Problem with Sky, Returning after long time [Sky: Children of The Light]

[@siiabirillo3672]

One of the thing Sky is missing is lore. There are so many collaborations but after 4 years of gaming I know nothing about the world except somebody came and die. I want to explore history in the game , not explore it in Wikipedia, you know what I mean… Omg thank you for likes , I am not alone in such thinking hahaha

[@janesdead6802]

The season of prophecy was a major boon for prince lore and also for gaming experience, I think something significant like that would be a move forward

[@sanana3803]

Atleast the upcoming animated series will give us tons of lore🙏🙏. That won't be released until next year, though...😢

[@eileencrys]

Yeah, they tried to add some lore with Shattering but it was done incredibly poorly in game, with zero explanation, and extremely vaguely overall...

[@yesyesyes666]

this is so real. honestly of most criticism of sky from long time players this video is the best, as a long time player myself

[@messyanist7798]

season of aurora was really lore heavy though

[@greeniscoollol]

When a game makes you afraid to skip a day no matter what, you know it's bad. Like someone else said, the FOMO and constant grinding are seriously bad for mental health.

[@SugarHoneylemonIcetea]

FRRR, I had gotten burnt out on sky for a LONG time and when I came back it was like a flashbang 😭

[@KE-yq2eg]

They need that momentum or else no one will play anymore. You know how fast people will quit and move onto other games? I understand why TGC does it, even if I don't like it.

[@SugarHoneylemonIcetea]

@@KE-yq2eg yeah, but they could do it WAY better in a way more profitable way, if they did seasonal stuff that expanded on the story of the game or did a major update once a year instead of all of the overlapping stuff it could the community more time to prep thus encouraging natural traction, they're hurting their own income in the long-run because everyone who pays to play will get burnt out and stop playing eventually. Their marketing strategy is all wrong. :(

[@nekaneb.a.]

​@@KE-yq2eg FOMO can be understandable until a certain point....for collabs,It is KINDA understandable since copyright and all. But even then,many mobile games and others,still Will try to do a Re-run of those collab cosmetics,even if It is after a few years. It still Will be a FOMO,but It Will be way less damaging. However TGC won't even try on the slightlest to rerun anything. Always everything, EVERYTHING...limited time this...limited time that...only avaible during...and then old players Will flex those old items and just at the end of the day,create more damage than anything. You can have FOMO and still make It less damaging. TGC however decides that the easiest solution is...watch us get burntout!

[@Veronika-vy5ou]

Fr

[@fellonahardrock]

Funny because they said they wanted to avoid fomo when the game was first released but now is capitalising on that aspect?

[@scarlett8130]

I wish people watched more interviews about tgc when they first started and actually look at how money hungry they’ve become

[@jax99888]

You could nowdays replace the word "fomo" with Sky 😅😢

[@anomienormie8126]

I realised their words are pure bullshit when they claimed they don’t take real culture inspiration for cosmetic design.

[@芝貓]

​@@anomienormie8126 they claimed that?! 😭 I thought they are aware and intentionally create seasons/events base on different cultures

[@DrinzenDrawz]

It's legit a running joke between me and the group I play with that TGC stands for that greedy company, fomo is what drives the game at this point

[@HazyDaze.]

I don’t see it as a social game or as an exploration game and not even as a relaxation game. I see it as a collection game. Collect wax to collect cosmetics. If you want the really nice cosmetics, TGC collects your money.

[@jebes909090]

Its strange but grinding kinda relaxes me. I suppose this game is like cigarettes in that way 😅😅😅

[@mikethespike056]

yeah this is a grinding game. it can't possibly be a social game when all the activities to do involve grinding and there's no chat unless you add people as a friend.

