Planet of Lana 2 hands-on preview: Lana and Mui’s sequel takes a leaf out of A24’s book with gorgeous new demo that gives nothing away

The underrated and absolutely stunning 2023 puzzle-platformer, Planet of Lana, is set to return in Q1 2026, and with it, Lana and Mui’s story continues beyond a simple fight against a technological threat.

A demo divided into segments—a glimpse into five chapters—this demo provides a look at Planet of Lana 2‘s new platforming and stealth mechanics, and intriguing solutions to its challenging puzzles. Relaxation and satisfaction are guaranteed, but what exactly can we expect from this sequel?

Here are our first impressions of Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf.

The unknown force has returned to civilization and now risks being placed in the wrong hands

In Children of the Leaf, the singular threat of invasion from a mechanical enemy has shifted into corruption and power dynamics between the Novo tribes. The demo provides little information about the sequel’s story aside from the piqued interest in Mui’s abilities, and the advanced technology of some tribes who are far closer to us than Lana’s community from the first game.

Surveillance cameras scan for motion, and robots appear to be used for industrial purposes such as mining and fishing. Civilization is clearly advancing rapidly in the sequel, and it shows not only in the environment but also in the added threat of humans and updated stealth mechanics.

Planet of Lana is no longer about how Lana will overcome her obstacles, but how the pair will work together to achieve their common goal

Moving around Novo isn’t as flat as before, when it resembled old-school platformers the likes of Rayman or Oddworld with its formulaic platforming and stealth elements. The gameplay has clearly expanded beyond placing Mui in a spot and clicking on a button while you wait for an enemy to pass by. This shows the sequel is modernized and wants to improve upon the first game as our loveable duo now have their own strong abilities to keep themselves alive, and the game feels fresh.

You can now transfer control over to other lifeforms inside Novo, where Mui’s consciousness seemingly moves over to other animals. Mui can now remove blockades, shoot ink to blind aquatic threats, or shower rain from a beetle-like creature to make plants grow. This change is both fun and positively alters the pacing of the puzzle-platforming sections by adding unpredictability, a learning curve to every new mechanic, and invites new ways of problem-solving.

It’s also a welcoming change to see Lana able to climb and hop walls, demonstrating that she’s grown since the first game and that she learnt a lot since we last saw her. She clearly knows what she’s doing in this installment, and this development—though simple—is subtle and effective storytelling.

The puzzles are streamlined, balanced perfectly with Mui and Lana’s new abilities, and are more advanced than the original. The challenge to solve the puzzles is as satisfying as ever, aiming to keep the series feeling cozy and exciting to play.

The art style is just as gorgeous and dynamic as the first game

The scenery no longer feels like just something to gawk at when a cinematic cutscene plays, but environments now feel like a living, breathing thing. Think The Wild Robot or Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Children of the Leaf seems to reference the legendary Princess Mononoke with their own Forest Spirit, adding a layer of mystery and cosmic intervention to Novo’s fauna.

We only got a glimpse of the soundtrack, but it’s just as lovely as the original and provides a calming atmosphere, which naturally lessens the stress of figuring out an ongoing puzzle.

What kind of journey is Lana on?

My one qualm with this demo is that it’s very much a showcase of the new mechanics and gameplay on offer for the sequel. There is no explanation or context given for what Lana and Mui are up to this time around. We have nothing to go off outside of other humans researching Mui’s mysterious powers. Our feline-like companion seems to take center stage, but it’s uncertain what caused Lana to leave her home again.

I would have loved to see how the sequel starts, what the main conflict is, and the inciting incident that pushes Lana onto her next adventure. The choice to show segments from five chapters is an interesting one, and while fans of the first game know that a stunning experience with upgrades and thoughtful puzzles is coming, it doesn’t hold much weight for newcomers.

Planet of Lana 2 will release on March 5, 2026 on Steam, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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Mewgenics is not a resource management game by any stretch of imagination, but you will need plenty of space in your inventory.

Your inventory space is where you’ll be storing the different items you find during your adventures. Storing these items will allow you to assign them to the cats of your choice before beginning a fresh run. Thankfully, you can increase your inventory space once you start clearing the early game content.

How to get more inventory space in Mewgenics

To increase your inventory space, you’ll need to donate cats to Butch. The number of cats you have to give to Butch will be plenty. As you might have thought, the cats you donate will be lost from your home, and you won’t get them back.

To donate cats to Butch, you’ll need to submit in batches of 20. Moreover, Butch has certain zone requirements when it comes to taking the cats from you. You can only submit cats that have been to the following areas on at least one adventure.

• Sewers or Junkyard (Act 1)
• Caves or Boneyard (Act 1)
• Sub-branches in Act 2
• Sub-branches in Act 3

Hence, you’ll first need to take the cats to the above areas. Most of the zones/areas mentioned above will first have to be unlocked. This also creates a problem, since cats taking part in your adventures will have better stats and higher levels. Submitting them permanently will feel slightly disappointing, but having the extra space is extremely beneficial.

How to use Trash to increase inventory space in Mewgenics

You have an additional set of slots where you can store items that you don’t immediately need. All items that are not in your storage are lost when a new day begins. However, you can use the Trash slots temporarily to manage your inventory.

You can shift any item to the Trash that you won’t need on your next adventure. Some of the items you carry will be consumed. Similarly, you’ll also find new items on your adventure that will return with your cats. You can then decide what you want to keep in your storage and what you want to throw away. It’s a smart way of managing the limitations of your inventory until you get those upgrades from Butch.

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