The Town of Light

The Town of Light is a psychological adventure game. It is set in a real location, the Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra psychiatric hospital in Tuscany, Italy. The protagonist is Renée who was an inmate at the institution starting in 1938 at the age of sixteen. The hospital she explores in 2016 is abandoned and in ruins, but the location triggers interactive flashbacks so time is constantly switched between present and past as moments are relived. At the same she is an unreliable narrator with a confused viewpoint due to her mental illness and hallucinations, so a lot is left for the player to interpret. Renée is not based on a real character, but the game incorporates many elements of the treatment that were common there at the time. There is a lot of suspense in the game, due to the ambience and the events, but there are no horror elements such as jump scares, monsters, supernatural themes or fail state situations. However, the themes and often disturbing events make this game exclusively intended for adult users, as stated by the developers.

Renée can freely explore the once self-sustained hospital and surroundings using a first-person perspective. In the early parts of the game some wards are still locked, but eventually everything can be explored. Renée can interact with the environment to open and close doors and windows, and interacts with parts of the scenery. There is no inventory system, even though a single object can sometimes be carried in her hands for a short time. Many objects can be picked up and examined from up close, allowing the player to rotate and zoom freely. In dark environments a flashlight can be activated with an infinite battery.