Lies of P is a 2023 action role-playing game created by Neowiz and Round8 Studio and published by Neowiz. The game is a science fantasy horror story inspired by the 1883 Italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, to whom the game is dedicated. It is a Soulslike game set in the fictional steampunk city of Krat, which is inspired by the Belle Époque era. The title "P" refers to the main character, Pinocchio, who is controlled by the player from a third-person view. Pinocchio is one of the robot-like "Puppets" that are important to the city of Krat's society and industry.
As Pinocchio, the player can act freely, which goes against Krat's rules for robots. To survive, the player uses melee weapons, a mechanical arm, and a mysterious energy called "Ergo," which helps gain experience and serves as money. The city is filled with enemies and suffers from a dangerous illness called "Frenzy," which causes other Puppets to behave dangerously. The player uses a luxurious hotel as a base to explore the city and uncover secrets. Throughout the game, the player's choices between two options influence the story and smaller events. Most characters are based on those from the novel, and animals from the story are adapted into human characters wearing animal masks and using secret names.
Lies of P was released for macOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in September 2023. It received good reviews for its visuals, sound design, atmosphere, and voice acting, though some players had mixed opinions about the story and gameplay. By June 2025, the game had sold over 3 million copies and was nominated for awards such as The Game Awards and the Golden Joystick Awards. It was listed on many top games of 2023 lists. A prequel expansion called Overture was released in June 2025, and a sequel is currently being developed.
Gameplay
Lies of P is an action role-playing game viewed from a third-person angle. The player controls a silent puppet named P, who moves through the fictional city of Krat and fights enemies, including other puppets, groups, and people affected by a disease called petrification. At the start of the game, players choose one of three combat styles, which determines P’s abilities and starting weapons. Players use melee weapons and special tools called Legion Arms, which include a grappling hook. Most weapons have a blade and handle that can be upgraded and combined with other parts. When combined, weapons gain a unique ability called Fable Arts, which activates when a specific bar is filled. Weapon durability decreases during battles and can be improved using grindstones, which also temporarily strengthen weapons. Players can perform light and heavy attacks, as well as parry or block enemy attacks. Parrying causes enemies to stagger and damages their weapons, while blocking causes P to lose a small amount of health, which is partially restored after a successful counterattack.
Players upgrade weapons at Hotel Krat, which also offers other activities as the game progresses. Items are bought with in-game currency called Ergo, which is also used to improve P’s abilities by distributing points among vitality, vigor, and other attributes. The game includes a skill tree that unlocks new abilities using Quartz, which can be purchased or earned by defeating bosses and minibosses. Skills have extra slots for passive bonuses. After reaching a certain point in the story, players can use Wishstones to gain temporary power-ups, such as increased damage or health regeneration for P or a spectre. Players can also equip Defense Parts to improve P’s protection. Before fighting bosses, which usually have two phases, players can summon a spectre for help. After defeating a boss, players receive a Rare Ergo crystal, which can be traded for boss weapons or amulets with special effects.
Exploring Krat, players find ringing phones that ask riddles. Correct answers reward players with Trinity Keys, which unlock areas containing gear and resources. Players can also find hidden locations called Cryptic Vessels, which contain chests with rewards and collectibles. Checkpoints called Stargazers are placed throughout Krat and allow players to restore P’s health and resources. Stargazers also let players travel quickly or respawn if they die. When respawning, P loses some Ergo, which can be recovered at the location of death. However, taking damage while returning to the spot reduces the amount of Ergo that can be recovered.
The game includes a morality system where players must choose between telling the truth or lying within limited time. These choices affect the story and ending. Players interact with non-player characters (NPCs) through a dialogue tree, learning more about the game world. Some NPCs offer side quests that reward players with new weapons and resources. P’s appearance can be customized with outfits and masks found in the game. After completing the main story, players can replay the game with New Game Plus, using gear and upgrades from their previous playthrough. The Overture expansion added new enemies, weapons, side quests, and accessibility features.
Synopsis
The story of Lies of P is shared with players through optional dialogue and item descriptions. Players may learn about specific parts of the story at different times, depending on their progress. However, this summary presents the story in a more straightforward order.
