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Game
Game2023
The Lamplighters League
Developer Harebrained Schemes
The Lamplighters League is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Harebrained Schemes and published by Paradox Interactive. The game was released for Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in October 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics and was not a commercial success. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
263 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Lemmy, Mastodon) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
63
Fresh
127 positive · 75 negative
95% range 56–69%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 127 | 75 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 16 | 0 | 35 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Mastodon * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
563 of 813 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
A mixed bag: fun tactics and style, but bugs and balance issues frustrate.
Many players praise the game's Indiana Jones-meets-XCOM style, calling it 'a solid B+ tactics game' with a 'great soundtrack' and 'interesting characters'. Some find it 'genuinely one of my favourite games' and 'very underrated'. [6][5][3][5]
However, others report serious technical issues: 'the saved game bug is a deal breaker', 'missions literally won't load', and 'constant lagging, glitching and crashes'. Some also criticize the balance, saying 'the game is unbalanced and gets very difficult very fast'. [35][26][33][36]
Praised style and setting · turn-based combat · characters and voice acting
Criticised bugs and crashes · save game corruption · balance and difficulty spikes
Summary drafted by an AI model from the 36 reactions it cites ([n] links open each post), then checked by code: every paragraph cites real posts and every quote is verbatim. Written Oct 8, 2026. Method
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
The Lamplighters League sits at 63% positive across 202 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The Lamplighters League received mixed reviews for Windows and Xbox Series X according to review aggregator website Metacritic. In October 2023, Paradox Interactive announced that The Lamplighters League's "commercial reception has been too weak, which is frankly a big disappointment", that lower-than-expected sales meant it was writing off the game’s development costs, and that it expected the move to result in a $22.7 million reduction in pre-tax profit for the fourth quarter. They also confirmed reports that significant layoffs had taken place at Harebrained Schemes, prior to the completion of the game.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 263 · most liked firstReview based on a full playthrough with the final patch on Normal difficulty. This game reportedly flopped so hard it cost publisher Paradox Interactive $22.7 million. The fallout led Paradox to declare they’re done with XCOM-likes—calling them a poor fit for their portfolio. A $21.7 million flop can ripple through the industry—especially when the statement implies “XCOM-likes” are no longer commercially viable. The reality is simpler. Lamplighters League didn’t suffer from market…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Titles leaving Game Pass in 2 weeks: -Yakuza 0, Kiwami, Kiwami 2, Like a Dragon (Y7) -Monster Hunter Rise -Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 -Lil Gator Game -MLB The Show 24 -Open Roads -The Lamplighters League
neutral · AI labelView post →Paradox's The Lamplighters League adds new playable character and Events system in latest free update.
neutral · AI labelView post →Harebrained Schemes relases the last update for The Lamplighters League "The Final Patch".
neutral · AI labelView post →The Lamplighters League is fine for what it is, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that the game plays things a little too safe. Even with the pulpy, Saturday morning cartoon vibe, it ends up feeling a bit bland and, honestly, kind of boring in places. The style and setting are great on paper, but they don’t fully carry the experience. The biggest problem for me is the stealth and infiltration sections leading into combat. They feel clunky, inconsistent, and awkward in real time, and that’s…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I honestly don’t get the bad reviews. I started playing The Lamplighters League kind of expecting it to be disappointing, just because of all the negative stuff I’d read. But after a couple missions, I realized most of that criticism didn’t match what I was seeing at all. The game’s in a genre that’s pretty packed, sure—but it actually tries new things and makes it fun. I ended up really enjoying it. The mechanics, the vibe, the way it plays—it kept me hooked way more than I expected. So…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are Games that are universally beloved, with very high approval rating. There are games that everyone dislikes or hates. And then sometimes there are games, that feel like they were made for a very specific person or people. And in the case of LL, that person is me. Lamplighters League is genuinely one of my favourite games, but I totally understand the negative reviews. I just want to put my nuanced take on here, so we dont riddle this game with negativity thats only partly deserved.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm so happy to share that The Lamplighters League has been nominated for 4 Game Audio Network Guild Awards this year including... Music of The Year Best Main Theme Best Music for an Indie Game Best Original Soundtrack variety.com/2024/artisan...
