Lullabies Made of Static Review: A Moody, Brutalist Wandering Sim

If your taste in games leans toward the quiet, morose, and concrete-heavy, Lullabies Made of Static might be your next obsession. Released today on PC, it joins the ranks of the genre's brutalist walking sims, offering a surreal, slow-burn exploration of a dead city that feels as imposing as it is empty. While it has a few rough edges, it is an intriguing, moody experience that earns a 7/10.

A City of Concrete and Silence

The game’s greatest strength is its sense of scale. You are noticeably less mobile here than in other exploration titles, which makes the towering, alien-looking architecture feel genuinely dreadful. You’ll wander past massive glass flute-like structures and strange, double-tiered concrete mushrooms, all while the game keeps you focused on a simple goal: finding a cassette tape hidden somewhere in the sprawl.

The atmosphere is nurtured by a heavy reliance on silence, broken only by the sound of the wind and your own footsteps. It isn't interested in traditional fetch quests; the "0 / 1 CASSETTES COLLECTED" counter is more of a gentle nudge than a requirement. If you enjoy the journey more than the destination, you’ll find plenty to appreciate in the eerie loops of these streets.

Where the Experience Stumbles

However, the game isn't without its flaws. The city layout can feel a bit disjointed, with buildings scattered across a featureless brown plain. It feels less like a deliberate artistic choice and more like a technical limitation. Additionally, the dialogue—when it does appear—is a mixed bag. It oscillates between abstract, literary-style quotes and casual, out-of-place witticisms that struggle to land.

Despite these hiccups, the game remains a worthwhile look for anyone who finds beauty in the bleak, grey aesthetic of brutalism. It is a quiet, unsettling experience that succeeds in its best moments.