Stela
- March 13, 2020
- SkyBox Labs
- 4h median play time
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
Get on SteamStela is a single-player platformer with an intriguing story about a young woman in a decaying, mysterious ancient world. Experience daunting challenges, treacherous terrain, and gargantuan beasts while solving puzzles and creeping past dangerous creatures. Immerse yourself in its dense atmosphere, created by exceptional graphics, music, and an original soundtrack, for a unique and wholesome story.
iPad
iPhone
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Mobile Platform
Xbox
Reviews
- Stunning graphics and art style that create an impressive atmosphere.
- Haunting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and builds tension.
- Engaging and simple puzzles that are enjoyable to solve, with a captivating visual narrative.
- The game is very short, taking only about 2-3 hours to complete, which may not justify the price.
- Puzzles can be overly simplistic and lack challenge, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness.
- The narrative feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the story or characters.
- story113 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of the game is primarily conveyed through visual and audio elements, requiring players to piece together the narrative themselves, which can lead to confusion and a sense of incompleteness. While some players appreciate the minimalist and interpretative storytelling approach, others find it lacking in depth and coherence, with limited character development and motivation. Overall, the game's atmosphere and art style are praised, but the narrative often feels thin and open to interpretation, leaving many players wanting more clarity and connection to the story.
“The amazing story combined with the astonishing sound design makes this game worth the time.”
“Stela is a visually spectacular story.”
“The atmosphere, music, and unique story are enthusiastic!”
“But unfortunately, the game has only limited storytelling, almost no character sympathy or motivation.”
“You have to figure the story out yourself; even with that, it has a lot of holes and feels incomplete.”
“The story doesn't seem very coherent either, and it's hard to even form a theory as to what was going on besides what the developers have told us.”
- music98 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, significantly enhancing the overall experience and tension throughout gameplay. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack is a standout feature, often described as stunning, epic, and beautifully harmonizing with the visuals. However, some criticism was directed at the mixing quality and the inability to adjust the music volume, which could detract from the experience for certain players.
“The music really adds a lot to the experience.”
“The soundtrack is what makes the game stand out; there's a perfect moment that builds up the tension, making you nervous being chased by an odd gollum-like creature or flesh-devouring bugs.”
“With wonderful music in your ear, it leads you through a bleak and breathtaking world full of mysteries.”
“Uneven soundtrack, well-intentioned and generally quite fitting, at times entrancing, yet sometimes a bit off or lacking, as suffering from suboptimal mixing or economic sampling.”
“It annoyed me to no end that I couldn't turn off the music while listening to other music or podcasts while playing this.”
“The music is supposed to tell you of approaching danger, and it does a surprisingly good job of that, and the aesthetics are similar to the PS3 game Journey, and it also shares the theme of being pretty vague and minimalistic in terms of narrative.”
- graphics80 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and captivating art style, creating an impressive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. While some users noted technical limitations, particularly on PC regarding graphics settings, the aesthetic direction and sound design are consistently highlighted as exceptional, contributing to a rich and immersive gameplay environment. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a standout feature, drawing favorable comparisons to titles like "Inside" and "Limbo."
“The visuals, the art direction, as well as the graphics coupled with the outstanding OST and sound design, allow for a constant feeling of 'sublime' to pervade the whole experience, pushing the player to unceasingly want for more.”
“This game is absolutely beautiful—the artwork, music, and puzzles are great and make for a memorable gameplay experience.”
“The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is fun and challenging.”
“The graphics are bad and they can't be changed in the settings menu.”
“There are no graphics settings, not even for the resolution - an absolute no-no for PC games.”
“It looks good, but just because of dark scenes, so it's hard to discern this cheap graphic.”
- atmosphere76 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 16 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in *Stela* is widely praised for its impressive graphics, captivating soundtrack, and immersive environments, drawing comparisons to acclaimed titles like *Limbo* and *Inside*. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a strikingly beautiful and emotionally resonant world, although some note that its derivative design and short playtime may detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's atmospheric qualities are considered its strongest aspect, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric puzzle platformers.
“The cinematic part has been achieved wonderfully: the soundtrack is superb - and is definitely the best part of the game -, environments look fantastic and the atmosphere is definitely there.”
