Helianthus

About

Helianthus is a single player survival survival game. It was developed by farewellnorth and was released on April 18, 2021. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Helianthus is a silly little game about an astronaut vacationing on an abandoned planet. With an incoming asteroid strike, it's up to you to grow a massive sunflower by collecting water and sunlight in order to climb back to the safety of your ship. Oh, and don't forget to dodge those asteroids! Helianthus was created in eight days for the Farewell North community Game Jam. Come join the Discor…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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98%

Audience ScoreBased on 429 reviews

story183 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully crafted story that evokes strong emotions, particularly around themes of loss and companionship.
The visuals and soundtrack are stunning, enhancing the overall immersive experience and emotional impact of the game.
Playing as a dog adds a unique perspective to the gameplay, making it both charming and engaging.

Some players found the controls and animations to be a bit rough, leading to occasional frustration during gameplay.
The game can feel slow at times, with lengthy cutscenes and large open spaces that may lack engaging content.
A few minor bugs and glitches were reported, which could detract from the overall experience.

story
378 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
51%
1%
The story of "Farewell North" is widely praised for its emotional depth and beautifully crafted narrative, often leaving players in tears. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to explore themes of love, loss, and companionship through the unique perspective of a dog, enhanced by stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack. While some note minor gameplay issues, the overall consensus is that the story is a standout feature that resonates deeply with players, making it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “I love story games that can make me cry, and 'Farewell North' had me in tears basically from beginning to end - it's really clear that the developers cared a lot about this project and absolutely poured everything they had into it, with stellar results.”
- “The story is amazing, heart-wrenching, and I will definitely play it again.”
- “The game takes you on an emotional roller coaster through a really well-crafted story, while providing stunning visuals and audio.”
- “The story was very sad but not in a bad way; it handles topics around loss and closure, so be prepared.”
- “My only disappointment with the game (and again, I only got to play for like 2 hours) was that the story seemed pretty basic/heavy-handed.”
- “Maybe there's more depth as you go, but the puzzles and story seemed pretty surface-level when I played.”
music
186 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
36%
2%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its stunning quality and emotional depth, often described as breathtaking and beautifully complementing the visuals and narrative. Many players highlighted the soundtrack's ability to evoke strong feelings, with some songs leaving them in tears, while the incorporation of traditional Celtic influences adds a unique charm. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that enhances the immersive experience of the game.
- “The music is amazing and it's one of the main reasons I bought it.”
- “The stunning visuals, beautiful music, playful character interactions, and satisfying mechanics all enhance the overall enjoyment of the story as a whole.”
- “The music perfectly complements all of the moments in the game - whether large or small.”
- “The music might not have a technically wide variety of songs, but the main motif is well performed and the climactic song is the first game song to make me emotional on repeated listens since the Outer Wilds soundtrack.”
- “While it's certainly not without a few problems, namely the lack of difficulty with the puzzles and the somewhat unpolished controls, its visuals, soundtrack, and story elevate it to a very memorable and enjoyable experience.”
- “I think the only thing I felt was missing is maybe having the theme song performed in Gaelic as a treat during the end game credits.”
emotional
169 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely praised for its deeply emotional narrative, exploring themes of love, loss, and companionship, often leaving players in tears. Many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals, heartfelt storytelling, and immersive soundtrack that enhance the emotional experience, making it a memorable journey that resonates long after playing. Despite some gameplay flaws, the emotional impact and connection to the story, particularly for dog lovers, make it a highly recommended title.
- “An emotional journey of reminiscing on what is lost when we lose someone; and rediscovering our bonds that we had with them.”
- “A stunningly beautiful, heartfelt game that you can tell is a huge passion project and a labor of love.”
- “This game has been both heartbreaking and healing for me on a very personal level.”
gameplay
106 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
50%
7%
