Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf Review
Planet of Lana II is even better than the amazing game it follows.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf. Credit: Wishfully / Thunderful
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is the sequel to the excellent Planet of Lana, again from developer Wishfully and publisher Thunderful. This stunning, highly cinematic puzzle platformer builds on everything that made the first game special. It’s bigger, packed with more gameplay ideas, and consistently finds ways to keep things feeling fresh. This is a GOTY contender.
In the first game, Lana rescues her sister and the rest of her village from an invading robot army with the help of her cat-like companion, Mui. Two years later, the people of her village are putting the invaders' leftover technology to use to improve their lives. A new threat emerges when a cult-like tribe begins mining the planet with dangerous machines in a bid for power. Lana witnesses the consequences firsthand when an irradiated rock dropped by the tribe poisons her young friend. She sets off to find ingredients for a cure, and what begins as a local problem gradually unfolds into a much larger adventure as Lana travels farther from home, meets other tribes, and uncovers buried secrets about the planet’s past.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf. Credit: Wishfully / Thunderful
What initially feels like a smaller story—conflict with nearby tribes rather than alien invaders—actually becomes something bigger and more emotionally resonant. Like the first game, all dialogue is spoken in Lana’s native (made-up) language with no subtitles, but the visual storytelling is so strong that you never feel lost. Character animation and staging do the heavy lifting, and they do it beautifully.
Gameplay will feel familiar to anyone who played the original. Lana explores a 2D side-scrolling world with movement that recalls classic cinematic platformers like Prince of Persia. She runs, jumps, grabs ledges, crawls, moves objects, and activates switches. The animation work here is exceptional. Lana’s movement has real weight and momentum behind it, and simply navigating the world feels great.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf. Credit: Wishfully / Thunderful
Many puzzles revolve around Mui. Lana can direct Mui to specific locations to interact with objects—pushing buttons, chewing through ropes—or to use its overcharge ability. Overcharge temporarily disables machines and sometimes lets Lana take control of them. In other situations, it allows her to control local creatures and plants, for sequences that produce some of the game’s best puzzles. You’ll take control of animals with unique abilities: fish that spray clouds of ink, creatures that absorb water and rain it down elsewhere, highly flammable fuzzballs that poop out fuses, and more. Like the stealth sections from the first game, which appear less frequently here, the puzzles are all about understanding the environment and using it to your advantage.
The game is also full of memorable moments, including several standout action sequences. My favorite had Lana escaping the villain’s machine city, leaping between airships in a rainstorm while robotic drones pursue her. It’s a thrilling sequence that’s a standout example of how cinematic the game feels.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf. Credit: Wishfully / Thunderful
The environments are wonderfully varied. Lana travels through lush forests, snowy mountains, deep oceans, ancient ruins, and more. Movement might happen on a 2D plane, but the world never feels flat. Layered backgrounds add real depth, making the environments feel massive compared to Lana. Everything is packed with small animation details that bring the world to life.
If there’s one potential frustration, it’s Lana’s fragility. It makes sense narratively, but it does mean death can come quickly. A single hit from an enemy kills her instantly. Get spotted by a drone? Dead. Barely expose yourself to the freezing wind on a mountaintop? Dead. Fortunately, checkpoints are generous; you usually restart in the same room. It can still be frustrating if you’re stuck on a tricky traversal puzzle, but patience and observation always pay off. The solutions are rarely complicated once you spot what the game is asking you to do.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf. Credit: Wishfully / Thunderful
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is one of the best games I’ve played so far this year. It expands the world introduced in the first game, adds deeper characters, delivers satisfying puzzles, and looks incredible from start to finish. The adventure lasts around five hours, which feels just right for this kind of cinematic experience, long enough to feel substantial, but short enough that it never drags.
If you missed the first game, it’s currently 90% off on Steam, making it easy to catch up before jumping into this one. I highly recommend doing exactly that.
Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is available now on Steam, Xbox One / Series X|S, PlayStation 4/5, and Nintendo Switch / Switch 2.
Overall Score: 9/10
Played on: Steam Deck
