cinematic platformer
- Creator
- Johan Vinet
- Kickstarter funding
- Over 81,655 Canadian dollars (campaign ended 2019)
Lore & Background
Lunark was mostly developed by Johan Vinet, who began work on the game in 2016 while making demakes for fun. Inspired by classic games such as Prince of Persia, Flashback, and Another World, Vinet founded his own company, Canari Games, and launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2019 that raised over 81,655 Canadian dollars. After WayForward contacted him with a publishing deal, the game expanded from its originally planned Windows and macOS release to additional platforms. Vinet composed the game's music, drawing inspiration from Blade Runner and Vangelis, and personally filmed all rotoscope footage for the game's cinematics due to the small production scope.
Reader's Guide
Lunark is significant as a modern homage to the cinematic platformers of the 1980s and 1990s, a genre defined by games like Prince of Persia and Flashback. Its development story—starting as a passion project by a solo creator, funded through Kickstarter, and later picked up by a major publisher—illustrates the indie game ecosystem's potential. The game's use of extensive rotoscoping for its cinematics, a technique rare in modern games, and its plot based on the story of Noah's Ark from the Book of Genesis, set it apart. Critics like Luke Plunkett of Kotaku praised the rotoscoping, and Shaun Musgrave of TouchArcade called it one of the all-timers of cinematic platforming. The game's legacy lies in its successful revival of a classic gameplay style with updated controls and a colorful, dynamic theme, avoiding the dystopian tone common in the genre.
Did You Know?
- Lunark was inspired by Prince of Persia, Flashback, and Another World.
- Jordan Mechner, creator of Prince of Persia, noted that Lunark looks like something Eric Chahi could have made.
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