I didn’t expect to get sucked into it the way I did. It kind of came out of nowhere, looking like a mashup of XCOM games with Indiana Jones. And to be honest? It mostly works.

Let’s start with the vibe, because that’s what pulled me in first. The whole setting is this alternate 1930s world where magic is real, cults are trying to end the world, and you're part of a secret group trying to stop them. There's this Tower at the End of the World, and three evil factions want its power: one’s into tentacles and ancient gods, another’s got mummies and Egyptian curses, and the last one’s like Wall Street if it could literally weaponize ghosts.

Gameplay is split between sneaky real-time exploration and turn-based tactics, and that part is actually pretty clever. You move around the map carefully, maybe knock out a guard or two in stealth, then kick off a fight when you’re ready. It’s that same rush you get in XCOM when a plan comes together - except here, it’s like you're directing a heist crew instead of a military squad.

Talking about the crew, they’re the best part. The initial party has a femme fatale who roundhouse kicks people into next week, a charming thief who talks circles around enemies, and a former soldier-turned-bank-robber who just lives for the boom. Each character has a distinct personality and playstyle, which makes experimenting with combos feel rewarding. I especially loved Celestine’s mind control, because nothing says “I’m winning” like making an enemy shoot their friend.

But it’s not all smooth. For starters, the UI can be… frustrating. You can't preview hit chances from a new spot unless you move there, for example, which turns planning into guesswork.

And then there’s the Doomsday Clock. Oh, this damn clock. There are three of them, actually - each tied to one of the cult factions. You’d think that with all the agents you recruit, you could split them up and do multiple side missions, right? Nope. You’re forced to pick just one, and the other clocks just keep ticking away. It feels like the game punishes you for exploring or trying out non-main missions. I get the idea - they want urgency - but it ends up stressing you out more than immersing you.

Despite all that, I had a blast with it. Once you unlock more agents and perks, the combat opens up in really satisfying ways. You can pull off ridiculous combos and even one-shot major enemies. There’s a freedom to the way you play that rewards creativity, which I loved.

Visually it nails the aesthetic. Maps are stylized but clear, characters are distinct, and it oozes that 1930s feel. The soundtrack slaps too and the voice acting is surprisingly charming across the board.

TL;DR; Would I recommend The Lamplighters League? Yeah, but get it on sale. If you’re into tactical games and love that pulpy, over-the-top adventure vibe, you’ll find a lot to enjoy. Just be ready to wrestle with some clunky systems and the ever-looming doom clock of doom. 7/10

I'm going to give this a very reluctant thumbs up.

The Good: Great story and theme. Love that you can do things outside of the turn based battle -sneak around and takedown the enemies before the fight! There are times in which you can basically clear the area without even having a turn based battle. Different elemental types to play around with during the battle. Also, each character has their own niche - choosing the 3 to bring into the mission is pretty difficult but at least you can change it up and not need to bring the same 3 characters all of the time since everybody shares the xp.

The Bad: Voice acting is bearable for the most part but their accents are really bad.

The Ugly: The movement and controls are EXTREMELY clunky. I sometimes have to re-load the save just because I accidentally hopped over something and got caught or couldn't get my move out in time... so frustrating!! The hugest complaint I have about this game is that it is not very smooth at all - feels like it's stuck together with gum and tied together with shoestrings. Selecting skills and moving around in the turn based combat feels clunky as hell.
Another huge complaint: you get cards to make your people better but you have to decide NOW. There's no waiting around or seeing what skills would go best with who what where because screw you - you need to divvy out the cards now or make it ink.

Overall a fun good game buried beneath horrible UI and clunkiness and voice actors with fake or bad accents.

It looks pretty but Harebrained Schemes has made better games. I was looking forward to this one but it fell short of expectations.