Sunless Skies

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,130 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • atmosphere
Sunless Skies Game Cover
The sharpest writing around, wrapped inside a surprising adventure that’s tough but rarely unfair. Failbetter’s finest hour.
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Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition is a narrative-driven game that combines Victorian-era aesthetics with cosmic horror. As a spacefaring locomotive captain, explore the skies, encounter strange creatures, and make choices that shape your character's past and future. With numerous updates and improvements, this definitive version offers enhanced gameplay and a full steam mode for added challenge. Bear in mind, though, that death awaits most captains, leaving only their memories behind.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Linux
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,130 reviews
story271 positive mentions
grinding131 negative mentions
  • The writing is exceptional, with colorful and engaging prose that draws players into the world.
  • The game features beautiful hand-drawn art and a haunting soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere.
  • The exploration aspect is rewarding, with a vast world filled with unique ports and intriguing storylines.
  • The gameplay can be tedious, with slow travel times between ports and a grindy resource management system.
  • The combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel unbalanced, leading to frustrating encounters.
  • The permadeath system can be punishing, as players lose significant progress and must restart with new captains.
  • story948 mentions

    The story in "Sunless Skies" is widely praised for its rich, immersive narrative and intricate world-building, with many players highlighting the exceptional writing and unique character arcs. However, the gameplay mechanics, particularly the tedious fetch quests and slow travel times, often detract from the storytelling experience, leading to frustration as players feel compelled to grind through repetitive tasks to access the narrative. While the game offers a deep and engaging lore, the balance between story and gameplay remains a contentious point, with some players wishing for a more streamlined experience that respects their time.

    • “The story, world, and characters are incredibly immersive and create a beautiful and complex tapestry.”
    • “The atmosphere is unmatched and storylines are deep and well thought out.”
    • “The writing is superb, and even the trade missions usually have fantastic writing and can change depending on what else you have done in the world.”
    • “The story is deep, but interacting with the world feels shallow.”
    • “It's just an exhausting amount of doing nothing in exchange for tiny bits of lore and story.”
    • “The game is not about instant gratification, you can't just mainline a quest sometimes.”
  • gameplay564 mentions

    The gameplay of "Sunless Skies" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant improvements over its predecessor, "Sunless Sea," particularly in combat mechanics and user interface. However, the core gameplay loop—primarily involving slow-paced exploration and repetitive fetch quests—has been criticized for being tedious and lacking depth, often overshadowing the rich storytelling and atmospheric elements. While some players appreciate the game's unique narrative style and immersive world, others find the gameplay frustrating and unengaging, leading to a divide in overall enjoyment.

    • “Despite how ungainly it might be, it’s hard to imagine not spending many hours on it if you enjoy the core gameplay loop.”
    • “The gameplay is much better though, and you can actually play it on the intended ironman mode without rage quitting (maybe).”
    • “Sunless skies is the much-needed refinement of the previous title, smoothing out much of the janky gameplay and systems.”
    • “In a game about exploration, I should not have to gamble on whether or not a location will even spawn. I spent 20 minutes driving around looking for the fifth signal box before giving up. This game is tedious, its narrative being constantly hamstrung by its gameplay. This is the kind of game that is more interesting to read about than actually play.”
    • “The gameplay is just way too slow. I love the world and the lore, but the gameplay is so excruciatingly dull.”
    • “The gameplay loop is as follows: explore, make trading runs, upgrade, explore some more. However, the gameplay is primarily shuttling back and forth to places doing fetch quests, managing inventory to keep a few meters down so you don't die, some exploring, with occasional bits of combat all wrapped around light roleplay mechanics.”
  • atmosphere292 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting, immersive quality, enhanced by exceptional writing, sound design, and visuals. While many players appreciate the rich lore and unique worldbuilding, some express frustration with the pacing and verbosity that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully evokes a sense of mystery and tension, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric storytelling.

    • “You can enjoy little challenges or big quests, all with the lingering atmosphere of horror, mystery, and mythos.”
    • “The atmosphere is unmatched and storylines are deep and well thought out.”
    • “The atmosphere, writing, and decision-making throughout this game is masterclass.”
    • “The game doesn't know what it wants its atmosphere to be, but whatever it is, the contrast between those elements is not fun.”
    • “The terror mechanic has been so watered down that the slow pace of travel no longer adds to the atmosphere, but instead feels like a developer wasting your time.”
    • “Sunless skies greatly lacks the atmosphere and writing that sunless sea had.”
  • graphics248 mentions

    The graphics of "Sunless Skies" are widely praised for their stunning, hand-drawn visuals and immersive atmosphere, which effectively complement the game's gothic and Lovecraftian themes. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful art style, vibrant colors, and detailed environments that enhance the storytelling experience, although some note performance issues and a lack of variety in certain areas. Overall, the visuals are considered one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing significantly to its appeal despite criticisms of gameplay pacing and mechanics.

