Info about The Lamplighters League:

Official game description:
Deluxe Edition
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Fight darkness with darkness by adding the mysterious Nocturne to your league. The Deluxe Edition adds this exclusive character to your available roster of agents, capable of traversing the battlefield with teleportation and picking off foes with her shocking attacks. Count yourself lucky that this mysterious skirmisher is on your side - now you see her, now you’re dead!  
The Deluxe Edition includes the exclusive Nocturne agent, a Digital Art Book highlighting the inspiration and design behind The Lamplighters League, and the full game soundtrack from award-winning composer Jon Everist. Complete your collection and take on the Banished Court in style!
The Lamplighters League Deluxe Edition contains:
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*   The Lamplighters League Base Game  
*   The Nocturne Exclusive Playable Character  
*   The Lamplighters League Original Soundtrack  
*   The Lamplighters League Digital Art Book
About the Game
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Sneak, steal, and shoot your way through a world of pulp adventure in **The Lamplighters League**! Globetrot across a variety of exciting locales around the world and outwit your enemies in strategic turn-based combat - and, if you play your cards right, you might just save the world.  
**Harebrained Schemes**, the creators of **The Shadowrun Trilogy** and **BATTLETECH**, bring you an all-new world set in an alternate 1930s, where a tyrannical cult called the Banished Court stands on the cusp of world domination. For millennia, all that stood between this sinister cabal and their plans were a band of heroic scholars known as the Lamplighters League.  
_Unfortunately, the best of the best are all gone, so now it's up to the best of the worst._  
Recruit a team of misfits and scoundrels with unique abilities and unforgettable personalities, and chase the Banished Court to the ends of the earth in a mix of real-time infiltration, turn-based tactical combat, and a character-driven story of adventure and intrigue.  
Strategy Meets Story, in Style
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*   Control a team of unique, dynamic characters and get to know their signature tactical abilities and roles in the team. Learn their stories and the world they inhabit by taking them on missions - every misfit brings their own style to the fight through unique moves that can turn the tide of combat.  
*   Explore a variety of thrilling locales and survey the battlefield before things heat up: sneak past enemies in real-time infiltration gameplay, pick off the stragglers quickly and quietly, and position your squad to get an edge for the fight.  
*   Use every advantage and dirty trick your agents have up their sleeves in exciting, turn-based combat. Add advanced abilities, gear, and augmentations to your agents to keep pace with the growing threat of the Banished Court!
Race Against the Countdown to Doomsday
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*   Chase the Banished Court through an alternate-history world of the 1930s, from dockyards and deserts to jungles both urban and wild. Manage your choices at a global level and try to prevent your enemy from advancing their twisted schemes!  
*   Recruit new allies from the best of the worst: scour the globe for outlaws and outcasts and bring them onto your side before the Banished Court catches them first!  
*   Every mission earns your team new resources and grows their abilities - but be careful, stress and injury can take their toll!
Can you prevent the Banished Court from reshaping the world to their twisted will? Find out in… **The Lamplighters League and the Tower at the End of the World!**

Release date: 3 Oct, 2023

Categories: Turn-based Strategy, Stealth Gameplay, Real-time Combat, Character Progression, Character Management, Resource Management, Time-based Mechanics, Card-based Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging & Replayable Gameplay (weight 0.6): Reviewers consistently highlight the game's overall fun factor, addictive nature, and deep gameplay. The progression system and varied mechanics contribute to a highly engaging experience that encourages continued play and offers significant replayability.
- Well-Developed & Unique Characters (weight 0.44): The game features a cast of well-developed, distinct, and likeable characters with unique personalities and varied abilities. The story is well-written and engaging, complemented by stellar and extensive voice acting that brings the characters to life.
- Solid Stealth & Tactical Combat (weight 0.39): The core gameplay loop effectively blends real-time stealth and turn-based tactical combat, offering a solid and enjoyable experience. This combination, often compared favorably to XCOM, allows players to strategically thin out enemies before engaging in turn-based battles.
- Innovative XCOM-like Mechanics (weight 0.21): The game introduces intelligent and novel mechanics that differentiate it from other XCOM-like titles. The unique integration of real-time reconnaissance and special KO abilities adds depth and a fresh twist to the tactical genre.
- Balanced & Enjoyable Combat (weight 0.18): Combat mechanics are enjoyable and well-balanced, offering a challenging yet adjustable difficulty suitable for various player types. Players can execute satisfying combos and strategies, making battles feel dynamic and rewarding.
