
You are trapped in the observatory of a star-obsessed professor atop Mount Clearveil. Plan your survival during the day, confront the darkness of the basement at night. Can you break the ritual and uncover the mystery?
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About
You have been assigned as an intern to an isolated observatory on Mount Clearveil; Professor Elias was supposed to welcome you, but the observatory is silent… and something is wrong.
In this psychological cosmic horror experience, you manage the observatory during the day and follow the traces of Professor Elias’s forbidden connection with the stars at night.
Old devices, scattered notes, and unfinished experiments await you; as an intern, will you be able to handle the weight of this system?
You collect trash, grow and harvest crops, and try to keep the observatory clean and operational; yet the cursed symbols on the walls remind you that this place was never ordinary.
At first, you cannot understand why keeping the lights on is so important… until you are left alone in the dark.
A path that opens at night leads you beneath the basement and into the buried secrets of the observatory; to uncover them, you must be brave.
You think you are the one observing… but perhaps you are the one being observed.
You are trapped.
Over time, you begin to lose your sense of reality.
Will you be able to escape this observatory, or will you answer the call of the stars?
Life & Shadow: Celestial Call is an experience where calm and fear, science and madness intertwine.
WHAT AWAITS YOU IN THIS PROLOGUE?
1 Hours of Story Gameplay: A suspenseful and immersive introductory experience where you step into the atmosphere of the main game.
Save System: Your progress is saved every night when your character sleeps, allowing you to safely continue the story after every surviving day.
Dr. Elias's Secrets: Delve into the depths of the observatory and take your first steps into Dr. Elias's dark past and forbidden experiments.
A Complete Beginning: An exciting opening that lays the foundations of the story and builds anticipation for the full game.
Genres
Stats
Languages: English*, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese - Brazil, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Japanese +7 more
Engagement
Reviews
Themes across 50 recent reviews and how positive each mention is. A keyword signal, not full sentiment analysis.
Reviews
To be honest, I really enjoyed the game and I am excited to see the rest of it. There were two jumpscares while I was playing, and one of them really got me. The game mechanics are very smooth, and I didn't see any bugs. My only feedback is about the scary atmosphere. I think the horror feeling is a bit weak. If you can keep the player on edge a bit more, the game will be much better. Other than that, I had a great time with the prologue and I am looking forward to the full game. Good luck to the team!
The atmosphere is really well done, I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops. Good work
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Concurrent players on Steam, sampled daily since tracking started.
Hours played at review time, across 50 reviews with recorded playtime.
positive critical· bar length = how often the theme comes up
The sound design was probably the best part for me. Even when I was just doing simple tasks, the strange noises made me feel like something was waiting in the next room. The atmosphere is already really strong and the game does a good job of building tension without throwing jumpscares at you every minute. :d Pros: Great sound design, creepy atmosphere, and a nice slow build-up. Cons: I’d like to see the psychological horror pushed a bit further, and some areas could use more variety. Overall, it has a lot of potential and I’m curious to see how the full game turns out. :D
Overall, I really enjoyed the game and I am looking forward to the full release. I got scared a few times while playing, but I think the horror elements could be turned up a bit. I really loved the sound design. The music and that feeling of being followed when you are in the dark are captured perfectly. The only thing I would suggest fixing is the subtitles. When listening to the tapes, the text sometimes blends in with the background, making it hard to read. Other than that, I had no issues at all and I really enjoyed it. Best of luck to the dev team
"在这个序章中,有什么在等待着你? 1.5小时的故事游玩: 充满悬念和沉浸感的介绍性体验,带你步入主游戏的氛围。......" 为什么我玩了30分钟就《感谢您的游玩》了? 之后继续游戏会出bug,物品栏道具会出现两个海绵进而无法浇水。 观星我还没研究出来有什么意义,还有最西边的上锁的屋子不知道怎么进。 恐怖游戏难做,暂时支持一下吧
Life & Shadow: Celestial Call – Prologue is a compelling introduction to a larger psychological horror adventure that successfully combines everyday life simulation with an unsettling tale of cosmic mystery. Developed by Immeta Studios and published by PlayWay S.A., the game places players in the role of an intern arriving at the isolated Mount Clearveil Observatory to begin working under the respected Professor Elias. Instead of receiving a warm welcome, the protagonist discovers a deserted facility filled with unanswered questions, abandoned research, and signs that something has gone terribly wrong. From its opening moments, the prologue establishes an atmosphere of quiet isolation, encouraging players to investigate every room and document while slowly uncovering a story that blends scientific curiosity with supernatural terror. One of the game's most distinctive features is the way it balances routine responsibilities with psychological horror. Rather than immediately confronting players with terrifying encounters, much of the experience revolves around maintaining the observatory through practical daily activities. Cleaning rooms, collecting trash, managing crops, gathering