How to play
Lumen is a small spirit of light. Umbra is her shadow. You need both of them to finish every level: a level is done the moment Lumen stands in her golden sun door and Umbra stands in her violet moon door at the same time.
- Two players, one screen. Player one moves Lumen with A and D and jumps with W. Player two moves Umbra with the arrow keys and jumps with Up. Two gamepads work too: the first pad is Lumen, the second is Umbra.
- On a phone, hold it sideways. The left half of the screen belongs to Lumen and the right half to Umbra, each with left, right and jump buttons. Several fingers at once are fine, and you can also slide your thumb upward to jump without letting go of a direction.
- Playing alone? Pick 1 player on the level screen. You control one hero at a time and switch with Tab, Q or the switch button.
- Jumping is higher the longer you hold the button. You can still jump for a moment after running off a ledge, and a jump pressed just before landing is remembered.
- R restarts the level, P or Esc pauses. The game also pauses by itself when you switch tabs.
Light and shadow
- Pools. Golden light pools are harmless to Lumen but burn Umbra. Dark shadow pools are harmless to Umbra but make Lumen fade. Green poison stops both of them. Falling off the bottom of the level also ends the attempt.
- Veils. A shimmering golden veil lets only Lumen through. A violet smoke veil lets only Umbra through. Boxes cannot pass either kind.
- Dusk stones (dashed amber outlines) only become solid inside Lumen’s light. The dashed golden ring around Lumen shows how far her light reaches. Lumen can always stand on them herself, but Umbra needs Lumen nearby.
- Sunbridges are planks of light that fade whenever Umbra comes close. The violet ring around Umbra shows the distance. Lumen can walk across a sunbridge as long as Umbra keeps away, and anything resting on one falls the moment Umbra approaches.
- Teamwork. The heroes can stand on each other’s heads, and the one underneath carries the one on top. Boxes can be pushed, stood on, and dropped onto buttons. A button only works while something is on it; a lever stays the way you last walked through it. Doors never close on anyone.
- Crystals. Golden crystals belong to Lumen and violet crystals to Umbra; only the matching hero can pick one up.
Stars
Every level gives up to three stars: one for finishing, one for collecting all crystals, and one for finishing within the target time shown on the results screen. Levels open one after another, and your stars and best times are saved in your browser. If a level has you stuck, you can skip it from the pause menu by watching a short ad. The level is skipped even if no ad is available.
Strategy
Talk before you move. Most levels have a moment where one hero has to wait. Agree who goes first before anyone jumps.
Keep Lumen close to dusk stones. Walk in small steps together: Lumen a little ahead, Umbra right behind. If Lumen runs off, the stones under Umbra disappear.
Keep Umbra away from sunbridges. Before Lumen steps onto a sunbridge, check where Umbra is. If her ring touches the bridge, it is already fading.
Use your partner as a ladder. A wall about four blocks high is too tall for one jump but easy from your partner’s shoulders. The one below can also walk to carry the other into position.
Do not waste boxes. A box pushed into a corner can stay there for good. If that happens, restart with R.
Warm up alone. If your partner is not there yet, a few rounds of Snake train the same quick reactions.
If you enjoy Lumen & Umbra, try Magnet Pair or Mini Golf Duel next.