- Appealing Art Style & Graphics (weight 0.16): The game's art style and visuals are consistently praised for being appealing, beautiful, and well-polished. The comic-book aesthetic and detailed graphics effectively convey the game's unique atmosphere.
- Immersive 1930s Pulp Setting (weight 0.14): The game excels in its immersive 1930s pulp setting, blending historical elements with supernatural and Lovecraftian motifs. This unique atmosphere is captivating and contributes significantly to the overall charm and appeal.
- High-Quality Music & Sound (weight 0.14): The game features high-quality music and sound effects that enhance the atmosphere and gameplay. The audio design is consistently praised for being enjoyable and fitting the game's spy and detective themes.
- Deep Character Skill & Synergy (weight 0.12): Character skill designs are deep and well-implemented, allowing for diverse combat styles and strong synergies between agents. The unique abilities and the Destiny Cards system provide strategic depth and varied tactical options.
- Varied Mission Design & Progression (weight 0.1): Missions are varied and well-designed, featuring unique mechanics and environments that keep gameplay fresh. The progression system allows for satisfying character development and team building, enhancing replay value.
- Engaging Humor & Banter (weight 0.1): The game incorporates engaging humor and witty banter, particularly between characters. This adds a layer of charm and personality, making the dialogue and interactions enjoyable for players.
- Good Technical Stability (weight 0.07): Many reviewers reported a smooth experience with very few bugs or technical issues. The game's stability contributes to an uninterrupted and enjoyable gameplay session.
- Strong XCOM Fan Appeal (weight 0.06): The game strongly appeals to fans of XCOM and similar turn-based tactical games, often being recommended as a great alternative or complement. It successfully 'scratches the XCOM itch' for many players.

Common complaints:
- Clunky UI & Controls (weight 1): Reviewers consistently found the user interface to be clunky and difficult to navigate, along with unresponsive and inconvenient character controls. This includes issues with character switching, movement, and general input responsiveness.
- Repetitive & Tedious Gameplay (weight 0.95): Gameplay becomes highly repetitive and tedious, especially in the mid to late game, due to a lack of mission variety, repeated maps, and prolonged combat encounters. This leads to a feeling of grind and boredom.
- Frequent Game-Breaking Bugs (weight 0.93): The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including frequent crashes, freezes, and corrupted save files. Several game-breaking bugs, particularly in later missions, prevented players from progressing or completing the game.
- Overpriced Game (weight 0.65): Many players felt the game was overpriced for the content and quality offered. They believed the full price was not justified given the numerous technical issues, repetitive gameplay, and lack of polish.
- Slow Load/Save Times (weight 0.55): Players frequently reported excessively long loading and saving times, which significantly disrupted gameplay flow. The absence of a quick save/load function, a common feature in strategy games, further exacerbated this frustration.
- Poor Optimization (weight 0.55): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to lag, stutters, and high resource consumption even on capable machines. This technical issue contributes to a sluggish and unresponsive gameplay experience.
- Weak Story & Pacing (weight 0.4): The game's story is generally perceived as weak, unengaging, and lacking depth or world-building. Pacing issues, including a rushed late-game narrative and an anticlimactic ending, further detract from the overall experience.
- Unpolished & Abandoned (weight 0.34): The game feels unpolished and unfinished, with many reviewers noting a lack of refinement. Concerns were raised about the game being abandoned by developers, with no further updates or fixes after release.
- Limited Character Progression (weight 0.31): The character progression system, including the card mechanic and shared skill point pool, is frustrating and limits player choice. It discourages trying new characters and makes it difficult to cultivate a diverse team, especially with limited mission team sizes.
- Ineffective Stealth Mechanics (weight 0.27): The stealth mechanics are widely criticized for being ineffective, unpolished, and often useless against large enemy groups. Players found stealth to be rigid and frustrating, frequently forcing direct combat even when attempting a stealthy approach.
- Poor AI & Unbalanced Difficulty (weight 0.25): The enemy AI is described as unintelligent and simplistic, making combat less engaging. Additionally, the game suffers from unbalanced difficulty spikes, often feeling unfair due to numerical advantages rather than strategic challenge.
- Frustrating Doomsday Clock (weight 0.15): The 'Doomsday Clock' mechanic is a major source of frustration, feeling artificial and overly punitive. It pressures players to rush main objectives, preventing exploration, side missions, and the full recruitment or development of characters.
