helionaut

About

helionaut is a single player open world simulation game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Sokpop Collective and was released on July 6, 2020. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Helionaut" is an open-world galaxy adventure game where you explore a procedurally generated universe to fix your TV. Gather resources, craft weapons, and battle robots on diverse micro-planets and asteroid belts. With 3 playable characters, 7 ship parts to find, and 20+ possible upgrades, this game offers 3-4+ hours of engaging space exploration. Special thanks to the contributors for the audio and music.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 172 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Helionaut offers a charming and engaging gameplay experience with a cute art style and satisfying resource management mechanics.
The game provides a lot of content for its low price, with a fun exploration system and a variety of planets to discover.
Players appreciate the relaxing atmosphere, enjoyable music, and the sense of progression as they upgrade their ship and tools.

The game suffers from some frustrating control issues, particularly when navigating near the poles of planets and during combat with enemies.
Several players experienced bugs, such as losing resources upon respawning and unclear navigation, which can lead to confusion and frustration.
Some aspects of the game feel underdeveloped or repetitive, leading to a grindy experience after extended playtime.

gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
44%
12%
The gameplay is characterized by satisfying loops and engaging mechanics, offering a mix of planetary resource gathering and spaceship exploration, including combat. While the game provides a fun and simplistic experience with a charming art style, some players noted a lack of variety in planetary environments and a desire for more content. Overall, it is praised for its enjoyable gameplay, especially given its affordable price point.
- “It has satisfying gameplay loops, and since the universe changes with each playthrough, you can get lots of plays out of it.”
- “Very cute, very satisfying and engaging gameplay loop.”
- “3€ for hours of highly enjoyable gameplay (at the time of writing this review, I have 15 hours in the game) is probably the best deal I've seen for any game.”
- “Planet variety is really weak in terms of gameplay.”
- “The planetary gameplay is mainly fixated around resource gathering while being pestered occasionally by robots.”
- “The gameplay mostly consists of picking up resources, space battles, and ground combat.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
25%
15%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and adorable art style, reminiscent of previous sokpop titles, with a mix of minimalism and playful aesthetics. Reviewers appreciate the game's ability to create a relaxed atmosphere despite its challenging gameplay, highlighting the cute and engaging visuals that enhance the overall experience. The graphics, while simple, contribute significantly to the game's charm and enjoyment, making it visually appealing and fun to explore.
- “Beautiful graphics.”
- “The graphic style for this game is positively adorable, with its fuzzy minimalistic style setting the perfect mood for the game.”
- “The art style is gorgeous like any other games from sokpop.”
- “The aesthetics make this game seem to be played with a relaxed mood, but my blood pressure got higher after being shot to death several times. The only weapon I can use is a rock, to fight against robots with laser guns. I was fooled by its style and expected it to be quite easy and relaxing.”
- “This is No Man's Sky boiled down to its bare essentials with a cute art style at a pocket money price.”
- “The minimal graphics, absurd plot, and wacky music really give it a lot of charm.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and creativity, with many users highlighting the engaging soundtrack and its integration into gameplay through a radio feature. The quirky and funky tunes, along with the inclusion of tracks from other Sokpop games, enhance the overall experience, making it a standout aspect of the game. Overall, the combination of delightful music and adorable artwork contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The minimal graphics, absurd plot, and wacky music really give it a lot of charm.”
- “I want to know the OST of these radio songs, please. Especially 'Gamen tot half 8', 'Braaaaa', 'Kapotte radio', and 'Hia'.”
- “Also, the art style and music are both so charming!”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its quirky premise, featuring a comical spaceman on a mission to fix his TV while exploring the universe. Players enjoy the amusing sound effects and commentary from the ship's radio, which adds to the lighthearted atmosphere, although some note that the humor can be overshadowed by challenging gameplay. Overall, the game is well-received for its comedic elements, earning scores around 8.5 to 9 out of 10.
- “Helionaut: the game where a funny little spaceman explores half the universe to fix his TV and maybe saves the world along the way.”
- “The player can also find and repair a radio for their ship, and despite this radio only having about 8 songs, funny voices and garbled sound effects for radio commentary can be heard in between these chill lofi tunes.”
- “Funny space game 9/10”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the sense of progression through gear and ship upgrades, others feel that the gameplay can become tedious and aimless after extended play. Despite this, some users report being able to complete the game without feeling the grind, although optional farming is often necessary to tackle challenging missions.
- “Nice game, but feels a bit grindy after an hour or two.”
- “It can feel a bit tedious at times having to aimlessly wander the galaxy in search of a marker to pop up.”
- “However, the mission is pretty difficult so you have to do a lot of 'optional' farming to get stronger.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The story is well-received, complemented by great music, though players note some minor bugs affecting gameplay, such as glitches and difficult mission targets. The missions are challenging, often requiring players to engage in optional farming to progress effectively.
- “The music and story are great.”
- “The story feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real emotional impact.”
- “There are too many plot holes that leave the narrative feeling incomplete and unsatisfying.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Players note that the game's random generation contributes to its replayability, offering a fresh experience with each playthrough.
- “There is significant replay value due to the random generation.”
- “The game offers endless replayability with its diverse choices and outcomes.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh and unique, encouraging you to dive back in.”
- “There is some replay value too, because of the random generation.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel pointless.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its relaxing and pleasant qualities, contributing to an engaging experience that keeps players hooked from start to finish. The friendly controls further enhance this enjoyable ambiance, making it accessible for a broad audience.
- “Overall, I think most people could enjoy this for its friendly controls and pleasant atmosphere.”
- “The controls are pretty good, the atmosphere is incredibly relaxing, and from the moment I started it to the moment I had 100% completion, I couldn't put the controller down.”