Lushfoil Photography Sim Review

In a gaming world saturated with fast-paced shooters, expansive RPGs, and competitive multiplayer arenas, Lushfoil Photography Sim dares to do something few titles even attempt — it asks you to slow down, take a breath, and look at the world around you.

Developed by solo creator Matt Newell and published by Annapurna Interactive, Lushfoil Photography Sim is not your traditional video game. Instead of enemies to defeat or quests to conquer, it hands you a DSLR and drops you into some of the most beautifully recreated real-world locations you’ve ever seen in a digital space. It is a serene, meditative experience that doubles as a subtle but effective photography course — one that respects both the technical craft and emotional artistry of image-making.

As someone with a background in photography — college-trained and professionally published — I came into this game with high expectations and a curiosity sharpened by experience. What I found was nothing short of inspiring.

A Photographer’s Playground

Right from the start, Lushfoil Photography Sim invites you into its calm, quiet world with a striking opening: Lago di Braies, located in South Tyrol, Italy. This picturesque mountain lake isn’t just a stunning virtual backdrop; it’s a fully explorable environment designed with the eye of a photographer in mind. Trees sway gently in the wind, clouds drift slowly across mountaintops, and light scatters realistically across the water’s surface.

Once you pick up your DSLR camera — rendered with impressive realism — the game hands you the tools to begin your journey as a digital photographer. And these tools aren’t just for show. Lushfoil doesn’t just emulate the look of photography, it replicates the mechanics: aperture control, ISO adjustments, shutter speed, f-stop, exposure, white balance, lens swapping — it’s all here.

Even better, each setting behaves as it would in real life. Adjusting the shutter speed allows for long exposure effects like soft, flowing water. Focusing with a wide aperture creates realistic depth-of-field, blurring backgrounds for that cinematic feel. Want to capture 4K-resolution shots in-game? You can, even if you’re playing in 1080p — just like a real camera with a high-res sensor.

And yes, your photos are stored in a proper DCIM folder on your hard drive. No artificial filters. No forced UI. Just raw, high-res image files ready for Lightroom or Photoshop. That feature alone makes this a legitimate companion tool for photography students and enthusiasts alike.

Learning By Doing

While the game never pushes you into a traditional tutorial, it offers light guidance through occasional pop-ups that explain basic photography concepts. From aperture to focus, the mechanics are intuitive and rewarding — enough that a complete beginner could walk away with a working knowledge of real-world photography principles.

But this isn’t a tech demo — it’s a game. And like any good game, Lushfoil introduces progression through photo challenges. Each location has a set of required photos you need to capture to unlock more destinations. These goals are surprisingly well thought out: replicate a composition, find a rare animal, and capture a moment at a specific time of day. It gives structure to the experience without ever feeling intrusive or gamified.

Unlockables also include vintage cameras like early 2000s point-and-shoots and ‘90s camcorders, all with distinct characteristics and aesthetic quirks. They aren’t as deep as the DSLR — more novelty than necessity — but they add welcome variety and a dose of nostalgia.

Visual Fidelity That Stuns

Graphically, Lushfoil Photography Sim is a technical marvel. Whether you're exploring the windswept cliffs of Iceland or a quiet coastal inlet, the fidelity on display here rivals — and in some ways surpasses — many AAA open-world titles. It's no stretch to say this game could become a benchmarking staple for PC builds, thanks to its ultra-detailed environments, precise lighting, and fantastic use of post-processing effects.

The macro photography rendering deserves particular praise. Being able to sharply focus on a leaf, a butterfly, or the texture of a rock while the background gently blurs away is an effect many games fail to replicate properly. Here, it's not just present — it’s often breathtaking.

That said, the game’s beauty has limits. You’ll quickly discover invisible walls blocking access to certain houses, forests, or interiors. While this is a common tactic in level design, it feels at odds with the game’s open-ended vibe. Thankfully, you can enable visual indicators for these barriers, reducing unnecessary confusion.

What Lushfoil Teaches Beyond Photography

Beyond the technical, what makes Lushfoil Photography Sim special is its emotional core. It reignites the joy of wandering, the thrill of discovering a perfect shot by accident, and the peace of simply being in a beautiful place. In an era where games chase non-stop stimulation, Lushfoil dares to embrace stillness.

Its fast travel system, based on teleporting to the location where a past photo was taken, is a clever mechanic that rewards exploration while minimizing backtracking — especially useful in larger maps or when revisiting areas under different weather conditions.

The game also includes some playful features: collectables like totems, umbrellas, or paper planes; an “extras” mode where you can alter weather and time of day; and even a custom image overlay option for in-scene artistic experimentation.

Shortcomings and Hopes for the Future

While this is an impressively rich experience, it’s not perfect. The absence of human life in the environments makes them feel a bit sterile — as though you’re wandering through a museum rather than a lived-in world. A few NPCs, perhaps in urban areas or tourist spots, would go a long way toward making locations feel alive.

Similarly, while the secondary cameras are fun to find, they lack meaningful gameplay differences. It would’ve been nice to see specific challenges or bonuses tied to those vintage models, encouraging players to master their quirks.

Still, these shortcomings pale in comparison to the game’s accomplishments.

Lushfoil Photography Sim isn’t a game you play to win. It’s a game you experience — like a long walk through a quiet mountain trail with nothing but your camera and your thoughts. It’s a triumph of intentional design, photographic authenticity, and peaceful gameplay that captures the very essence of what it feels like to chase the perfect shot.

Whether you're an aspiring photographer, a seasoned professional, or someone who just wants to unwind, Lushfoil Photography Sim offers a compelling, contemplative experience that stands out in the gaming landscape.

A visually stunning, technically accurate, and spiritually soothing photography simulator that’s as educational as it is beautiful.
It won’t be for everyone — but for those who understand the joy of seeing, it’s an unforgettable journey.