The game is intended as a throwback and homage to classic sidescrolling cinematic platformers of the 1980s and early 1990s, such as Prince of Persia, Another World and Flashback.

[5] Deadlight is a 2.5D sidescrolling cinematic platformer/survival horror in which the player character, Randall Wayne, can move from left-to-right and right-to-left, but is unable to enter any environments off the aligned path.

When combat is unavoidable, the player can use a fire axe to execute short-range melee attacks, which consumes stamina, or later, a revolver, and subsequently a shotgun, although ammunition for both weapons is extremely limited.

One method of doing so is the "taunt" feature, which allows Wayne to lure Shadows to their death by calling to them, leading them into environmental hazards such as chasms or exposed electricity.

Sprinting, melee combat, and hanging from objects deplete the player's stamina meter, which causes the screen to blur, and Wayne to pause so as to get his breath back.

Randall Wayne, a park ranger from Hope, British Columbia in Canada, has been separated from his wife Shannon and daughter Lydia for some time, and came to Seattle because of reports of the last remaining "Safe Point" in the Pacific Northwest.

After arriving in the city, they joined with a group of four other people; a police officer named Sam Powell, and twin sisters, Stella and Karla Patterson, and an unnamed university professor who is killed by the shadows prior to the game's events.

He tells Wayne the Safe Point is actually a trap set up by the New Law, hoping to lure in survivors, so they can kill them and take any supplies they may have.

Wayne is knocked unconscious, and experiences flashbacks of his life before the outbreak, mingled with vague memories of returning to his home upon the onset of the Shadows.

They flee, eventually returning to the sewers, whereupon the Rat tells Wayne that Ben and Stella are at the Seattle Center Coliseum, which is held by the New Law.

Stella pleads with Wayne to kill her, causing him to recall a repressed memory; upon returning to his home after the outbreak, he found he had only two bullets in his gun.

He remembers he killed Karla even though she was not bitten, he smothered Sam upon finding him uninjured in the shop, and he choked Ben in the helicopter, causing it to crash.

[12] Speaking of the demo, Eurogamer's Martin Robinson noted the similarity between the movement and animations of Randall Wayne and the protagonists of classic cinematic platformers such as Another World and Flashback.

This type of dystopian tale of doom and gloom is typical of the period at the end of the 70s and early 80s, typified by the work of comic book artists such as Richard Corben; the solitary figure that wanders the road living his own personal drama.

[14] Munárriz further explains, "If you remember Prince of Persia or Another World, the animation technique used was rotoscoping; people are filmed first and then their movements are copied.

"[21] 3D artist Pablo Fernández Gómez further explains "It's a pictorial approach to the reality that awakens a certain sensation, and helps the player understand and play the game.

"[10] He also cites as influences on the story Richard Matheson's 1954 novel I Am Legend, Stephen King's 2006 novel Cell, Cormac McCarthy's 2006 novel The Road, and Robert Kirkman's comic book series The Walking Dead.

[14] In terms of Randall's persona, the developers were not interested in creating a typical video game hero, someone who could easily fight off attacking zombies, instead, they looked at "what would the average person do if the apocalypse suddenly hit tomorrow?

"[13] Co-writer Antonio Rojano Mora explains "We wanted a character that wasn't your typical cop, soldier, murderer or survivor.

The Windows version would feature improved graphics, and a new nightmare difficulty mode, where the player's progress is not saved – they must complete the game in one go, and if they die at any point, they must return to the start.

He was, however, critical of the puzzle-based levels in the sewers, the ease with which the player can die, and the final section of the game, writing "These flaws are the difference between Limbo's transcendent excellence and Deadlight's mere greatness.

"[33] Official Xbox Magazine's Francesca Reyes also scored it 8.5 out of 10, praising the gameplay, difficulty level, and the game's pace; "it makes for a frantic, dizzying, four- to five-hour rush.

"[34] 1Up.com's Marty Sliva graded it an A−, praising the gameplay; "Whether you're barreling through a zombie infested intersection Canabalt-style, slowly deciphering the traps of a sewer-dwelling madman, or methodically picking off a pack of enemies, the game is constantly switching up its own internal play style."

"[15] Game Informer's Tim Turi scored it 8 out of 10, writing "Deadlight mixes Shadow Complex's impressive 2.5D visuals, Limbo's rewarding platforming puzzles, and The Walking Dead's grim atmosphere.

"[31] Eurogamer's Martin Robinson scored it 7 out of 10, praising the graphics and atmosphere; "sense of place is what elevates Deadlight, and it's intelligently explored by Tequila Works.

However, he was critical of the game's brevity, calling it "an incredibly slight experience", and arguing "there's not enough meat to come back to, making this a one-shot affair with a bloated price tag that doesn't quite fit.

"[30] GameSpot's Chris Watters scored it 6.5 out of 10, writing "Deadlight draws you in with its rich, pervasive atmosphere, but doesn't give you much to do once you're there", calling the game "an alluringly dark, but disappointingly shallow experience."

"[29] X-Play's Miguel Concepcion scored it 3.5 out of 5, writing "The studio (Tequila Works) has crafted a detailed mid-1980's Seattle, delivering a side-scrolling trek that is a bit on the easy side and would have benefitted with more challenging puzzles."