Possessor(s)
Possessor(s)
Game
Game2022
Solar Ash
Developer Heart Machine
Solar Ash is an action-adventure platform game developed by Heart Machine and published by Annapurna Interactive. It was released on December 2, 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Windows. It was also released via Steam on December 8, 2022, and it was released for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on September 14, 2023. The game's science fiction story explores themes of trauma and… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
310 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 3, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
85
LovedLoved
158 positive · 27 negative
95% range 80–90%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 158 | 27 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 49 | 3 | 42 |
| Mastodon * | 7 | 0 | 22 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
1,045 of 1,166 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
85% recommend · 152 yes, 26 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 178 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (1,364 of 1,518 positive).
Players praise the fluid movement and stunning art direction, often comparing it to Shadow of the Colossus and Jet Set Radio. [1][2][3] Some find the gameplay repetitive and the story underwhelming, with a few citing frustrating controls and level design. [4][5][6] Many recommend it as a short, visually impressive experience best enjoyed on sale. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
Solar Ash just does everything alright. Nothing about it, besides the background visuals and character design, is significant. The first zone you beat is pretty much how the rest of the game is going to be. nearly one to one for the rest of the other zones. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy my time with it, but i wasn't really looking forward to finishing the game either. If I wanted this games combat but better I would …
- [2]
In my opinion Solar Ash is an underrated and underappreciated gem. The gameplay is fun and satisfying, especially if you enjoy movement based games there is a lot of fun and challenge to be had here. The story is also really interesting in my opinion, as you play as a voidrunner, which is a group of people who take it upon themselves to save their planet from a world eating black hole. One of the greatest strengths …
- [7]
I've been meaning to review this game for a while, but Solar Ash is one of the best "hidden gem" games I've seen. The one thing I should say is that there is definitely NOT $40 worth of content in this game, even if you 100% it, so I would strongly recommend getting it on sale. That said, Solar Ash is a fantastic game. Completing the missions in each of the different environments almost evokes the same feeling …
- [1]
Tony Hawk's Hyper Light Sonic of the Colossus. A game about being stuck in a horrible place where everything sucks but at least you have cool freaking roller blades.
- [3]
Solar Ash was a surprising find for me. I had never heard of it before, but when I stumbled across it and saw the preview, I immediately thought it looked like my kind of game. It feels like a strange hybrid of Shadow of the Colossus and Jet Set Radio Future, combining massive roaming creatures, fast and fluid movement, and a vibrant art style that makes exploring its world a genuine joy. For me, the art direction, …
Summarised from 34 of the 298 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 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
85% of the 178 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Solar Ash. The complaint that keeps coming up: repetitive gameplay and level design. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Solar Ash received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. Critics unanimously praised the game's atmosphere and feel while criticizing the story delivery and collectible suits, among other things. Christian Donlan of Eurogamer praised the game's atmosphere and how personal the game felt, writing, "What makes Solar Ash special, I think, is the fact that all these semi-familiar parts are filtered through a deeper set of influences that feel like entirely personal preoccupations." Marcus Stewart of Game Informer praised the game's gripping and engaging nature, saying, "Fine-tuned platforming wrapped around a gorgeous world and alluring storytelling make Solar…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 310 · most liked firstSome Rei's from Solar Ash, a game very special to me. I'm actually replaying it currently. It's still so good! #art #solarash
positive · AI labelView post →finally getting around to streaming Solar Ash tonight! I honestly don't know a lot about this game, I'm going in mostly blind - I just know it's an EXTREMELY gorgeous 3D platformer with rail-grinding and a grapple beam. good enough for me! let's do it! 💛 twitch.tv/taffywabbit 💛
positive · AI labelView post →Solar Ash leaving Game Pass soon - get it now! Def finish-able across a weekend.
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy 4th anniversary, Solar ash 🩵🩵🩵 Favorite game of all time, I redrew my first ever fanart I ever made for it Love you heart machine #Solarash #Heartmachine #Fanart #noai
positive · AI labelView post →Man it's a bummer to hear what happened with Heart Machine. Absoltly loved Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash. Breaker and Possessors didn't quite hit for me, but I was hoping they would get another shot at a new game.
positive · AI labelView post →Games leaving Game Pass on March 15th: - Solar Ash - Yakuza 5 - Yakuza 6 - No More Heroes 3 - Lies of P - Evil West - MLB The Show 24 - SpongeBob Squarepants Battle for Bikini Bottom
neutral · AI labelView post →Solar Ash just does everything alright. Nothing about it, besides the background visuals and character design, is significant. The first zone you beat is pretty much how the rest of the game is going to be. nearly one to one for the rest of the other zones. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy my time with it, but i wasn't really looking forward to finishing the game either. If I wanted this games combat but better I would just play Ratchet and Clank. If i wanted its exploration and bosses but better…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game 176: Solar Ash The simple act of moving and jumping around in this game is a joy. Movement is snappy, level design encourages keeping momentum, it's pure fun. That combined with a stellar, surreal art direction and a compelling world to be discovered, makes Solar Ash a very special experience.
