Lumines Arise releases tomorrow, November 11, 2025, on PlayStation 5. It’s been over 20 years since the original Lumines was released at the launch of the PlayStation Portable in 2004. Lumines Arise is a complete reimagining of the series’ block-dropping puzzle gameplay using the latest technology possible on the PS5 (with optional PS VR2 compatibility). We’re confident that you’ve never had a puzzle game take you on an emotional, sound-and-light-filled, synesthetic journey quite like this, whether you’re a longtime fan or picking up Lumines for the very first time.
I’m Game Director Takashi Ishihara from Enhance, and I’d like to take this opportunity, alongside Executive Producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi, on this release-day eve to reveal some behind-the-scenes info on the game’s development and share with you why we think Lumines Arise is so different.
You may be familiar with our previous title, Tetris Effect: Connected (available on PS4 and PS5, and also optionally playable in PSVR/PS VR2). Believe it or not, that game took a lot of influence from prior Lumines titles. In turn, Lumines Arise now incorporates many of the things we learned during the development of Tetris Effect, bringing them back into Lumines.
Tetris Effect and Lumines: A shared language
If you’re even a little bit familiar with Tetris Effect: Connected, one look at Lumines Arise and you can tell it comes from the same development team. Playing either one may make it seem like inducing synesthesia (a phenomenon where stimulating one sense involuntarily stimulates others simultaneously) was effortless, but it was actually incredibly difficult to pull off!
At Enhance, synesthesia is an everyday word and exploring this sensory crossover concept continues with Lumines Arise—we wanted every stage in the game to link the experience with your emotions as well. Tetris Effect: Connected did this too, and its Journey mode narrative (though subtle) resonated deeply with players, inciting some powerful emotions in players by the end of the game.
To do this effectively, we had to construct a shared vocabulary within the development team to communicate to each other the vision of what we wanted to achieve in each stage, the feelings we wanted players to feel, and whether or not we were meeting that goal. Being open and honest about what you’re seeing and feeling can be difficult in any work environment, but even with new members joining the team that weren’t part of Tetris Effect: Connected, we were able to do it.
Divergent journeys
In Tetris Effect: Connected, we depicted a journey of the heart using music, lyrics, and visuals. For Lumines Arise, the single-player Journey mode is about your personal progression from darkness into the light.
Although they appear similar, the puzzle gameplay in each is distinctly different. And the differences don’t stop there. With Tetris Effect, we tried to create a “zen-like” state where players could enter a flow that impacts your inner self. Lumines Arise is the opposite—this is an outward journey where you start alone on the first stage and embark into the outside world, encountering various stimuli, experiencing diverse emotions, and meeting other Loomii player avatars along the way. This is the “Arise” part of Lumines Arise. The narrative of leaving your comfort zone, getting out into the world, and discovering something new.
Where Tetris Effect’s visuals were often abstract and introspective, Lumines Arise transports you to real-world environments, including neon-filled city streets (Neon Streets), a peaceful winter landscape (Snowfall), a chaotic nightclub (Mirror Ball), and serene coastal vistas (Island Breeze). Some levels connect you to food so closely you can taste it (yes—Slice & Dice has fruits and vegetables) or creatures you might encounter out in the world, so you can experience their beauty (Goldfish Tango, Seahorse Sway) or fearsome nature (Spider Webs or Serpent Clash).
This “out in the open” narrative is something we wanted to challenge players with in Lumines Arise. The single-player Journey mode has over 35 stages, and we hope you’ll share what feelings and emotions arose during your experience.
Committed to puzzle games
When many people hear “puzzle game,” they might imagine something easily playable on a handheld device.
However, there’s a reason why we at Enhance dare to continue pursuing puzzle games using consoles connected to your TV or in VR. Puzzle games are a genre that, until now, haven’t significantly evolved or changed in terms of music, visuals, or overall experience. We want to change that.
Unlike other games that are more of the “easily enjoyable for a short time” variety, we want to create experiences designed for deeper immersion in a living room, a private space, or VR, allowing players to “play for a long time, forever.” Puzzle games are well-suited for the type of synesthesia connection we at Enhance strive to deliver—games that just feel good to play.
Don’t worry, though—we want to make games in this and other genres that are fun, too! Not only is Lumines Arise a fully formed single-player game, but we also have competitive cross-platform multiplayer, leaderboards you can tackle solo, a variety of rule-changing Missions, and more.
Astro Bot lands in Lumines
We’ve been eager to collaborate with other game creators and forge a connection between Lumines Arise and other game worlds as well. With Lumines Arise releasing on PlayStation 5, an Astro Bot collab was at the very top of our wishlist. Thanks to the amazing people at Team Asobi and PlayStation, we were able to make it happen!
We thought, “What would happen if Astro Bot entered the world of Lumines Arise?” Our biggest concern was balancing the look of our world with the impeccable charm of Astro Bot. We needed to merge Astro’s adorable silhouette and design with the visual style of Lumines in a way that felt natural. We truly had to “feel” our way through it.
We also received direct feedback from Nicolas Doucet, the director of Astro Bot. His comments deepened our already strong appreciation for Astro and spurred us to create something great. The completed Loomi’s adorable yet sharp dance moves perfectly sync with Lumines Arise’s music. I think Astro Bot fans are gonna love it, too. What do you think?
Astro Bot is available exclusively as part of the Lumines Arise Digital Deluxe Edition. Please enjoy working your way through Journey mode with Astro Bot, or playing together as a partner in Burst Battle multiplayer battles.
Tips From the developers
Finally, for everyone playing starting tomorrow, here are a few simple tips from me to help you improve at Lumines Arise.
Master the Timeline
In Lumines, Squares you create don’t disappear immediately. They only clear when the Timeline passes across the screen from left to right and reaches them. The key to high scores is judging the Timeline’s position and deciding whether you can build Squares before its next pass.
If you rush and stack too many blocks, you might not be able to form large Squares. The strategic trick is to deliberately hold off on stacking blocks, then build a large Square all at once right after the Timeline passes!
Use the Center and Sides of the Playfield
If you get tricky blocks like a Checkerboard block that’s hard to use to form Squares easily, don’t hesitate to drop them into the open space on either side. Moving blocks left or right wastes time, so focus on forming Squares in the center and dropping unwanted blocks to the sides—essentially keeping your workspace clean. This makes forming Squares much easier.
New Players, Check Out Training Missions
While the rules of Lumines Arise are simple—create Squares to clear them—you might find yourself wondering at first, “How do I boost my score?” or “How do I aim for Combos?”
When that happens, try going into Missions and trying the Training Missions found within. Here, you’ll find 60 different challenges, covering everything from basic techniques that’ll improve your puzzle play to useful advanced techniques. You can learn step by step, at your own pace, and repeat any of these to keep honing your skills. We highly recommend checking it out.
The entire Lumines Arise team has been eagerly awaiting the day we could finally deliver this game to PlayStation fans.
We hope you’ll immerse yourself in the exhilarating experience created by the perfect harmony of puzzle action and its corresponding sound and light effects. There’s still time for PS Plus members to grab a 10% discount by pre-ordering, so be sure to take advantage of this offer.
We look forward to welcoming you to the world of Lumines Arise on PS5 (and optional PS VR2 compatibility) starting tomorrow!
