Helio
Run the Solar System. A tiny spark of the Sun races from the Moon to the Heart of the Sun to light it again.
3D platformer built for speedrunning
Screenshots
Every image here is a capture from the current build. Pick one to see it large.
Jupiter: Cloud Deck, through a Boost RingThe game
About Helio
You play Helio, a tiny living spark of the Sun. The Umbra has swallowed the Sun's light, and Helio races across the Solar System, from the Moon to Mercury and into the Heart of the Sun, to light it again before the Umbra catches up.
Helio is built for speed. The game runs on a fixed 60 steps a second and plays out the same way every time, so a route that works once works forever. Every level has medal times, your best run plays beside you as a ghost, and Speedrun Mode times full runs with splits.
- 17
- levels
- 5
- worlds
- 51
- Star Shards
- 4
- medals per level
- 7
- Helio colours
- 8
- music tracks
In depth
How it works
The systems that make Helio what it is.
Five worlds and a finale
Each world has three levels:
- Luna: First Light, Crater Hop, Far Side
- Mars: Rust Canyon, Dust Devils, Olympus Climb
- Saturn's Rings: Ring Road, Ice Field, Cassini Gap
- Jupiter: Cloud Deck, Great Red Storm, Thunderhead
- Mercury: Sunward, Flare Gauntlet, Corona
Then comes The Heart of the Sun, where the Umbra chases you, and a secret level, Umbra's Rest, that opens once you hold 42 Star Shards.
A full move set
Helio moves like a platformer hero should:
- Jump (hold for height) and Star Hop in the air.
- Dash once per jump.
- Slide on the ground, Ground Pound in the air.
- Long Jump: jump during a slide.
- Pound Jump: jump right as a Ground Pound lands.
- Wall Kick: jump off a wall to refill your Star Hop and Dash.
- Bunny hop: jump within 5 frames of landing to keep your speed.
Stomping enemies, geysers, Boost Rings and rails also refill your Star Hop and Dash, so a good route never touches the ground for long.
Medals and ghosts
Every level has Bronze, Silver and Gold times. Earn Gold and a hidden fourth medal appears: Nova, the time set by Helio's own route bot, which plays every level through the real game to prove each one can be finished.
Your best run on each level replays beside you as a ghost. Each level also hides three Star Shards and plenty of Stardust.
Speedrun Mode
Speedrun Mode times full runs in Any%, All Shards (each goal stays locked until you hold that level's three shards) and one category per world.
- Splits, with how far ahead or behind your personal best you are.
- Gold segments, sum of best and an attempt counter.
- The clock counts only gameplay frames, never loading, and is stored to the frame.
- Hold Back to restart instantly.
Controls
How it plays
Every Solar System game works with a controller. Keyboard and mouse work too.
| Action | Controller | Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Run | Left stick / D-pad | Arrows / WASD |
| Jump, then Star Hop | A | Space / Z |
| Dash | X or RT | C / F |
| Slide / Ground Pound | B or LT | Shift / X |
| Camera | Right stick, LB / RB | I J K L, Q / E |
| Restart the level | Hold Back | Hold Tab |