Nine Sols
Nine Sols screenshot 1Nine Sols screenshot 2
ActionAdventureIndieMetroidvaniaSouls-likeDifficult2DPlatformer

357 playing

Peak in the last 24 hours: 690

Peak in the last 7 days: 898

Nine Sols Steam store

Game description

Nine Sols is a lore rich, hand-drawn 2D action-platformer featuring Sekiro-inspired deflection focused combat. Embark on a journey of eastern fantasy, explore the land once home to an ancient alien race, and follow a vengeful hero’s quest to slay the 9 Sols, formidable rulers of this forsaken realm.

Basic info

DeveloperRedCandleGames
PublisherRedCandleGames
PlatformsWindows · macOS
Steam DeckVerified
Release dateMay 28, 2024
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows 10 64bit
ProcessorAMD Athlon X4 | Intel Core i5 4460
Memory8 GB
GraphicsNvidia GTX 950 | AMD R7 370
Storage15 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 443 reviews from the past 1 year

89.0/ 100
Top 20%

Steam rating: Very Positive (94%)

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 20, 2026)

A demanding action platformer built on parrying, Nine Sols scores 89.0, top 20% of the games we analyzed.

👍 Strengths

92 enjoy the challenge, calling the boss fights hard but fair and the timing rewarding. 83 praise the story, which explores mortality and revenge with a morally complex lead. Story & World ranks 117th of 1096. 76 say the combat feels crisp and responsive, and some single out the parry system. Gameplay ranks 142nd of 1396, and Visuals & Sound ranks 73rd of 1249.

👎 Where it falls short

77 also discuss difficulty, but as a flaw, describing cruel spikes in multi-phase bosses and a punishing final fight. 26 criticize the map and the lack of freedom to explore, with one-way paths, backtracking and a world that feels linear for its genre. 19 take issue with the controls, citing weak jumps, hitboxes that feel off and a parry window that some find awkward. Content Volume ranks 561st of 1351, and Pricing & Fairness 605th of 1399.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“game requires fast reflection and great timing, parrying is engaging” · 92 reviews
“great story exploring mortality and consequences” · 83 reviews
“hand-drawn art style is phenomenally impressive” · 65 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 88% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Difficulty +2.37 · How hard it is, how the challenge ramps, and whether it feels fair
Positive “game requires fast reflection and great timing, parrying is engaging” · 92 reviews
Negative “final boss difficulty spike is insanely cruel and punishing” · 77 reviews

Progression 10% · Onboarding 15% · Freedom 19% · Strategy 21% · Controls & feel 48%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 76% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Story +3.81 · Plot, quests, writing, and the ending
Positive “great story exploring mortality and consequences” · 83 reviews

Characters 34% · World 45%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 22% of reviews · Top 50% of the games we've analyzed

Volume +1.95 · How much there is to play, including endgame, for the price
Negative “game flow is somewhat short, story and map design mediocre” · 6 reviews

Variety 11% · Replayability 3%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 61% of reviews · Top 10% of the games we've analyzed

Visuals +4.34 · Graphics, art style, and animation
Positive “hand-drawn art style is phenomenally impressive” · 65 reviews
Negative “animations are inconsistent and poorly executed” · 3 reviews

Audio 38%

Playing with others, the community and servers

Not enough data — only 1% of reviews mention this.

Playing together +2.24 · Fun of playing with friends, teammates, or rivals

Community 0% · Servers & Connection 0%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 12% of reviews · Top 50% of the games we've analyzed

Balance -0.15 · Whether classes, weapons, and builds are evenly matched
Negative “forced stealth and annoying three-phase boss design not fun” · 5 reviews
Positive “bosses surprisingly well balanced, runbacks not tedious” · 1 review

Anti-cheat 0% · Pricing 6% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 5% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Performance +0.03 · Frame rate, optimization, and loading times

Stability 3% · Developer support 2%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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🎲 Fans of this game often get the title Unyielding Rune Scholar. Which one is yours?