    • “The atmosphere that the visuals, ambient sounds, and music create is as close to perfect as possible.”
    • “The graphics and sound for this game are absolutely amazing.”
    • “The artwork is stunning, the stories fun and gothic-inspired, the worlds imaginative and beautiful to occupy.”
    • “The graphics are also a huge disappointment.”
    • “Not to mention the overall art style looks like an early 3D adventure game, with poor resolution and bad anti-aliasing resulting in jagged edges in a mix of bad 3D modeling and 2D assets taken from Sunless Sea.”
    • “Sunless skies feels like an overpriced graphical mod to Sunless Sea.”
  • music181 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience with a haunting and immersive soundtrack that complements the visuals and storytelling. However, some players feel that it takes a backseat compared to its predecessor, "Sunless Sea," with less frequent play and a less memorable selection. Overall, while the music is appreciated for its beauty and fitting ambiance, it may not reach the same iconic status as the previous game's soundtrack.

    • “The music is incredible, embellishing the setting perfectly and creating a sense of wonder and terror throughout your journey.”
    • “The atmosphere that the visuals, ambient sounds, and music create is as close to perfect as possible.”
    • “The writing, art, and music all mesh together, creating a hauntingly beautiful experience.”
    • “Most of the time there is no music, and you listen to your locomotive puffs for hundreds of hours on end.”
    • “The soundtrack quickly repeats itself, and I have a hard time reading all the stories in a foreign language.”
    • “Just not enough music.”
  • grinding133 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, particularly in terms of travel and resource management. While some appreciate the rewarding narrative and atmosphere that emerge from the grind, others feel that the gameplay often detracts from the story, making the experience feel more like a chore than an adventure. Overall, while improvements have been noted compared to previous titles, the grind remains a significant point of contention among players.

    • “Progression is rewarding but can be grindy, though not too grindy.”
    • “In a game about exploration, I should not have to gamble on whether or not a location will even spawn. I spend 20 goddamn minutes driving around looking for the fifth signal box before giving up. This game is tedious, its narrative being constantly hamstrung by its gameplay. This is the kind of game that is more interesting to read about than actually play.”
    • “Wonderful writing and story set back by really bland and tedious gameplay, which tries to keep you away from the stories as long as possible.”
    • “The problem with both games is that you need the money to do anything fun in the game, but the journey to getting the money you need is so irritating and grindy that it barely seems worth the effort.”
  • humor35 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a unique blend of dark, British wit and absurdity, often juxtaposed with its eldritch horror elements. Players appreciate the clever writing and offbeat characters, which contribute to a whimsical yet chilling atmosphere. Overall, the game successfully balances humor and horror, making for a captivating and entertaining experience.

    • “If you like well-written eldritch horror but feel that it is always lacking in British humor, play this game.”
    • “Neat offbeat humor - for example, my crew includes an inadvisably large dog, a gerbil with a jetpack, someone's aunt, and many other fun people.”
    • “It's got the creepy writing, the whimsical characters, and the sardonic humor you'd expect from Failbetter Games.”
    • “Combat in the skies is serviceable, if not funny due to the AI maneuvering, and very shallow.”
  • optimization33 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering and lag, particularly during scene transitions and in visually rich environments. While some users noted improvements following recent updates, others still reported that the game requires a more powerful computer than expected and suffers from persistent performance hiccups. Overall, despite its engaging gameplay and visuals, the optimization remains a notable concern that developers need to address.

    • “Personally, I have had no issues with the game performance.”
    • “It runs smoothly and the UI is one of the better ones I've seen.”
    • “Overall though, it's pretty solid in terms of performance and playability.”
    • “Performance-wise, you need a better computer than you might think!”
    • “Great game but terrible performance issues.”
    • “Beautiful game, very poorly optimized.”
  • stability22 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with players reporting frequent bugs, freezes, and glitches, particularly with controller support and AI behavior. Despite these issues, some users appreciate the game's narrative and visuals, suggesting that it may improve over time, especially given the developers' responsive support. Overall, while the game shows promise, many recommend waiting for further updates to address the stability concerns before purchasing.