positive · AI labelView post →A game that, when it works is an absolute blast to play. Sadly, I found this joy to infrequently throughout my playthrough. Great moment to moment movement hamstrung by floaty controls and a sloppy camera. In addition, I felt I was punished for exploration. Either getting hit by enemies out of my reach or falling off a cliff and having to waste time getting right back to where I was. It also felt pointless in the end, as you get more than enough of the currency in the game fairly early. Said…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to love this game given the developer's history, but Solar Ash is a huge letdown. While the art direction is undeniable and the initial visual concept is striking, the actual execution is a pain. The colour palette, rather than being vibrant, often feels dirty and muddy. There is so much visual noise that it becomes difficult to distinguish platforms from the background, making the world feel cluttered rather than artistic. However, the biggest drawback are the map design and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SOLAR ASH! 3 YEARS! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! YEAAAAAH! ^^ This is such an important game to me, the comfort & vibes it brings are out of this world. Truly such a special experience, will love this game 'till I die 💙
positive · AI labelView post →Tony Hawk's Hyper Light Sonic of the Colossus. A game about being stuck in a horrible place where everything sucks but at least you have cool freaking roller blades.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you can get this game for free or very cheap, either through a Steam sale or if it's included in PS+ or Game Pass then maybe I'd say check it out, but otherwise I don't think there's much to be missed here. I never finished Hyper Light Drifter, so I didn't have any real expectations going into Solar Ash. Unfortunately, by the time I played it I had already played other games that handle each of its elements better than it does. While this game has a really cool aesthetic and mood, the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash from @heartmachine.bsky.social are featured in Indie Game Works, my book highlighting some of the most beautiful indie titles from the last 15 years. Buy it now in the UK and May 12th in the US amzn.eu/d/0cvh9Pkx #indiegames #gaming #indiedev
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm playing Solar Ash an the main character's voice kept bugging in one of those "where tf do I know your VA from" and when I looked it up of fuckin course this was the answer and now the game is just so weird for me to play lol. #IMBD #games #solarash
neutral · AI labelView post →My favorite Solar ash pieces from last year and 2023🤭 PEAM I love this game #Solarash #Heartmachine #Solarashfanart #Myart
positive · AI labelView post →During my time at @tuatara.bsky.social I had the pleasure to work on #SolarAsh from @heartmachine.bsky.social on many different kind of VFXs. This one is a sneak peak of some combat VFXs for the game. Kudos to @klemen.bsky.social and Thomas from Tuatara #gamedev www.artstation.com/artwork/3qvelm
neutral · AI labelView post →Gonna make a hot take and say I missed the charm of the pixel art and visual only story telling from Hyper light drifter. That being said, still feel the love from the devs, even though I only played an hour, it just did not click for me for some reason.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In my opinion Solar Ash is an underrated and underappreciated gem. The gameplay is fun and satisfying, especially if you enjoy movement based games there is a lot of fun and challenge to be had here. The story is also really interesting in my opinion, as you play as a voidrunner, which is a group of people who take it upon themselves to save their planet from a world eating black hole. One of the greatest strengths of this game, much like the beloved Hyperlight Drifter, is the art…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SOLAR ASH ⭐️ 9.5/10 oh... that's a top 10 game. that's a top 10 game that went completely under my radar for 3 years Gorgeous sci-fi art direction, great character design, and some of the tightest, most satisfying movement I've ever played. FULL REVIEW: backloggd.com/u/DeadLineSM...
positive · AI labelView post →Hyper Light Drifter is still such a fantastic atmospheric game. Shame that heart machine never had such a banger afterwards. Although I still like Solar Ash for its style and gamefeel, I’ll replay it every so often too. Possessor(s) had a strong style and writing but was just an okay metroidvania.
positive · AI labelView post →Hey guys! I've been really sloppy with my schedules and making some posts about my plans and all, but I am gonna stream on 2/4! Was thinking of playing either Solar Ash (an indie game) or playing Star Fox Adventures, which I've been wanting to revisit for some reason??
