This app is available only on Mac with Apple silicon.

Forget the wooden puppet who just wanted to be real – the character you’ll guide through the shadowy fantasy world of Lies of P, inspired by the tale of Pinocchio, wields a gleaming metal arm and a massive sword. You’ll need both to battle a clanking chimney sweep, a 30-foot-tall robotic police constable and other renegade puppets. No lie!

Channelling challenging action games such as Dark Souls and Bloodborne, this journey through the steampunk metropolis of Krat will truly test your skills. White-knuckle battles against frenzied automatons take razor-sharp reflexes and all the cunning you can muster, but it feels so good when you finally send one of those giant bot bosses to the scrap heap.

What we love: The twisted reimagining of Pinocchio’s story. As you battle through the streets, rooftops and factories of Krat, you’ll meet friends and foes inspired by author Carlo Collodi’s book, such as the Black Rabbits assassins and the fearsome Mad Donkey. Guiding you is the robotic cricket Gemini (cleverly pronounced “Jeminee”), who lives in your lantern and offers advice, warnings and the occasional joke.

Quick tip: Your mechanical arm can be equipped with lots of useful gadgets, and you can mix and match blades and handles to create custom weapons suited for particular foes. Facing pistol-wielding enemies on Krat’s rooftops? Use the Puppet String attachment to yank them to their doom. Or pair the Electric Coil Stick head with the Greatsword of Fate handle for a puppet-zapping club that’s also great at blocking attacks.

Meet the creator: Lies of P comes from South Korean developer Round8 Studio and publisher Neowiz. The game’s director, Choi Ji-won, is a huge fan of the souls-like genre; he says the team wanted to turn a familiar story on its head, choosing Pinocchio because of its compelling characters and events.

This app is rated 17+, which means it may contain offensive language; cartoon, fantasy or realistic violence; and mature, horror or suggestive themes that may not be suitable for children under the age of 17.