Sky, the next game from the Journey studio, is coming to iPhone this winter
The next game from the creators of Journey will let you soar above the clouds with your friends, but only on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Thatgamecompany CEO Jenova Chen took the stage at Apple's big iPhone 8 event to reveal Sky, "a romantic social adventure game" coming first to Apple's platforms.
Update: I originally said Sky was coming exclusively to Apple products, but Thatgamecompany reached out to tell me it's coming to more platforms later on. Now back to the story!
You can watch the trailer above to get a feel for the game. Players control adorable little cloaked figures (who look even cuter versions of the Traveler from Journey) called "Children of Light", travelling around the world to bring light "where it's needed most". Up to eight player can team up to light candles, soar around, and generally be the adorably strange protagonists of a Thatgamecompany game.
Compared to the minimalist abstraction of Fl0w and Flower, it looks like Thatgamecompany has hit its stride with an overall aesthetic. When the Sky trailer first started playing, I actually wondered if it was a direct sequel to Journey but with more flying. I mean, not that I'd mind that. I'd personally prefer more sand surfing, but I digress. It sounds like Sky will be more open-ended than Journey, with an emphasis on exploring this world of mountaintops and interacting with the strange creatures that dwell above the clouds - including riding the wake of giant flying ray-like creatures.
Sky will arrive this winter on Apple's devices, and has the pedigree to break into our list of best iPhone games. We'll have to wait to find out when we can play it on other platforms.
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I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.