supplies, and keeping the station functional all become part of the player's regular schedule. These seemingly ordinary tasks provide a satisfying gameplay loop while also creating a deceptive sense of normalcy. As the days progress, however, subtle changes begin to emerge, making familiar routines feel increasingly uncomfortable. This gradual shift allows the horror to develop naturally instead of relying on constant shocks, making every new discovery feel more impactful. The observatory itself serves as one of the game's strongest assets. Its detailed interiors, scientific equipment, weathered hallways, and hidden underground areas all contribute to a setting that feels believable before slowly transforming into something far more disturbing. Exploration is consistently rewarding because nearly every corner contains clues about Professor Elias's forbidden experiments and his obsession with mysterious celestial phenomena. Personal journals, scattered notes, and environmental details gradually reveal pieces of a larger mystery without overwhelming players with lengthy exposition. This approach encourages careful observation while maintaining a constant sense of uncertainty regarding what truly happened within the isolated research station. As darkness falls, the game's atmosphere changes dramatically. Night introduces a far greater sense of danger as hidden sections beneath the observatory become accessible and unexplained phenomena begin to intensify. Lighting becomes an important gameplay mechanic, with electricity serving as both a practical necessity and a psychological source of comfort. Players are constantly reminded that allowing darkness to consume the facility may have dangerous consequences, creating tension even during moments when no immediate threat is visible. Instead of focusing on relentless action or predictable jump scares, the horror relies on suspense, unsettling audio, and the growing fear that unseen forces are influencing both the environment and the protagonist's state of mind. This slow-building approach gives the experience a distinctive identity that fits well within the cosmic horror genre. Although designed as a relatively short prologue lasting around ninety minutes, the game introduces an impressive variety of mechanics that hint at the ambitions of the complete release. Resource management, environmental exploration, light puzzle-solving, narrative investigation, farming, and facility maintenance all blend together into a gameplay loop that feels more substantial than a typical demo. The nightly save system complements the day-and-night structure, rewarding players for successfully managing each cycle while reinforcing the feeling of surviving another unsettling day inside the observatory. Rather than simply showcasing isolated features, the prologue presents them as interconnected systems that support both gameplay and storytelling. Life & Shadow: Celestial Call – Prologue succeeds because it understands that effective horror often comes from anticipation rather than constant confrontation. Its combination of peaceful daily routines, mysterious storytelling, immersive exploration, and steadily escalating psychological tension creates an engaging experience that leaves players eager to learn more about the secrets hidden beneath Mount Clearveil. While the story intentionally leaves many questions unanswered, it effectively establishes intriguing characters, compelling lore, and an atmospheric world that feels worthy of further exploration. If the full game expands upon these mechanics while maintaining the same level of environmental storytelling and pacing, it has the potential to become a memorable entry in the psychological horror genre. Rating: 8/10
it has some potential
An intriguing game, I’ll definitely be checking out the full release. The atmosphere and story really pull you in, while the gameplay mechanics and core loop are solid. Honestly, the gameplay, narrative, and vibe all deserve a much deeper experience. Hope the full version drops soon!
This game is seriously good. It doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares or constantly throwing things in your face; it actually builds tension just through its eerie atmosphere. The gameplay is smooth too. I didn't expect it to suck me in this much when I first started. Definitely recommend it!
With its atmosphere of cosmic horror and the mysterious world it promises, this title offers a very promising start with high potential; it feels truly stylish and successful, especially thanks to its 3D visuals and environment design. Of course, since it’s a prologue version, there are some areas open to improvement on the path to the full release; for example, the eerie atmosphere and tension could be ramped up a bit to keep the player on the edge of their seat even more. Additionally, while daily tasks follow a logical cycle, the locations of objectives such as cleanup areas and how to complete them remain somewhat unclear; adding small directional icons or symbols to the interface would make this process much smoother. Finally, while the visual quality is excellent, the occasional freezes, performance drops, and synchronization issues would be great to see optimized by the time the full version is released. I believe the development team will easily overcome these minor hiccups in the full version and deliver a much smoother experience; the foundation is extremely solid, and this is definitely a game worth giving a chance and adding to your wishlist.
Audience
Estimated from the language of this game's reviews — a proxy for where players are, not official Steam demographics.
Audience
Games most often reviewed by the same players — an audience-affinity signal from our review sample, not full ownership data.