SHINE - Journey Of Light | Game Brain

About

SHINE - Journey of Light is a gently paced, atmospheric adventure game that takes players through 40 hand-built levels of stunning colorful worlds. The game centers around the theme of friendship and encourages exploration and discovery, while the interactive soundtrack by Christian Maier provides an immersive listening experience. SHINE is a game that offers a peaceful escape from stressed-out life and is suitable for all ages.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 217 reviews

graphics21 positive mentions

monetization36 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a beautiful soundscape, creating a relaxing and immersive experience.
The unique design choice of only allowing forward movement adds an interesting challenge to the gameplay.
Players appreciate the calming atmosphere and the enchanting story, making it a delightful journey.

The frequency and length of unskippable ads significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
Many players find the controls frustrating, particularly the limited vertical movement, which can lead to a tedious experience.
The game has been reported to crash frequently on various devices, making it unplayable for some users.

monetization
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The monetization strategy of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback due to the excessive and often unskippable ads that disrupt gameplay. Players express frustration over the frequency and length of these ads, which detract from the overall experience and enjoyment of the game. While some users appreciate the option to purchase an ad-free version, many feel that the current ad implementation is intrusive and detrimental to the game's appeal.
- “At least there are no ads, I suppose (or at least in the 5 levels I played before uninstalling it).”
- “But no ads?”
- “I get you need to make money off this game somehow, but other games do just as well with ads you can actually skip.”
- “It's a slow moving game dragged to a snail's pace when you realize you're spending more time watching ads than playing the game itself.”
- “Completely destroyed by the ads.”
graphics
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
84%
8%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty and outstanding design, contributing to a relaxing and immersive experience. Many users highlight the stunning visuals and harmonious soundtrack, although the frequent unskippable ads detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game's aesthetic appeal is a significant draw, despite some frustrations with advertising.
- “The artwork is outstanding.”
- “Beautiful graphics, beautiful soundtrack.”
- “It's very peaceful and so well designed; I love the music, and the graphics are amazing!”
- “Graphic good but lots of ads, it's bad.”
- “I really enjoyed it, but it was very relaxing to see how I was going to get through it all. The graphic design in the walled areas of the game's caves and caverns was remarkable, creating a calm atmosphere in the underground world.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
10%
14%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere and experience. Many players find it haunting and relaxing, enhancing the game's stunning visuals and storytelling. However, some users express frustration with unskippable ads that detract from the immersive experience.
- “This is a beautiful game with an incredible soundscape, and the music is moving and haunting!”
- “Beautiful graphics and music, such a lovely relaxing game.”
- “Love the music and the scenes, making me forget about my anxiety and depression.”
- “Two points for soundtrack only.”
- “I love the music and the scenes, making me forget about my anxiety and depression.”
- “Very atmospheric with the music and little candlelight thingies floating about.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
19%
19%
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players praising its emotional depth and beautiful presentation, though some find it confusing or simplistic. While the narrative may be slow-paced and occasionally nonsensical, it evokes strong feelings and is complemented by lovely music and graphics. Overall, players recommend the game for its engaging story, despite some criticisms regarding pacing and complexity.
- “It tells a great story and sent chills up my spine when I finished it.”
- “With its easy to use controls, beautiful graphics, and amazing storyline, I think it should get an editor's choice rating.”
- “Great story and music.”
- “The story's well acted but confusing; gloombats hate moonies, then sympathize, but still kidnap into a sequel?”
- “The intro story might be cute but teaches complete nonsense about the stars.”
- “The story is simply sad.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it slow and boring, while others appreciate the clever challenges and nice graphics. Many noted that the controls can be frustrating, and while some levels are manageable, the overall experience can feel tedious due to the pacing and difficulty spikes.
- “Good gameplay, nice graphics, lovely story.”
- “(No ads with premium purchase here) The game moves slowly, so missing secrets can be harsh if you have to restart. Most levels aren't too difficult or long, with a few checkpoints, so dying isn't as painful. However, it does get more challenging in clever ways, like ice drowning light quicker and water changing the float mechanic.”
- “The gameplay is very slow and boring.”
- “Nice art and narration, but the gameplay was a bit boring.”
- “Controls are frustrating, and the gameplay is boring.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its relaxing and immersive qualities, featuring remarkable graphic design in its underground settings. Players appreciate the calming environment enhanced by ambient music and floating candlelight, creating a captivating experience as they explore the caves and caverns.
- “I really enjoyed it; it was very relaxing to see how I was going to get through it all. The graphic design in the walled areas of the game's caves and caverns is remarkable. I felt like a little living light in the garden of the earth-caverns, surrounded by a calm atmosphere in the underground world. I loved wandering through it all!”
- “Very atmospheric with the music and little candlelight floating about.”
- “The atmosphere felt lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
- “Despite the potential for a rich environment, the atmosphere was flat and lacked any real sense of immersion.”
- “I found the atmosphere to be dull and uninviting, which detracted from the overall experience.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, including slow performance, glitches when exploring high areas, and frequent freezing during the initial cutscene.
- “It is very slow with glitches; if you wander too high, it gets stuck in the tree.”
- “The cutscene in the very beginning always freezes.”