No One Lives Under The Lighthouse is a mystery/horror narrative driven walking sim with early PS1 retro graphics. As far as gameplay goes, you have to fulfill the duties of a lighthouse keeper: keep the place clean and orderly and see to the lamp burning from evening until dawn. The lighthouse is situated on a small rocky island, which is also uninhabited(?).
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3379491140
It's a slow burn horror story that requires attention and patience to some extent. As the secrets of the lighthouse gradually reveal themselves to its keeper, the game succeeds in making the player feel uncertain of what's really happening most of the time. Confusing as it may be, it still manages to avoid indulging itself into a constantly dreamlike atmosphere, by dropping subtle hints as to the true state of things or downright yanking the player back to reality. I hope this makes some sense, the game utilizes surrealism at full throttle to present its narrative. However, most of the time it still manages to convey an obsure yet effective message about what's happening in the story's key points.

The sound in the game is as dreary as its pixelated, oversaturated, bleak landscape. It greatly enhances the experience: the ominous synth chords instill melancholia and uneasiness simultaneously, while the howling wind, squawking seagulls and the incessant pounding of rocks by waves make one to really immerse into the role of a lonely lighthouse keeper stranded on a tiny speck of land, encroaching upon Poseidon's wet realm (Hark Triton, HAAARK!). There are also sound effects that are intended to startle/scare the player: make sure to play the game with headphones or at least with the volume cranked up.

There are some jumpscare moments that make the player go "Holy Moly" but they are certainly not of the cheap kind. Instead, they are either placed in pivotal points as a crescendo to the gradual build up of dread or they are meticulously woven into the broader meaning of the plot.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3381066803
I highly recommend experiencing the game without knowing many details about the story. I was pleasantly surprised by its depth and complexity! It's a great game to go in blind, give it a try.
https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3380222747

Oдна з найкращих ігор, у яку я коли-небудь грав.

This is a review for the Director's Cut version of the game.

I was brought in from Mandalore's video, well after the fact, which gave me time to both digest the information, appreciate it, and promptly forget enough that the game was still mostly a surprise. Credit where credit is due, Mandalore did a fantastic job both hyping up the game AND not spoiling some of the game's best surprises, which is true to his usual MO but nonetheless something worth praising.

No One Lives Under The Lighthouse is a fantastic game. It is short, sweet and to the point. By now, there is an entire genre of cheap, indie horror game that relies on menial tasks as a setup for scary scenarios, but this is in my mind the only game that took this concept and actually elevated it to something truly impressive, because the menial tasks aren't actually being delivered to you as a real form of repetition but as a vehicle for something greater.

If you want to be surprised and enjoy a strange, cryptic but merciful experience, play this game. If you want a more detailed analysis of what's going on with it, I recommend Mandaloregaming's video. Of note is that the original version is also packaged in as an opt-in beta and is worth a look if you want a glimpse into how games evolve during development.