Stela (2019)

Stela is an atmospheric platformer that offers solid puzzles and mechanics that will genuinely challenge the player, but may leave them wanting more than what is ultimately offered.

Stela is the sort of dark and moody platformer you’ll want to play after being saturated by colorful traps in Super Mario Maker 2. It does nothing new, and don’t expect to walk away from the experience with a new sense of profound realization. Nonetheless, you’ll enjoy the time you have with it, even if the ending is disappointing and the game requires a fair degree of trial and error.

Stela is a visually striking, atmospheric 2.5D platformer that closely follows in the footsteps of Playdead’s Limbo and Inside. Developed by SkyBox Labs, the game presents a wordless, cinematic journey through haunting landscapes filled with light puzzles and subtle threats. Players control a nameless woman on a mysterious pilgrimage, encountering environments like snow-covered death fields and burning forests. While its controls are serviceable rather than precise, the emphasis is clearly on mood, symbolism, and aesthetics over tight gameplay mechanics. Despite its heavy borrowing from Playdead’s formula, Stela stands as a beautiful and meditative experience in its own right.

Whilst the story that surrounds Stella went over my head, the world it built combined with an outstanding soundtrack still managed to touch me in ways I didn't consent to.

A beautiful atmosphere paired with a lacklustre narrative and light gameplay make Stela feel like a mixture of great ideas that never reaches its potential.