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Sea of Solitude

Sea of Solitude

Jo-Mei Games · released Jun 4, 2020

Adventure

When humans get too lonely, they turn into monsters… Set sail across a beautiful and evolving world of darkness and light, and discover what it means to be human.

76
VGC Score
Improvingmedium confidence
76%
At launch
83%
Steam all-time
69%
Press
92%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)6956
Creator reviews (2 tracked)751
All-time Steam reviews83%771000
Metacritic user ratings0
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)92%866
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 18 reviews sampled · 12 total reviews in window · weighted 6.3 up / 0.6 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (92)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 50
    trust 78Jul 23, 2019

    The attempt to copy the works of Team ICO was not successful, as well as the desire of the creator of Sea of Solitude to reveal a personal drama. Probably, Geppert chose the wrong format, but this does not make it easier for us.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 78Jul 13, 2019

    A beautiful adventure without cryptic metaphors, but it suffers from mediocre gameplay and poor voice acting.

    read full review ↗
  • 40
    trust 77Jul 11, 2019

    Its repetitive tasks are like the usual arbitrary gates to reach a cutscene in a mediocre video game.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 74Jul 9, 2019

    Sea of Solitude gives us a boat. And a light. And it accepts that we must sometimes think of ourselves as a contradiction of insignificance and grotesquery, as we wind our way through the path of recovery. That, monstrous though we may feel, we can still affect change in our lives, and the lives of others. Healing is possible, if complicated, non-linear, and often contradictory. Sea of Solitude wants us to see ourselves better than we do, but won't abandon us when we can't.

    read full review ↗
  • 40
    trust 71Aug 6, 2019

    Whether in respect of its derivative gameplay structure or the bumper-sticker approach to an otherwise-sincere message, it doesn’t go any deeper than the wading pool.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 70Jul 8, 2019

    I certainly enjoyed my time with Sea of Solitude. Kay’s journey through the abandoned city had the right tone, and the amazing visuals of the world changing around you seamlessly as her and the other denizens’ emotions fluctuate throughout, was always something to behold.

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    trust 69Jul 9, 2019

    It's hard to call Sea of Solitude a bad experience, but it feels very pedestrian at almost every turn. Bland gameplay means you'll rarely be doing anything too exciting, in turn making the short run time all the more suspect. Beautiful visuals and themes that may resonate with some are minor highlights, although they're not enough to make up for insipidity.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 69Mar 11, 2021

    The events that play out are often powerfully voice acted and complemented with incredible art. It wears its influences on its sleeve and is profoundly direct with its ,but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Even though the gameplay is flawed with clumsy and inaccurate platforming, it's not enough to capsize a strong overall presentation.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 68Jul 6, 2019

    Sea of Solitude, which can be completed in about five or six hours, depending on the emphasis you put on finding all collectibles, does not risk the playable, but is also solid in this section and, therefore, becomes an essential work for lovers of good stories

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 68Jul 25, 2019

    I’m torn on Sea of Solitude. I don’t know what score to give it even. I can’t say I love the game because I definitely don’t. I don’t hate it either. It has also been on my mind constantly since I finished it and that must mean something. Maybe I’m just too rooted in my own depression to understand this game. I’m not sure.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 68Jul 22, 2019

    If you are a player who appreciates great storytelling with minimal hours of commitment, this game is for you. It may not be enjoyable though for players who are seeking hardcore action-adventure gameplay. Story loops may eventually exist but the graphics, colors, voice and sound quality really makes up for it. Regrettably, the game has a lot of potential, it has a lot of feels to it. I know a lot of people out there, gamer or not can relate to the emotions that Kay portrays. I think that end credit scene is a sneak peek on what’s to come which is really exciting since this can be developed to so much more. I am really looking forward to it.

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    trust 68Jul 11, 2019

    Sea of Solitude offers up a lot to love, with its rich aesthetics and well-intentioned design, but it fails to make a lasting impression with its gameplay or story.

    read full review ↗

…and 80 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

No patch announcements found on Steam yet.