LiDAR Exploration Program

While this idea has the potential to be SO MUCH more, what is here is a short fun experience.

this game is so good, i was expecting jumpscares and whatnot, but i was just given a beautiful, atmospheric game instead, and i love it

Having 'exploration' in the title is a promise not all games deliver on, but Lidar Exploration Program succeeds at capturing the feeling of exploration with its fresh approach and variety of tools to encourage you to take your time and enjoy the ride. I went through areas slowly, creating my own mental map while filling out the in-game map... then emptying it. (I would recommend starting with a 2-3mill dot limit, fading out older areas for those "Wait, I've been here before, I'll go left this time" moments, which you don't get with 10mill). While the base goal for each level is easy enough to reach if you want to go straight for the landmarks, there are other things you can find along the way to reward you for meandering. I loved the feeling of understanding an area that was previously blank, and finding out-of-the-way corners and going up/behind structures made it feel like I was sneaking places I wasn't allowed into. I can't say I've pieced together an understanding of what's happening narratively, but I was happy to just sink into each level's atmosphere and layout. I would have enjoyed background music for the levels - while I understand why the soundscape was more ambient, my exploration soon ended up sounding like the incessant chirping of bats. The game worked very well on Steam deck once I adjusted the controls and brightness. I would recommend frequent breaks if you're playing under the sun and/or you're prone to motion sickness, though!