Solar Ash
Solar Ash
Game
Game2016
Hyper Light Drifter
Developer Heart Machine
Hyper Light Drifter is an action role-playing game developed and published by Heart Machine. The Microsoft Windows, Linux and OS X versions were released in March 2016, and the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions in July 2016. A Special Edition port of the game, featuring additional content, was released by Abylight Studios for the Nintendo Switch in September 2018, for iOS devices in July 2019 and for Android… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
395 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
88
LovedLoved
233 positive · 32 negative
95% range 83–91%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 233 | 32 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 34 | 0 | 51 |
| Mastodon * | 10 | 0 | 18 |
| Lemmy * | 4 | 1 | 12 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
12,522 of 13,529 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
88% recommend · 214 yes, 30 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 244 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (17,888 of 19,257 positive).
Players widely praise the game's stunning pixel art and atmospheric music. [1][2][3][4] Many reviewers note the story is told without words, relying on imagery and environmental storytelling. [1][5][6][7] Some players find the combat challenging and the controls frustrating. [8][9][10][11]
Liked
Representative posts
- [10]
Style over substance. Not Recommended Hyper Light Drifter is a game I desperately wanted to love. It has some of the most stunning pixel art in the medium and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Disasterpeace. But after several hours, I realized I was fighting the game’s design choices more than its enemies. The Frustrations: The "Map" is a Lie: Calling the in-game UI a "map" is generous. It’s a pretty abstraction …
- [1]
I finally 100% this game and I am finally ready to make my review on it! Playtime: It will take roughly 8-10 hours or so for a first, full playthrough of the main game, give or take, other content you get for beating it is just added challenge or alternative playstyle stuff and you've likely seen everything the game has to offer by then. This game is stunning, the art and animation is very well made and quite …
- [5]
The art, the music, the story, the gameplay... everything of the highest quality The game is a beautiful allegory of the fear of death and terminal illness delivered without a single line of legible or understandable dialogue. Everything is shown with imagery and environmental storytelling making it a perfect game for people who love to explore One of those video games that remind you this is an art form and you can …
- [3]
This is the first steam game I've every played as a non-gamer. I didn't even know how to pay for an online game back then. I was a very lonely individual in high school and I found this game's art on Tumblr. Hyper Light Drifter has the most beautiful pixel art I've ever seen and even 10 years later I still hold this opinion like- non of the other pixel art style from any other game had yet to defeat. The soundtrack …
- [12]
5/5 STARS! Hyper Light Drifter is a gorgeous game. The world is mysterious and atmospheric, with detailed environments and animations that give every area its own identity. The soundtrack perfectly matches the game’s lonely, dreamlike atmosphere. Its haunting synths and ambient tracks make exploration feel almost hypnotic. One of my favourite games of all time.
Summarised from 34 of the 364 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Hyper Light Drifter talk about beautiful pixel art and visuals; those who didn't talk about combat can be tricky and frustrating. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Hyper Light Drifter received "generally favorable reviews", according to the review aggregator platform Metacritic. Praise was given to the game's visuals, sound design and combat mechanics, while criticism was directed towards the difficult boss fights. Kyle Hilliard of Game Informer wrote that the game "has already positioned itself as one of the best experiences of the year." Brandin Tyrrel of IGN called the game a "gorgeous, trendy hunk of stylish old-school sensibilities mated with the iconic hues of pixelated indie charm." Christian Donlan of Eurogamer praised the game's "intoxicating" atmosphere, as well as Disasterpeace's "typical delight" of a soundtrack. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 395 · most liked firstI love Hyper Light Drifter.... the game is turning 10 soon, so I'm posting the daily art series I did in anticipation for the game's launch 10 years ago. (This one was done exactly 10 years ago, in fact! oh how the time flies....) #hyperlightdrifter
positive · AI labelView post →(Completed) Steam keys for patient gamers. If you've been waiting to play one of these classics, now's your chance! Just leave a comment with the name of the game you want (please check the comments first to see if someone else has already requested it), and I’ll send you a DM. Also, please limit one per person, so more patient gamers can enjoy, and please redeem right away since keys expire, and let me know when you do so I can take it off the list! - ~~ABZU~~ - ~~BioShock Remastered~~ -…
neutral · AI labelView post →Their game (OneShot) & our game (Hyper Light Drifter) are friends 4 life
neutral · AI labelView post →A stillness of mind, skill honed sharp. - - - Yooo we had an amazing HLD photoshoot today! I've been building the Alternate Drifter for nearly six months, it's great to finally see that hard work pay off. Credits in comment thread! Please look, @heartmachine.bsky.social #hyperlightdrifter #cosplay
neutral · AI labelView post →16x9 screens in game design either solve or create problems, depending on your genre! We learned this the hard way making Hyper Light Drifter 🧵
neutral · AI labelView post →The Drifter from the game Hyper Light Drifter
neutral · AI labelView post →Once every few years, I find a box copy of Hyper Light Drifter - the game WE MADE - just sitting on a shelf in a Japanese game store, and it still makes me VERY EMOTIONAL & grateful!!!
