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If you want the quiet atmosphere and sense of discovery of Journey or Sky: Children of the Light, start with ABZÛ for a similarly artful adventure in a new setting. Choose Flower for a gentler nature-focused mood, A Short Hike for a small solo wander, or Sable for broader desert roaming. If meeting and exploring with other players is the priority, Sky remains the clearest fit.
What makes a game feel like Journey or Sky?
Journey centers on an anonymous desert crossing, striking art and music, and the possibility of encountering companions along the way. Thatgamecompany’s official description gives the game’s basic shape; the companionship is part of its appeal, but it is not the same kind of ongoing social world as Sky.
Sky is built for continuing exploration with other people. Nintendo describes seven realms and online play for one to eight players on Switch, while PlayStation presents it as a peaceful social adventure that can be explored solo or with friends. The games below overlap with one or more parts of those experiences—not necessarily with all of them.
Which game should you choose?
| If you want | Try | Why it fits | Where it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Journey-like atmosphere in a different world | ABZÛ | Underwater exploration, with a direct creative connection to Journey. | A solo underwater adventure, not a desert crossing or shared social world. |
| Gentle nature and simple movement | Flower | Thatgamecompany describes it around the serenity of nature and simple play. | It is nature-focused rather than a social exploration game. |
| A short, low-pressure outdoor wander | A Short Hike | Hike, climb, soar, explore at your own pace, and meet other hikers. | It is single-player; the hikers are characters in the game world, not online companions. |
| A wider desert journey | Sable | Roam, climb, glide, meet nomads, and customize a hover bike. | It is solo and includes puzzles and collectible and customization elements. |
| Ongoing exploration with friends or strangers | Sky: Children of the Light | Its shared online exploration is the closest match for players seeking social play. | It is an ongoing world rather than a compact, one-way journey; platform listings specify online requirements and purchases. |
Best alternatives, by the part of the experience you want
ABZÛ: the strongest atmospheric-adventure match
ABZÛ is the most direct recommendation if what you remember from Journey is beautiful movement through a striking environment. Its Steam description identifies its art director as the art director of Journey, and Nintendo includes it in the related-games shelf on its Switch page for Sky. That makes it a grounded match for atmosphere and exploration, not evidence that it reproduces Journey’s structure or Sky’s social play.
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- Journey into outer space
- Discover new worlds
- Test your Master Building skills
Expect a solo underwater adventure. The setting and movement are the point of difference: instead of a desert journey or a shared realm, you explore beneath the water. ABZÛ on Steam provides the game description; Nintendo’s Sky Switch listing also names it among related titles.
Flower: a nature-centered, simple-play option
Flower is the natural choice if you want a serene, uncomplicated experience rather than a social world. Thatgamecompany describes it in terms of nature’s serenity and simple play, making it a mood match for players drawn to the calm side of Journey. The cited description does not establish it as a substitute for online companionship or ongoing shared exploration.
Rank #2
- Number of players: 8
- Brand New in box.
- The product ships with all relevant accessories
- Package Dimensions: 6.4 L x 21.8 H x 14.0 W (centimeters)
See Thatgamecompany’s official Flower page for its framing of the experience.
A Short Hike: a compact, unhurried solo outing
A Short Hike trades sweeping spectacle for a small outdoor place to explore at your own pace. Its developer’s Steam description invites players to hike, climb and soar, and to meet other hikers. That makes it a good fit for a low-pressure wander, but those hikers are part of a single-player game world—not online visitors sharing your session.
Rank #3
![The Lullaby of Life Deluxe - PC Steam [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41xpBBU8aZL._SL160_.jpg)
- Play musical notes to solve timing-based puzzles in a journey where you bring dormant beings to life. Explore colorful environments and create harmonious sounds to navigate through this cozy, tranquil puzzle adventure inspired by the origins of life.
- Progress through challenging puzzles solved through sound, timing, and mental agility.
- The game relies on a visual narrative and intuitive solutions to be accessible to all ages, languages, and abilities.
- The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, a special digital art book, and the original soundtrack
Choose it for a gentler, more contained outing rather than a large, ongoing world. Its Steam page describes the hiking and exploration.
Sable: open desert roaming with more systems
Sable is the pick if you want to stay in a desert landscape but roam more freely. Its Steam description highlights climbing, gliding, encounters with nomads, and hover-bike customization. Compared with Journey’s focused crossing, that makes for a broader solo journey with additional puzzles and collection and customization elements.
Rank #4
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It matches the landscape and feeling of travel more than the quiet companionship of Sky. See the Sable Steam listing for the described activities.
Sky: choose it when other players matter
If the essential part of the experience is exploring alongside people, Sky is the strongest choice in this group. Nintendo’s Switch listing describes seven realms and online play for one to eight players. PlayStation describes exploration solo or with friends and identifies the PS4 release as requiring online play, with in-game purchases. These details apply to the cited platform listings; check the store for the version you plan to use.
Best Value
- LEARN SCIENCE: Players will interact and learn the fundamentals of ionic bonding through creating neutrally charged compounds, noble gases, charges, anions and cations, and acids and bases. Science geeks will love playing this game with their classroom, family, and friends in this fast-paced pick-and-pass card game.
- FAST PACED: Ion is a fast-paced card game for 2-7 players spanning around 20-30 minutes. Each round, players compete to build compounds using positively and negatively charged ions. Points are scored for successful compounds, Noble Gases, and achieving Goal Cards. After 3 rounds, the player with the most points wins!
- PICK AND PASS: Each player starts with a hand of 10 cards, and chooses one card to place in front of them. They then pass the rest of their hand to the player on their right, where they continue playing and passing cards until every card is used. Your goal is to match the positive and negative charges on your cards to create neutrally charged compounds, scoring points.
- SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE: All of Genius Games's products are peer-reviewed by a team of 20+ PhD Doctors and Scientists from around the globe. Ion also contains a Science Behind booklet, detailing how the mechanics and cards found in game relate to their real world concepts. Ion is also STEM and NGSS complaint, and was awarded the Dice Tower Seal of Approval. This game is perfect for at home learning, for use in the classroom, or adding some science to your next family game night.
- RADIOACTIVE CARD GAME: Also included is a harder difficulty which includes radioactivity. Recommended for more experience players and a party of 4+ people. This advanced game requires players to manage radioactive decay along with the radioactivity of other players. These cards score points at the end of each round, and additional points are given to the player(s) with the most decay at the end of the game. Step up your game with this challenging card game!
Thatgamecompany’s Associate Community Manager Denise Schlickbernd described the company’s intention for Sky in a PlayStation Blog post published December 5, 2022, calling it a “spiritual successor to Journey” intended to create a place for emotional connection and meaningful moments. That is the developer’s statement of intent, not an independent critical judgment. Read the PlayStation Blog post, then check the current PS4 listing or Switch listing for platform details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check the platform and online details before buying
Store pages describe specific releases, and availability, prices, and platform details can vary by region and change over time. The Nintendo page identifies Sky as Switch digital software, supports handheld, tabletop, and TV modes, and lists online play for one to eight players. The PlayStation US listing identifies the PS4 version as free, requires online play, and notes in-game purchases; verify those current details on the listing before relying on them.
The Steam pages for ABZÛ, A Short Hike, and Sable provide their descriptions and store metadata, but do not establish current availability in every region or on every platform. Confirm the specific edition and platform in your local store. Current physical availability for the recommendations is not established by these listings.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
