Anew The Distant Light: A Hand Painted Puzzle Game Set In An Alien World

Anew: The Distant Light is a sci-fi action-adventure game that blends elements of exploration, combat, and platforming. Set in a vast, alien world, the game features a rich, open-ended environment filled with secrets, puzzles, and challenges, all presented in a visually striking, hand-painted art style.

Plot and Setting

The game takes place on a distant, uncharted planet, where the player assumes the role of a young child, awakened from cryosleep. The child must explore the strange and hostile world to uncover the mystery of their mission, repair their damaged spaceship, and ultimately find a way home. The planet is filled with bizarre creatures, ancient technology, and remnants of lost civilizations, creating a sense of wonder and danger.

Anew The Distant Light

Gameplay Mechanics

  • Exploration and Discovery: The game features a non-linear, open-world environment that encourages players to explore at their own pace. The world is divided into diverse biomes, each with unique enemies, secrets, and environmental challenges.
  • Combat and Upgrades: Players can engage in combat using a variety of weapons and abilities, which can be upgraded and customized throughout the game. The combat system is fast-paced and strategic, requiring players to adapt to different enemy types and situations.
  • Platforming and Puzzle Solving: Anew: The Distant Light combines traditional platforming with physics-based puzzles, offering a mix of challenges that require both skill and thought. Players must navigate treacherous terrain, solve environmental puzzles, and unlock new abilities to access previously unreachable areas.
  • Resource Management: The game includes light survival elements, where players must manage resources such as energy and health, adding an extra layer of strategy to exploration and combat.

Visuals and Audio

The game’s hand-painted art style creates a visually stunning and immersive world, with each biome offering distinct and richly detailed environments. The lighting and color palettes are used effectively to convey mood and atmosphere, enhancing the sense of exploration. The audio design, including the soundtrack and ambient sounds, complements the visuals, creating an atmospheric experience that draws players into the alien world.

Narrative and Themes

Anew: The Distant Light explores themes of survival, exploration, and discovery. The story is told through environmental storytelling, with players piecing together the narrative as they uncover the planet’s secrets. The game’s focus on a lone child protagonist adds an emotional depth to the journey, as players experience the isolation and wonder of exploring an unknown world.

Reception and Impact

Anew: The Distant Light has been praised for its beautiful art style, engaging gameplay, and expansive world. Although it is still in early access, the game has garnered attention for its unique blend of exploration, combat, and platforming, and it is anticipated to be a standout title in the indie sci-fi genre once fully released.


Have you played Anew: The Distant Light? What’s your favourite Part of it? We’d love to hear from you. 

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