positive · AI labelView post →Hi new Bluesky friends 👋 I’m Teddy - a game designer/director who co-led games like Hyper Light Drifter, Peabody Winner/pop group OFK, and the LA collective Glitch City! I’m working on some new games about action, music, life, fashion… I’ll get to talk about them soonish. For now, I’ve got fries.
neutral · AI labelView post →We are working on a new game project named Fallen Fates - 🔹Top-down Action-RPG 🔹Full hand-drawn pixel-art 🔹A vast world to explore 🔹Epic and intense fights 🔹Inspired by games such as : - Death's Door - Hyper Light Drifter - Final Fantasy 16 Reveal on May 28 !
neutral · AI labelView post →Follow me if you fw: Bugs Birds Space Monster Hunter Bug Fables In Stars and Time Hollow Knight Terraria Deep Rock Galactic Rain World Helldivers 2 Blasphemous (game) Everhood Hades (game) A Hat in Time Hyper Light Drifter One Shot Neon White Persona Signalis
neutral · AI labelView post →My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬). 👉*For my **free** games list, please go [here](https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/40095267).* **New list entries - updated June 2026:** - **[Ugly](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pid.ugly) 🌟 🎮 - Puzzle platformer** - **[Lunar Silver Star Story Touch](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.somoga.lunar1android) 🌟 🎮 - Turn-based RPG** - **[Cat Quest…
neutral · AI labelView post →no option to turn off flashing lights. a lot of them in the intro and first playable screen. i am only mildly sensitive to flashing and literally cannot play this :p
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hyper Light Drifter studio Heart Machine has laid off an unknown number of people. (Read more: Game Developer)
neutral · AI labelView post →Hmm looks like there could be a secret way in this wall *runs into a wall* Hmm looks like there could be a secret way in this wall *runs into a wall* Hmm looks like there could be a secret way in this wall *runs into a wall* Hmm looks like there could be a secret way in this wall *walks through wall* Oh there actualy was a seecret way 10/10 Would run into a wall again
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I finally 100% this game and I am finally ready to make my review on it! Playtime: It will take roughly 8-10 hours or so for a first, full playthrough of the main game, give or take, other content you get for beating it is just added challenge or alternative playstyle stuff and you've likely seen everything the game has to offer by then. This game is stunning, the art and animation is very well made and quite beautiful, Disasterpeace's contribution to the music gives this game a very specific…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Semi-casual games that run well on older PCs and linux? Plus no launchers? Let's see. I got a few but there may be splitscreen ones in this list too. (If that's ok) - Battleblock Theater - Biped (maybe?) - Cassette Beasts - Castle Crashers - Children of Morta - Don't Starve Together - Dinkum (If Australian Animal Crossing sounds interesting) - Factorio - A hat in time - Guacamelee - Human Fall Flat - Hyper Light Drifter - ibb & obb - KeyWe -…
neutral · AI labelView post →If ever a new game belonged on an old CRT, it’s Hyper Light Drifter. The perfect example of a modern take on the classic ARPG. 🙂↕️
positive · AI labelView post →Hyper Light Drifter studio's next game is a cyberpunk metroidvania with Smash Bros-inspired combat, out next month www.eurogamer.net/hyper-light-...
