| Sky: Children of the Light | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Developer | Thatgamecompany |
| Publisher | Thatgamecompany |
| Director | Jenova Chen |
| Artists | Yui Tanabe Jacky Ke Jiang |
| Writer | Jennie Kong |
| Composer | Vincent Diamante |
| Engine | PhyreEngine (modified) |
| Platforms | |
| Release | iOS July 18, 2019 Android April 7, 2020 Nintendo Switch June 29, 2021 PlayStation 4 December 6, 2022 Windows April 10, 2024 (early access) |
| Genres | Adventure,art game |
| Mode | Multiplayer |
Sky: Children of the Light (shortened toSky in-game) is a social massively multiplayer onlineadventure game byThatgamecompany. It was first released foriOS on July 18, 2019.[1] AnAndroid version was later released on April 7, 2020,[2] and aNintendo Switch version was released on June 29, 2021,[3][4][5][6] followed by aPlayStation 4 release on December 6, 2022,[7] and aMicrosoft Windows release viaSteam Early Access on April 10, 2024.[8] A separate version of the game was released forMainland China on Android and iOS devices that is co-developed and published byNetEase.[9]
InSky, players explore a once-prosperous kingdom using a cape that allows them to fly. The in-game world consists of seven unique realms, each with a variety of areas to explore, and a theme representing different stages of life. There is also Home and Aviary Village, with Home being a small island which serves as the world hub and the starting point and Aviary Village as a village with shops and a place that the player can customize as their house. Throughout the world, players encounter "spirits" that allow them to unlock items in return for in-game currency, and "children of light" which give players "winged light". When a player has collected enough winged light, their cape level goes up, allowing them to fly further.
The game places heavy focus on social mechanics. Players are able to meet and befriend one another, and can unlock new abilities like chat and sending gifts as their friendship grows. There are also many cosmetic items to collect including capes, masks, hairstyles, hats, pants, shoes,musical instruments, expressions, and more. These items can be obtained using in-game currency or, in some cases, bought with real money. Some cosmetics only available to certain players, such as the original beta cape, exclusive to those who played the beta version prior to the full release.
Sky has multiple in-game currencies. "Candles" are the main currency ofSky, and are exchanged with spirits and friends in return for items and abilities. Candles are obtained by collecting pieces of light (called wax in-game) and forging them, or by purchasing them for real money. "Hearts" are the social currency ofSky, and are obtained when players receive gifts from others, or can be bought directly from spirits with candles. Hearts are mainly used to purchase cosmetic items from spirits. "Ascended candles" are the rarest currency in Sky, which are rewarded to players for giving their winged light to "the fallen" at the end of the game. Ascended candles are exchanged with spirits for "wing buffs", which give players extra Winged Light, or can be used to upgrade friendship and purchase various spells such as height alteration and cape recharge. Another form of currency called "Event Currency", introduced in the 0.21.5 update, is a type of currency that is only available for specific events. Event Currency was created to bring equity to newer players and allow for event-specific in-game currency (IGC) items to be obtained more easily. Some examples of event currency are: seasonal candles, seasonal hearts, and event tickets.
The game was developed and published by American studioThatgamecompany over the course of seven years, developing a custom game engine based on their previous work on PlayStation titles, to initially support theApple Metal API, later expanding it to add support for other platforms as well.[10][11] The game servers are hosted onAmazon Web Services infrastructure (credited in-game as AWS),[12] with parts of the backend being written inErlang in cooperation with Amber Studio.[13]
Sky features ongoing seasonal events, with new storylines and unique spirits and items. Seasons and events follow afreemium strategy, where some of the cosmetics sold by spirits require a paid "Season Pass" or via microtransactions from the in-game shop. The seasons have a unique currency called "seasonal candles", which can be used to purchase seasonal items and are converted to regular candles when the season ends. Seasonal spirits may return as "Traveling Spirits" in the future, which players can give their candles and hearts to receive seasonal items for a limited time, albeit at a higher price.
