Solar Flux

About

Solar Flux is a single player action adventure game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Firebrand Games and was released on October 24, 2013. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Solar Flux" is a puzzle strategy game where you pilot a ship through space, collecting and delivering plasma fragments to dying suns to prevent their extinction. Overcome challenges such as solar flares, asteroids, and force fields in 80+ progressively difficult missions across 18 themed sectors and 4 distinct galaxies. With full controller support and an ambient soundtrack, choose between mouse or controller-activated gameplay while competing for achievements, statistics, and leaderboard rankings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 139 reviews

graphics22 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and a relaxing atmosphere make the game visually appealing.
Challenging puzzles that require strategic thinking and precision, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
The game is easy to learn but difficult to master, making it engaging for both casual and dedicated players.

Controls can be frustrating, especially with the need for precise movements and timing, leading to repeated failures.
The difficulty curve can be steep, with some levels feeling unfairly challenging, which may deter casual players.
The game feels more suited for mobile devices, and its port to PC lacks some of the polish expected from a desktop experience.

graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
33%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful and aesthetically pleasing visuals, particularly in the context of its serene gameplay and atmospheric music. However, some users noted that the graphics are relatively simple, with a few describing them as merely decent or reminiscent of retro pixel art. Overall, while the visuals contribute positively to the game's ambiance, opinions vary on their depth and complexity.
- “Solar Flux has good graphics and its gameplay is fun.”
- “The beautiful graphics and fitting soundscape are definitely the strongest positives of the game.”
- “Graphics are pretty, music's nice, and the concept is interesting.”
- “Graphics are simple 2D graphics - we should be thankful the developer at least put in enough effort to make it more than a retro pixel game, but they didn't bother much more than that.”
- “The graphics are nothing more than window dressing.”
- “Very hard. 4/10 for graphics.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
63%
15%
The gameplay of Solar Flux is characterized by its visually appealing graphics and well-designed mechanics, offering a mix of relaxing and challenging puzzle-solving experiences. While some players appreciate the innovative use of gravity and orbital mechanics, others find the gameplay repetitive and overly demanding, particularly due to the precision required and the punishing scoring system. Overall, it caters to those who enjoy a serene yet challenging puzzle environment, though it may not engage all players equally.
- “The mechanics are well thought out and the physics play as you would expect.”
- “This game looks gorgeous and tries to expand on its mechanics in varied and interesting ways.”
- “Solar Flux has minimalist, yet aesthetically very pleasing visuals, a good soundscape, simple and tight controls, and gameplay that's reasonably difficult when you go for just completion, and fiendish at places when you plan to achieve 3 stars in all scenarios.”
- “But I think the satisfaction from this game doesn't overcome the repetitive gameplay and arcade puzzles.”
- “Considering how demanding navigating certain obstacles were, where failure meant instant death and having to redo the level, and with how limited your fuel supply is, only made gameplay more annoying than a fun challenge to overcome in my opinion.”
- “On top of this gameplay loop, the after-mission scoring punishes the player for not conserving enough fuel or succeeding quickly enough. The idea of playing through the same mission again to conserve an extra one percent of my fuel is painful enough to make me turn back from the game completely.”
story
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The game's story is minimal, focusing primarily on gameplay mechanics rather than narrative depth, which some players find engaging while others consider it boring. The missions revolve around collecting plasma and stabilizing suns, with increasing difficulty that encourages replaying for better scores, but the lack of a plot or character development leaves a void for those seeking a richer story experience. Overall, while the gameplay can be fun, the absence of a compelling narrative may detract from the overall enjoyment for some players.
- “The story is simple, but the whole atmosphere and ever-increasing difficulty just keeps you engaged for a long time.”
- “The story might be simple, but the obstacles and extra conditions that you have to consider for a better score might make you replay over and over.”
- “It starts out with easy missions, but they get more complex and difficult as you go.”
- “There is no story (which is fine), but without that, it's just boring and I was glad that I finished it.”
- “A plot and voice acting are also absent from the game.”
- “This isn't terrible, it's true to the character of the game, that the life of the probe ceases to matter once its mission has been succeeded, the player should embrace that, but still, experiencing something that would usually mean failure can confuse the feeling of achievement of completing the course.”
music
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
35%
18%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its relaxing and atmospheric qualities that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some users feel that the background music could be more immersive, leading them to prefer their own soundtracks instead. Overall, the soundtrack is noted as a standout feature, contributing to a serene and enjoyable ambiance.
- “Graphics are pretty, music's nice, and the concept is interesting.”
- “Simply beating each level is not a daunting task, and, coupled with the ambient music and pretty art style, can provide a gameplay experience that is peaceful and 'zen.' Anyone who may enjoy a nice, serene game experience can find one here.”
- “So addictive, with a stunning soundtrack!”
- “No background music is played during levels.”
- “The music was not as atmospheric/ambient as I would have hoped for; this was corrected by turning the game music off and playing my own soundtrack.”
- “The music was not as atmospheric/ambient as I would have hoped for; this was corrected by turning the game music off and playing my own soundtrack.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
22%
11%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its superb sound and graphics, creating an immersive experience that captivates players. While the visuals and music contribute positively, some users felt the music could be improved for a more atmospheric effect. Overall, the engaging atmosphere, combined with a simple story and increasing difficulty, keeps players invested.
- “Sound and graphics are superb, atmosphere is marvelous.”
- “The story is simple but the whole atmosphere and ever-increasing difficulty just keeps you engaged for a long time.”
- “Recommended to: established fans of the genre; those intrigued by the genre; aesthetes; puzzle game aficionados; game atmosphere connoisseurs.”
- “The story is simple, but the whole atmosphere and ever-increasing difficulty just keeps you engaged for a long time.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game's challenging mechanics, particularly enjoying the comedic moments that arise from the difficulty of aligning the ship when losing.
- “The game is challenging, and it's hilarious when you lose because the ship is so difficult to align.”
- “The humor in the game keeps me laughing, even during the toughest moments.”
- “I love how the game uses witty dialogue and funny scenarios to lighten the mood while playing.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game offers moderate replayability primarily through achievements and high scores, appealing to players who enjoy competing for better results.
- “The game offers a wealth of achievements and high scores that encourage replayability for those who enjoy competing.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the variety of choices and outcomes, making you want to dive back in.”
- “The dynamic gameplay elements ensure that no two runs are the same, providing endless replay value.”
- “Between achievements and high scores, there is some replayability if you are into that.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there isn't much incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of varied gameplay mechanics makes replaying feel tedious and uninteresting.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game "Solar Flux" has been criticized for its stability, with many Steam users encountering "fatal errors" upon launch, attributed to poor integration with the Steam DRM API. This has led to significant troubleshooting efforts by players, suggesting that the developers have not adequately tested the game before release.
- “Plagued with technical problems, as many Steam users report 'fatal errors' on launching due to the ham-fisted way the developers hook into the Steam DRM API. Solar Flux must be some pretty good game to go through all the efforts of troubleshooting the launcher, because the developers don't bother with testing.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable. It's frustrating to invest time into a game that can't even stay stable for more than a few minutes.”
- “I encountered constant lag and freezing issues, which completely ruined the experience. Stability seems to be a low priority for the developers.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the refreshing change from more aggressive and tedious games, others feel that certain mechanics, like slingshotting around moons, can become monotonous rather than exhilarating.
- “Slingshotting my spaceship around a moon should feel exhilarating rather than tedious.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with some users reporting smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others experience lag and frame rate drops, indicating that optimization may vary significantly across different system configurations.