neutral · AI labelView post →You will like our indie game if you enjoyed: -Hyper Light Drifter -Furi -Gris -Crying on your birthday -Running (leisurely) -Trees -Daggers -I'm running out of things -Please wishlist -Moths -It's pretty pixel art 😔 #indiegame #gamedev #trailertuesday
neutral · AI labelView post →Hibernian Workshop (Astral Ascent) will reveal its next game 'Fallen Fates' on May 28th. Pitch: -Top-down Action-RPG -Full hand-drawn pixel-art -A vast world to explore -Epic and intense fights -Inspired by games such as : Death's Door, Hyper Light Drifter, Final Fantasy 16 www.fallenfates.com
neutral · AI labelView post →got bored at first, gave it another chance years later, couldn't sop playing until I finished it. I can see why everyone loved this (especially for the time it was released)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Welcome to gamedev BlueSky, Twitter flee-ers! I co-led Hyper Light Drifter & directed We Are OFK I give game design talks & travel when recovering from a long development! I sing for OFK and talk fashion sometimes, Final Fantasy all the time. Making a couple new things!
neutral · AI labelView post →Style over substance. Not Recommended Hyper Light Drifter is a game I desperately wanted to love. It has some of the most stunning pixel art in the medium and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack by Disasterpeace. But after several hours, I realized I was fighting the game’s design choices more than its enemies. The Frustrations: The "Map" is a Lie: Calling the in-game UI a "map" is generous. It’s a pretty abstraction that doesn't actually help you navigate the confusing, overlapping layers of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#hyperlightdrifter #fanart hello bluesky i like drawing and the game hyper light drifter
neutral · AI labelView post →Atmospheric masterpiece. One of my all time fav games. Exploration, atmosphere, visuals, music and combat are all S tier. Play it if you haven't already.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ten years later and this game is a still a masterpiece, im amazed at how little it even takes up my battery and works perfectly fine on my potato laptop i love its story and gameplay and im so glad indie cross introduced me to this
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Binding of Issac Sea of Stars Mouthwashing Superliminal Slay the Spire The Messenger Untitled Goose Game Thank Goodness You're Here Hyper Light Drifter Celeste Spiritfarer Transistor Bramble Sifu Cult of the Lamb Enter the Gungeon Citizen Sleeper War of Mine Before Your Eyes Darkest Dungeon Balatro
neutral · AI labelView post →The game is alright, but I don't love games that replace good narratives with vagueness. The combat is good, so the game is mechanically enjoyable. I wish more of the combat wasn't locked behind the in-game collectable currency. There's not a way to tell which upgrades are the most useful/enjoyable and it's not as if the currency is plentiful. I played with mouse and keyboard which worked fine. Sometimes controlling the dash was a little finicky, but I get the sense that this is an…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Possessor(s), a new metroidvania from the makers of Hyper Light Drifter, is out now for Playstation and PC. Mixed reviews, but I love what I see/hear about the story & art direction >Possessor(s) is a fast-paced action side scroller with combat inspired by platform fighters, a story told through dangerous characters, set in a deep interconnected world ready for exploration. 🎮 - [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2132890/Possessors/) -…
neutral · AI labelView post →OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCING: The Hyper Light Drifter Decennial Series! 14 fully rendered artworks depicting various areas of the game releasing at the end of each month! Starting February 28th and culminating on March 31st, the tenth anniversary of the game's release! I can't wait to share it with you!
