Lantern is a relaxing indie game developed by Storm in a Teacup, released in 2016 for PC. Set within a fable about a sorrowful princess whose unhappiness has drained all color from her kingdom, the game casts the player as the wind guiding a glowing red sky lantern across four Asian-inspired worlds, each distinguished by its own theme, architecture, and natural environment. Flying over grey, lifeless landscapes causes the lantern's light to restore color and trigger various environmental effects — igniting other lamps, animating dormant animals, and setting windmills in motion. A level is complete once the entire kingdom has been returned to full color. The experience is designed to be contemplative and unhurried, accompanied by restful music, and has been compared to an interactive coloring book. The game also supports virtual reality through Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Once upon a time, there was a very sad princess. She felt so unloved and unhappy, that everything around her became grey and lifeless and the entire land was deprived of its color and joy. Our fable begins when a single, lonely lantern was lit in a faraway village…
