Sea of Solitude

About

Sea of Solitude is a single-player action-adventure game that explores the emotional journey of a young woman named Kay, who turns into a monster due to her loneliness. Players help Kay navigate a flooded city, encountering fantastical creatures and monsters while solving challenges. The game features gorgeous graphics and a metaphorical world that evolves as Kay confronts her inner loneliness, resulting in a deeply moving experience about human emotions.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 961 reviews

story238 positive mentions

grinding13 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and visuals that enhance the emotional experience.
Engaging story that explores themes of loneliness, depression, and family dynamics.
Simple yet effective gameplay that allows players to focus on the narrative.

Voice acting and dialogue can feel awkward and detract from immersion.
Gameplay can become repetitive and lacks challenge, making it feel like a walking simulator.
Short playtime may not justify the full price for some players, leading to a recommendation to wait for sales.

story
636 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
57%
6%
The story of "Sea of Solitude" is a poignant exploration of mental health, loneliness, and personal growth, conveyed through a visually stunning world and emotional narrative. While many players found the themes relatable and impactful, some criticized the execution as overly simplistic or clichéd, with issues in voice acting and dialogue detracting from the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, the game resonates with those who appreciate story-driven experiences, offering a heartfelt journey that can evoke strong emotions.
- “The story is emotionally touching and well written.”
- “A beautiful game with a great storyline and voice acting that'll surely get you thinking.”
- “This was a very beautiful experience of a game with great visuals and a compelling story.”
- “Although the storyline felt like it was trying too hard to be deep, I got the message it was trying to portray, but certain aspects felt flat.”
- “The game attempts to cover multiple themes but only skims the surface, reducing complex emotions to simplistic moral messages like 'this is good' and 'this is bad.' This lack of depth makes it difficult to connect with the story or its characters, leading to an experience that feels more hollow than heartfelt.”
- “It feels like it really suffers from a tell-don't-show approach to storytelling, with a kind of flat voice-over always waiting to tell you what you should be feeling about events.”
gameplay
286 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
58%
16%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and repetitiveness, often describing it as a "walking simulator" with minimal mechanics. While some appreciated the beautiful visuals and emotional storytelling, others found the gameplay lacking depth and engagement, leading to a monotonous experience, especially in the latter parts of the game. Overall, the game seems to prioritize narrative and artistic expression over innovative gameplay, which may appeal to those seeking a story-driven experience rather than challenging mechanics.
- “A beautiful art style and simple yet absorbing gameplay kept me invested until the end.”
- “The gameplay is easy and simple but also very flawless.”
- “While the mechanics aren't the most in-depth in the world, the gameplay is varied and interesting to carry the story along.”
- “The gameplay itself is very lacking.”
- “Gameplay loops are too simple in some parts, which is unfortunate because some parts would have been fine if the rest of the gameplay elements were good.”
- “The gameplay feels redundant the second the tutorial ends, every task feels more like a chore than an adventure, and the vague features and concepts of the game are incredibly frustrating.”
graphics
242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
32%
2%
The graphics of "Sea of Solitude" are widely praised for their stunning visuals and unique art style, effectively conveying the game's themes of loneliness and mental health. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful color palettes and atmospheric design, although some note issues with performance and gameplay mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are a significant draw, opinions vary on whether they can compensate for the game's narrative and gameplay shortcomings.
- “The graphics are stunning, people need to get over the voice acting thing, it really didn't bother me in the slightest, I'd say the tone was maybe what people didn't like.”
- “The graphics, as well as the art style, are very well done and nice to look at.”
- “The game is visually stunning, from the aesthetic to the visual storytelling and visual metaphors.”
- “The graphics have some appeal but are hamstrung by the water effects feeling off and janky.”
- “While the story is interesting and the basic premise is sound, the game suffers from clunky graphics, mediocre visual effects, disappointing sound and music, cliched, but abundant dialogue, unconvincing voice acting, and very, very, very unpleasant gameplay.”
- “This game has a lot of potential but kinda throws that out of the window with an art style which will not age well and already feels cheap.”
emotional
169 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
2%
The emotional aspect of the game has garnered mixed reviews, with many players praising its depth and ability to evoke feelings of loneliness, depression, and personal growth, often leading to tears and reflection. However, some critics argue that the delivery of these emotions feels forced or superficial, lacking the subtlety and complexity needed to create genuine connections with the characters and story. Overall, while the game offers a visually stunning and heartfelt experience, its emotional impact varies significantly among players.
- “Thankfully, the game’s emotional depth and stunning environment are more than enough to keep you engaged and make the journey worthwhile.”
- “The end made me cry.”
- “A beautiful ride accompanied with an emotional journey is the great combination that gets me fascinated from the beginning to the end, let alone the lessons to be learned from our protagonist.”
- “The emotional depth of the story is overshadowed by broken controls and a frustrating camera, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “Despite its attempts at emotional storytelling, the game feels like a walking simulator with a boring narrative that fails to engage.”
- “The emotional impact is diminished by technical issues, leaving players feeling disconnected from the story and its characters.”
music
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
29%
3%
The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its beauty and ability to enhance the emotional experience, while others found it serviceable but forgettable. Several reviews highlighted the soundtrack's effectiveness in complementing the visuals and storytelling, creating an immersive atmosphere. Overall, while some players felt the music could have been more impactful at certain moments, many appreciated its role in shaping the game's emotional journey.
- “The music was very beautiful and the sounds natural-sounding.”
- “The combination of music and art walk hand in hand and shape the player’s empathic relationship with the protagonist.”