[@wingedanami]

​@@mikethespike056 the chat thing is actually crazy! I can see what they aimed for in theory - make players interact non-verbally through emotes - but that only works for really simple messages, and you have to go on a macguffin hunt for a place with a candle to sit by to communicate something more complex, than, say, pointing to some place to ask the other player to go there. overworld chat should be waaaay less expensive - especially if you're a player who notoriously blows all their candles on hearts/blessings/cosmetics/whatever (like me)

[@jebes909090]

@@wingedanami the first 6 months of the game are really rough because of stuff like that. The friend trees are rediculaslu expensive

[@kaleycooper9111]

@@wingedanami You just need some friends who aren’t… well, grindy. My sky bffs and I used to candle run everyyyyy day together. And then at one point that just turned to us going to an oob and talking for 5 hours. Yeah. And we loved it! There’s a big balance to find in this game (I’ve been playing since 2020). When to grind, and when to not. Trust me. I’ve easily spent 1,000 hours on Sky and I feel nothing for the cosmetics I traded my soul for. It’s just the novelty of having them when you start out. Then you have them, and realize “wow. Why did I care so much?” Friends matter the most. So I don’t really think it matters if you’re poor from investing in the friendship tree. That’s what makes sky memorable, not some cape

[@DustyWater]

Originally, when I started this game about 5 years ago, I didn’t even know what candles were. The ending made me CRY. I felt to connected. Now, I feel like the spirit tasks are repetitive and there isn’t any NEW content. They release new capes and maps but you just keep following the same pattern. I would like to see another huge story arc in the game for players that beat the eye of Eden. Maybe we figure out some secrets about Eden or maybe a new goal is created, not completing daunting tasks, but instead feeling like the tasks develop the story. I mean, the idea of the game is so lovely but there needs to be more, to the adventure, story, spirits and understanding of the darkness. With their new push for cosmetics, I can see that it’s less focused to developing a story and it’s more focused on getting profit. I have fallen into buying stuff on this game even in early seasons, but, it was because I WANTED too. They didn’t push it so much and the whole idea of getting them was less stressful. I remember the seasons were longer and less destructive on mental health.

[@StarCoordinate594]

fr the game needs a new arc so bad! I want to give it a chance and wait for two embers + two embers season. There might be a possibility for the story to continue. after 4 years (started at the end of sanctuary) I'm legit so tired of boring seasons. boring ult gifts. spirits full of furniture and little cosmetics... it's sad

[@_snapple_bapple_]

god- as a veteran who's paid for stuff, and played for about 3 years you've hit the nail on the head :"" even after grinding non stop for months so I can stay stocked up on candles I feel as if I'm forced to not stop playing. and being forced to buy seasons just to be able to cool cosmetics or then bring locked behind such an expensive paywall is the worst. even when paying for a seasonal pass they make the prices high so that you're forced to keep playing for so long :/ and plus you're absolutely correct- they never give us little to anything story-wise when it comes to the aftermath of eden, or anything regarding the spirits. the closest we got was season of shattering and even then it didn't do that good of a job of giving anything lore-wise. which again sucks because I absolutely love exploring the lore of sky and kinda devastated when they don't give us anything new. I just wish sky wasn't becoming a money-grubbing thing, since the reason why I stayed was because of the overall magical experience I was given the first time I played, and even so now when playing with new people or friends. :// breaks my heart to see sky become like this

[@tkak4]

yeahh originally i stayed in sky for the lore and story and cosmetics were a plus. but it feels like in story or lore, they aren't doing anything much or just leaving all of the story for the animated series part, which makes sky only left with cosmetics. it revolves around cosmetics so much now it seems. I've stopped paying for anything now. I'm waiting to see if they try anything new and break their cycle

[@_snapple_bapple_]

@@tkak4 yeah I agree with this statement- actually one of the reasons why I kept paying for cosmetics was because I knew there was a sky movie / show coming out id been wanting a show / movie to come out ever since I started playing this game because I loved the cutscenes in game but honestly after the movie / show comes out I'm not sure if I'm continue giving tgc my money 😔 cosmetics are becoming more and more expensive these days, and I'm not about to pay for another cape / cosmetics that cost over 20+ dollars :/

[@DustyWater]