- Unclear Tutorial & Early Difficulty (weight 0.14): Many players struggled with the tutorial, finding it unclear and insufficient in explaining core mechanics. This, combined with early difficulty spikes, led to initial frustration and a feeling of being lost.

Gameplay feedback:
- Real-time/Turn-based Hybrid (weight 0.31): The game features a core gameplay loop that seamlessly transitions from real-time exploration and stealth to turn-based tactical combat upon detection or initiation. This blend is often compared to XCOM-style strategy.
- Unique Character Progression (weight 0.31): The game features a diverse cast of unique characters, each with distinct skill trees and abilities. Character progression is not level-based but relies on a shared pool of skill points, allowing players to customize and specialize their chosen agents.
- Weekly Mission & Squad Limits (weight 0.24): The game's strategic layer involves selecting one mission per week from a world map, often with a squad size limit of 3-4 characters. This limitation influences strategic choices and character specialization.
- Pre-Combat Stealth Takedowns (weight 0.24): A significant mechanic involves a real-time stealth phase before combat, allowing players to thin out enemy ranks using stealth takedowns. While intended to simplify combat, some reviewers found the real-time stealth clunky or that it could trivialize encounters.
- Diverse Enemies & Abilities (weight 0.16): The game features a wide variety of distinct enemy types across three factions, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Combat encounters are designed as puzzles, encouraging players to utilize their characters' diverse abilities and weaponry effectively.
- XCOM-like Core Mechanics (weight 0.13): The game is frequently compared to XCOM, particularly its turn-based tactical combat and strategic elements. Reviewers often describe it as "XCOM-lite" due to simplified base management and a less punishing difficulty curve.
- Meaningful Tactical Choices (weight 0.11): The game offers significant tactical depth and meaningful choices, stemming from its diverse characters, unique abilities, varied equipment, and strategic mission planning. This allows for different strategies and replayability.
- Variable Difficulty Curve (weight 0.1): The game's difficulty curve is noted as variable, with some reviewers finding the normal difficulty becoming too easy in the late game once optimal builds are discovered. However, higher difficulties and survival modes offer a sustained challenge.
- Strategic Doomsday Clock (weight 0.09): A central strategic mechanic is the "doomsday clock," a global timer that progresses as enemy factions gain strength. Players must manage this clock by completing specific missions to roll back progress, adding pressure and strategic trade-offs.
- Character Card Buffs (weight 0.09): The game incorporates a unique card system where characters can equip magical cards to gain passive or active combat bonuses. These cards can be upgraded and significantly influence character development and ability performance.
- Voiced Character Interactions (weight 0.09): The game features fully voiced dialogue and frequent interactions between teammates, particularly in the base between missions. These conversations contribute to character personalities and world-building, driving the story without extensive cutscenes.
- Three Competing Factions (weight 0.09): The game features three distinct enemy factions, each with their own objectives and progression. Players must strategically manage these factions on the world map, as ignoring one can lead to increased threat levels and more challenging missions.
- Fixed Camera Limitations (weight 0.08): Several reviewers noted issues with the game's camera, specifically its fixed angle and lack of zoom, which can limit information on screen and occasionally obscure targets during combat. The absence of a minimap was also mentioned.
- Character Stress System (weight 0.08): The game includes a stress mechanic, similar to Darkest Dungeon, where characters accumulate stress during missions. High stress can lead to debuffs, reduced action points, and vulnerability to execution, adding a layer of challenge and consequence.
- Post-Mission Agent Management (weight 0.08): After missions, players manage agents who may be injured or captured, requiring healing or rescue missions. The strategic layer also involves managing faction influence by completing specific missions and gathering resources.

Performance notes:
- Poor Performance & Optimization (weight 0.23): Many players report significant performance issues, including low frame rates, frequent stuttering, and high resource consumption, even on high-end hardware. The game is often described as poorly optimized for its visual style, leading to an inconsistent and often unplayable experience.
- Steam Deck Performance (weight 0.05): Player experiences with the game on Steam Deck are mixed, ranging from 'runs fine at 30fps with tweaks' to 'barely holds 30fps' or 'runs great.' This indicates inconsistent performance or a need for specific settings adjustments for optimal play on the device.
