With the Souls-like genre being as saturated as it is, it’s pretty hard to stand out. Plenty of them stick rigidly to the foundations set by FromSoft: dark fantasy worlds filled with nightmarish beasts, oversized and unwieldy weapons, and an often oppressive lack of handholding. Void Sols isn’t unique in the sense it contains many of these elements, but through its minimalist, dimly lit, two dimensional world, it forges a wholly original identity, one which is inviting to both Souls neophytes and FromSoft veterans, one which takes the very essence of the genre and with a heavy shove brings it right to the fore, and one which has so much flair, polish, and - surprisingly - character that I pray to any and all gods that it doesn’t get lost in the endless, rapidly shifting conveyor belt of Souls-like releases.

From the off, there’s something weird about Void Sols. That being that you’re a triangle. A literal 2D triangle: three sides, solid white outline, pitch black innards. Triangle. Stuck in a prison cell, a little scene plays out with shocking degree of humanisation for what are just shapes gliding around. A guard (also a sort of triangle) urges our neighbouring prisoner (I’ll have you guess what they look like) out of the cell, where they’re met with a much larger guard, sword in hand (side?), ready to strike them down. The panicked movements of the captive, the hulking, angular design of the executioner, and the stifling amount of darkness creates a rather vivid image. Void Sols’ minimalist approach is far from the aesthetic of a pretentious indie platformer. Its intent is clear, and as I quickly discovered, the result is marvellous. Akin to the 2012 rogue-lite Teleglitch, Void Sols plays with light in a way which both builds a fantastically moody and eerie atmosphere, and also makes for interesting encounters and traversal. Enemies can be hidden behind barrels, tables, and chairs, with the dim flickers of a wall-mounted torch providing just the few precise light beams needed to expose their location. Void Sols is filled with environments best described as harsh. Yes, that does in one sense hark back to Souls convention where the world must be in peril, destroyed, or otherwise in a pretty crappy condition, though in another sense it directly describes how Void Sols’ minimalist art direction creates rooms and terrains made up primarily of straight lines; cold walls are painted with a single brushstroke and hidden rooms are only partially revealed by thin slithers of light.

Which isn’t to say Void Sols is devoid of detail. Outside areas in particular - while still masked in darkness - have clearly identifiable landmarks, adding to the atmosphere of this half alien, half mundane world. Leaving the prison, we’re met with the blue-hued outdoors, where the floor is covered in snow while falling, wispy snowflakes drift across the screen. Campfires appear sporadically, as do huts, houses, and barns, some with half open doors, allowing the inside embers emanating from fireplaces to sputter out. Enemies are just as shapely (literally) as our triangle protagonist, but seeing them in motion gives them a fair degree of recognisable personality: trappers launch nets, skinny hounds launch themselves, frogs leap and lash their tongues etc. There’s something very human about the world of Void Sols, in spite of its geometric aesthetic and increasingly zany late game. It helps that Void Sols lets us absorb all this rich atmosphere in near silence, with music only ever playing during boss fights. The crackles of burning wood, croaking of frogs, steps in snow, and thwacks of a hammer meeting an anvil (hello Andre!) are isolated, ringing, echoing, and brought to the forefront, and completely sucked me into this world. It’s a perfect example of “less is more”, which considering the art style only further proves how intentionally well designed this all is.

To take a long step back, I suppose we should talk about what will be the meat of the pie for many: the gameplay. As per every Souls-like, it’s a bit tough, though my prior comments on its accessibility weren’t false. Hits with our primary weapon are split into normal and special attacks. We can hold a secondary weapon; something to cast fire, block blows, or shoot arrows for example. We have an artifact slot which give buffs when a specific action is made, and a relic slot which give more reliable, constant boons. Part of Void Sols’ accessibility comes from allowing complete player freedom. All four stats can be modified whenever at a rest point, and thus changing builds is as simple as swapping out our weapon and moving the stats around a bit. As a oongaboonga strength enjoyer, I naturally found a cozy marriage with the pickaxe, a weapon which rewards slow accurate strikes over the quicker slashes of the base sword. It also does hefty “stance” damage, a player-transparent bar similar to health which when depleted stuns the enemy for some time. Other weapons like the dagger or scythe have their place, though my rudimentary caveman brain is not it. More broadly speaking, the combat’s rather grand. Even in this flat world, it feels very Souls-like, in the sense every enemy, big or small, proves some sort of threat. While on paper attacking is no more than choosing a heavy or light swing, enemy variety leads to some nice diverse arenas, with plenty of foes proving to be worthy, enjoyable challenges, and as per every Souls game, some which gnaw at the very essence of my sanity.

