helionaut

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 156 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

Charming and cute graphics with a relaxing atmosphere, making it a delightful space exploration experience.
Engaging gameplay loop with a satisfying sense of progression as players gather resources and upgrade their ship.
Incredible value for the price, offering hours of fun and exploration reminiscent of larger titles like No Man's Sky.

Gameplay can become repetitive and grindy after extended play, with some players feeling the need to horde resources.
Combat can be frustrating, especially against enemies with high accuracy, leading to irritation during encounters.
Minor bugs and unclear mechanics can hinder the experience, such as issues with collecting certain items and unclear instructions for new players.

gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
42%
16%
The gameplay is characterized by a satisfying and engaging loop that combines planetary resource gathering with spaceship travel and combat, offering a variety of mechanics that keep players entertained. Users appreciate the cute graphics and smooth controls, noting that the game provides excellent value for hours of enjoyment, although some report technical issues post-playthrough. Overall, while the game is not overly complex, it features a learning curve and a mix of fun, chill gameplay that appeals to many players.
- “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.”
- “The gameplay mostly consists of picking up resources, space battles, and ground combat.”
- “The planetary gameplay is mainly fixated around resource gathering while being pestered occasionally by robots.”
- “Good, but when I finished my first playthrough, it seems to be broken as my screen turns white most of the time in the menu screen and in the gameplay.”
- “While the game is not overly complex, it does have a learning curve, so you have to be a little patient and learn the mechanics.”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
28%
17%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their adorable and charming aesthetic, featuring a minimalistic style that enhances the relaxed yet engaging gameplay experience. Many reviewers appreciate the unique art direction, likening it to a blend of popular titles while highlighting its cute and whimsical design. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's appeal, making it enjoyable and visually pleasing despite its simplicity.
- “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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
30%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its creativity and charm, with an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the unique feature of building a radio to access a variety of funky tunes, including tracks from other Sokpop games, which adds to the game's whimsical atmosphere. 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.”
- “Also, the art style and music are both so charming!”
- “Alien music bumps.”
- “On that note, I appreciate that the radio plays songs from other Sokpop games; not a very common feature to my knowledge (love the news channel effect by the way).”
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 significant 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.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in Helionaut is characterized by its quirky premise of a spaceman on a comedic quest to fix his TV, complemented by amusing radio commentary and sound effects. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone and comedic elements, although some encounters can lead to unexpected challenges. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, earning a positive reception.
- “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 lo-fi tunes.”
- “Funny space game 9/10”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The story is engaging but presents challenges, as players often need to engage in optional farming to strengthen their characters for difficult missions. While there are minor bugs, such as glitches and inaccessible mission targets, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience.
- “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 surprises.”
- “Character development is minimal, leaving many protagonists feeling one-dimensional.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game offers notable replayability due to its random generation features, which provide varied experiences in each playthrough.
- “There is significant replay value due to the random generation.”
- “The game offers a variety of choices that make each playthrough feel unique.”
- “With multiple endings and different character paths, you'll want to play again and again.”
- “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 makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is described as incredibly relaxing, contributing to an engaging experience that keeps players hooked from start to finish.
- “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.”