neutral · AI labelView post →Despite playing for so little time, this game takes up a huge space in my head. There's nothing quite like it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The art, the music, the story, the gameplay... everything of the highest quality The game is a beautiful allegory of the fear of death and terminal illness delivered without a single line of legible or understandable dialogue. Everything is shown with imagery and environmental storytelling making it a perfect game for people who love to explore One of those video games that remind you this is an art form and you can feel how much heart, passion and soul went into its making Some people might…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Possessor(s), a new metroidvania from the makers of Hyper Light Drifter, has announced a Nov 11 release date for Playstation and PC. >Possessor(s) is a fast-paced action side scroller with combat inspired by platform fighters, a story told through dangerous characters, set in a deep interconnected world ready for exploration. 🌐 [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2132890/Possessors/)
neutral · AI labelView post →"The next game from the creator of Hyper Light Drifter is a Toonami-core anime throwback set in one of the most interesting Metroid-style worlds I've seen in a while." High praise and even higher expectations from @pcgamer.com ! Possessor(s) will definitely deliver.
neutral · AI labelView post →I've talked about before. I generally listem to soundtracks while writing, often video game soundtracks. Horizon: Zero Dawn and Hyper Light Drifter both see alot of play. The youtube channel Cryo Chamber is also a frequent entry.
neutral · AI labelView post →This game has a lot of merit for being a pioneer but it also has flaws. I rarely had a backlash this severe between the moment I started playing and when I had to put combat into application. Your character feels inconsistently non responsive, making it very frustrating because you don't feel like you die from mistakes but from having to fight the controls more than the enemies. But this is nothing compared to how miserable anything related to the Chain Dash was. It actively soured my…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →TL;DR: The game is enjoyable, but do not expect any depth or mind-blowing gameplay. The strongest side of the game is definitely aesthetics. Pixel art is down the line incredible. Ost, despite being quite simple, fits really well with other elements. I like how developers made a simple yet memorable story without using a single word. This is something very unusual to see in games. Now, the combat.... it’s... uhh... here. I strongly believe that the main problem with the game is the conflict…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just finished a replay of Hyper Light Drifter.... and damn what a good game. Loved it the first time and enjoyed it just as much on the replay. Seriously is one of my fav indie games of all time.
positive · AI labelView post →It's been 10 years since i first played it. And it hasn't aged a day since. Simply put, it's a Masterpiece and everybody should play this game. One of the greatest Games ever made.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →9 years ago today, on 3/30/2017, I discovered and fell in love with Hyper Light Drifter & Heart Machine. My favorite video game & company of all time! It’s especially wild with HLD turning 10 tomorrow too!
positive · AI labelView post →something sad happened with Heart Machine if you look at their other games. but this one is an incredible piece of art in every way. one of the most beautiful and atmospheric games I've seen.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hi Bluesky! We're an indie game dev team working on Pendant: a top-down action-adventure indie game similar to titles such as Hyper Light Drifter, Wizard of Legend, and Moon Hunters. #gamedev #indiegames #pixelart
neutral · AI labelView post →This is the first steam game I've every played as a non-gamer. I didn't even know how to pay for an online game back then. I was a very lonely individual in high school and I found this game's art on Tumblr. Hyper Light Drifter has the most beautiful pixel art I've ever seen and even 10 years later I still hold this opinion like- non of the other pixel art style from any other game had yet to defeat. The soundtrack and the story is beautiful somehow I felt my loneliness was resonated in the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you've watched indie cross, please play this game. It's like a faster paced zelda in the best ways possible
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →>Cuphead dies to Unithor >Cuphead game was made in Unity >Gamemaster traumatizes Drifter by showing him his fate >Hyper Light Drifter was made in GameMaker #INDIECROSSEP2 #INDIECROSS