- Long Campaign Length (weight 0.03): The game's campaign is consistently reported to be quite lengthy, with players citing completion times ranging from 35 to 43 hours. This indicates a substantial amount of content for the main story.
- Recon Mode Stuttering (weight 0.03): A specific technical issue noted by players is stuttering or significant lag when using the 'Recon mode.' This suggests a performance bottleneck or bug tied to this particular game feature.
- Graphics Settings Issues (weight 0.02): Players note that graphics settings should be configured at launch and not changed mid-mission, implying potential instability or issues when adjusting settings during gameplay. However, the game runs smoothly after a new mission loads.
- DLSS/FSR Issues (weight 0.01): A technical comment indicating that 40-series DLLs (likely referring to DLSS or similar upscaling technologies) do not generate frames but instead cause heat. This suggests a problem with the implementation or effectiveness of these technologies on specific hardware.
- Audio & UI Stability (weight 0.01): Players report that the game's audio, menus, and cinematic sequences run smoothly without issues, indicating that not all technical aspects of the game are problematic.
- No View Obstruction (weight 0.01): One reviewer specifically noted that they did not experience problems with walls often obscuring the view, which is a common issue in top-down or isometric games. This indicates good camera design or level layout in this regard.
- Windowed Mode Improves FPS (weight 0.01): One reviewer noted that staying within the game's window (implying windowed or borderless windowed mode) helps maintain higher frame rates. This suggests potential issues with exclusive fullscreen mode or a specific workaround for performance.
- Animations Hang (weight 0.01): A specific visual bug where animations will hang, indicating a potential glitch in character or object movement.
- Mobs Clip (weight 0.01): A visual bug where enemy models (mobs) clip into each other, breaking immersion and indicating collision detection issues.
- Character Teleportation Bug (weight 0.01): A visual bug where characters appear to teleport, suggesting issues with movement or rendering.
- Visual Ghosting Bug (weight 0.01): A specific visual artifact described as 'weird ghosting on some maps,' indicating a rendering issue that causes trails or duplicates of moving objects.
- Visuals Are Dated (weight 0): One comment hyperbolically compares the game's graphics to 'Megadrive graphics,' likely expressing extreme dissatisfaction with the visual quality or perceived lack of fidelity, possibly in relation to performance issues. This is an emotional, hyperbolic claim.

Recommendations:
- For XCOM Fans (weight 0.6): The game is highly recommended for players who enjoy turn-based tactical games, especially those similar to the XCOM series. Its gameplay mechanics and strategic depth appeal to veterans of the genre.
- Recommended on Sale (weight 0.57): The game is widely recommended, but primarily when purchased at a significant discount or as part of a bundle. Many reviewers found the full price too high for the experience offered, suggesting it offers better value on sale.
- Hope for Future Content (weight 0.12): Many players expressed a desire for future content, updates, or even a sequel, indicating a belief in the game's underlying potential. Some believe additional content, like DLC, could significantly improve the game's overall rating.
- Better Alternatives Exist (weight 0.08): A notable portion of reviews suggests that players might find more satisfying experiences in other turn-based tactical games, specifically mentioning titles like Showgunners, Mutant: Year Zero, or the developer's own Shadowrun series. This indicates the game struggles to stand out in its genre.
- Specific Gameplay Advice (weight 0.07): Reviewers offer practical advice for new players, such as starting on easy difficulty and frequently saving their progress. They also suggest utilizing stealth and careful positioning before engaging in combat to gain an advantage.
- General Positive Reception (weight 0.02): Despite various criticisms, a segment of players found the game to be a 'solid' or 'pleasant' turn-based strategy experience. This indicates a baseline level of enjoyment for some players who appreciate the core gameplay.

Other player notes:
- Publisher/Developer Fallout (weight 0.12): The game suffered significantly from poor marketing and sales, largely attributed to a major fallout between developer Harebrained Schemes and publisher Paradox Interactive, which ultimately led to the developer's closure and the game being abandoned without further support or sequels.
- XCOM-like Pulp Adventure (weight 0.09): The game is frequently compared to XCOM for its tactical gameplay, while also drawing strong thematic parallels to Indiana Jones, Lovecraftian horror, and 1930s pulp adventures, creating a unique genre blend.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.27): Satisfaction primarily stems from the game's strong core tactical gameplay, often compared favorably to XCOM, which includes engaging combat mechanics, strategic depth, and unique agent abilities. Players also highly appreciate the well-developed characters, compelling story, excellent voice acting, and the immersive atmosphere created by the art style, visuals, and music. The overall polished design, smooth gameplay experience, and high replayability further contribute to a positive perception.
