Secrets of Lobo: Gates, Lanterns, and Post-Apocalyptic Lore

In this devlog, I wanted to share a small piece of lore from Lobo.

Inspired by The Last of Us, where doors need electricity to open, Lobo features progression mechanics tied to ancient gates. The world is a post-apocalyptic valley, shaped by a brutal war between humans and creatures like the undead and werewolves. Being physically weaker, humans built massive walls around the valley to protect themselves and allow safe travel across the land.

Today, those walls stand in ruins, silent witnesses to the war. But the gates still preserve their old human-made security systems. One of these mechanisms relies on lanterns placed along the paths: every lantern must be lit for a gate to open. If even one is extinguished, the gate remains locked. This was designed to keep the fog at bay and ensure that only humans, capable of maintaining the lanterns, could pass through safely.

Some gates were also bound to the life of a gate guardian. Since many of these guardians turned undead during the war, the only way to open certain paths now is to defeat them.

The world of Lobo isn’t huge, just a single valley between two mountains, but it’s dense with history and rich lore waiting to be uncovered.