The gameplay is described as engaging and captivating, with a focus on exploration and storytelling rather than challenging mechanics. Players appreciate the unique perspective of controlling a dog, the satisfying mechanics, and the beautiful integration of visuals and music, although some note minor bugs and occasional clunky platforming. Overall, the gameplay is straightforward and relaxing, offering enough variety to keep it interesting while enhancing the emotional depth of the story.
- “Engaging and captivating gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is unique and fun; the color return to areas allows you to experience them multiple times in different ways, and the music ties it all together perfectly!”
- “The gameplay is fun, interesting, and unique, and honestly the gorgeous story and impressive amount of polish on the game allowed me to overlook a few moments of clunky platforming.”
- “Seriously, if this game was a movie or a novel, it would have been nearly perfect, but the janky movements, camera issues, and restrictive mechanics made it really not fun to actually play.”
- “The gameplay has just enough going on to avoid being a walking simulator; however, the mechanics can get a bit dull sometimes.”
- “Gameplay: 6.5/10 - I rated this low because there's one big island you go to for one of the main/side quests, which is far too big to actually enjoy gameplay-wise. It left me feeling burnt out to the point where I questioned if I should continue, so it would have been nice to have some form of fast travel checkpoints for key points, especially for this big island.”
graphics
105 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
25%
3%
The graphics of the game have been widely praised for their stunning beauty and evocative art style, which complements the emotional narrative and immersive soundtrack. Many reviewers noted that the visuals enhance the overall experience, creating a captivating atmosphere that resonates with players. While some minor graphical issues were mentioned, the overall aesthetic and artistic vision were deemed exceptional, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning and the vistas we're treated to make me want to get out and find these places in real life!”
- “The stunning visuals, beautiful music, playful character interactions, and satisfying mechanics all enhance the overall enjoyment of the story as a whole.”
- “The art style is simpler but perfect so it doesn't take you away from focusing on the story; you can feel the time and effort put into sound, character movement, and overall atmosphere.”
- “The game does, admittedly, have its weak points; mostly graphically it can struggle at times (clipping and getting stuck because of it), plus there are sections where collectibles are spaced pretty far out, but those didn't take away from the heartfelt experience.”
- “The graphics can be hit and miss for some, I imagine, but the art style works well for the vibe and tone of the game.”
- “While it's certainly not without a few problems, namely the lack of difficulty with the puzzles and the somewhat unpolished controls, its visuals, soundtrack, and story elevate it to a very memorable and enjoyable experience.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
22%
14%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by a captivating musical score and artistic visuals that evoke the beauty of the Scottish landscape. Reviewers highlight the effective use of sound and environment to deepen the storytelling experience, with many noting that the atmosphere significantly elevates the overall impact of the game. Overall, the atmosphere is consistently rated as a standout feature, often receiving perfect scores.
- “The story is even further enhanced by the atmospheric and occasionally intense music, the stunning visuals, and the brilliant use of the main gameplay mechanic of reviving color to the world.”
- “The game has a beautiful atmosphere, with the dialogue, music, and events perfectly capturing the bittersweet beauty of grief.”
- “Another thing I would like to point out is that the score is top notch and goes hand in hand with the atmospheric Scottish landscape and vibes the game conveys towards the player.”
- “Not exactly visually stunning in terms of graphics, but definitely a visual delight in terms of artistic vision and atmosphere.”
- “I personally thoroughly enjoy this way of storytelling and how the environment and atmosphere of the world adds to that story.”
- “The art style is simpler but perfect so it doesn't take you away from focusing on the story; you can feel the time and effort put into sound, character movement, and overall atmosphere.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its stability, with multiple users reporting bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. Many feel that these issues prevent the game from feeling like a polished, finished product.
- “The only thing that prevented it from getting a perfect score were a few bugs and glitches I encountered.”
- “A bit too buggy for my liking; it doesn't feel like a finished product.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of light-hearted storytelling and amusing interactions, complemented by engaging gameplay and light puzzles that enhance the overall experience.
- “There is a lot to explore here and a lot of interactive gameplay, some light puzzles, and a few funny stories.”