- Disappointment (weight 0.24): Disappointment primarily stems from the game's unfulfilled potential and a general feeling of being unfinished, leading to repetitive gameplay, especially in later stages, with monotonous missions and combat. Significant technical issues like poor optimization, frequent crashes, and game-breaking bugs, alongside flawed design choices such as clunky controls, shallow progression systems, and poorly implemented stealth mechanics, further contribute to player dissatisfaction. The perceived high price for the content offered also adds to the disappointment.
- Frustration (weight 0.23): Frustration is primarily driven by pervasive technical issues, including poor optimization, frequent crashes, and excessively long load times. Players also experience significant frustration due to clunky controls, a poor user interface, and the lack of essential quality-of-life features like quick save. Additionally, unbalanced difficulty spikes, overwhelming enemy encounters, and the restrictive "doomsday clock" mechanic, combined with repetitive late-game content and missions, contribute heavily to player annoyance and a feeling of being rushed or overwhelmed.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Enjoyment is primarily derived from the game's engaging strategic gameplay, including its tactical combat and character synergies. The captivating Cthulhu pulp setting, distinctive art style, and immersive atmosphere significantly contribute to the positive experience. Players also appreciate the engaging story and interesting, varied characters.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement is generated by the game's promising concept, unique gameplay mechanics, and the enjoyable blend of stealth and combat. Players are also excited by the overall quality, engaging characters, compelling setting, and strong audio-visual presentation, often drawing favorable comparisons to XCOM-style games.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Boredom primarily arises from the game's repetitive gameplay, particularly its combat system and mission structure, leading to monotony and a feeling of routine. The blandness of certain aspects, including dull stealth sections and chore-like battles, further contributes to players losing interest over time.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy is experienced due to the game's unique and fun gameplay mechanics, combined with its engaging story, interesting characters, and great voice acting. The immersive pulp-noir atmosphere, distinctive art style, and excellent soundtrack also significantly contribute to an overall positive and enjoyable experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance primarily stems from persistent technical issues such as bugs, freezes, performance problems, and long loading times. Specific design flaws like torturous battles, the restrictive doomsday clock, and a janky camera also contribute to player frustration.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation is shown for the game's high production quality, particularly its excellent voice acting, character design, and background music. Players also value the unique mechanics, compelling setting, engaging story, and well-implemented tactical combat system.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness primarily stems from external factors such as the studio's closure, developer/publisher disputes, and the game's perceived lack of recognition or low budget, which prevented it from reaching its full potential. This often leads to a lack of future content and a feeling of the game being left unfinished.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is expressed for the game's overall high quality, excellent execution, and strong design. Players particularly admire the game's aesthetics, immersive setting, well-developed characters, compelling writing, and superb voice acting.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from the discrepancy between players' positive experiences and the game's overall reception, including its commercial failure and lack of attention. Some players are also confused by technical certifications, such as a "verified" badge, given the game's performance issues.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is primarily caused by unfair game mechanics, including excessively high difficulty, and significant technical issues such as bugs and poor overall design. Players also express anger over perceived poor value for money, particularly when coupled with external factors like forced game launchers or predatory monetization practices.
- Regret (weight 0): Regret stems from the game's repetitive maps and the inability to fully experience all characters within a single playthrough, often exacerbated by a lack of New Game+ or other progression issues that limit replayability.
- Apathy (weight 0): Apathy is characterized by a general lack of interest in the game, particularly its story, leading to a disinclination to continue playing or even launch the game.
- Love (weight 0): Love for the game is attributed to its compelling concept, excellent execution, and overall charm that resonates deeply with players.
- Confidence (weight 0): Confidence is expressed by players who feel they have successfully addressed or refuted common criticisms about the game, particularly regarding its controls and by providing effective strategies.
- Surprise (weight 0): Surprise arises from an unexpectedly positive overall experience, often attributed to the game's unique and enjoyable mix of gameplay elements.
- Relief (weight 0): Relief is felt when persistent technical issues, such as crashes, cease, allowing players to successfully finish the game, or simply from the absence of significant glitches and bugs.
- Neutrality (weight 0): Neutrality reflects an overall unremarkable experience, sometimes influenced by the game's mechanics becoming simpler or less engaging as play progresses.}