Retrace the Light will launch on Xbox Series X|S on July 30, 2026, and pre-orders are available now at $14.39. That price reflects a 20% discount from the standard $17.99 cost. The game is being developed by Xiaming Game Studio.
In an Xbox Wire announcement, producer Guo Lei explained how the game’s central idea turns movement into both a combat tool and a puzzle mechanic. Players take control of Enforcer Decem, an operative working under the supreme artificial intelligence Primus.
A world built from fractured memories
The story takes place inside surreal mental realms called Mirrormazes. Each one grows from a person’s consciousness, memories, regrets, and obsessions, giving the areas their own visual style and story clues. Decem must enter these spaces to uncover what happened to the people connected to them, as well as the truth behind Primus and the wider world.
The setting reaches back to the year 3323, when humanity and Primus created the Meta Mirror Project. The project was meant to stabilize society by repairing the consciousness of people dealing with severe emotional turmoil. Decem’s own mission leaves him badly injured and without his memories, turning the journey into a search for both answers and identity.
Retracing your way through fights and puzzles
The signature ability is called Retrace. Decem leaves a glowing trail while moving, then teleports back to any point along that route. In a puzzle, that can mean leaving a marker, activating a mechanism, and returning before a timed gate closes. In a fight, the same ability can help Decem dodge an attack, get behind a protected enemy, leave an area-of-effect blast, or set up a counterattack.
Retrace the Light uses a top-down perspective for most encounters, giving players a clear view of the battlefield. Certain sections switch to side-scrolling platforming, adding another way to use the light trail while moving through the Mirrormazes.
Bosses, checkpoints, and customizable combat
The combat takes cues from Soulslike games, but the design includes checkpoints that return players to the action quickly after a defeat. Bosses have multiple phases, distinct attack patterns, and weaknesses that reward careful observation.
Combat builds can be adjusted with Modules. The game includes seven Primary Modules and their variations, along with more than 20 Secondary Modules hidden throughout the Mirrormazes. These options support different approaches, including counterattacks, heavy damage, and charged attacks.
A mystery with multiple outcomes
Alongside combat and platforming, the game uses conversations, environmental details, and hidden clues to fill in Decem’s missing history. Decisions made during the story can affect the fate of his companions and lead to multiple endings.
Players can pre-order Retrace the Light on Xbox Series X|S for $14.39 ahead of its scheduled July 30 launch. The Microsoft Store listing gives the standard price as $17.99.
Will Retrace the Light’s memory-based combat and light trails be enough to draw you into the Mirrormazes? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