The game takes place in the fictional city of Krat, which was built after the discovery of a mineral called "Ergo." The Order of Alchemists used Ergo to power Puppets created by Giuseppe Geppetto. These Puppets were bound by a rule called the "Covenant," which prevented them from harming humans or lying. The Puppets became an important part of Krat's society, helping the city grow and keep its discoveries, like Ergo and Puppets, secret.
Later, a mysterious illness called the "Petrification Disease" spread through Krat. The disease slowly blinded those infected and eventually killed them. Krat failed to stop the disease, and then a sudden event called the "Puppet Frenzy" caused most Puppets to attack humans, even though the Covenant forbade it. This led to a deadly attack on the city's population, including members of the Puppet-based law enforcement. The game begins during this chaos, following a Puppet named "P." Unlike other Puppets, P looks like a human and is not affected by the Frenzy. P is free to lie or act without the restrictions of the Covenant.
P wakes up in an abandoned train at Krat Central Station and hears the voice of a woman named Sophia. She directs him to Hotel Krat, a safe building he uses as his base. From there, P rescues people, fights hostile Puppets, and meets members of the "Stalkers," human soldiers in Krat whose goals vary. Sophia communicates with P remotely, and a Puppet named Gemini inside a lamp carried by P also helps guide him.
P rescues Geppetto and an inventor named Lorenzini Venigni before reaching a cathedral where refugees fled from the Frenzy. Most humans in the area are dead or have become "Carcasses," mutated versions of humans that attack others. P later explores the Malum District, where he meets two friendly Stalkers, Red Fox and Black Cat, but must fight members of the Black Rabbit Brotherhood gang. He finds evidence that the Brotherhood works with the Alchemists. P travels to the opera house, where Geppetto believes the "King of Puppets," who lives there, is responsible for the Frenzy. The King looks like a human and tries to communicate with P, but they fight until P defeats him.
P later meets Simon Manus, the leader of the Alchemists, who explains that Ergo is the crystallized form of the human soul after death. He also reveals that exposure to Ergo causes the Petrification Disease. The Alchemists' attempts to cure the disease using Ergo led to most victims becoming Carcasses, but a small number became a powerful new race they believe is the next stage of human evolution.
During his journey, Hotel Krat is attacked by the Brotherhood, Red Fox, and Black Cat, who abduct Geppetto under the Alchemists' orders.
Key optional story details include:
– Geppetto secretly added a rule to the Covenant to control most Puppets.
– Some Puppets, called "Sentient," can bypass the Covenant's rules and resemble humans who died and were turned into Ergo.
– P is the revived Puppet of Carlo, Geppetto's son, while the King of Puppets was the revived Puppet of Romeo, Carlo's friend.
– The King tried to warn P about Geppetto's deception before his death.
– A man pretending to be a treasure hunter named Alidoro is an impostor who killed the real Alidoro and helped attack Hotel Krat.
– The "King of Riddles" contacting P by phone is Arlecchino, a Sentient Puppet who killed Venigni's parents, leading to the creation of the Covenant.
P kills the remaining members of the Brotherhood and uses a submarine built by Lorenzini to reach the Isle of the Alchemists, where Geppetto is held. On the shore, P meets Sophia, who admits she has only been a projection, and her real body, disfigured by Ergo, lies on the island. Sophia asks P to end her suffering, and P must choose whether to kill her or let her live. Later, P faces Red Fox and Black Cat, who either let him pass or fight him. Eventually, P frees Geppetto, who reveals that Simon has gathered enough Ergo to activate a powerful relic called the "Arm of God" to gain divine power. P defeats the mutated Simon.
Under the Alchemists' tower, P finds Geppetto, who asks P to give him his mechanical heart to place into a "Nameless Puppet," leading to two possible endings:
– If P agrees, he dies, and Geppetto uses his heart to revive the Nameless Puppet, who is actually Carlo. Geppetto then kills the survivors in Hotel Krat and plans to rebuild the city for Carlo.
– If P refuses, Geppetto forces the Nameless Puppet to take P's heart. The Nameless Puppet, now sentient, tries to kill P. Geppetto sacrifices himself to protect P, who then destroys the Puppet. Depending on earlier choices, Geppetto's final words vary. If P acted like a Puppet, Geppetto calls him "Just a Puppet." If P made human-like choices and mercy-killed Sophia, Geppetto acknowledges P as his son. In this case, an additional scene shows P reviving Sophia as a Puppet, which she appreciates.
