Glittering Light

Casual turn-based rogue-lite with an abstract, dream-like theme

Glittering Light is a casual turn-based rogue-lite with an abstract, dream-like theme. The goal is to get as far as possible, collecting glitter for score along the way, and avoiding the nightmares. A typical playthrough lasts 5 to 15 minutes, but the game doesn't have a last level — and the levels never repeat.

Screenshot of a text-based game running in a terminal emulator, showing a colorful maze, partly uncovered.

This page is home to the original text-based game, that can be played in a terminal emulator, and the native port of the same.

Download

Python edition:

prototype (2015, 26K)
2nd revision (2020, 26K)

Native port (2020):

64-bit Linux (40K)
32-bit Linux (38K)

As of 2025, the native port no longer builds in Haiku. It might not build at all anymore.

Both editions are open source under the MIT License (included in the files).

How to play

Use the cursor keys to move around; press ? in-game to see other commands. Being right next to a nightmare increases your fear, while moving to the next level decreases it. Glitter also helps with that; speed lets you outpace the nightmares, as for light, the effects should be obvious.

Contact and links

You can usually find me on IRC, in the #ctrl-c channel of tilde.chat, or see inside the archives for my e-mail. Would love to hear from you either way. See also:

Last modified on 9 September 2025. More text games