    • “Quite a few years post-development, and still pretty buggy.”
    • “Also I have a good system, however I'm getting freezes in the middle of the game from time to time.”
    • “That was a game that had a lot of care and attention - this one is empty, unfinished, and buggy as hell.”
  • replayability22 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the procedurally generated maps and diverse storylines that encourage exploration and character recruitment, others find the repetitive nature of quests and tedious travel times diminish the overall replay value. Despite being more playable than its predecessor, many reviews indicate that the grind and lack of significant new content lead to a lower replayability score. Overall, the game offers some replay potential, but it is hampered by repetitive mechanics and long travel times.

    • “In addition, it is a roguelike that can be very difficult to succeed in with a single playthrough, lending to a high degree of replayability.”
    • “There's a ton of map to explore, a huge number of storylets to play through, a bunch of engaging and interesting characters to recruit, and enough choices available to make the replay value on this one really high.”
    • “Much more game here than in Sunless Sea with lots of replayability thanks to the different captain ambitions.”
    • “They've kind of set this up to be a roguelike, but there's no replayability as far as I can tell, just grinding through the stuff you've already done, and that grinding is extremely tedious because it takes your ship forever to fly across the map (and you have to pay attention the whole time because enemies could appear and end your game if you're not watching).”
    • “Additional note: given the fact that (almost) all quests just reset when you start a new game (be it by crashing your locomotive or fulfilling your ambition), Sunless Skies has little to no replay value as you'll be doing (and reading) the exact same thing you did in previous playthroughs.”
    • “Failbetter, please, try to fail better; your second Sunless game has the same tedious grind loop which broke your first Sunless game, even worse with the legacy system breaking all the balance (lame captains on magnificent engines have it much harder than lame captains on lame engines exploring new maps, so replayability in legacy is non-existent).”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of dark humor, heartwarming moments, and profound storytelling that evokes a wide range of feelings, from laughter to tears. Players appreciate the stunning visuals and atmospheric design that enhance the emotional impact, while the intricate lore and heartfelt narratives contribute to a deeply engaging experience. Overall, the game successfully balances emotional depth with a sense of adventure, leaving players with a lasting emotional resonance.

    • “There can be very dark areas, heartwarming areas, and everything in between.”
    • “Stunning visuals, appropriately creepy atmosphere, moments that make me laugh out loud or want to cry.”
    • “Subtle heartbreaking beauty in a quietly fearsome world.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is highly praised, with players noting the extensive and engaging plots that foster a deep connection to various factions. The writing and character design contribute to a rich atmosphere, making it a compelling choice for fans of story-driven experiences. Overall, the game excels in creating a personal yet strategically faceless protagonist, enhancing the emotional investment in the narrative.

    • “There are dozens to hundreds of hours of engaging plots, subplots, character development, and good old-fashioned exploration.”
    • “Character development has been done exceptionally well, and you might find yourself actually caring about the game’s various factions.”
    • “All in all, if you like story-based games with lots of text, an overwhelming atmosphere, personal (yet strategically faceless) protagonist character development, challenging roguelike elements, and trains, then get this game, without a doubt.”
    • “Character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
    • “The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game, leaving players feeling detached.”
    • “Despite the intriguing premise, the character arcs are predictable and uninspired, resulting in a lack of emotional investment.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is viewed positively, especially in contrast to the prevalent microtransaction practices in the AAA industry, with players appreciating the lack of intrusive monetization and the focus on storytelling. The game is seen as a refreshing alternative that prioritizes narrative depth over profit-driven mechanics.

    • “If you are tired of all the AAA game industry drama of microtransactions and lifeless story scripts, Sunless Sea is by far for you — a floating island oasis in a 'sunless sky.' Failbetter Games never fails to enhance the stories of traditional video game storytelling.”
    • “The monetization in this game is refreshingly fair, allowing players to enjoy the experience without feeling pressured to spend money.”
    • “I appreciate how the game offers optional purchases that enhance the experience without being intrusive or necessary to progress.”
    • “The terror mechanic has been so watered down that the slow pace of travel no longer adds to the atmosphere, but instead feels like a developer wasting your time.”
    • “If you are tired from all the AAA game industry drama of microtransactions and lifeless story scripts, Sunless Sea is by far for you — a floating island oasis in a 'sunless sky.' Failbetter Games never fails to make better the stories of traditional video game storytelling.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

84% average critic score

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Play time

17hMedian play time
43hAverage play time
6-80hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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