neutral · AI labelView post →I feel bad giving this game a thumbs down, but the bad points just pilled up too much in my playtime. Let me start with the good. The game has a nice art style in a steampunk world. Characters are fun both in the gameplay but also is fun to see them interacting with each other with fully voiced-overs. The tactical gameplay is fun but imbalanced. I also got a mixed opinion about a mechanic, and that is the real-time gameplay. How it work? Well imagine if something like X-Com gives you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Welcome to the shelf! Very proud to have won the Music and Sound award for best in-game music for The Lamplighters League 🥹 #gamemusic
neutral · AI labelView post →Missions are procedurally generated and they spawn on the world map in a non-sensical way (choose from 10+ missions in week 18!?). On top of that huge quantity of bland content there is level scaling: at the beginning of the game you kill a simple soldier in 2 hits, at almost max level you kill the same soldier in 4 hits (it doesn't make any sense). And in order to complete a trifecta of misery, then we have infinite spawning enemies. Practically the game has no balance and it's a complete…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Lamplighters League Review - Indiana Jones and the Hand of Fate.
neutral · AI labelView post →Game is broken, which is a shame because the gameplay itself is actually pretty fun, indiana jones xcom crossover. But there are too many serious bugs to justify buying it, the game sometimes will not actually save even after you manually save so you will 100% have hours of lost progress, and I had to stop playing in week 7 because missions literally won't load. The game is so broken it is unplayable. Tried to get a refund at 9 hours and was rejected, I guess I understand since that is past the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm torn on this one but I find it very hard to recommend a game I quit due to frustration. I wish there was a middling option for games just like this one. This is an XCOM style game set in an Indiana Jones like setting. It's a fun setting and the character abilities are fun. I love Eddie's character where you can shoot at two different enemies in the same turn or even his ultimate attack that hits everybody in a wide cone. You can walk around until a battle starts to stealthily take out…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I Like this game despite it's faults- but I cannot with good conscience recommend it as it is quite buggy, clunky and has no team working to fix these issues that are so bad, that 11% of players have the achievement marking the completion of a core midgame mission The Other Side Marteau Heist and other similar missions. the world building is lovely, and if Hair-brained Schemes was still around to fix the clunkiness of their otherwise great game I'd have hope.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Lamplighters League is out today! I had such a blast working as a music implementer on this game. I’m obviously biased but I think it’s a fantastic game, and Jon Everist’s score is amazing. Go play it!
positive · AI labelView post →Excited to be headed to GDC to represent The Lamplighters League and Star Wars Outlaws at the Game Audio Network Guild Awards! Hard to believe we have 9 nominations total 😳 I’m there 19th to the 23rd, would love to setup meetings with old and new friends. DM me if you want to say hi! 👋
neutral · AI labelView post →New Kaleidoscope! @jillscharr.bsky.social (Destiny 2, The Lamplighters League) talks about getting aligned: with the game, the vision and the team. How do we get up to speed fast? And how do promote good on-boarding for the writers who come on after us? www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...
