The Golden Compass

The game is set in a fantastical parallel universe where the soul resides out of the body and lives in the form of animals known as dæmons. The main character, Lyra Belacqua, must leave her safe haven to right a wrong after her friend Roger is kidnapped by evil Gobblers and her uncle Lord Asriel is imprisoned.

In typical 3rd-person action gameplay, Lyra needs to navigate different environments. She excels at moving around with acrobatic actions and uses her wit to evade enemies or find escape routes. When spotted, she can use a collectible to gain an advantage. Health is represented as "courage" and solving puzzles requires a large amount of courage.

Lyra's journal stores information about her quest, key locations, and the Alethiometer, a device that reveals answers to questions. To use it, Lyra must play the Divining game, matching symbols to keep the focus centred on the device. Conversations often introduce mini-games to keep the story going.

Each character can pick up objects that grant new abilities, such as new forms or insight into the Alethiometer's workings.