A post-credits scene reveals Giangio, a guest at Hotel Krat who pretends to be a former Alchemist but is actually a cunning man named Philippus Paracelsus. He is leaving Krat and speaks with a woman, hinting they were involved in the events of the game. Paracelsus calls P "a new brother" and describes sentient Puppets as a new form of humanity. The woman mentions eternal life can take many forms, and Paracelsus vows to return to Krat to find someone named "Dorothy." Back in Krat, someone walks on a rooftop and clicks their shoes three times.
During his journey, P encounters a Stargazer that transports him to a past version of Krat, just before the Puppet Frenzy. He finds himself in Krat Zoo before it was destroyed, where animals were turned into Carcasses by the Alchemists' concoctions. P kills the mutated animals.
Development and release
Lies of P was created by Neowiz and Round8 Studio, which is led by Choi Ji-won. Round8 Studio is known for making the free-to-play MMORPG Bless Unleashed in 2020. The studio was founded in South Korea as a mobile game developer but wanted to work on bigger projects. Neowiz, which makes games that are played online, partnered with Round8 Studio to develop Lies of P. This collaboration helped both companies expand their game collections and also gave the South Korean video game industry more variety, as most games there focus on mobile games with small purchases. Development began around 2020, and the team grew from 60 to 100 people in two years.
The story of Lies of P was inspired by Carlo Collodi’s 1883 book, The Adventures of Pinocchio, which is in the public domain. Choi explained that using a story in the public domain allowed the team to creatively adapt it within the Soulslike genre. Having a well-known story early in development helped the team focus on their own version of the tale. The game was also influenced by the Belle Époque, a time in Europe during the late 1800s and early 1900s known for scientific and technological progress. The developers chose this period because it was rarely shown in other games. Choi said the team tested different European architectural styles during early development but were drawn to the Belle Époque because of its mix of "romance, turmoil, cultural growth, and prosperity." These elements helped the team show how the game’s setting, Krat, changed from wealth to decline. Choi added that the design was inspired by the developers’ trips to Europe.
The studio aimed to create a dark and spooky atmosphere in the game, especially using changes in weather and time of day. Choi noted that making this atmosphere without affecting gameplay or performance was one of the biggest challenges. The team considered adding an open world and multiplayer features but decided against both. The decision to include Soulslike elements was influenced by current trends and the developers’ personal interest in the genre. The team combined ideas from other Soulslike games with their own unique mechanics. The game was made using Unreal Engine 4. Marvelous Designer was used to create fabric textures for characters and backgrounds. The game originally had the Denuvo anti-tamper system, but the developers removed it a few months after the game was released.
Lies of P was announced in May 2021 with a debut trailer. In June 2023, a demonstration was shared as part of the Summer Game Fest. That same month, a special edition with cosmetic items and a collector’s edition with physical and digital items like an artbook and soundtrack were announced. Pre-orders started at the same time, offering cosmetics and early access for the special edition. Development ended by August 2023 as the game was prepared for manufacturing. It was released on September 18 for macOS, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions came out on September 19. In November, the soundtrack was released separately on platforms like Spotify and Steam. In February 2024, an update with new weapons and outfits was added as part of a crossover with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (2023). An official artbook, The Art of Lies of P, was released in November 2024 by Dark Horse Comics. In June 2025, a prequel expansion called Overture was released.
Reception
Lies of P received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic, and 88% of critics recommended the game, according to OpenCritic. Critics praised the game for its visuals, sound design, performance, and use of Soulslike game features. However, they had mixed opinions about the story and gameplay. Liam Croft of Push Square called Lies of P a "first-rate experience," praising its presentation and production quality. George Yang of Digital Trends said it was "one of the most impressive" Soulslike games released at the time. Richard Wakeling of GameSpot highlighted its originality and unique style compared to other games in the genre. Some critics compared Lies of P to FromSoftware games like Bloodborne (2015). Wakeling suggested these similarities might make the game seem "overly derivative." Sherif Saed of VG247 said the game's design was a "pale imitation" of FromSoftware games and called it one of 2023's biggest disappointments.
