The Light Keeps Us Safe shows off its magical torch

Big Robot’s upcoming procedurally-generated survival romp, The Light Keeps Us Safe, looks like quite the blood-curdling misadventure for anyone who is rightly suspicious of robots and things that lurk in the dark. The Sir, You Are Being Hunted and The Signal From Tölva lot announced the game back in July, along with a teaser, following it up this week with the first gameplay trailer.

It’s all lidless neon eyes peering through windows and floating metal monsters—I’m already sweaty. The Light Keeps Us Safe is set after the sky has gone dark and machines have taken over. They’re not fans of the light it turns out, so it’s the one thing that can save you. It’s a bit Alan Wake, but instead of having a shitty torch that you have to constantly fill with AA batteries, you’ll have a considerably handier tool with a range of effects, from revealing hidden things to distracting the machines.

Running, hiding and solving light-based puzzles will be how you survive, rather than traipsing all over the post-apocalyptic world with a shotgun and a thirst for oil. Ultimately, it’s a stealth game. And if you’ve crafted more than enough axes and bandages to last you a lifetime, good news: there’s no crafting.

The Light Keeps Us Safe hits Steam early access on October 11.

Disclosure: Big Robot's Jim Rossignol worked for PC Gamer until 2010.

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Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.