Indie Game Showcase: LiDAR Exploration Program

LiDAR Exploration Program is described as a relaxing atmospheric horror game, which feels like a fair assessment of what the game is. It feels like an analog horror short like Local58 or Gemini Home Entertainment on YouTube but with the horror elements mostly removed. There is still some surreality to it, but the game would have benefited from leaning a little harder into the horror aspects of the genre.

The basic premise around LiDAR Exploration Program is that you obtain a CD, put it into a computer, and control a guy as he uses a LiDAR system to try and find strange objects around the environment. The player finds all the strange objects, scans them, leaves the level, and then moves onto the next level.

Now I'm not entirely sure if this is an accurate portrayal of what a LiDAR system is (and to be totally honest I don't care enough to look it up) but the exploration of the world through this laser glowing dot spray creates an interesting visual aesthetic for the worlds. The atmospheric horror comes from the surrealist elements of each level, mixed with the fact that the world is entirely shrouded in darkness until it is sprayed by the laser. There's a sense of foreboding that comes from this, especially as the worlds get weirder.

The downside is that the horror aspect goes away once the game makes it clear that there is no danger in the world. The laser spray does not go away at any point; everything revealed stays revealed for the duration you are in the level. There is no time constraint to complete the level and no constraint on how long you can use the laser spray. There is nothing in the level actively hunting you and the level stays static the entire time you are in it. A key element of the atmospheric horror portrayed in the liminal space/backdoor exploration genre is that there is a risk to you being there, and since there is nothing here in this game, it feels oddly empty.

Still, from an aesthetic standpoint this game does stand out as something worth playing. The visuals are impressive, and the way the map is rendered with laser light points is pretty cool. Maybe the narrative could have been a little deeper, maybe the horror elements could be a little more constant, but the aesthetic is unique enough that it makes the game fun.

★★★★

LiDAR Exploration Program
Developed By: KenForest
Release Date: April 2nd, 2025
Platform: PC (Steam)