sun-rise.exe

About

sun-rise.exe is a single player platformer game with a horror theme. It was developed by louismorel and was released on September 19, 2023. It received very positive reviews from players.

Adventure through bizarre and intricately made levels in this 2D platformer game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

story4 positive mentions

Unique and striking art style with surreal, unsettling visuals that create a memorable atmosphere.
Engaging and thought-provoking story segments revealing the developer's personal struggles, adding emotional depth.
Well-curated, atmospheric music and sound design that complements the eerie and intense mood of the game.

Platforming mechanics are often frustrating due to floaty controls, poor visibility, confusing level design, and occasional bugs.
Game difficulty spikes notably in later stages, with some levels feeling unfairly punishing or causing soft-locks.
Story delivery can be vague and confusing at times, relying heavily on abstract symbolism that may not appeal to everyone.

story
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
73%
12%
The story is uniquely intertwined with the gameplay, offering cryptic yet emotionally impactful anecdotes that reveal the creator's personal struggles, particularly with chronic pain. While some find it vague or nonsensical, many appreciate its depth, thought-provoking themes, and how it enhances the overall experience. The heartfelt message and artistic presentation make the story memorable and resonant, even if it defies traditional narrative structures.
- “I love everything about this game: the art is unlike any I've ever seen, the unique way the story progression ties into the end goal of every level, the enemy sprites, the level themes, the design of the main character, and the tale of suffering from the creator all come together to make this game one of the most unique games I've ever seen. In my personal opinion, I would like to see this game adapted into a short film.”
- “The heartfelt message at the end was unexpected and helped click the presentation and the story together.”
- “Though the story is not “strong” in a traditional way, its intent is clearly not that and I commend the fact that it both talked about an extremely heavy subject matter affecting the developer in real life, and was used to help others who may be in a similar area mentally.”
- “The story of this game is so incredibly nonsensical that the word 'vague' doesn't do it justice.”
- “The story was too verbose for my zoomer brain to care.”
- “Try adding more stuff in your next game, like mechanics, sound effects, enemy variety, and a better way to tell your story like cut-scenes, NPCs, or item descriptions.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
40%
15%
The graphics feature a unique, surreal, and often unsettling art style that effectively complements the eerie and thought-provoking atmosphere. While visually stunning and atmospheric, some players find certain level designs and visuals challenging to interpret, occasionally hindering gameplay clarity. Overall, the striking and varied aesthetics, paired with fitting music, create a memorable and original visual experience.
- “The visuals are stellar and a great selling point alone.”
- “The imagery stands out immensely with an art style unique to itself, the soundtrack is an odd but interesting collection of varied and altered music, and the writing, already being extremely detailed and impressive before, becomes all the more impactful and important once the full context snaps into place.”
- “It feels as if it wants to follow a creepy or uncanny style similar to Yume Nikki and other more odd, dreamlike art styles, and executes that very well in its own way.”
- “The visuals are bizarre and often it's incredibly difficult to discern between the platform you're supposed to be walking on and the background.”
- “The graphics in the last platforming segment make it hard to discern where you traverse, a bit too much, because of the way things melt, some small spaces end up being solid wall.”
- “Weird, unsettling visuals.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The music is widely praised for its unique, eerie, and atmospheric qualities, perfectly complementing the game's surreal visuals and storytelling. It blends elements like vaporwave and horror synths, creating a distinctive and memorable soundtrack that enhances the overall immersive experience.
- “Because the message at the end finally made me understand everything that has gone before, including the artwork, the seemingly bizarre story, the painful difficulty of the levels, and even the music.”
- “Sun-rise exe is a hard platformer game with an eerie art style, which, paired with atmospheric music, makes for a unique playing experience.”
- “The imagery stands out immensely with an art style unique to itself, the soundtrack is an odd but interesting collection of varied and altered music, and the writing, already being extremely detailed and impressive before, becomes all the more impactful and important once the full context snaps into place.”
- “Because the message at the end finally made me understand everything that has gone before, including the artwork, the seemingly bizarre story, the painful difficulty of the levels, and even the music...”
- “Similar to the art, the music was rather unique, though a lot stranger especially considering the lack of sound effects.”
- “Exe horror games, a platformer with engaging visuals, story in-between each stage, and a soundtrack I would describe as a mix of vaporwave and horror synthesized mixes (if that makes any sense).”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is generally basic and straightforward, lacking unique mechanics, but it introduces some fun elements like varied level mechanics and well-placed checkpoints that reduce frustration. While not the game's central focus, the gameplay offers a few standout moments and remains mostly smooth and enjoyable despite occasional minor issues. Overall, it complements the strong visuals, writing, and music well.
- “Great visuals, writing, music, and gameplay.”
- “Each level introduces a fun mechanic after the initial tutorial (pushing blocks, hopping on enemies for a boosted jump, and on-rails platforms to name a few), and the checkpoints are at good locations to minimize frustration.”
- “Jumping on enemies will send you higher than you would initially think which can be distracting, but this never hindered the main gameplay and sometimes even helped me out more.”
- “The controls are basic, with absolutely nothing unique in terms of mechanics to engage the player.”
- “The gameplay and levels are overall okay but very basic, indicating it is not the central focus of the game.”
- “Jumping on enemies sends you higher than expected, which can be distracting, though it sometimes helps during gameplay.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
12%
The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, surprising players with heartfelt storytelling and impactful messages that resonate long after playing. Many reviewers praised its ability to evoke strong feelings, including tears, and appreciated its thoughtful exploration of personal and sensitive themes.
- “This game made me feel things I never could have imagined in my own personal lifetime.”
- “If Louis is reading this, thank you for your time and effort. I cried multiple times and would love to experience this game again with fresh eyes.”
- “I wasn’t aware that fibromyalgia was a condition before this, and both the message and overall story really made me more emotional than I was expecting to be before entering.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a tense, eerie vibe enhanced by its distinctive art style and atmospheric music, creating a unique and immersive experience that culminates in a heartfelt ending.
- “Freaky on-edge atmosphere and a heartfelt end message.”
- “Sun-rise exe is a hard platformer game with an eerie art style, which, paired with atmospheric music, makes for a unique playing experience.”