A watercolor storybook told in verse that hides a turn-based RPG built on an interruptible timeline. Flying through painted backdrops is pure poetry. The combat stays simple, yet the whole thing radiates a rare, melancholy grace.
Your verdict
Category
RPG2 players7+
Co-op
Description
Young Aurora awakens in the twilight kingdom of Lemuria and sets out to bring back the light. Published by Ubisoft, released worldwide in 2018. Turn-based combat on a timeline, a story told in verse, sumptuous animated watercolour and two-player co-op.
Child of Light: Ultimate Edition review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
The UbiArt engine turns the RPG into an animated storybook: ethereal watercolours, a floating-haired heroine and airy sets worthy of an old-time illustration. This translucent fairyland, soft and luminous, gives the game the air of a waking dream.
Coeur de Pirate lends this illustrated tale a score of rare delicacy: crystalline piano, hushed strings and ethereal washes that seem painted in watercolor, in tune with the scenery. The music floats without ever imposing, accompanying Aurora's flight with a fragile poetry. It is a melancholy lullaby that turns exploration into a waking reverie.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
A tale in verse, painted like an animated watercolor, traversed by gliding freely through a twilit realm. Beyond the story, gathering the luminous gems, the side quests and the two-player co-op flesh out the journey. That visual poetry served by an adventure more generous than it seems earned it a particular tenderness among players.
Built on an engine usually reserved for an in-house platformer, it draws from it an animated watercolor of breathtaking beauty, where every screen looks like a living painting. Its timeline-based combat, more tactical than it seems, and its story told in verse add a welcome singularity. Released without fanfare within a giant's catalogue, it was soon drowned out. Its visual poetry and two-player co-op remain enchanting. Perfect for anyone dreaming of a short, fairy-tale RPG.
Better with friends
A coaxing, delicate cooperation accompanies this hand-painted tale: one player leads the heroine into battle while the other becomes Igniculus, the firefly who heals, blinds enemies and gathers collectibles. The second role stays light, almost contemplative, yet it invites side-by-side play without pressure. Perfect for sharing a poetic adventure with a child or a loved one, wrapped in a gentle togetherness.
Is Child of Light: Ultimate Edition still worth playing in 2026?
Child of Light: Ultimate Edition remains one of the loveliest objects of the past decade. Its animated watercolor, built on the Rayman engine, keeps an intact grace, and the verse-told story lulls with the softness of a fairy tale. The turn-based combat, built on an interruptible timeline, offers elegant, accessible tactics. The downside lies in a gentle difficulty and rhymes that sometimes fall awkward in translation. But as a contemplative, two-player cooperative experience, its poetic charm still works fully today.