- “Beautiful music, catchy and balanced between story and the thrilling gameplay.”
- “The soundtrack is serviceable but forgettable, doing little to elevate the overall experience.”
- “The soundtrack was ok, not something that stuck to memory, and I have no intention of relistening to any tracks from the OST.”
- “I admit the decision to pay more than I usually would for a game this short was 100% due to the music in the trailer, but in the end, if it ever occurred in the game, I never noticed it.”
atmosphere
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
34%
10%
The atmosphere in "Sea of Solitude" is widely praised for its unique and beautifully crafted world, enhanced by stunning visuals and a poignant soundtrack that evokes complex emotions. While the game successfully creates a moody and immersive experience, some players noted that certain elements, like dialogue, can detract from the overall ambiance. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate atmospheric and psychological exploration games.
- “Sea of Solitude offers a unique and moving experience that explores complex emotions through an atmospheric, beautifully crafted world.”
- “Very atmospheric and imaginative psychological adventure/exploration game.”
- “I really love the art style and the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- “There are moments when it becomes necessary to step away, as the game's somber atmosphere can, paradoxically, sap your energy.”
- “The strong German accent in the English version spoiled the atmosphere significantly.”
- “The dialogue is just offsetting and destroys every bit of mystical atmosphere.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
7%
87%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the overall experience. While some enjoy the creative elements and puzzles, many express frustration with monotonous tasks, janky controls, and the need for excessive grinding, particularly for collectibles and achievements. Despite these issues, some reviewers note that the game remains enjoyable in parts, though it could benefit from more variety and challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The game starts strong then gets increasingly tedious.”
- “Unfortunately the gameplay is too tedious to enjoy the experience.”
- “Some of these can go on for a bit and the number of fetch quests can get a little tedious.”
character development
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
Overall, the game suffers from a lack of depth in character development, with many reviewers noting shallow storytelling and basic explanations of character arcs. However, some praise the main character, Kay, for her relatability and the game's unique character designs, which are visually appealing despite the narrative shortcomings.
- “Not the best game in terms of gameplay, but the narrative and character development of Kay was very interesting and will feel relatable to a lot of people.”
- “It's beautiful, the level and character design is quite neat and Kay is a nice main character.”
- “This game has one of the most unique character designs and graphics.”
- “With shallow storytelling, poor character development, uninspired gameplay, and lackluster voice acting, the game misses the mark on nearly every front.”
- “Compounded with very basic explanations of the story and character development.”
- “Creative character designs though a few tedious spots (the ghost girls in the wolf area are janky, short hopping while running makes you go faster).”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
The game's stability is frequently criticized, with many users reporting bugs, visual glitches, and control issues, particularly when using keyboard and mouse. However, those who played with a controller found the experience to be more intuitive and stable, suggesting that control method significantly impacts gameplay stability. Overall, while some bugs are present, they are generally not game-breaking.
- “I must say I played this one with a controller, and it was all super intuitive with no glitches or struggles at all.”
- “Buggy and laggy overall.”
- “Game mechanics unrefined and a little buggy.”
- “- Immersion breaking graphical glitches abound!”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game has low replayability, rated around 2/10, primarily due to its short length and linear structure, which limits the incentive to replay it beyond collecting items. While the exploration and character backstories are engaging, most players feel that the experience does not warrant multiple playthroughs.
- “Game exploration is nice and it's interesting getting to know each character's backstory. The soundtrack is also very nice and it's blended nicely with gameplay, but the game has nearly 0 replayability since it's kind of linear. However, the first time playing is really nice.”
- “It's not the longest game out there, and there isn't really a replay value... however, it is very much worth it.”
- “It's a short experience, with little replayability unless you want to find all the collectibles.”
- “Game exploration is nice and it's interesting getting to know each character's backstory. The soundtrack is also very nice and blends well with gameplay, but the game has nearly 0 replayability since it's kind of linear. However, the first time playing it is really nice.”
- “Eh... I'd say no despite all its positives because it's short and I don't feel like it has much replay value.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's optimization is inconsistent, with some players experiencing significant performance issues despite its simplistic graphics, while others praise its good optimization and visual quality. Overall, the performance varies widely, impacting the overall gameplay experience.
- “The game looks fantastic, the monster designs are super clean, the story is gripping, and performance was great.”
- “Neat little platformer with good optimization and graphics.”
- “Still, the game ran like a stuttering mess.”
- “It controls poorly, is terribly optimized, resulting in awful performance for a game with such simplistic 3D graphics, and gives you almost no direction whatsoever.”
- “The voice performances often fell short in terms of delivery, with pacing and inflection that made it difficult to feel engaged with the characters, as emotions often felt forced or generally lacking.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is hit-or-miss, with some players finding the flat line delivery unintentionally funny. Additionally, the juxtaposition of a bullying theme with a quirky achievement, such as shooing seagulls, adds to the comedic elements that resonate with some players.
- “Not everyone sucked, but a lot of the time the line delivery was so flat it just made me laugh.”
- “Does anyone else find it funny that a game that focuses on bullying has an achievement for shooing seagulls?”
- “Made me laugh so hard when that happened.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Reviews highlight that the game's monetization heavily relies on microtransactions, a hallmark of EA's approach. The narrative suggests a critique of prioritizing profit over community support, emphasizing self-interest in monetization strategies.
- “EA is usually known for two things: microtransactions and more microtransactions.”
- “What this story tries to tell: do not try to help others (unless they ask and pay!) but instead care about your own monetization (in the form of creating a game - in the game represented by the boat).”