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Lantern Bearers

Lantern Bearers is a two-player action RPG where one hero carries a lantern that reveals hidden paths while the other fights, and you swap roles through dark dungeons.

37% of Co-op Action RPG games found an audience, yet few came out lately. 60 of 133 judged games reached 1,000 reviews, and 50 came out in the last three years.

What it feels like

You feel like two people who cannot succeed alone, one guiding through the dark and one cutting a way through it.

The core loop

  • Explore: The lantern bearer sweeps light to reveal hidden paths, traps and loot in the dark.
  • Fight: The fighter clears enemies in the lit area while the bearer keeps the light steady.
  • Swap: Players trade the lantern at set points, changing who guides and who fights.
  • Loot: Drops are tied to either role, so gear choices shape how each of you plays next.

One sitting

One sitting is a single dungeon run with a boss at the end, followed by gear and skill choices back at camp. Runs are short enough to repeat with a friend over an evening.

What sets it apart

  • Role swapping is the core mechanic, where Torchlight II style loot hunting is just a side of co-op play.
  • Light as a shared resource gives co-op a real job for each player, unlike Grim Dawn, which plays much the same solo or together.
  • Fair boss health and no one-shot deaths answer the complaints about Grim Dawn bosses.

The first playable

One dark room with a lantern cone, a hidden door, a handful of enemies and a button to swap roles. Test it with two people to see whether the swap is fun.

Scope

  • Two-player local or simple online play
  • Lantern reveal mechanic
  • One fighter attack set
  • One small dungeon
  • Several dungeons with bosses
  • Loot tied to both roles
  • A few skill trees per role
  • Online co-op with drop-in play

Art

Use a dark, high-contrast look with a warm lantern glow as the focal color, which reads well in a small capsule. Simple low-poly or flat 2D shapes keep the art affordable.

Risks

  • Co-op games need a partner, and a player without a friend may bounce. Add public matchmaking early and plan a solo mode with an AI partner.
  • Misses lean on Action-Adventure, so the game could drift into puzzles over loot and combat. Keep the loot and hack and slash focus and make the lantern serve combat first.
  • Repetitive loops drew complaints in the closest hits. Vary dungeons with new light mechanics and enemies that react to the lantern.

Price

$20 to $40: Most games in this band found an audience, while the cheaper bands did far worse.

Co-op Action RPG games that found an audience

The other idea

Shared Loot Pact

More room