Planet of Lana 2 is happening, and it’s bigger than anyone expected. Wishfully Studios dropped an extended developer gameplay deep dive on October 27, 2025, at the ID@Xbox Showcase, revealing a sequel that’s double the length and scope of the 2023 indie darling. Game directors Adam Stjärnljus and Klas Martin Eriksson walked through new mechanics, expanded environments, and the emotional core that made the original special. Most importantly, they confirmed what fans desperately needed to know. Yes, you can still pet Mui.
A Deeper Story on a Changed Planet
Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf picks up years after the original game’s ending. Lana and Mui successfully liberated their home planet Novo from robot invaders, but victory came with complications. The arrival of alien technology fundamentally changed their world, and not everyone adapted peacefully. A hostile human faction has reprogrammed the robots for their own purposes, creating new threats in what should have been a time of peace and rebuilding.
The sequel’s narrative focuses on how technology shapes society and the consequences of rapid change. Lana’s young niece is injured in a mining incident and slips into a coma, forcing Lana and Mui to embark on another journey seeking ingredients to save her. This time the stakes are both personal and planetary, as an ancient mystery emerges from Novo’s hidden depths while new threats put Lana and Mui’s unbreakable bond to the ultimate test.
No Prior Knowledge Required
Wishfully designed the sequel to work for both returning fans and newcomers. While the story builds on events from the first game, Planet of Lana 2 tells a complete standalone tale with new characters, locations, and mysteries. Players who missed the original can jump straight into the sequel without feeling lost, though veterans will appreciate callbacks and understand the broader context of how Novo has evolved.
New Mechanics Transform Gameplay
Lana has grown significantly since players last saw her. She’s faster, more agile, and has learned to adapt alien technology to her advantage. The gameplay deep dive showcased several new abilities including wall jumps, a slide mechanic that lets her duck into cover from a full sprint, and most excitingly, the ability to hack machines with Mui’s assistance. This hacking system opens up entirely new puzzle possibilities where Lana can reprogram robots and control environmental elements like magnets to manipulate heavy crates.
Mui’s abilities have evolved too. The adorable cat-like companion can now emit an EMP field that temporarily disables machines, expanding stealth options significantly. Mui’s hypnosis powers are enhanced, allowing full possession and control of various creatures. One gameplay segment showed Mui taking over an inkfish to release a cloud that blinds a predatory shark, letting Lana swim safely past. Another section had Mui possess a flying creature that could suck up water and spray it on plants, causing them to grow into climbable vines.
Expanded Creature Interactions
The original Planet of Lana featured several hypnotizable creatures, but the sequel massively expands this system. Different animals have unique abilities players can exploit for puzzle-solving. The developers emphasized that nearly every creature serves a purpose beyond just aesthetic world-building. You’ll need to experiment with different animals to figure out creative solutions, making the puzzles more dynamic and less linear than the first game’s challenges.
Diverse Environments Beyond the Forest
The original game took place primarily in lush forests and alien structures. Planet of Lana 2 dramatically expands the environmental variety. Players will traverse icy snow-covered mountains where Lana can hide in snow drifts, explore deep tropical waters teeming with dangerous sea life, navigate scorched deserts, trek through thick marshes, and discover forgotten ruins hiding ancient secrets. The underwater sections represent a completely new gameplay dimension, with unique challenges involving breath management, aquatic predators, and submerged puzzle mechanics.
The gameplay footage showcased these diverse biomes in stunning detail. The Studio Ghibli-inspired minimalist art style that defined the original returns but with added fidelity and atmospheric depth. Mountains stretch into distant horizons with volumetric fog rolling through valleys. Underwater sequences show shafts of light piercing the murky depths while bioluminescent creatures drift past. Each environment feels distinct while maintaining the painterly aesthetic that made the first game so visually striking.
Dark Sci-Fi Structures
Beyond natural landscapes, Lana and Mui will navigate imposing mechanical facilities built by both the original robot invaders and the human factions that repurposed their technology. One extended segment shown in the gameplay deep dive featured the duo escaping a prison where they’d been captured and separated. The puzzle involved manipulating magnets and heavy crates to create paths for each character independently, showcasing how the sequel requires more complex thinking about spatial relationships and character abilities.
Takeshi Furukawa Returns
Award-winning composer Takeshi Furukawa is back to score Planet of Lana 2, which is massive news for anyone who played the original. His work on the first game earned widespread critical praise for seamlessly elevating every emotional beat and cinematic moment. The soundtrack became inseparable from the experience, with minimalist compositions that knew exactly when to swell and when to let silence create tension. Furukawa’s return ensures the sequel maintains that same musical identity while expanding the sonic palette for new environments and emotional moments.
Enhanced Precision and Control
One significant improvement highlighted in hands-on previews is how much better Lana feels to control. The original game occasionally felt sluggish during precision platforming, with some players frustrated by delayed inputs during critical moments. Planet of Lana 2 features refined movement with increased responsiveness and tighter controls. Lana moves faster, jumps more fluidly, and the new slide mechanic adds satisfying momentum to traversal sequences.
Mui’s controls received similar attention. In the first game, players could only direct Mui to specific highlighted locations or within a limited range. The sequel allows free-form directional control, letting players guide Mui to essentially anywhere visible on screen. This expanded precision enables far more complex puzzles where exact positioning matters, while also making environmental exploration more intuitive and less restrictive.
Longer Campaign With More Content
The developers repeatedly emphasized that Planet of Lana 2 is double the length and scope of the original. The first game took most players between 4 to 6 hours to complete, which some reviewers criticized as too short despite the quality. If Wishfully’s promise holds true, the sequel should offer 8 to 12 hours of gameplay, making it a substantially meatier experience without padding the runtime with filler content.