While you could feasibly walk away from Void Sols with the opinion that its stripped back combat is merely perfunctory, where I believe it truly excels is where many of its peers flounder, and in my experience is often only truly mastered by the progenitors themselves: exploration. It’s two fold too. Once we arrive at the village, it clear it acts as a hub of sorts, where several other areas link back to, with many being accessible at one time. One area dominated by a frigid climate so vicious the wind actively damages is still able to be explored with enough skill and planning, though exploring other areas can make that task a lot easier. Weapons, talismans, and artefacts are spread across the world, not only in these distinct areas, but also in nooks and crannies, shrouded in darkness, shrivelled behind barrels, or tucked away into crevices. Mustering the courage to dive into the gloom, having the wits to smack the barrels broken, and explosives to break the rocks asunder reveals these treasures and is thoroughly rewarding. Shortcuts and save points are additionally found this way, making the game easier and less frustrating on death. It’s evidence that developers Finite Reflection Studios understands that what makes a Souls game brilliant isn’t only restricted to bonking beasts with a bat, that everything in between matters just as much.

I don’t often play games the year they come out. Financially it makes sense to prioritise stuff like food and rent and other silly stuff like that, and logically it makes sense to delve into the many hundreds of games sat unplayed in my library spanning several decades. Though when I played Void Sols’ demo on a whim during the Next Fest, I knew this was something I was willing to break all the rules for. To loop back, it’s an utter gem I’m worried will be missed by many in a genre so oversaturated it’s borderline a meme, though I hope my review does something in the way of expressing how much I think people should play this. My only regret is my inability to stamp this as my game of the year. Sorry, Finite Reflection Studios, but the draw of Balatro is inescapable.

Simple, challenging and fun

Void Sols is a minimalist action-adventure game where you play as a defiant triangle battling against the tyranny of shapes with more vertices. While the premise may seem whimsical, the game’s execution is a surprisingly thoughtful blend of tight mechanics, creative level design, and compelling exploration.

The game's clean aesthetic is a standout feature, using minimalist graphics to convey complex information without overwhelming the player. Enemy designs and attack patterns are visually distinct, making them easy to read during combat. The environments begin as simple geometric arenas but later evolve into richly characterized zones, each with unique challenges, such as environmental hazards like cold winds that inflict status effects. These transitions help maintain interest and provide visual storytelling without overreliance on text or dialogue.

Level design is exceptional, with areas looping back on themselves to reveal shortcuts and hidden connections to the hub world. These discoveries enhance traversal and foster a sense of interconnectedness that rewards exploration. Strategic opportunities, like using corners to bait enemies with predictable line-of-sight behavior, add depth to encounters and make the environments feel like integral parts of the gameplay rather than mere backdrops.

Void Sols embraces player freedom through its respec system, allowing you to reallocate stats at rest points. This feature eliminates the anxiety of making poor investment choices and encourages experimentation with new weapons, each offering unique movesets. Weapon upgrades are tied to the character rather than individual items, further enabling flexibility in combat preferences.

The game also features a versatile healing flask that can be customized for more uses or greater potency, alongside four equippable consumables. These items, ranging from snare traps to high-damage dynamite, expand tactical options and add layers to the combat system without overcomplicating it.

Combat is challenging but generally fair—provided you stick to the intended progression path. Straying into higher-level areas prematurely can result in enemies with inflated health pools and overwhelming numbers. This issue is exacerbated by the enemy aggro system, which keeps foes persistently locked onto the player until reset at a rest point. However, when following the intended path, the balance feels more deliberate, offering tough-but-rewarding encounters.

One notable low point is the auto-targeting system, which is woefully unreliable. It often locks onto the nearest enemy at the start of a fight and doesn’t dynamically adjust, forcing players to cycle through targets manually. This flaw is especially glaring in high-stakes combat, where even minor missteps can lead to death. A rework of this system would significantly improve the experience.

The game’s stance damage mechanic, which stuns enemies after filling a meter, adds a layer of strategy. However, it feels like enemy health bars are artificially inflated to account for this mechanic, which can make combat encounters drag on unnecessarily, particularly late in the game.

Bosses are generally well-designed, with varied patterns and satisfying challenges. Unfortunately, the fight against Immaculate Prime stands out for the wrong reasons. Its two-phase design and excessive difficulty spike feel out of sync with the rest of the game. This fight not only stymies progress but also forces rigid build choices, limiting the freedom that the rest of the game encourages.

Void Sols is a unique and engaging game with a solid foundation of exploration, combat customization, and visual design. While its flawed auto-targeting and occasional balance issues detract from the experience, the game’s strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. The developers have crafted a world worth exploring, and the potential for a sequel is exciting. With some refinements, Void Sols could become a defining entry in its genre.