The game is played in the third person, with players controlling Lyra Belacqua and her daemon Pan, or Panserbjrne Iorek Byrnison. Lyra’s levels are platforming, stealth, and puzzle-solving, whereas Iorek’s are primarily melee combat. Pan’s shape-shifting ability, which allows him to take four different forms (Ermine, Sloth, Hawk, and Wildcat), is an essential aspect of the gameplay in Lyra’s levels. Ermine’s ability is “Insight,” which allows Lyra to learn about her surroundings, locate hotspots, and uncover secrets. The Sloth has the ability “Whip,” enabling Lyra to swing from poles and reach areas she can’t get by jumping. The Hawk’s ability is “Glide,” which will allow Lyra to glide briefly, filling gaps she couldn’t get otherwise. Lyra can climb certain surfaces to reach otherwise inaccessible areas thanks to the Wildcat’s ability “Climb.”
Players are frequently forced to change positions in the middle of a move. Lyra, for example, may need to use the “Whip” ability to swing on a pole and immediately use the “Glide” ability to reach the platform after releasing herself from the bar. Evasion and Deception minigames are also crucial in Lyra’s levels. When an enemy spots Lyra, she must use button presses to correspond with icons on the screen to escape her pursuer. Deception games are more common in her levels and occur regularly. These games happen whenever Lyra converses with someone and attempts to deceive them. Lyra’s deception is more successful the better the player performs in the minigame. Matching symbols, collecting falling icons, avoiding falling icons, a Whac-A-Mole type game, and a snooker type game are among the minigames. The Alethiometer is another crucial aspect of the gameplay. Once the player can access the Alethiometer, they can ask it pre-programmed questions. On the device’s outer edge are thirty-six symbols, each with three meanings. These meanings are discovered as the game progresses; some are learned automatically, while the player must seek others out. Lyra is given three words for each question, and each word is assigned a hand on the Alethiometer. If Lyra recognizes the corresponding symbol for a given term, the handle will automatically change to that symbol. The player must guess words she does not know. When all three hands point to signs, the player confirms the choice, and Lyra asks the question. A balancing minigame follows: the player must press the buttons corresponding to the on-screen display. The easier the balancing game is, the more symbols are correctly identified in the first part of the game.