“Absolutely loved the environment art and atmosphere; it's a very beautiful game.”
“The game looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous, and if you are the type of person who enjoys taking in impressive and stylized visuals and appreciates how the music adds to a game's atmosphere and dramatic high points, then you owe it to yourself to play this.”
“This game has good graphics, but in most of the chapters, you are running as something or someone will always chase you, so you won't get the feeling of a quiet atmosphere.”
“Atmosphere is just a bit of dark ambient and a lot of foggy, monotonous landscapes.”
“It has no atmosphere.”
- gameplay56 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration, puzzle-solving, and survival, offering a minimalist experience that some players may find slow or lacking in interactivity. While it features basic mechanics reminiscent of titles like "Limbo" and "Inside," the puzzles are generally easy, and the game can feel repetitive over time. Overall, it provides a visually captivating journey with a strong narrative immersion, but may not satisfy those seeking more complex or challenging gameplay.
“With its subtle and mysterious story, exploratory gameplay, and stunning aesthetics, this game is an excellent choice for those looking to embark on an emotional journey and explore a beautiful, mysterious world.”
“The game keeps you on the edge of your seat with non-stop thrills, always introducing new game mechanics and types of puzzles. I wish more games were made like this!”
“This game is absolutely beautiful—the artwork, music, and puzzles are great and make for a memorable gameplay experience.”
“One disadvantage may be that, due to its quiet nature and exploratory gameplay, the game can feel slow or somewhat uninteractive for some players looking for fast action.”
“It's most painfully lacking in the character animation department; another area where it's lacking is the gameplay - most of the time you're just running the gauntlet, there isn't much puzzling, platforming, or stealth.”
“You may feel bored after playing a few chapters as even if they have different terrain, they share repetitive gameplay.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players appreciating its calming atmosphere and aesthetic similarities to titles like Journey, while others criticize its vague narrative and lack of depth, leading to a sense of emotional emptiness. Despite its beautiful design and soundtrack, many feel it fails to create a strong emotional connection or immersive experience comparable to other games in the genre. Overall, while it offers a therapeutic mood, it lacks the rich emotional engagement that some players seek.
“If you want complex puzzles that leave you spinning in circles, look elsewhere—Antichamber, Superliminal, etc. If you want a calming therapeutic experience that sets an emotional mood for a thematic world, this is the game for you.”
“Stela definitely falls into the category of games I do like, with heavy atmosphere, emotional overtones, and a lack of fighting.”
“The music is supposed to tell you of approaching danger, and it does a surprisingly good job of that. The aesthetics are similar to the PS3 game Journey, and it also shares the theme of being pretty vague and minimalistic in terms of narrative, with no dialogue whatsoever. You're only given hints on what's going on and where you're going; the ending is also supposed to be 'emotional' and so on.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the die-retry mechanic that can disrupt the flow of gameplay, especially in challenging sections. While most puzzles are manageable on the first attempt, the need to reload from auto-saves can become monotonous, leading to a desire for the game to conclude sooner.
“They can all be worked around by reloading from the last auto-save; however, doing so is tedious.”
“It's not difficult, it's just tedious, and I found myself waiting for the game to end sooner rather than later.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally acceptable, with only a few minor bugs and glitches reported. However, some players noted that these issues can detract from the experience, particularly in the absence of a compelling story.
“There are a few bugs and glitches, but nothing too major.”
“There was zero story to this game, not to mention the glitches.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is considered limited, primarily driven by the pursuit of collectibles and achievements rather than a compelling reason to replay the main content.
“There is some replay value, especially in collectibles!”
“The replay value is decent, primarily for achievements, which is what I'm planning to focus on.”
“There is some replay value, however, in collectibles!”
“Replay value is mediocre, mostly for achievements, which is what I'm going to focus on.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers express frustration with the monetization strategy, likening it to YouTube videos that are unnecessarily extended to accommodate more advertisements, suggesting a negative impact on the overall experience.
“It felt like those YouTube videos that are artificially made longer to enable more ads.”
“The monetization system is so aggressive that it ruins the overall experience of the game.”
“I constantly feel pressured to spend money just to enjoy basic features.”
