SHINE - Journey Of Light offers an adventure through solving light-based puzzles and uses light mechanics based on physics to provide a unique gaming experience. You play the game by directing a light orb through various levels that are filled with interactive crystals, prisms, beam splitters, and teleportation portals.
The game uses pastel colors, a reactive soundtrack, and audio cues that adapt in real time based on your movements, making SHINE - Journey Of Light a relaxing title focused on the journey rather than collecting lives or engaging in combat.
As you unlock new levels, the game introduces new mechanics, but it remains simple to control and shows you hints when you're not sure what to do. In over 70 levels, you need to synchronize different light mechanics and puzzles to move forward, and you have unlimited retries, with no harsh cutscenes or game-over screens. You can buy the game on iOS and Android devices, and there are no intrusive in-game purchases.
Why should I download SHINE - Journey Of Light?
Unlike most mobile games that prioritize high scores, fast action, or combat, SHINE - Journey Of Light gives you access to a tranquil world that focuses on its mood, flow, and slow-paced exploration. Your main task is to guide a light orb through different tunnels, echoes, and shadows, and the game narrates your experience by motion, music, and color, instead of dialogue. It's easy to get lost in the visual layer of the game and slowly uncover different challenges and game mechanics.
SHINE - Journey Of Light doesn't have any countdowns, leadership boards, or aggressive monetization, but is instead a relaxing puzzle game with simple controls. You just need to perform easy taps on the screen to move your orb, but this system still allows you to control the moves with precision. You need to adjust the timing of your movements and taps to navigate different corridors and paths, and the environment will react to your actions through audio and visual feedback.
The soundtrack in SHINE - Journey Of Light is adaptive and was composed by professional musicians to tightly integrate with your gameplay and how you progress in the game. You may feel like you're creating your own music because of how reactive the audio layer is to every jump, pause, or swoop. This musical feedback is also essential to understand if you're successfully completing different puzzles, as the changing instruments or rhythms are used instead of dialogues or traditional cutscenes.
When you download SHINE - Journey Of Light, you'll notice the precision with which each level was designed with hand-drawn illustrations, glowing particle effects, flowing gradients, and ambient lighting. The more you play, the more colorful the world becomes, and the colors will move from cold to warm tones. Shadows in the game act as obstacles you need to clear to unlock pathways or hidden collectibles. The bonus artifacts allow you to get new musical segments or story notes that expand the game's storyline.
SHINE - Journey Of Light intelligently merges gaming with a meditation-like experience that doesn't overstimulate, but calms you down as you play with its atmosphere, music, and colors. In order to download SHINE - Journey Of Light and play it, you need to buy it either on the App Store for iOS devices or on the Google Play Store for Android smartphones and tablets.
Is SHINE - Journey Of Light free?
Well, that depends on the platform you’re using. If you are an Apple user with an iOS device, you’ll have to purchase the game from the Apple App Store. The title doesn't include any ads or in-game purchases that would ruin the game's mood, and there are no hidden costs apart from the upfront payment.
For Android users, SHINE - Journey of Light is available as a free download. But this free version doesn’t give you access to all the levels of the game; it is just to test it and then buy it (in-app purchase).
What operating systems are compatible with SHINE - Journey Of Light?
You can play SHINE - Journey Of Light on iPhones and iPads with iOS 10.0 or later, as well as on Android devices running version 5/0 or higher.
The game was designed with touchscreen controls in mind, and it's recommended that you play it using headphones for the most immersive experience. You don't need to be connected to the internet to play the game after it's been installed.
What are the alternatives to SHINE - Journey Of Light?
If you're looking for a similar aesthetic, then Sky: Children of the Light takes you and other players through dream-like locations where you need to solve puzzles to restore fallen stars. The game focuses on exploration and cooperation, so you can team up with other players using gestures and shared actions. Sky: Children of the Light is available on iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation, and the game is free to play but offers in-game purchases. This title also explains the narrative through nonverbal cues and features, beautifully designed light systems, and exploration areas.
In Light a Way: Tap Tap Fairytale, you combat darkness using beams of magical light, and the game is set in the world of fantasy and has some RPG elements. You play through hand-drawn storybook levels and solve puzzles by adjusting your movement timing, switching on and off various light sources, and avoiding obstacles. Light a Way: Tap Tap Fairytale offers a whimsical gameplay, and you can download the game for free on iOS and Android, though it offers in-game purchases.
Alto's Odyssey is a runner game that combines sandboarding with exploration of the game environment. You need to glide through different landscapes, perform tricks, collect items, and rescue magical creatures. The game has an ambient soundtrack, minimalist controls, dynamic weather conditions, and day/night cycles. You can download Alto's Odyssey on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and the game is free to play with additional paid content available in-app.