neutral · AI labelView post →Solar Ash was a surprising find for me. I had never heard of it before, but when I stumbled across it and saw the preview, I immediately thought it looked like my kind of game. It feels like a strange hybrid of Shadow of the Colossus and Jet Set Radio Future, combining massive roaming creatures, fast and fluid movement, and a vibrant art style that makes exploring its world a genuine joy. For me, the art direction, world design, and movement mechanics are the strongest aspects of the game. The…
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 →They made a game that was praised for telling a story with zero words and decided to follow that up with a game about an annoying ♥♥♥♥♥ who doesn't shut up
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The movement system is fun but the game feels half baked. The initial concept doesn't evolve and there are a few physics issues at times.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tonight (3/1) at 6 PM central I will be live with my 5 Year First Stream Anniversary!!! Highlights: - Song Requests - Geoguessr - Trying out an indie game on my backlog: Solar Ash - Elden Ring Pots on Continuation! - Giveaways! See you then!!!
neutral · AI labelView post →Just finished Solar Ash and man was this game a delight. It's message is quite powerful too. A short and sweet adventure that's a joy to play and has immaculate atmosphere.
positive · AI labelView post →Played the early access of Heart Machine’s new game. As someone who really dug Hyper Light Drifter & Solar Ash, unfortunately this just didn’t click with me. Atm it feels frustrating, confused, and lacks the sauce that made their previous games so special :/ My review: youtu.be/jhIjVy37eAo?...
negative · AI labelView post →Finished up Solar Ash, and what a great game. Had a good story if a sad yet hopeful one. Very much on par with Heart Machine and Hyper light drifter. Definetly was just a nice chill game to zoom around the levels and explore in. Very much would recommend for it's chill vibes and music!!
positive · AI labelView post →I'll be the optimist in the room. The studio is going on life support but is still alive. Solar Ash was a great game even if it didn't bring in the number like HLD and maybe they bit off more than they could chew with Breaker. If the studio can stay alive, their next move needs to be something small again. They clearly have a good vision with their overarching game world and it doesn't need to be of massive scope.
positive · AI labelView post →A neon-soaked Prey-for-the-Gods, but with more of a skating / running vibe. I'm not a huge fan of 'runner' games like Mirror's Edge and Ghostrunner where if you stop, you die. Fortunately, Solar Ash is a bit more chill with the concept, leaning into an old school Sonic-style where speed is important to gameplay but not punishingly so. This one is really more of a visual treat, with some fun playing around with gravity physics, but it's not as moving a story as you'd hope for from an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey guys, thanks for the good stream today! No clips from this one, but I had a good time going through more Solar Ash. You should play this game. I'm doing chat's art prompts tomorrow! Here's the prompts that everyone has given me for February (plus two from last July):
positive · AI labelView post →I played solar ash again after forever and forgot how autistic this game made me #solarash #Rei #mywife #doodle
positive · AI labelView post →Solar Ash is quite the game #solarash
positive · AI labelView post →Solar Ash is a fast-paced 3D platformer with a dash of puzzle-solving. The art direction is compelling, and the music is excellent. You can forget about the story or side quests. The game is clearly designed for speedruns, but a casual playthrough is still very enjoyable.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved Hyper Light Drifter, but this is way too abstract and confusing for me. I just can't get myself interested in the story. This feels like I'm playing an extremely cryptic Spyro or 3D Sonic game.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If I have to play The Boss Is Lava one more time, I'm going to scream. Visuals & music are great. Movement is awesome, when it works. Mostly it doesn't. I've never had to try so hard to get onto a rail that's right in front of me. The boss fights are very tight platforming challenges that I can't even beat on Novice difficulty without 30+ tries. Which on its own isn't even a dealbreaker for me. But every mistake is an automatic fail. That means you respawn at the centre of the level, you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1. This game = focus on exploration + bosses like "shadow of the colossus" + story can be ignored. 2. This game takes less than 10 hours to complete. 3. The patterns of defeating the boss is same for all boss just the design and envirnoment changes with different bosses. 4. This game can be ignored as you will not miss out on anything if you don't play this. 5. Its not a bad game par say, it is just that it is average. 6. For me this game was 7/10. 7. Not Recommended if you have other…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For the 36 euro price this is a no go, I don't want to be mean since it seems like the team behind was farily passionate but the game does a poor job of explaining, the whole scanning thing should just be automatic and while the game tries to do the whole celeste thing of putting you right back where you were before dying so you can just try again this game takes several seconds to do it which just made the game feel clunky, repetitive and annoying to me. If you get this on a sale it might be…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It looks nice I guess, and has a few interesting ideas, but other than that it's pretty bland when it comes to gameplay. The movement system is kinda unresponsive and individual platforming sections are too short to bring that sweet parkour satisfaction. The story and dialogues straight up suck, and there's too much of them. And the game's definitely too expensive for what it has to offer. For me this title, and the fact that it was signed as an exclusive to epic games for the first year,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solar ASS, this game is boring
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Day 16: Best plot twist Silent Hill 2, Yakuza 2, Bioshock, MGS2, there are a lot of good plot twists out there. But shout-out to Solar Ash for not only being a fantastic game, but also for delivering it's twist in such a fantastic, gut-wrenching way. I can't recommend this game enough.
