Story Mode Review: 120 Levels in Five Worlds, What's Inside?

Short answer: According to the studio, Story Mode is the largest part of Laser Thief and for most buyers the main reason to buy. 120 levels across five worlds, every fifth one with tools, and fair unlocking without star gates. The story itself is a loose frame, not a drama.

What we looked at

• Scope: How many levels, how are they structured?
• Learning curve: When do new mechanics appear, how are they introduced?
• Variety: Do the worlds differ noticeably?
• Unlocking: Do you have to play perfectly to progress?
• Value: Who is this scope worth it for?

All details on levels and worlds come from the studio’s description.

Structure: five worlds with 24 levels each

The levels carry codes from 1-01 to 5-24. Each world has its own theme, its own colors, its own loot, and a small music selection.

World	Motto according to the studio	New mechanics (selection)
Neon Vault	“Every heist starts with a single beam.”	Hurdles, limbo bars, posts, windows, magenta blinkers, cameras, hammer, fuse box, wire cutters
Crystal Museum	“Priceless. Fragile. Heavily guarded.”	Irises to dive through, grates, cyan motion sensor, prism, orange light flashes
Solar Casino	“The house always watches.”	Swinging doors, roulette wheels, amber alarm, barriers, white guards
Deep Reactor	“Hot core. Hotter lasers.”	Pendulums, scanners, green hunters, core cage, violet rhythm lasers
Prism Citadel	“Where light itself stands guard.”	Mixes of everything, seams, carousels, seesaws, lighthouse

The loot changes with the world: diamonds and rings in Neon Vault, crown and Fabergé egg in the museum, gold bars in the casino, reactor core in the reactor, scepter and prism in the Citadel.

Learning curve: one idea at a time

We liked the pacing. New laser types get their own tutorial level: magenta in 1-08, cyan in 2-07, amber in 3-06, white in 3-16, green in 4-04, violet in 4-12. Only afterward are they combined with older elements. The last level of each world summarizes what was practiced before.

Each level has a par time, which starts at around 20 seconds and is 75 seconds in the last level of the fifth world. That shows the increasing length and density well. Before each level, BLIP reads a short hint, such as “Duck under each bar” or “Cyan beams only feel speed. Glide through slowly.”

On fairness: According to the studio, before each level the game checks whether the path is actually possible in your room and at your body height, and simplifies the level if necessary.

Gadget heists: every fifth level

Levels x-05, x-10, x-15, and x-20 of each world are gadget heists, so 20 of 120. There, security cameras, a hammer for display cases and fuse boxes, and wire cutters for cables come into play. From level 1-05 onward, cameras also appear in normal levels, more often and more nervously in later worlds. The gadget levels loosen up the rhythm because they require not just dodging but also small tasks.

Unlocking and stars

Here Laser Thief is generous. Whoever finishes a level, no matter how, unlocks the next one. Whoever completes the last level of a world opens the next world. Stars are not a requirement.

Stars still exist, three per level: one for finishing, one for zero hits, and one for a time under par. In the story, a maximum of 360 stars is possible. Best times and stars are saved locally.

If you’re stuck on a level, after five failed attempts you see a skip button. That costs the stars but opens the next level.

The story

Neon City, 2089: HALO Corp has stolen the “Heart of Light,” the lights are going out, BLIP recruits you. There is hardly any more plot, and that’s not the ambition either. The story gives the worlds a motive and BLIP a reason to cheer you on. If you expect cutscenes or twists between levels, you won’t find them.

How much playtime?

We don’t give fixed hour estimates because they depend heavily on pace, room, and chosen difficulty. But the scope can be put in context: 120 levels with par times between 20 and 75 seconds per run, plus failed attempts, breaks, and repeats for stars. Since it’s a movement game, hardly anyone plays many levels in a row. For most households, Story Mode is enough for many short sessions over a longer period.

Who it’s for, and who should skip it

Fits: Players who like a throughline, enjoy getting better step by step, and collecting stars. Also for beginners, because the learning curve starts gently.

Less suitable for: anyone who just wants to show guests something occasionally. For them, the additional modes or Free Mode are often quicker to get into. And anyone looking for a narratively dense campaign is better off with a story adventure.

Comparison with other games

Other mixed-reality laser games such as Laser Dance also rely on levels that adapt to the room. A direct comparison is worthwhile if you’re specifically looking for this genre. Laser Thief stands out through its heist structure: you grab loot and have to get back, and the return path often changes once you’re holding the loot.

Bottom line

Story Mode is extensive, cleanly paced, and fair in its unlocking. It introduces new ideas one at a time, later mixes them cleverly, and doesn’t let anyone fail on stars. The story remains thin, and late levels demand practice. That makes 9.0 out of 10. Store page: Laser Thief.