January 16, 2020
Gilp Studio

Areia: Pathway to Dawn

Within the opening hours of Areia: Pathway to Dawn you can see what the developers were trying to do with its beautiful visuals and overall religious vibe, but it ultimately falls flat due to its repetitive puzzles and assuming the audience is familiar with Buddhism.

57%Game Brain Score

music, graphics

story, optimization

79% User Score Based on 29 reviews

Critic Score 45%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Areia: Pathway to Dawn is a single player casual platformer game. It was developed by Gilp Studio and was released on January 16, 2020. It received neutral reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

Areia is a game about emotions and spiritual growth. It is a tale of wonder in a land inhabited by only one character. Sand and water are the two elements shaping this uniquely crafted world. And, with the relationship between character and environment, you can traverse this world by creating your own path. Use water as energy and sand as a foundation for every action you take.The story symbolizes…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

music12 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Beautiful, immersive visuals and a unique art style strongly inspired by Journey with vibrant colors and atmospheric effects.
Relaxing and meditative soundtrack with Indian cultural influences that enhances the calming and spiritual experience.
Accessible gameplay combining light platforming and simple puzzles that provide a soothing exploration-based experience.

Gameplay is simplistic, linear, and short with minimal challenge, leading to limited replayability and a somewhat abrupt ending.
Controls can feel floaty or clunky at times, making platforming occasionally frustrating or imprecise.
Heavy reliance on Hinduism, Buddhism, and Indian symbolism without in-game explanations can leave many players confused or disconnected.

