SOLAS 128
At its heart, SOLAS is a beam deflection game. Rotate and reposition mirrors to connect light sources and unlock adjacent puzzles. Every pulse is moving to the beat at all times, and each puzzle is connected to the next. Explore this strange interconnected space, learn its rules, and discover the surprises that dwell within.
Rather than ordinary light beams, however, these pulses can and will collide with each other. Create new colours, deflect them in new directions, and pay attention to their timing to unlock the path to new puzzles.
Along the way you’ll encounter a wide array of components which interact in unique and surprising ways. You might even discover you can pass pulses and components between puzzles.
Prisms, glitches, new types of mirrors, and more lurk in the depths. For example, the filters which remove colours from pulses that pass over them.
To match the otherworldly, retro, neon aesthetic, SOLAS is scored with a one of a kind synthwave soundtrack to which the entire game is synchronized.
- Over 150 interlocking puzzle screens
- A beautiful synth-inspired visual style with a story where music powers everything
- Designed from the ground up to be colourblind-friendly
- A seamless world to navigate – changes in one room will affect those that follow
- An original synth/chillwave soundtrack
- Hidden areas to discover, and secrets to decypher
- No text or dialogue: the visuals and music speak for themselves
SOLAS is a game based around the combination and separation of these pulses, but has been designed from the ground up to not be reliant only on colour. SOLAS’ glyphs each have a unique shape and profile, and there are customisable contrast settings, making it accessible to colour-blind players.
Amicable Animal: A one-person studio — part-time lecturer, part-time games developer, full-time tea drinker. He loves combining old-school mechanics with minimalist, modern game design. SOLAS is his first commercial game.
Jamesy Downie: The musician behind the synthwave sound of SOLAS. Obsessed with everything 80s and VHS related, he created a soundtrack that relaxes, and hints at an underlying darkness.
Steven McSeveney: Sound Designer and all-round audio nerd; he creates immersive sonic experiences to bring worlds to life. He created the sound effects for SOLAS, marrying the neon-rich visuals with the game’s synth-fuelled soundtrack.
Game Discussion
Steam User 1
A brain melting puzzle game and a delight for the senses. I haven't seen anything quite like it before. It's a wonder to play, but boy am I glad there's a guide. It's also quite long (at review time I'm probably a little under halfway through, with checking the guide a few times when I was really stumped), so definitely worth the price, but it's easy to fit into short play sessions.
Steam User 0
Fun puzzle game about placing mirrors and other objects to manipulate rays of light. The challenge is nicely pitched - tough enough to make my head hurt, but generally doable with enough thought. It's very satisfying to see a solution come together like a finely tuned machine. The pulsing visuals in sync with the (bumping) soundtrack only adds to the effect.
I will say that past a certain point I found the solutions too complex to visualise, particularly in rooms with lots of splitters or in puzzles where part of the challenge was finding a way to keep different rays in phase. Usually I was able to reason out enough of the solution that I could see the rest with a bit of tinkering, but it became a little more annoying once the puzzles turned into sprawling, multi-stage affairs spanning multiple rooms and I needed to figure out which parts were solvable. There was a particular room towards the end where I found multiple mirror arrangements that accomplished something useful-looking except it was one beat out of phase, and I had to sit down and do actual maths to figure out whether I could remedy that or if it indicated I was going about the puzzle the wrong way entirely (it was the former).
That's only a minor gripe though. I do see where some of the complaints in the negative reviews are coming from, but they weren't really an issue for me. As long as you go in prepared not to see solutions right away and willing to trial-and-error a room a little bit to get a feel for it, I think it's a great time.
Steam User 0
Sound on!
It is a very nice audio visual puzzle game. The lights are moving in sync with the music - so mesmerizing. There's a lot of puzzles to solve, all tangled together. It makes me think, but still not too hard. The hint system is there if you're stuck.
Steam User 0
SOLAS 128 is the perfect execution of the idea "Lets take a few really simple mechanics and see just how complicated we can make it" and I just absolutely adore it for that. By far one of my favorite puzzle games of all time, I want more!
Steam User 0
Cannot believe I slept on this gem of a puzzle game so long!
Great vibe and so moreish game play. I had trouble putting it down.
Steam User 0
A difficult, clever puzzle game with a great minimalist artistic direction and soundtrack.
Steam User 0
Great puzzle game with catchy soundtrack.
I really like puzzle games and finished many with no help like Portal 1 and 2, Filament or The Witness, but this one was too complex for me towards the end. I don't know if it's because it's 2D or I lack certain skill, but managing multiple screens of what where goes and what needs moved between them was just impossible for me and had to finish the northern part of the game following the walkthrough.
Nevertheless, it plays great.