positive · AI labelView post →#blutoid Called it on Solar Ash, my latest "trying cause it's leaving Game Pass" game. Beautiful art style, the skating feels cool, and I like how they play with gravity in a 3D space. The rest of the game ranges from janky to flatly uninteresting 1/
neutral · AI labelView post →Mod @gbmento.bsky.social has a new Indie Game of the Week feature and this one looks at Solar Ash by develoepr Heart Machine! Read why they think its a good intermediary game between Hyper Light Drifter and Breaker User Blog: www.giantbomb.com/solar-ash/30... #games #gaming #indiegames #solarash
neutral · AI labelView post →At an abstract level, the #SolarAsh shading model is fairly similar to other toon models, but there were some specific qualities we were trying to hit: 1. Gradients and lots of them 2. Hard light cuts If these two seem at odds, you're not alone in thinking that. It took a healthy amount of back and forth with art to home in on the feature set that would let us hit those goals. 1/?
neutral · AI labelView post →Enjoyed my time with Solar Ash a lot, but we could cut the quippy dialogue. By far this game's weakest aspect
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are times when the answer isn't obvious, the platforming rough and deaths feel cheap. But overall a beautiful and emotive experience well worth the time of someone who likes a layered story with emotive depth. Fave part: The motion and the visuals. Its beautiful and by gosh the way you glide in some sections was magical as all hell.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The aestherics are good but it gets really repetitive very fast. Most of your time will be spent in figuring out where the hell you are supposed to be going rather than anything challenging.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Evolution of Heart Machine (2016 -2025) Which ones are your favourite? Hyper Light Drifter (2016) Solar Ash (2021) #game #indiegames #gaming #games
neutral · AI labelView post →I've been meaning to review this game for a while, but Solar Ash is one of the best "hidden gem" games I've seen. The one thing I should say is that there is definitely NOT $40 worth of content in this game, even if you 100% it, so I would strongly recommend getting it on sale. That said, Solar Ash is a fantastic game. Completing the missions in each of the different environments almost evokes the same feeling exploring planets in Super Mario Galaxy, which is a special sense of wonder I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Movement is NOT satisfying at all. Its not fluid - turning has a HUGE radius and very slow (kinda laggiong before start to change direction. Running like in jelly. Like you ALWAYS understeer), so its VERY hard to go where you want or land where you want. You are always stopping, missing rails, and adjusting the character. You CANT just run at full speed to finish the level. I was looking for something to scratch the "fluid fast-paced movement" itch after Echo Point Nova, but this is not even…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Shadow of Colossus on rollerblades. Beginning is kind of misleading because game looks like typical platformer.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its a Woulderful game and its has a good theme! but don't forget to look around for time to time, you might have just missed somthing...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solar Ash complete. A very fast paced game but not overly difficult. The ending surprised me tbh. I do wish however, that there was more to do post-game so I could enjoy more of Rei's new Echo outfit. #SolarAsh 🎮
neutral · AI labelView post →This game was so beautifully ethereal, I don't know how else to describe it. Its gameplay was fast and challenging but the whole time it felt so peaceful yet dark at the same time given what was unfolding in the story, which didn't seem like much at first until its ending shocked me enough to say I love it now. I also love fighting giant-sized bosses that I have to climb on to defeat them! Some areas I loved, while others I hated like second last with the acid water, but the rest just felt…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been playing a game called Solar Ash lately and it's so ethereal. I love gliding and climbing everywhere in this strange peaceful environment. There's a lot of games in my library published by #Annapurna 🎮 #SolarAsh
positive · AI labelView post →Loved hyper light drifter. This lives up to it and stands alone as an absolutely fantastic sci-fi experience. Loved the story, game-play, soundtrack, visuals. feels epic, got outer wilds vibes slowly uncovering the story through tiny snippets. pacing is impeccable. recommended
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played and finished Solar Ash, a game by @heartmachine.bsky.social out of the two games that I've played that played I much prefer Hyper Light Drifter. Solar Ash was a pretty good momentum based platformer. I can't wait to play Hyper Light Breaker and see the culmination of their efforts out forth
neutral · AI labelView post →Another #GamePass surprise. #SolarAsh throws you in without explaining itself very much, but rewards you with a beautiful minimal art style and some fluent gameplay moments… when it works well. Reminds me a bit of #Omno, PS2 era platformgame #Scaler and well, quite a few other minimally shaded #indiegames. Will give it more time on my #Xbox though!
neutral · AI labelView post →
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