Failing at magic probably isn’t ideal when you live in a world that runs on the stuff. Unfortunately for Solaris, that’s exactly where she finds herself. She’s a failed Mage with dreams of becoming the real deal, leaving The Island, and seeing what exists beyond it. The good news is she has 100 days to turn things around.
Project Solaris, the new roguelite RPG from Greenhorn and publisher IndieArk, launched on Steam yesterday, September 20th. Instead of throwing Solaris into battle alone, you’ll spend those 100 days working alongside her little companion Hom, building their relationship, preparing for the trials ahead, and hopefully avoiding an ending where those dreams of leaving The Island remain exactly that.
100 Days, Three Cards, Plenty of Decisions
Solaris doesn’t have unlimited time to figure things out. Each day presents three cards, and choosing one decides what happens next. You may head into battle, take some time off, learn a new skill, or find a way to earn some much-needed cash. Certain choices and milestones can also unlock hidden side stories, while the decisions you make throughout the 100 days determine which of the game’s multiple endings you’ll eventually reach.
There are plenty of people to get to know along the way too. There’s Tetia, Solaris’s former classmate and already a brilliant Mage, her demanding but doting mother Croisé, shopkeeper August, and Melchior, one of The Three who has high hopes for Solaris and Hom.
Someone else is apparently lurking around with an agenda of their own, but we’ll leave them to be mysterious for now.
Hom Is Doing the Fighting, but You’re Calling the Shots
Combat works a little differently from your standard turn-based RPG. You control Solaris, but Hom is the one getting his hands dirty. Commands are issued to him through successful Quick Time Events, with more complicated skills becoming available as the story progresses and the pair build Trust. The closer they become, the more options you’ll have when things inevitably get dangerous.
Hom has also had quite a bit of work since the game’s earlier demos. A major update expanded his starting skills from three to six, added skill enhancements and new animations, and bumped the number of buff and debuff effects from just five to 38.
Apparently friendship really is magic. It just helps if that friendship also comes with 38 different ways to mess with someone’s stats.
Working a Shift Could Actually Be the Sensible Option
Not every day needs to involve fighting. Money can be earned through battles or by working in the shop, and you’ll need it if you want to start crafting better equipment. Solaris can equip powerful gear of her own, although the good stuff doesn’t come cheap. Hom is considerably more flexible and can carry plenty of equipment, but there’s a catch: anything he uses has to be specifically crafted for him.
Crafting doesn’t guarantee you’ll get exactly what you wanted. Outcomes are randomized, so deciding where to spend your money becomes another part of preparing for the next challenge. Hom’s equipment also needs to complement his current moveset, meaning simply stuffing him full of whatever you’ve managed to make probably isn’t going to be the smartest strategy.
Solaris Has 100 Days. You Can Start Day One Now
Project Solaris is available now on Steam, with a free demo still available if you’d rather meet Solaris and Hom before committing yourself to sorting out the next 100 days of their lives. The full game also includes 85 Steam achievements, so completionists may have considerably more than Solaris’s magical career to worry about.
Between deciding how to spend each day, improving Hom, crafting equipment, uncovering side stories, and steering Solaris toward one of several endings, there’s quite a bit riding on those card choices. No pressure, then.