NightSky

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NightSky is a single-player, Science Fiction Shooter game known for its compelling gameplay, ingenious visuals, and fantastic soundtrack. Players navigate a sphere using realistic physics through 11 levels of cerebral challenges and puzzles, with multiple "vehicles" and difficulties available. The game also includes additional secrets and unlockables for extra exploration.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 691 reviews

music85 positive mentions

story9 negative mentions

Beautiful visuals and calming soundtrack create a relaxing atmosphere.
Engaging physics-based puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty.
Unique gameplay mechanics with various abilities and contraptions keep the experience fresh.

Short playtime, with the game being completed in around 2-4 hours.
Some puzzles can feel overly simplistic or repetitive, lacking depth.
Limited resolution options and no fullscreen mode can detract from the experience.

music
184 mentions
46 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The music in "Nightsky" is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the game's relaxing experience. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to complement the minimalist visuals, creating a serene ambiance that suits the puzzle-solving gameplay. While some find the music occasionally dull or unremarkable, the overall consensus is that it effectively contributes to the game's meditative and enjoyable atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is fantastically serene, matching the pastel gradients of the backgrounds, and the various machines/vehicles were one of my favorite parts of the game.”
- “The atmosphere and calming music make this game.”
- “The music is soft and relaxing.”
- “For the price point of $10, I would not recommend this game; the music is dull as are the levels.”
- “The so-called ambient music is barely noticeable and does not add to the overall experience in any way.”
- “Between gimmicky controls, physics that are always against you, no reliable in-air control, bottomless pits, annoying obstacles, horrible save system, lethal 'screens' instead of seamless side-scrolling level, boring music and weak art... there isn't any part that would qualify as a great experience.”
graphics
145 mentions
48 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalistic and atmospheric art style, often compared to "Limbo" but with a more colorful palette. While many players appreciate the soothing visuals and how they complement the ambient soundtrack, some have noted issues with resolution and occasional glitches that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received for their charm and ability to create a relaxing atmosphere, despite some technical shortcomings.
- “The graphics are stunning, the concept is amazing and the music will take you to another world.”
- “Nightsky is a simple casual 2D platformer that exhibits a beautiful minimalistic art style combined with one of the most calming ambient noises to have ever reached my ears.”
- “The puzzles are at times really clever, and the visuals are sublime.”
- “The physics is glitchy like an undergraduate CS project, the graphics issue isn't resolved properly, and graphics can glitch especially with these jumping machines.”
- “The forefront visuals are very basic and unfortunately there isn't much support for high resolutions at all, so fullscreen will have you super zoomed in sadly, but for what it's worth, the backgrounds are very nice looking and are probably the strongest point of the visuals.”
- “One major downside to the graphics (and the game in general) is that it only runs at an extremely low resolution.”
gameplay
126 mentions
37 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Nightsky" is characterized by its physics-based mechanics and simple yet engaging puzzles, offering a mix of fun and frustration as players navigate various levels. While some players appreciate the variety of gameplay elements and the relaxing atmosphere, others find the mechanics repetitive and lacking depth. Overall, it provides a casual gaming experience that is enjoyable for fans of physics puzzles, though it may not hold long-term appeal for everyone.
- “The gameplay is awesome.”
- “The game does a good job of introducing you to gameplay concepts and ramping up in challenge.”
- “It's diverse mechanics and fun contraptions make it a very enjoyable game to play.”
- “Ultimately this game has some cool puzzles and vehicles to control, but a lack of story and mostly forgettable gameplay leaves this game in a position to only be worth a single playthrough.”
- “Basic, boring, pointless, and repetitive gameplay.”
- “The puzzles, the mechanics you use to solve them, and the interactions between the puzzles and the mechanics are all way too simple to be interesting.”
atmosphere
83 mentions
61 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its calming and immersive qualities, enhanced by atmospheric music and visually appealing graphics. Players describe it as a relaxing experience, often likening it to a zen-like journey through beautifully crafted environments, despite some criticisms regarding its simplicity and occasional bugs. Overall, the game's enchanting atmosphere is a significant draw, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of atmospheric puzzle platformers.
- “The atmosphere and calming music make this game.”
