I didn’t think it was possible, but I managed to pry myself free from the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remakes clutches long enough to play something different, and I’m actually glad I did. I’ve just stumbled on one of the most promising Zelda-likes I’ve played this year, though if you’re expecting something colorful, adventurous, and expansive, you won’t find it here. Even so, Lelu is one of those games that I think every fan of Zelda should keep an eye on, because not only is it very clearly inspired by Nintendo’s flagship franchise, it has something unique to offer that sets it apart just enough. And if you want to, you can even give it a try right now with its free Steam demo, which I recently spent just over a glorious half hour with.
Lelu follows a small clockwork toy that has somehow gained consciousness and decided it wants nothing more than to escape the factory it calls home. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, as the factory is essentially one enormous labyrinth filled with dangerous machinery and traps set by its eccentric guardian, not to mention other toys that aren’t particularly interested in letting Lelu leave. Along the way, players will acquire new tools and abilities that allow them to overcome obstacles and reach previously inaccessible areas, all while solving puzzles and fighting everything from hostile toys to enormous mechanical bosses. It provides a pretty interesting Toy Story-esque premise for a Zelda-like, especially considering that the entire adventure takes place in a monochromatic toy factory rather than the sort of colorful fantasy world fans of Nintendo’s franchise are probably accustomed to. But if it already sounds like something up your alley, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s currently slated for a January 21, 2027 release on Steam, which is only a couple of months away now.
Lelu Turns Zelda Into a Monochromatic Toy Story
Check Out Lelu’s Demo on Steam
Anytime I boot up a Zelda-like, I never know whether to expect a straight-up Zelda clone or something that just borrows from Zelda here and there. When it comes to Lelu, I’m actually not sure which one it is, because it literally has Cuckoos. Okay, they’re not Cuccos, but it’s clearly intended to be the same thing. They’re actually toy chickens rather than real chickens, but there’s even a side quest in Lelu‘s demo where an NPC named Clocky tasks you with finding all of his missing Cuckoos in exchange for a reward. For the uninitiated, that’s quite literally the premise of one of The Legend of Zelda‘s most famous recurring side quests.
But enough about how Lelu compares to Zelda, let’s get into how it compares to Zelda (see what I did there?). Everything in Lelu is actually fairly straightforward if you’re a Zelda fan, and should you play it, you’ll probably pick it up pretty quickly. There are plenty of puzzles to solve, you get a wrench that you can swing at enemies just like Link does his sword, there are hidden paths leading to secrets in its dungeon-like toy factory, and there are abilities you can unlock as you progress through the game. And despite it taking a little more thought than Zelda‘s earliest hours typically do, it’s not difficult by any means—at least, according to what I played in the demo.
I did die a few times during the demo, it’s worth mentioning. Many of the combat arenas don’t give you much space to work with, which can really complicate things when there are several enemies closing in on you. At first, things aren’t that complex, but once you unlock the ability to dash, the enemies become more aggressive and throw attacks at you that will punish you for sitting still. By the end of the demo, I had to be quite a bit more thoughtful about my next move than I did when I started. It’s tense, but it’s a fun kind of tension. At the very least, the incredible soundtrack helps with those more intense moments.
Lelu is one of those games that I think every fan of Zelda should keep an eye on, because not only is it very clearly inspired by Nintendo’s flagship franchise, it has something unique to offer that sets it apart just enough.
But obviously, where Lelu sets itself apart is in its presentation, which I think is probably the biggest reason it caught my attention in the first place. Rather than taking place in the sort of colorful, inviting fantasy world that Zelda fans have grown accustomed to, Lelu is almost entirely monochromatic, with its black-and-white environments giving the toy factory a rather unsettling atmosphere. It’s an interesting contrast, especially considering that Lelu himself is a pretty adorable little character, and the idea of an innocent toy trying to escape a factory filled with other toys that want to kill him is a lot darker than the premise initially suggests. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a horror game, but there’s definitely something eerie about the whole thing, and I think that works in its favor.
Lelu Has the Potential to Be More Than Another Zelda-Like
As much as I enjoyed my time with Lelu‘s demo, I do wonder how well its formula will hold up once players have an entire game to explore, especially considering how much of the experience seems to revolve around navigating the same enormous toy factory. After all, part of what makes a game like Zelda so enjoyable is the variety of environments players get to visit, and while Lelu certainly has a distinct visual identity, there’s always the possibility that its monochromatic presentation could start to feel a little repetitive after several hours. However, if the full game can continue introducing new abilities and increasingly elaborate puzzles while finding ways to make its different areas feel distinct from one another, I don’t see why it couldn’t become one of the more memorable Zelda-likes we’ve had in a while.
And considering that Lelu is being developed by solo developer Jamie Rowan, I think what I’ve played so far is particularly impressive. There’s clearly a lot of love for Zelda here, to the point that I couldn’t help but laugh when Clocky asked me to find his missing Cuckoos, but I’m glad Rowan didn’t stop at simply borrowing Nintendo’s ideas and giving them a different coat of paint. The toy factory setting and its unsettling atmosphere give Lelu enough personality that I’m genuinely interested in seeing what else it has to offer when it launches on January 21, 2027. For now, though, I’d encourage anyone who enjoys Zelda-likes to give the free Steam demo a try, especially since it only takes about half an hour to see why this little clockwork toy has me so excited for what’s next.
- Developer(s)
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jamierowan
- Publisher(s)
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jamierowan
