The Lumines franchise is back with a brand new game, Lumines Arise. Lumines Arise is developed and published by Enhance, and features the talents of Tetris Effect developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Extremely addictive and eye-catching, this game locks the player in with ease by balancing inventive visuals and great music.
For those not familiar with the Lumines franchise. Lumines is a puzzle and music-based franchise where players must rotate and align “falling” blocks into 2×2 squares of the same color and/or shape while a Timeline passes periodically, which will erase the squares. This means players will lose if the blocks reach the top of the playing field. The last brand new Lumines game, Lumines: Puzzle and Music, was released in 2016, excluding the 2018 remaster Lumines Remastered. So, for many players, this will be the first chance to see the world of Lumines.
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During Summer Game Fest 2025, we got to go hands-on with Lumines Arise and check out three stages of the new game. Lumines Arise is a relatively simple game that is quite easy for anyone to pick up and play. Still, that doesn’t mean the game overall is “easy.” Instead, it is in that style of game where it is easy to play but hard to master.
Lumines Arise’s new Burst mechanic is an addition with depth,
Lumines Arise adds a new Burst mechanic, which adds depth and allows players to aim for massive combos and/or higher scores. The Burst mechanic triggers the Timeline to stop clearing matched Squares for a short period of time. This allows players to build up a massive amount of Squares in this timeframe before the Timeline starts clearing again. Making the most out of this mechanic can help build momentum and keep the player engaged.
However, this is also something that players need to be aware of as their time goes on. I know for myself, I kept forgetting that my Burst was ready and failed to use it. However, once over this hurdle, the Burst mechanic really allows players to build up and try to time the perfect moment to make massive combos and, if it’s good enough, clear the majority of your screen. This new feature has the ability to add ease while also letting players challenge themselves.
Going for the large combos and high scores is fun and all, but where Lumines Arise really flourishes is the music and setting. In my three stages, each had its own distinct setting through different colors and, of course, different music. One stage was very relaxing, chill, slower-paced music with just a simple black-and-white stage of skeletal hands playing with strings. That being said, my favorite stage was completely the opposite. It had vibrant colors like a lush jungle with dancing chameleons and an upbeat track.
Lumines Arise sinks the player into a perfect trance.
These vast differences really play on the player, allowing them to embrace a variety of music and colors fully. It worked so well that sometimes I forgot I was even playing a puzzle game. The perfect combination of visuals and music made it so that I felt that I was just on a journey, enjoying the dancing chameleons. This is what made Lumines Arise one of my favorite games of Summer Game Fest Play Days. It is a very simple game that turned into a full-on experience through music and lights that you can really get lost in.
At launch, there will be over 30 stages, so I can only imagine all the possibilities the development team came up with to enrich players. Additionally, there will be online multiplayer, so you can all go on a journey together. While the concept is simple, like others in the series and Tetris: Effect before it, Lumines Arise puts players into a perfect Flow state.
Lumines Arise was one of the best games I played at Summer Game Fest 2025. While I enjoy a good puzzle game, what sets this game apart is the sensory experience it creates for players. Being able to capture everything through sight and sound made everything feel very surreal, even if all you are doing is making 2×2 Blocks.
Lumines Arise is set to release on PlayStation 5 and Steam in the Fall of 2025.
