The Golden Compass

The game follows Lyra Belacqua as she navigates a fantastical parallel universe where her soul resides out of her body. Her friend Roger is kidnapped, and her uncle Lord Asriel is imprisoned, prompting Lyra to leave the safety of Jordan College in Oxford to right the situation.

In typical 3rd-person action gameplay, Lyra must navigate environments, using acrobatic movements and wit to evade enemies or find escape routes. Collecting four special items can help her in tricky situations, and solving puzzles requires a large amount of "courage". She can also play Deception mini-games to outwit characters and gain more courage.

Lyra is aided by two companions: Pan, her dæmon, who transforms into different forms as the quest progresses, and Iorek Byrnison, an armoured bear with brute strength. Pan can be sent to retrieve objects or perform special attacks, while Iorek provides physical attacks and a rage meter that fills up when collecting rage orbs.

Lyra's journal keeps track of her tasks, location information, and the Alethiometer, a golden compass that reveals answers to questions. The Divining game requires Lyra to match symbols to keep the focus on the device, while conversations often introduce mini-games to keep the talking going.

The characters can collect objects that grant new abilities, such as new forms, spells, or insights into the Alethiometer's workings.