You're Not Alone

Mysterious LIDAR game mode for Garry's Mod is giving players the creeps

This add-on lets players scan maps using a light detection radar, but not all is as it seems.

News by Kelsey Raynor Guides Writer

Published on July 6, 2022

Garry's Mod, the sandbox title from Facepunch Studios, has been around for a long time now. First released in 2006, the title truly lets its players play the game however they want to; there's no long-term goals in the base game mode, and players can modify Garry's Mod to their hearts content.

This, obviously, has led to various players experimenting with the game and producing their own content for it. Notable mods for Garry's Mod have consisted of popular alternative game modes such as Prop Hunt and Spacebuild, among many more.

Take a look at all the titles coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox consoles this month.

Yet not every mod will overhaul how you're playing Garry's Mod, and some of the add-ons across the Steam Workshop exist to simply let players trial and examine how they can modify their experience. One particular mod that has recently caught the attention of a handful of players is LIDAR.

A player uses a LIDAR scanner game mode in Garry's Mod to reveal an outside area of a map. — The LIDAR scanner certainly makes things look a little different, but it's the rest of the mod that is spooky.

LIDAR is actually a device that you could call a light radar of sorts. It works by targeting surfaces and objects with a laser, and then can determine the range between yourself and that surface or object. In Garry's Mod, LIDAR is an addon that introduces an experimental game mode to the game, allowing players to scan and reveal the map as they adventure around it.

LIDAR first appeared on the Steam Workshop on 27 May 2022, and has since been rated by over 6000 users. The mod currently sits at five stars, and I don't think that's solely because of how it makes maps look. While playing with the mod, a handful of players have encountered some questionable events that have left them feeling a little creeped out.

First raised to me by a close friend who is active in the community, the mod has slowly done the rounds on Reddit after someone noticed that they weren't alone in the world. Since then, a few more have taken to installing the mod and have been documenting what they have found in LIDAR.

In the description for the mod, there's no mention as to what exists inside of this addon beyond it being an "experimental game mode" with "no goals, just the ability to scan the map." So, when people started trying out the mod and stumbling across strange happenings, they were understandably concerned.

NecrosVideos tries out the mod and shows off what it hides in this video!

Now, I recommend that you try out the mod for yourself if you want to experience it all anew. However, if not, it appears that there's a surprise entity inside of the LIDAR mod taunting players as they explore - this is a rare occurrence that some are trying to seek out, and those who have encountered it describe a feeling of being stalked and have ran into their game crashing.

In addition, every map is flipped 180 degrees in the mod to disorient any player not already in the know, and the music gets increasingly more unnerving as they explore. Who knows if the add-on is hiding away even more secrets, or if there are more to be added?

It's very Garry's Mod meets creepypasta, but the majority of those who have experienced the mod are in love with the nifty horror experience this modder (only known as datæ on Steam) has conjured up.

If mods are your thing, take a look at how one group managed to fix a game-breaking bug in Silent Hill 2 recently, or check out the Skyrim Together Reborn multiplayer mod for the title that launches this Friday.