neutral · AI labelView post →The Lamplighters League is a turn-based tactics game in the vein of XCOM, that also has the real time stealth system like the one we've seen in Mutant Year Zero, Corruption 2029, and Miasma Chronicles. Unfortunately, everything about this game is underbaked and/or annoying. PROS: - the Fortnite art style is nicely done. It really captures that whole Indiana Jones vibe while also having its own style. I especially like the character design - voice acting and music are good - game is decently…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty good turn-based strategy game. World map copies a lot from XCOM and gameplay is almost identical to Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, both combat and exploration. However, the other games have done most aspects better. First, the problems: I played this on minimum graphics and the PC I played this on is twice as powerful as the minimum requirements for this game, yet the performance was dreadful, usually, 17-25fps or so. The loading times are insane, they take 2-6 minutes. Every time! At…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stealth game where the enemy will just detect you through walls, even using the sneaky characters and respecting the detection cues. Miss it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a mixed bag: sometimes fun, especially during combat, but also often very frustrating because of bad game design. Let's start with the good stuff. The turn-based combat is very decent. Not as deep as XCOM or Larian's games, but there are 10 unique operators and their strength shows when they are working together. Shooting your enemies to get them out of cover, setting them on fire and finishing them off with melee attacks is a lot of fun. The combat area's are well designed, with…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a really charming and texturally pleasant gaming experience that is a complete waste of the player's time. Campaign progression is terribly imbalanced, leading to steadily worsening grind, mission after mission, until the law of diminishing returns forces the player to wake up and remember they have limited time on this planet. Gameplay loop is a Sisyphean waste of time that becomes an obligatory chore before reaching mid-game. I've played two campaigns, and finished neither, bc…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Had played this prior on console. I really do enjoy this game. However, likewise to my previous experience on console. This game is plagued with contant lagging, glitching and crashes. I understand the game is no longer supported, but I was hoping they had at the very least made it playable prior to abandoning it. I guess not.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Was enjoying the game until a crash 16 hours in completely wiped my save game files. In this day and age, inexcusable. Otherwise I probably would have played through the campaign.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As a PR person I'm required to say nice things about games I work with, but The Lamplighters League is one of the best games I've been involved with in a very long time. This game grabbed me from the first meeting we had. Now it's out, and I hope you fall in love with its world the way I have.
positive · AI labelView post →I really should have read the reviews of this game, especially the "Most Helpful" ones. While this game has lots of potential and should have been a great game, the saved game bug is a deal breaker. You spend all this time fighting an impossible battle, you win, then save the game. Then when you come back later to continue the save game won't load! What a bunch of crap. I would demand refund if I thought it would get anywhere. Developers should be ashamed and won't ever buy a game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →good idea, nice characters, good development. But the game is unbalanced and gets very difficult very fast - unless you are a very experienced player you will struggle on normal difficulty very very soon... shame that there is no way to adjust it mid-game
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Lamplighters League is actually a very underrated game. It has great turn-based gameplay that is actually fun, unusual setting with interesting lore and great soundtrack. The characters are different and unique both in terms of gameplay and personality, having a lot of interesting conversations and interactions with each other - and even the DLC characters are integrated into the campaign quite seamlessly. Stealth mechanics may seem somewhat wonky and have their pecularities, but it is by…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's not a bad game. Is it great? No, but it might have been with some updates. IMPORTANT: There is a pretty crippling memory leak. I need to quit to desktop and restart it about every forty-five minutes or so. The game will start to stutter and slow down, panning the camera becomes a nightmare. Closing and restarting "fixes" it, but that's a workaround, not a solution. I'm trying to decide if I have the fortitude to keep going, or if it's time to move on.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An exceptionally fun cross between XCOM, The Mummy (1999), Pulp Cthulu, The Shadow, and Indiana Jones. Lots of replay value, a fun cast, and interesting choices to make. A little buggy at times, but never enough to sour the experience. A solid B+ tactics game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →They've ruined the games market to such an extent that it doesn't even have to be the game's fault if it's a flop. First: A decent, average game is now a flop. In a highly saturated market, this means that 98% of all games will be flops, because people can only buy and play a certain number of games, and the highly acclaimed games were never more than big outliers. Each small problem a game has turns its chances on the market drastically down. Secondly, I saw The Lamplighters League and I…
neutral · AI labelView post →The Lamplighters League Is Pushing Out Multiple Updates To Fix Crashes On Xbox Game Pass.
neutral · AI labelView post →I've really tried to like this game but eventually couldn't. Started with normal/adventure mode and found myself in the end in quite difficult missions only to game to crash just before about to reach the end of the mission level / escape. This happened many times and I had to redo the whole mission because this game has no save game option and it's has a save-bug-loop that's really annoying. This got mis this frustrated after many 'grind-it-out' tries that today is finally the day I'm putting…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Got this game on console when released, wasnt able to finish it due to bugs and crashes. Came back YEARS later, purchased ALL the content and started fresh.... only to find i still cannot finish the game due to bugs and crashes....
