One-Eyed Likho

About One-Eyed Likho

One-Eyed Likho is a story-driven first-person adventure from Morteshka, the small studio behind The Mooseman and Black Book, whose games draw on mythology and folklore. It came out on Steam for Windows in July 2025. The makers say it is not a Black Book sequel and has no card battles; it is closer in spirit to The Mooseman.

The game follows a folk tale recorded in the 19th century. Tired of his bitter life, a blacksmith sets out with his friend the tailor to find Likho and change his fate. In the tale, Likho is the embodiment of evil fate and misfortune, a one-eyed creature that often appears as a gaunt, one-eyed woman. The search leads into the thrice-nine kingdom, a mysterious world where the tales of all peoples meet, and to an ancient temple of forgotten beliefs.

You explore in first person and solve puzzles with fire, lighting your way with a box of matches that never runs out. Along the way you fill the Book of the Worlds with tales of one-eyed giants from different peoples, from Polyphemus to Basat; the notes and tales can be read or skipped. In several episodes Likho finds you, and you have to hide and run.

The world is shown in cinematic black and white by default, with other film styles in the settings: carved wooden idols, walls of icons, haloed figures with skulls for faces. The makers describe it as gentle folk horror, an uneasy atmosphere and chases rather than constant jump scares, though the store also warns of graphic violence and gore including dismemberment. It takes four to five hours, and chapters can be replayed from the menu. Steam players rate it Very Positive. It suits players who like folklore, slow exploration and puzzles more than fighting.

How to play One-Eyed Likho

1. Start the tale and follow the blacksmith and the tailor as they set out to find Likho.
2. Explore in first person and strike a match to light dark places.
3. Use fire to solve the puzzles that block your way.
4. Pick up tales and notes for the Book of the Worlds, and read them or skip them as you like.
5. When Likho appears, hide and run until the chase is over.
6. Replay finished chapters from the menu if you want to find what you missed.

Tips

• Your matches never run out, so light one whenever a room is too dark to read.
• Look at fire as a tool as well as a light; the store builds its puzzles around it.
• If black and white is hard on your eyes, the settings offer other film styles, colour filters and brightness.
• Quick-time events can be turned off in the settings.
• The tales in the Book of the Worlds are optional, but they explain the giants and gods you meet.

Questions