- “Nightsky is an absolutely beautiful physics platformer with a zen-like atmosphere, providing both a very interesting journey to casual players as well as an absolute challenge to core gamers with its alternative mode.”
- “Released without much fanfare, Nightsky provides a truly relaxing and mesmerizing experience thanks to its incredible atmosphere.”
- “The physics of the game are not interesting nor exciting in any way, and the overall atmosphere is so indifferent and apathetic, that you will be wondering why you should be spending any time at all with this poor attempt at a game.”
- “It's like Limbo in that the game hopes that it can use the atmosphere to excuse the annoying user interface/game mechanics and the occasional incredibly infuriating physics puzzle.”
- “Some consider it average, some that ignore the alien atmosphere, the variety of gameplay, the soft relaxing music, and the hidden secrets.”
story
45 mentions
9 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The story in Nightsky is largely minimal and underdeveloped, with a brief introduction that hints at a narrative involving a glowing sphere and dreamlike landscapes, but it fails to expand on this premise throughout the game. Many players find the lack of a cohesive plot disappointing, as it feels more like an artistic experience than a story-driven game, leaving them to create their own interpretations of the environment. Overall, while the atmosphere and visuals are praised, the story is considered weak and forgettable, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Cool puzzle game with a simple but great story and art style; some puzzles can be a bit annoying though, but overall really great game.”
- “The game does not have much of a story, but there are enough details built into the environment to allow you to imagine your own story.”
- “Even though the storyline stays a bit in the background, it completes the game with a nice touch of mysteriousness and fascination.”
- “Nightsky has no cohesive story at all; it mentions at the beginning that you found a sphere on the beach and start having weird dreams, but never once revisits that at all, and just ends when you complete all of the levels.”
- “Much of my motivation for playing through the game was from the single sliver of story teased at the beginning, but any hint of a plot is never brought up again.”
- “The story is almost nonexistent, but it doesn’t have to be strong in a game like this.”
replayability
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is enhanced by the inclusion of a new game plus mode and alternate difficulty settings, which provide additional challenges and a fresh experience for players. However, some reviews note that, like many puzzle games, its overall replay value is somewhat limited, with a few describing it as lacking complexity and depth. Overall, while there are options for replay, the extent of replayability varies significantly among players.
- “A very mellow and enjoyable puzzle/platforming game, with some secrets that unlock a New Game Plus to add replayability.”
- “O Nightsky's replay value relies on its puzzle capabilities - the multiple difficulty levels add not only another challenge but bring a whole new dimension to the overall gameplay as if you are playing a second game.”
- “Once you complete the game, there's an alternative mode with extra challenges to add some replay value.”
- “Replay value is a bit limited, as with most puzzle games, but it does offer a slightly harder 'alternate mode' of each original puzzle.”
- “Very basic, no complexity, no story, no plot, no replayability, no innovation--sonic-like in some respects.”
- “But it seems to be not very long and there's almost no replay value.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, with awkward controls and puzzles that often feel more laborious than engaging. While the main campaign is solid, the alternative mode leans heavily into puzzle-solving, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “The controls are awkward, and the puzzles are more tedious than challenging.”
- “The normal game is a solid campaign, but the alternative one is more of a puzzle game that takes much more time and is tedious.”
stability
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability, noting that while the game runs well on Linux with Proton, there are bugs affecting progress saving. Additionally, some players find the game's length not justifying its price, leading to a sense of boredom.
- “I'll make two minor complaints: Linux support is buggy (in my case it didn't save progress), but Proton works well.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
- “I encountered several bugs that disrupted gameplay, which really affected my overall enjoyment.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users find the emotional aspect of the game to evoke a sense of peace and tranquility, as illustrated by imagery of comets landing and their impact on the environment.
- “It made me feel at peace.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many users finding it exceptionally funny, often rating it as high as 9/10. Overall, players appreciate the comedic elements and clever writing that enhance their gaming experience.
- “Tl;dr: 9/10, I think this game is hilarious!”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch; I found myself laughing out loud at the clever dialogue!”
- “Every character has a unique sense of humor that keeps the gameplay fresh and entertaining!”