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Lamplighters League feels like an interesting blend of XCOM-style tactical combat and adventure-driven exploration. At its core, it’s a turn-based tactics game, but what makes it stand out is how it handles the downtime between fights. Before entering combat mode, you’re free to explore the mission areas in real time using WASD movement, which gives the game a welcome sense of freedom and adventure rather than feeling like a constant string of tactical encounters. Exploration is genuinely…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really good XCOM-type-turn-based stuff right here. You played the Shadowruns yet? No? Then play'em. Dragonfall's my favourite, but they're all worthy. Yes? Then all you need know is: this is made by the same folks, they did put in the effort, and they still got it. I mention the above because perhaps you're unsure if the work of Harebrained Schemes will be up your alley before you part with the somewhat higher price tag on Lamplighters. The Shadowruns are a less expensive way to find that out.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →That brings us to THE LAMPLIGHTERS LEAGUE, my last video game. Best tactical combat of any HBS game. Chris directed, and I EP'd, worked with the writers, and did a lot of voice direction, too. Everyone drove hard to make this the best it could be even through a pandemic. 20/
positive · AI labelView post →Starts with a bang, ends with a frustrating whimper. The stage is set for an steampunk-esque adventure with camp villains, larger-than-life heroes and a good dose of magic. The characters are likeable and the combat mechanics work well, even if the performance is a bit all over the place. The first few missions are great. Then it hits. The balance is all wrong; they've nailed to second-to-second play, but the overall progression is no fun whatsoever. The Doomsday timers are rubbish, the game is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lamplighters League will appeal to fans of turn-based tactics like me. It introduces some clever mechanics, such as a real-time stealth mode that lets you quietly eliminate enemies before switching into turn-based combat. Once you get used to it, the system works surprisingly well and helps make battles faster and more dynamic. Gathering your team while sneaking around also feels realistic... you can only call them when they’re nearby, which makes sense for tactical positioning. The downsides:…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a perfect game. BUT I have played and beaten it twice which I rarely do with any game. If youre looking to scratch that XCOM itch but with an Indiana Jones style game then this is for you. I had very few problems with bugs like others seemed to have. Overall I really enjoyed this title and fully give it a thumbs up.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn’t expect to get sucked into it the way I did. It kind of came out of nowhere, looking like a mashup of XCOM games with Indiana Jones. And to be honest? It mostly works. Let’s start with the vibe, because that’s what pulled me in first. The whole setting is this alternate 1930s world where magic is real, cults are trying to end the world, and you're part of a secret group trying to stop them. There's this Tower at the End of the World, and three evil factions want its power: one’s into…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not recommended: - Can't zoom at all. Makes it hard to get an overview of the battlefield. - Bad optimization. Runs worse than most other games with much better graphics. - Long loading times. - Real time moves aren't fun.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Utter trash. Don't waste your money.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Stealth game. It is about waiting till the puzzle fits so that one can setup all the right take downs. If you don't you'll be overwhelmed when it gets loud because the numbers will be too great. Then they limit the number of silent kills. So a stealth kill game where they gimp your kills.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Every developer must choose a lane at some point; going through Kickstarter for each project and being dependent on the fickle whims of license holders to see them through invites a multitude of ways to fail. Harebrained Schemes had made this path work, but it was time for it to make a name for itself not in bringing to life the worlds of other minds in spectacular fashion. Instead, with the security of Paradox Interactive as their acquiring publisher, they could build an original world not…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really want to like this game. Like TBT games and the atmosphere is unique. However, it just has way too many problems going for it: controls are wonky, stealth mechanics not implemented well, unbalanced progression, and glitches. Got it cheap and some hours out of it, but it isn't going to be a game I want to keep going with.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Nice aesthetic. Didn't hold me for very long as you can see.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The best part of the game was to uninstall it. It's astonishing that they are allowed to sell a broken, unoptimized game where some parts run at 3-10 fps! The game itself is not good enough to suffer through the abysmal performence you are going to pay for. Save your money for something else.