Each player gets half the screen. One of you can hold the line in orbit while the other descends to light a world — or swap whenever you like.
Player one · Solar
Player two · Tidal
No gamepads detected. Press any button on a controller to connect it.
Star map
Choose the next system on your route. Every route ends at the Closing Dark.
Awakening
Paused
System relit
Choose one upgrade for the team
The star went dark
Settings
The system runs at half speed while nobody is in orbit. Recommended for solo play.
Lower this if the planetary view stutters.
Records
Modifiers
Make runs harder for a bigger score multiplier. Active modifiers apply to every mode.
How to play
Every dark world is wrapped in a shell of darkness. Descend to its surface and stand by its beacons until they light — light them all and the world becomes radiant, which raises the system's illumination and heals the star. Keep the star alive the whole time.
Keyboard and mouse
W A S D
Fly or walk
Mouse
Aim, hold left button to fire
E
Descend or ascend — into worlds and onto stars. Lighting is automatic: stay close to a beacon or node
Space
Leap forward (4 s cooldown)
F / right click
Shield: a moment of invulnerability (8 s cooldown)
Shift
Boost (uses energy)
Esc
Pause
Keyboard, second player
Arrows
Fly or walk
/ or Num 0
Fire at the nearest enemy
Enter
Descend or ascend
Right Shift
Leap
Right Ctrl
Shield
.
Boost
Gamepad
Left stick
Fly or walk
Right stick
Aim and fire (or hold RT)
A
Descend or ascend
B
Leap
X
Shield
LB / LT
Boost
Start
Pause
Energy and the star
Orbit
Recharge near the star; the gold ring marks the solar zone
Surface
Recharge on the day side; night side gives nothing
Star life
A weakened star gives less energy everywhere. Radiant worlds heal it.
Surface foes
Only appear while someone is on that world — except raiders, which dive in from orbit and drain beacons
Leaving
Once you land, you can only lift off from a lit beacon (press E on it)
Mini-bosses
Leviathan
Destroy half its segments to crack the head's armour
Bastion
Fire through the gap in its turning shield
Twin Wraiths
Kill both within 5 seconds, and avoid their beam
Warden
Rises on a half-lit world; destroy its obelisks first
Rule
The system can't be relit while any mini-boss lives
Stellar phenomena
Many stars
Binary and trinary systems share one star-life pool; each star has its own solar zone
Flares
A star aims, then fires a wave. On the ground, hide on the night side
Magnetar
Sweeping beams, and a pulse that jams weapons
Quasar
Jets that switch on in cycles, and strong gravity
Black hole
A halo that recharges fast, and a pull toward the horizon
Pulsar, Wolf-Rayet
Whipping beams; a wind that pushes everything outward
On a star
Dive
Fly close to most stars and press E. Energy floods in, but radiation burns your hull outside the corona
Corona
Small stars have pockets, others a turning chain or a sweeping band. Inside you're protected and your shield recharges fast
Passages
Hidden until you're close; stand in one to slip out beside a distant world
Helions
Rare, fast creatures. Catch one for a power — like Radiant Reach, which awakens worlds from orbit
Campaign route
Star map
Pick your next system; clearing one opens the systems it connects to
Upgrades
Choose one team upgrade after each clear; your route is saved
Final stage
The Hollow Sun chains its worlds. Break one loose (shoot its tether or light its three anchors), then keep shooting it to slow its orbit until it falls into the sun
New threats
Deeper stages add new enemies in orbit and on the ground; the star map lists them