music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
45%
The music in the game is widely praised for its immersive, soothing Indian and oriental influences, beautifully complementing the atmosphere and visuals. While some find the soundtrack superb and emotionally evocative, a few note it can become repetitive over time. Overall, it significantly enhances the relaxing and meditative experience of the game.
- “The soundtrack is really good, making you feel immersed in the universe and giving a good vibe.”
- “The game is incredibly immersive, especially with headphones, and the soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The score perfectly complements the emotional atmosphere the visuals achieve, ranging from unintrusive ambient melodies to fully vocalized songs that evoke an Indian/oriental flair.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
48%
14%
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique, vibrant, and spiritually-inspired art style that effectively creates a surreal and atmospheric experience. While visually striking and complemented by a fitting soundtrack, the quality can be inconsistent at times, with occasional moments of mediocrity or ugliness. Some note the visuals draw inspiration from titles like Journey and resonate best with players familiar with the cultural and spiritual themes presented.
- “It uses very simplistic story-telling and gameplay, coupled with one of the most gorgeous art-styles I know and heavy inspiration from both Buddhism and Hinduism and therefore has a huge spiritual undertone.”
- “+ unique, impressive art style capable of creating truly surreal landscapes to traverse.”
- “Not consistent quality of visuals -- sometimes environment looks beautiful, sometimes mediocre, and it was ugly a couple times.”
- “High resource usage for the relatively simple graphics, sign of lacking optimization.”
- “The graphics, although minimalistic, were vibrant and represented the spiritual vibe well.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The gameplay is predominantly simple, focusing on linear platforming, exploration, and puzzles with unique mechanics that enhance interaction with the environment. While some find it relaxing and visually engaging, others feel it lacks depth and challenge, making it enjoyable mainly for players seeking a laid-back experience. Overall, it blends straightforward mechanics with a high-quality, immersive atmosphere.
- “Its beautiful environments and really cool traversal and puzzle mechanic make it an incredibly beautiful experience.”
- “The addictive unique mechanics you discover on your quest through the world bring life to the environment and allow you to alter the level and your path through the game, connecting your character to the world they inhabit.”
- “The gameplay is rather simple, but everything is done to a high standard.”
- “A poor Journey wannabe made by people who didn't understand that game and its exquisite mechanics in the first place.”
- “The gameplay is linear platforming with a few spatial puzzles.”
- “You have to be in the right mood to enjoy it, especially during the first hour when gameplay is just too simple.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The story in the game is minimalistic, heavily influenced by Indian culture, Buddhism, and Hinduism, and conveyed through symbolism rather than explicit narrative. It intentionally leaves much open to interpretation, focusing on themes like the samsara wheel of life, which may require external knowledge to fully grasp. While some players appreciate this spiritual and ambiguous storytelling approach, others may find it confusing or lacking in traditional story elements.
- “Game tells a story about the samsara wheel of life - you may read what it is before playing to better understand what's happening (there's a decent amount of symbolism + don't expect any in-game explanations).”
- “It uses very simplistic storytelling and gameplay, coupled with one of the most gorgeous art styles I know and heavy inspiration from both Buddhism and Hinduism, and therefore has a huge spiritual undertone.”
- “The indirect narration story is purposefully vague, and every player will interpret it differently, which is one of the main points of this whole journey: be different for each individual.”
- “The story is a little confusing and open to interpretation.”
- “The story is heavily influenced by Indian culture and will be incomprehensible to most, I would imagine.”
- “Whereas Journey conveyed its spiritual plot without a word and was all the better for it, Areia will leave some scratching their heads, longing for explanations to the symbolism.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
30%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its hypnotic, mystical, and meditative qualities, enhanced by vibrant colors and carefully crafted visuals. The music perfectly complements this ambiance, creating a peaceful and immersive experience that stands out as a core strength.
- “Everything - from the colors used, the way the sand glistens in the sun to the clever use of film grain to enhance sandstorms and more - contributes to an atmospheric journey like no other.”
- “The score in areia perfectly complements the emotional atmosphere the visuals achieve, ranging from unintrusive ambient melodies to fully vocalized songs that evoke an Indian/oriental flair.”
- “The meditative atmosphere is preserved throughout the game.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game generally runs smoothly without technical issues, but users note high resource usage despite its relatively simple graphics, indicating suboptimal optimization in some areas.
- “The game doesn't have any performance or technical problems while playing, and runs well on this configuration in 1440p.”
- “High resource usage for the relatively simple graphics, a sign of lacking optimization.”
- “Also, I have noticed high GPU and PC resource usage for a game that has relatively simple geometry and effects by today's standards, indicating optimization issues.”
- “Bad optimization in some parts.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers a short but interesting experience with limited replayability, as one playthrough can be completed in about three hours including collectibles. It is recommended primarily for genre enthusiasts or those familiar with the game's cultural references, while others might find better value waiting for a discounted price.
- “It took me 3 hours to finish the game and also get all the collectibles I was able to, for a price of 7.50€. There is no replay value. I would suggest buying this game at full price only to fans of the genre or people with particular insight into the culture the game refers to. For everyone else, I recommend waiting for a sale to get better value.”
- “Talking about negative aspects - replayability is not significant in my opinion.”
- “Interesting short game, but the replayability is unknown.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game’s emotional impact is enhanced by its careful puzzle design and a soundtrack that seamlessly blends ambient melodies with vocalized songs, evoking a distinct Indian/oriental atmosphere that deeply complements the visuals.
- “The score in Areia perfectly complements the emotional atmosphere the visuals achieve, ranging from unintrusive ambient melodies to fully vocalized songs that evoke an Indian/oriental flair.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding in the game is generally brief and straightforward, but it can become somewhat tedious at times.

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45%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Areia: Pathway to Dawn is a casual platformer game.

Areia: Pathway to Dawn is available on PC and Windows.

Areia: Pathway to Dawn was released on January 16, 2020.

Areia: Pathway to Dawn was developed by Gilp Studio.

Areia: Pathway to Dawn has received neutral reviews from players and neutral reviews from critics. Most players liked Areia: Pathway to Dawn for its music but disliked it for its story.

Areia: Pathway to Dawn is a single player game.

Similar games include Shape of the World, Aporia: Beyond The Valley, Submerged: Hidden Depths, Pluviophile, Kairo and others.

Areia: Pathway to Dawn

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