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I will get the one true negative out of the way: the technical side of things needed more work it's never going to get. You will experience stuttering. I had one bug that required a save reload. It was only 20 minutes lost, but still. Now onto the rest. This is the best XCOM-style game I have played since XCOM 2. It's challenging with a sufficient amount of progression, interesting choices in builds, and pretty high production values. It's especially good when it comes to enemy variety.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun game thats absolutely *wrecked* to the seabed with horrible camera and controls. Which is a shame, because the concept of the game takes a lot of the old Pulp Dime novels and feels right in the world of The Mummy, Phantom or The Shadow. Visually its even has its own tone with a slight comic book look to the character designs, each being an archetype of the dime novel hero. Character abilities tie together well, and the Tarot deck cards work in interesting ways to bring more synergy to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A lesser version of X-COM in all regards. CONS: - Your units are named heroes who have small, shallow skill trees. Other upgrades either offer negligible benefits or are completely broken. - Once you've "maxed out" your core team of 3, there's little reason to invest in anyone else. - The “doomsday clock” feels artificial and largely out of your control. It might as well just say: you have X days to finish the campaign or it’s game over. - Missions become repetitive very quickly, with little…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I guess I have Bluesky now lmao Uhhhh anyone else with Game Pass give The Lamplighters League a go yet? I'm kinda enjoying the whole real time stealth/turn based combat thing but the jank is bothersome
neutral · AI labelView post →The Lamplighter's League isn't a bad game by any means. There are many good things about it, but the flaws are enough to put it behind at least a dozen other games in this tactical/stealth genre. The biggest flaw is the atrocious real-time stealth mechanics. The interface is amazingly clunky, buggy, and generally sub-par for a game where the stealth feels like it should be a major and fun part of gameplay. Attempt to hide behind a crate and you're just as likely to hop over it to alert the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Lamplighters League has the potential to be a really great game in genre - despite a buggy publication and the price being too high on launch its a solid game underneath with a great gameplay loop, lovely art style and fantastic lore. But without support which probably would be picked up by a mod community the game is often buggy, slow and repetitive in the maps. The escalation rather than feeling challenging can feel grindy and it’s such a shame. What could have been a fantastic game…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its a good little turn based game, a bit resource intensive, but a fun experience overall. HOWEVER there is a fundamental flaw with the gameplay loop. If you at any point you are down to 1 agent you might as well just start over. To attempt a rescue mission for another agent with only 1 on your team is wayyyy more effort than its worth, and halts your progress for however long you spend grinding the rescue mission and dying over and over again. If you could recover at least 1 agent for free or…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's still BSOD'ing in 2026. I'll give it a next shot in 2029
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The mix of real-time stealth and turn-based tactics makes for a solid gameplay loop, and each character brings useful abilities to the team. While the strategic layer can feel repetitive and the pacing isn't always consistent, the missions themselves are enjoyable enough to keep things moving. It's not the genre's best, but there's a fun tactical game underneath the rough edges.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It's a shame this game didn't perform well. It has charm and some very interesting mechanics. There is some clunkiness with certain moves not behaving as expected on elevation, and there does seem to be some imbalance with how scarce/common some resources are. However, characters are interesting, though they do take themselves a bit seriously, and there is a lot of build expression and ways to play. Some fights are pretty tough so don't worry if you think it may be too easy. If you like XCOM…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game. Recommended. Gameplay feels a bit like xcom, but with some real time sneaking options where you can thin down the numbers with traps or sucker punching the enemy. If you're not great at the sneaking stuff you can do the minimum then just shoot it out, but it's harder. One negative, the controls can feel a bit clunky especially when you're not used to them. Also it's a hard game, I'm playing on easy level and it's challenging enough most of the time. The game seems easy enough…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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