Jasmine Gould-Wilson of GamesRadar+ praised the game's story, especially its version of Carlo Collodi's original tale, calling its elements "thoughtful and connected." Travis Northup of IGN said Lies of P was "among my favorites" in the Soulslike genre for its story. Diego Nicolás Argüello of Polygon praised the character development, and Lincoln Carpenter of PC Gamer highlighted the dialogue. However, TJ Denzer of Shacknews said the game lacked a clear personality. Finlay Cattanach of VideoGamer praised the atmosphere and setting. He found the story weak but said it was engaging enough to keep players interested. GameSpot's Wakeling wrote that the story had some intriguing parts but felt vague and disappointing until the third act.
Lauren Bergin of PCGamesN said the game's mechanics were "genuinely impressive," and Push Square's Croft praised the combat system and skill tree. Denzer of Shacknews liked the weapon combination system. William Hughes of The A.V. Club appreciated the morality system and boss battles, though he noted some encounters felt repetitive. PC Gamer's Carpenter praised the customizable appearance, and Kieran Harris of Gamereactor praised the level design. However, Eurogamer's Caelyn Ellis called the level design a "theme park facade" and the game's weakest element. VG247's Saed said the combat system had "wasted potential" and relied too much on ideas from other Soulslike games. He also called the morality system "perfunctory." Rob Dwiar of TechRadar said the difficulty level was inconsistent, and Digital Trends' Yang criticized the boss battles' implementation.
VideoGamer's Cattanach praised the art design, especially the characters. Wesley LeBlanc of Game Informer commended the boss design, calling it "highly memorable," a view shared by Yang of Digital Trends, who said it gave each battle a unique personality. Ed Thorn of Rock Paper Shotgun praised the smooth combat animations, noting how they "flow into one another beautifully." He also praised the game's performance, especially on Steam Deck, highlighting the smooth gameplay and visual quality even on low graphics settings. However, VG247's Saed criticized some animations, calling them "infuriating." GamesRadar+'s Gould-Wilson said the reuse of assets in different locations reduced the game's immersion. Northup of IGN and Georgina Young of Sports Illustrated mentioned minor visual glitches. Northup praised the soundtrack, saying it "truly stands out" among other Soulslike games and calling some songs "just fantastic."
The Overture expansion received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to Metacritic, and 100% of critics recommended the expansion, according to OpenCritic. Richard Wakeling of GameSpot praised Overture for creating a "terrifying sense of unease" and said the story was "compelling throughout," though he criticized the main villain as an "over-the-top cartoon" character. Travis Northup of IGN said the expansion effectively reintroduced the game's setting and called the story "as satisfying as the original," noting its "heartbreaking and bleak" tone and describing some moments as "the most epic (and sometimes stomach-churning) in a game in a long time."
Reviewers praised the expansion's bosses, with Northup calling them the standout feature and better balanced than those in the base game. Rhys Wood of TechRadar said the boss fights were some of the best in the game and the Soulslike genre. Critics welcomed new enemies, weapons, and difficulty levels. However, Northup said the encounters before the bosses and the combat system were disappointing and felt the expansion "played it fairly safe" with new mechanics. Wakeling of GameSpot praised the level design as equal to the base game but noted some levels "lacked character." Both Wakeling and Wood praised the art design, with Wakeling calling some scenes "morbidly beautiful."
After its release, Lies of P was the sixth-best-selling game on Steam. In the United Kingdom, it was the third-best-selling game in physical sales during its opening weekend. In September 2023, it was the ninth-most-downloaded PlayStation 5 game in North America and Europe. By October, it dropped to fifteenth and nineteenth in these regions, respectively. In the same month, sales reached 1 million units. In March 2024, developers said the game had 7 million players. Total sales were reported as over 3 million in June 2025. As of March 2026, Lies of P had sold over 4 million units worldwide.
Before its release, Lies of P won several awards at Gamescom. After its release, it was nominated for its visuals at the Golden Joystick Awards and The Game Awards, with The Game Awards also recognizing it in the Best Role Playing Game category. Its visuals received an honorable mention at the Game Developers Choice Awards. Lies of P appeared on many lists of the top video games of 2023, ranking sixth on The Washington Post and ninth on Vulture.
Sequel
In November 2023, Neowiz shared news that a follow-up game is being made. The game is expected to include Dorothy, a character from the Oz books written by L. Frank Baum.