helionaut (2020)

Developer: Sokpop Collective
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Genres: Action, Adventure, Indie, Simulation
Rating: 4.7 of 5, 224 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 5.2 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

Exploring a colorful procedurally generated universe, gathering resources and upgrading your ship feels like a gentle, open-ended sandbox adventure with light combat and crafting.

relaxedopen-endedspace explorationcraftingretro-stylemoderate difficultyproceduralcolorful

What players say

Players call this a lo-fi No Man's Sky with a cute art style and satisfying gameplay loop, but some warn the shield-damage beep is grating and that getting stuck on terrain can force a restart. The game is short, a few call it half-cooked, and most praise its chill vibe and fair price.

Screenshots

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More by Sokpop Collective

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.