P1: Anchor Light Review (2025) – Anomaly-Hunting in a Haunted Lighthouse
- Niels Gys
- Sep 9, 2025
- 2 min read
TL;DR
A lighthouse that’s supposed to save lives now tries to burn your sanity. Never trust a beacon in the dark.
The Real Deal – Facts First
Developer: Deadbolt Interactive
Publisher: Perp Games
Release Dates: PC on September 10, 2025; PS5 expected October 14; Xbox Series X|S on November 11.
Genre / Features: Anomaly-hunting, psychological horror, first-person, exploration, puzzle, memory test, “don’t move” mechanic.
Villain Power Ranking – Who or What You’re Fighting
This one’s sinister in silence. The lighthouse itself is the villain: each room, wracked with distortions and broken reflections, waiting for you to slip. Anomalies are your enemies—some loud, some whispering. The “Red Light, Green Light” freeze mechanic? That’s its claw in the back.
Scare Factor – Would You Freeze When Music Stops?
You memorize room details. The second pass through? One wrong color, one misplaced chair, and the punishment: collapsing stairs, murderous mannequins, or worse.
Music cuts. You must freeze. One twitch, one panic move, and the game ends. It’s tension built on psychological tightropes.
Environment: lavish art deco lighthouse, opulent facades hiding something deeply decayed behind the walls. It uses its beauty as bait.
Gameplay & Mechanics – The Devil in the Details
Memory + observation: First run, memorize layouts. Second run, spot anomalies. Every mistake could mean reset.
Red Light, Green Light mechanic: When music dies, silence is survival. Move, die. Simple but visceral.
Chance / risk vs reward: Leaderboards, Endless Mode, multiple difficulty settings (Normal, Hard, Nightmare) reward those who don’t break under pressure.
CRIMENET Verdict
P1: Anchor Light is a clinch of horror that doesn’t need gore to scar. It’s quiet, twisted, and smart — the kind of psychological horror that only gets worse when you think you know its tricks.
Final Word: If you like horror that questions your senses, punishes your curiosity, and uses silence as a weapon — this is one to watch (but maybe don’t play in the dark if you get spooked easily).
FAQ
What platforms is P1: Anchor Light on?
PC (Sept 10, 2025) first. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S ports later (PS5 – Oct 14; Xbox Series – Nov 11).
What is the main gameplay loop?
You explore the lighthouse, memorize rooms, face anomalies on subsequent floors. Freeze when music stops; spot the unfamiliar. Success takes perfect observation, nerves of steel.
What kind of horror is this?
Psychological, slow-burn, unsettling. Not about gore; about what your mind fills in when the lights flicker.
Is there replay value?
Yes — difficulty settings, Endless Mode, leaderboards. Once you think you’ve seen it all, the lighthouse has more surprises.
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