Lucidity (video game)

Lucidity is a side-scrolling puzzle-platform game that LucasArts developed and published for Microsoft Windows and Xbox Live Arcade. The story centers on a young girl named Sofi, who travels through her dreams trying to find her missing Nana. Players do not control Sofi directly; instead, they move a cursor to place items like stairs, trampolines, and slingshots, which help her cross platforms and avoid enemies. Objects appear randomly, similar to Tetris, with a preview of the next item shown in a corner. Players can hold one item for later but cannot discard any. Fireflies scattered through levels restore Sofi’s health if she is hit, and collecting enough of them unlocks bonus stages. If Sofi falls into hazards like thorns, the level must be restarted.

The initial prototype was created during LucasArts’ 2009 “Dream Week,” where teams had a week to build a game of their choice. That prototype did not win a prize, but it was the only Dream Week project to become a published title. A different team developed the final game, which included one original team member, Chip Sbrogna. That same team also worked on the 2009 remake of *The Secret of Monkey Island*. LucasArts described these games as part of an effort to form small internal teams and give them creative freedom, after several years of mostly producing licensed games.

Reception was mixed on both platforms, according to Metacritic. IGN’s Daemon Hatfield praised the art style but found the gameplay lacking engagement. Giant Bomb’s Vinny Caravella called the art “absolutely exquisite” but said the gameplay was average and the random item order could be frustrating. He also felt the framing story about Sofi coping with her Nana’s absence tried too hard to be cute, at times feeling “a little too ‘fuzzy mittens’ for its own good.” GameSpot’s Carolyn Petit noted that the difficulty could be maddening and that the camera’s inability to zoom out made navigation tough. She called the concept interesting but said the gameplay rarely added enjoyment and often worked against the experience. The Australian show *Good Game* gave the Xbox 360 version a 5.5 and a 6.5 out of 10.