This expanded length comes from more diverse puzzles, additional environments, a deeper narrative with more character development, and presumably some optional content or exploration. The original game was praised for its tight pacing that never overstayed its welcome, so the challenge for Wishfully is maintaining that momentum across a significantly longer campaign. Based on preview impressions, they seem to have succeeded by continuously introducing new mechanics and environments that prevent the gameplay from growing stale.
What Made the Original Special
To understand why Planet of Lana 2 has fans excited, it helps to know what made the 2023 original resonate. The game launched to overwhelmingly positive reviews praising its Studio Ghibli-inspired art direction, emotionally resonant storytelling, gorgeous soundtrack, and the genuinely touching relationship between Lana and Mui. Critics compared it favorably to cinematic platformers like Inside and Little Nightmares, with some calling it one of the best indie releases of 2023.
The core gameplay loop involved collaborative puzzle-solving where Lana and Mui had to work together using their complementary abilities. Lana could reach high places, manipulate heavy objects, and interact with machinery. Mui was smaller and more agile, able to access tight spaces, hypnotize creatures, and activate switches Lana couldn’t reach. The puzzles were physics-based and environmentally focused, requiring players to observe their surroundings and think creatively rather than just following obvious solutions.
Critical Reception
Planet of Lana earned an 80 rating on Metacritic based on 46 reviews. Critics consistently praised the presentation while offering mixed opinions on puzzle difficulty and innovation. Some reviewers felt the puzzles were too simple and didn’t offer enough challenge for experienced puzzle-platformer fans. Others appreciated the accessibility and lack of frustration, arguing not every game needs to be brutally difficult. The short length divided opinions too, with some wanting more content while others felt the game said exactly what it needed without overstaying its welcome.
What nobody disputed was the emotional impact of Lana and Mui’s relationship. The bond between girl and creature resonated with players in ways few games achieve, creating genuine attachment to both characters. That emotional core is what makes fans eager for more time with the duo, regardless of puzzle difficulty or campaign length.
Early 2026 Release Across All Platforms
Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf launches in early 2026 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store. The game will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass, making it accessible to millions of subscribers without additional cost. This wide platform availability ensures nobody gets left out regardless of their preferred gaming hardware.
The Switch 2 version is particularly interesting as one of the first major indie titles confirmed for Nintendo’s next-generation console. Wishfully clearly believes the Switch 2’s hardware can handle the game’s visual ambitions, suggesting significant improvements over the original Switch’s capabilities. Whether it matches the performance of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions remains to be seen, but the commitment to multiplatform parity is encouraging.
FAQs
When does Planet of Lana 2 release?
Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf launches in early 2026. A specific release date hasn’t been announced, but early 2026 typically means January through March based on industry conventions.
Do I need to play the first Planet of Lana?
No. While the sequel builds on events from the original game, it tells a standalone story with new characters and can be enjoyed without prior knowledge. Playing the first game will provide context and make certain references more meaningful, but it’s not required.
How long is Planet of Lana 2?
The developers stated Planet of Lana 2 is double the length and scope of the original game. Since the first took 4 to 6 hours to complete, expect the sequel to run approximately 8 to 12 hours depending on playstyle and exploration thoroughness.
What platforms is Planet of Lana 2 coming to?
The game launches on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store. It will also be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Who develops Planet of Lana 2?
Wishfully Studios, a Swedish developer founded by former DICE and Avalanche Studios employees, is developing the sequel. Thunderful Games is publishing.
Is Takeshi Furukawa composing the soundtrack?
Yes, award-winning composer Takeshi Furukawa returns to score Planet of Lana 2 after his critically acclaimed work on the original game.
What are the new gameplay mechanics?
Planet of Lana 2 introduces hacking abilities where Lana can reprogram machines with Mui’s help, enhanced hypnosis that lets Mui fully possess and control creatures, an EMP field that disables technology temporarily, wall jumps, a slide mechanic for cover, and underwater exploration with unique challenges.
Can you still pet Mui?
Yes, the developers confirmed you can still pet Mui. This was apparently important enough to address directly during the gameplay presentation.
What is the art style?
Planet of Lana 2 uses a minimalist, painterly art style heavily inspired by Studio Ghibli films. The visuals emphasize atmosphere and environmental storytelling over photorealism, creating a distinctive cinematic aesthetic.
Conclusion
Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf represents everything fans wanted from a sequel. It doubles the content while preserving the emotional core and artistic vision that made the original special. The additions feel meaningful rather than superficial, with new mechanics like hacking and expanded creature possession opening up puzzle possibilities the first game couldn’t explore. Diverse environments from snow-covered mountains to underwater depths ensure visual variety that prevents fatigue across the longer campaign. Most importantly, Lana and Mui’s relationship remains the heart of the experience, with improved controls and enhanced precision making their cooperation more satisfying than ever. Wishfully Studios could have easily played it safe, delivering more of the same with a fresh coat of paint. Instead they’re taking genuine risks, expanding scope and ambition while trusting that what resonated about the original wasn’t just the specific gameplay or art style, but the emotional journey of a girl and her extraordinary companion facing impossible odds together. Whether the sequel can match the original’s critical acclaim won’t be clear until players experience the full campaign in early 2026. But based on the extended gameplay footage and hands-on previews, Wishfully seems to understand exactly what made Planet of Lana special and how to build on that foundation without losing what mattered. For fans who fell in love with Lana and Mui’s first adventure, the wait for their return will be worth it. Just remember to pet Mui occasionally. After everything that cat’s been through, it deserves all the head scratches.