Sky features an orchestral score composed by Vincent Diamante, with some tracks performed by FAME'S Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra.[14][15] Norwegian singerAurora also provides the vocals for the intro and outro songs.[16] The game utilizesFMOD for dynamic music and sound playback.[17]
Four volumes of soundtrack albums have been released. The first volume covers more recognizable music from the base game cycle.[18] The second volume contains mostlyambient background music, and the third includes various pieces composed forSky's Seasonal Events.[19]
In 2020,Thatgamecompany held some in-game events in support of charity. The first was the "Days of Nature" event, in celebration ofEarth Day, during which a uniqueIAP (in-app purchase) was available. Proceeds from the IAP's were used to plant one tree per purchase, in partnership with the OneTreePlanted charity. This event resulted in a total of 40,576 trees planted across the Amazonian and Australian forests damaged by wildfires.[20] In April 2021,Sky hosted its second "Days of Nature" event, using the game to promote awareness towardsplastic pollution of the ocean.[21]
In May 2020, Thatgamecompany hosted a "Days of Healing" event to help raise money for theMédecins Sans Frontières organization,[22] after which Thatgamecompany donated US$719,138 to the MSFCOVID-19 Crisis Fund.[23] For the event, Thatgamecompany also joined theWorld Health Organization's#PlayApartTogether campaign.[22]
In June 2020,Sky held its first "Days of Rainbow" event, featuring colorful rainbow items and spells as a way to celebratepride month. The second "Days of Rainbow" event the following year gathered funds forThe Trevor Project and theGlobal Fund for Women, with players raising $794,420.[24]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | IOS: 82/100[31] NS: 82/100[32] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Edge | 8/10 |
| Game Informer | 8.25/10[25] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[26] |
| IGN | 8.5/10[27] |
| Jeuxvideo.com | 8.5/10[28] |
| Nintendo Life | 8/10[29] |
| Pocket Gamer |   [30] |
Review aggregatorMetacritic awarded the game an 82 out of 100 based on 18 reviewers, as well as awarding it the number one shared iOS game of 2019, number three most discussed iOS game of 2019, and number 13 best iOS game of 2019.[33]
Game Informer scored the game an 8.5 out of 10 stating "Sky is a refreshingly moving and robust game on the iOS platform, and one best shared with others – especially folks who might not normally pick up a video game."[25]GameSpot scored the game an 8 out of 10, giving exceptional praise to the visuals, animations and music, but admitting that "return visits to previous environments aren't nearly as captivating as your first trip."[26]IGN scored the game an 8.5 out of 10, likening the game to its predecessor as "a bigger and bolder follow-up that expands on what madeJourney so great."[27]Destructoid, like many other reviewers, praised how it is a game that "most everyone should experience", but was highly critical of the touch controls and the lack of control over the character. They went as far to suggest that "most everyone should wait for a console or PC release" to play the game.[34]Nintendo Life scored the Switch version 8 out of 10, sharing the same praise as other reviewers, though highlighting that the simplistic gameplay may not keep players engaged in the long run, and how the option to toggle the FPS from 60 to 30 is objectively worse and provides only minor improvements.[29]
The game wonApple's iPhone game of the year for 2019.[35] On October 5, 2020,Gamasutra reported that the game had topped 50 million downloads worldwide.[36]Pocket Gamer awarded it the People's Choice award in 2020.[37] AtGamescom 2023, it won Games for Impact and Best Mobile Game.[38]
Sky additionally holds twoGuinness World Records for "Most Users in a Concert-Themed World" and "Most Players Emoting Together at the Same Time in a Video Game". On August 15, Sky introduced Sky Creator Awards, that will be held in the Sky Cinema. These records were set as part of a virtual concert featuring Norwegian singerAurora, in which thousands of players could interact with the concert and each other simultaneously.[39]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2019 Golden Joystick Awards | Mobile Game of the Year | Nominated | [40] |
| The Game Awards 2019 | Best Mobile Game | Nominated | [41] | |
| 2020 | New York Game Awards | A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Nominated | [42] |
| 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Portable Game of the Year | Nominated | [43] | |
| NAVGTR Awards | Game, Original Family | Nominated | [44] | |
| Original Light Mix Score, New IP | Nominated | |||
| Game Developers Choice Awards | Best Mobile Game | Nominated | [45][46] | |
| Audience Award | Won | |||
| SXSW Gaming Awards | Mobile Game of the Year | Won | [47] | |
| 18th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards | Best Music for an Indie Game | Nominated | [48] | |
| Best Sound Design in a Casual/Social Game | Nominated | |||
| Best Music in a Casual Game | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Song("Constellation") | Nominated | |||
| Webby Award | Apps, Mobile, and Voice: Best Visual Design - Aesthetic | Won | [49] | |
| Apple Design Awards | Outstanding Design and Innovation | Won | [50] | |
| International Mobile Gaming Awards | Grand Prix | Won | [51] | |
| Games for Change Awards | Best Gameplay | Won | [52] | |
| G4C People's Choice Award | Won |
On March 27, 2022, duringAnimeJapan 2022, an animated project was announced.[53]
On August 26, 2023,IGN published an article[54] announcing a teaser to the animated series, and the name,Sky: The Two Embers. On May 20, 2025, an official trailer came out, revealing the release date of the series, which then premiered in-game on July 21, 2025 as part of a tie-in season, now titled as "Sky: The Two Embers - Part 1".[55] Announced by TGC member Tio, who hosted the in-game Sky Creator Awards as a segment host along with Stellify, the series feature the Hopeful Steward meeting a manatee 500 years ago. A teaser for the second part of the series, titled "Sky: The Two Embers - Part 2", was revealed at the end of the event, now featuring a little boy seeing a butterfly.