neutral · AI labelView post →Great game if you're not a completionist. The story is fantastic and told through an incredibly vivid, animated world that, at least for me, kept the mystery for just long enough and made me want to keep going through it to see the end. Very slightly frustrating at times, one or two encounters seemed slightly overtuned but it might've been just me getting tired or just generally being bad. Overall an amazing experience that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →✨Schedule!✨ we finished 2 games last week, time to start some more! The Witness will be our puzzle game, and Hyper Light Drifter will be our actiony game! ALSO! @itsnoellenow.bsky.social , @wrenmoo.bsky.social & i are gonna start playing Terarria together!! im so excited! 🎉 🔗 twitch.tv/auvenil 🔗
neutral · AI labelView post →Great speedrun of our game Hyper Light Drifter @ PAX by @avarietypack.bsky.social! Makes me nostalgic for the week we released, when the speedrun community started finding exploits 🥲 I didn’t patch out wall walking because I love speedrunners 🤍
positive · AI labelView post →I personally really loved Hyper Light Drifter! However I do have some cons along with my pros. First off, there's no text really, just images which I personally really like! The game allows you to come up with your own theories, but if that's something you don't like, this game probably isn't for you. My biggest negative with this game is that the combat can be really tricky and frustrating to figure out at first. Eventually though, I figured it out and wound up feeling super accomplished with…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →HAPPY 9 YEAR ANNIVESARY, HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER! 🎉 Always such a special day. I never find the right words to describe my undying love for this game, seriously. Thank you, HLD & @heartmachine.bsky.social 💙
positive · AI labelView post →Some pages from Indie Game Works, a book that shares artwork, screenshots, insights, and interviews for 50 unique games! Titles include ABZÛ, Cairn, GRIS, Hyper Light Drifter, and many more 🎮 Check out my review with more previews below 👇
neutral · AI labelView post →When your hero wakes up, you are just starting a game: the music is everything. It requires skill, has a story without words, beautiful pixel art. Nothing like this will ever be recreated, in all likelihood. Such an enriching experience.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hyper Light Drifter is one if not the most visually stunning games I've played, the pixel art is just jaw-dropping. The music is pretty good too and the story is very vague, but you can get an idea an I think that's enough for a playthrough, if you want more you can investigate or watch a video, it is an interesting story. The cryptic story, lack of any text explaining anything or any dialogue make up a very mysterious atmosphere that suit the game pretty well. The gameplay is good but not too…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Our game is obviously inspired by -Hyper Light Drifter -Unsighted -Furi -Gris #gamedev #indiedev #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →A few weeks ago, Alx Preston (Hyper Light Drifter) learned that the publisher of his next game had pulled funding. So Heart Machine was forced to lay off most of its staff. Alx (+ Mina’s Sean Velasco + Blumhouse’s Amanda Kruse) joined this week’s PIO to talk about it: youtu.be/Z0tF3o2KTM4?...
neutral · AI labelView post →I’m very late to this party. This game truly is a masterpiece. The music, the art, the story told through the environment and small little sprite cutscenes with no dialogue. The game doesn’t hold your hand whatsoever. You’re thrust into a mystery and must piece together everything, while making sense of the world. The combat still holds up, as does the gameplay overall. The exploration is amazing, and carries a degree of puzzle elements. Being perceptive will take you far. The upgrade system…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Heart Machine (Hyper Light Drifter, Solar Ash) is ending development on its early access game Hyper Light Breaker after more layoffs. www.endlessmode.com/article/hype...
neutral · AI labelView post →Hyper Light Drifter on Steam and other stores. Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with dangers and lost technologies. [Epic](https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/hyper-light-drifter) [Humble](https://www.humblebundle.com/store/hyper-light-drifter) [Gog](https://www.gog.com/en/game/hyper_light_drifter) [Xbox](https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/Hyper-Light-Drifter/C1N2LVW7NNJ7)…
neutral · AI labelView post →Hyper Light Drifter is a great game. Loved it. Give this a listen! 💙
positive · AI labelView post →Heart Machine laid off nearly its whole team after a publisher walked away from an unannounced game. Hyper Light Drifter fans, this one hurts. https://criticalpixel.gg/articles/hyper-light-drifter-studio-heart-machine-lays-off-nearly-everyone-as-closure-looms #gaming #indiegames #gamedev #layoffs
neutral · AI labelView post →
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