Solo
Solo: Islands of the Heart
Release Date: April 26, 2018
Adventure, TPP, puzzle elements, indie games, experimental/artistic, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
A unusual adventure with some logic elements, which discusses the feeling of love. The players assume the role of a person searching for their significant other. In order to find them, they have to travel the world and solve various problems.
Videos and Screens
[1:15] Solo trailer #1
Invision Community: 8 / 10 by Aaron Daniels
It’s hard to give a game like Solo a definitive score; sure, I can critique things like the presentation (which is masterful) and the gameplay (which is pretty good but I wouldn’t say masterful), but what you actually get out of the game is entirely up to you. How willing are you to be honest with yourself about your feelings?
SA Gamer: 8 / 10 by Garth Holden
An introspective puzzle game that teaches you about love, travelling, the importance of self-love and challenges some of those hyperbolic statements we make about how far we would go for our loved one. Team Gotham has a right treat here.
GameGrin: 8.5 / 10 by Thomas Hughes
While many will look at Solo and see a gorgeous art style, those who play it will experience an introspective journey about love. Its delivery of core themes can be a little vague at times, but Solo is one of the most charming titles I've played in a long time.
Solo Description
Solo was created by independent Team Gotham – the fathers of The Guest published in 2016 on PC. Solo had a successful Fig campaign during which the creators managed to gather 70,000 dollars.
Plot
Solo is a game about love. During gameplay, we take control of a sailor who sets off on a journey in order to find the significant other. At the beginning, you pick the hero’s sex, as well as the sex of the person you are searching for. Additionally, the game asks a few questions concerning the current and past relationships. Depending on the answers, the title adjusts the method of narration, which is based on the three states of love (solo, in a relationship, and heart-broken).
Mechanics
This is an adventure with logic elements. Gameplay consists in visiting a number of various islands. The players need to solve certain logic puzzles there in order to wake a sleeping totem. Once it is awake, it asks different questions, depending on the state of the hero’s relationship. On the basis of the answers, the game generates letters from your loved one or – if you are heart-broken – your ex.
Solo is intended to make us contemplate. Therefore, gameplay is peaceful and contemplative. You can stop solving puzzles at any moment and simply sit on a bench, start playing with animals inhabiting the islands, or plant crops.
Technical aspects
Gameplay, the sound, and the visuals are mainly responsible for the atmosphere of Solo. This is a 3D production with a rather simple, cartoon style, which goes well with other game’s elements.
Last updated on March 26, 2018
Solo Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows April 26, 2018
Switch August 1, 2019
PlayStation 4 July 31, 2019
Xbox One July 31, 2019
Developer: Team Gotham
Publisher: Merge Games
Solo System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core i3-2100 3.1 GHz, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce GTX 650 or better, 2 GB HDD, Windows 7