Yea, honestly I think a plunge into a whole new arc that’s hard for even the veterans would be so cool. The spirits with cosmetics like AURORA all have the same pattern. Complete task- unlock more map- get items. I want to see the world not just develop physically, but there be a bigger story building. There is also so many other cool things you could do instead of these DRAWN out TASKS that seasonal spirits give you. Even if you finish every daunting task, there’s still a NEED to get candles for them. Also, they should make a new way to earn candles. Flying around the map nonstop is frustrating when it’s the same over and over. Maybe there could be like- 6-7 candles (normal candles not Eden candles) after you beat Eden. It’s not much, but it would be a step into a less expensive experience. Also, I think there is SO much that is missing. We have lore so far, which was fun to explore but I’d love to learn how Eden came to be, is there any way to stop the darkness completely? What lies beyond Eden? Honestly, just a completing arc instead of frustrating seasonal spirits would be so cool. The man who created this is incredibly smart and I know FOR A FACT could come up with some unreal and unexpected way to make the story continue. There’s so many deep moments you could add and surprises. It’s like how in Eden, you were surprised when you lost all your wings. Maybe, you could lose something else like maybe the masks could be cracked. And then we find out everything about sky children, yknow?

[@Kam_i_]

after the Abyss season I was 100% sure they would start making existing maps cooler by adding underwater areas to every level, especially places with lots of water like Forest. Two? Three? Years later and the ONLY things we get are the Sanctuary trench and maybe one underwater tunnel in each new seasonal area. Honestly, it’s getting embarrassing seeing how empty some of the old areas are when compared to the seasonal areas. They have got to update more areas, and STOP updating the coliseum!! Seriously, we don’t need another coliseum re-skin!

[@jaya2572]

Ikr, I thought the same thing.

[@Ochi-s4l]

I was irked in the first place when they changed the colosseum from clouds to ice. Just like you said the old areas feel so old. Wish they would update the old places.

[@KrillWhisperer]

Idk.. the map for Deer season is very empty and lifeless. In a weird way I feel similarly about the photography season; big open nothing that loses its charm quickly..

[@ollievilair]

⁠@@KrillWhispererI think part of it’s the lack of wax. Flying around in those areas is such a chore because you run out of light before you even make it 25% across the map…Why would anyone even wanna hang around there? Going there to collect wl after eden is one of the most annoying experiences ever..

[@wanderer14.]

I feel like sky forgets that this game play ALL aged players. Adults are busy with daily works and studies, while kids and students can't afford beautiful or amazing stuffs since most good stuffs are IAP

[@ZihaamAbdirahman-qz8gt]

True I’m too busy with collage can’t nice outfit

[@wanderer14.]

@@ZihaamAbdirahman-qz8gt same really, I'm also a student and new season stuffs are so good honestly, but ofc all good ones are IAP and pass, it's really sad

[@bubbachomp4674]

I get all the “important” stuff done in the time it takes me to drop a morning deuce. Then I go to work. Plenty of work for young people to do. Go cut your neighbor’s grass. Pick some weeds. Take their garbage to the curb. Anything but complain about your own inaction.

[@wanderer14.]

@@bubbachomp4674 i see that you "know" what all young people do in thier daily life and have thier each shedule to write that comment 😌 Devaluing people based on their age is very funny, especially from someone who works) Ofc the only thing youngs do is just some house chores, fully ignoring like thier having practices, activities and other stuffs that may hold at study places and in their life. They have to touch grass and the way how a GAME make feel them anxious about Iap cosmetics is not healthy from company itself. Because some popular other games miraculously don't have that issues.

[@bubbachomp4674]

@@wanderer14. There’s a lot wrong with what you said. Grow up and revisit this comment someday.

[@zahragtgt6397]

I feel like what sky needs is a bit of lore. Like yeah, we have some kind of story, but they are mostly for seasons, take duets for example. Sky needs some lore for its base game. Like why is eden here? What happened to its elder? And the lore doesn't need to be so complicated, it can be simple, but made effectivley. And besides that, they really need to listen to the complains on the pricing. Some IAP stuff aren't even THAT breath-taking to cost real money.

[@magpietree1509]

This! We need a break from all these events, its really draining. Like give us a bit of storytelling that can reward us with waxes/hearts to keep us engaged!

[@icantthinkofaname-u3m]

yess!! there actually is sky lore, but sadly it isn't really explored in-game :( I do find the lore very interesting tho...

[@A.leaf.in.a.flower.garden]

I agree completely, like the other comment said, there *is* lore but you have to search across the entire internet to find it. There's some lore on Discord, Tumblr, even KZbin, but none of it is actually in the game.

[@klltsun_2576]

I just hope more of the lore would be revealed. Tho the collab seasons are putting a pause on sky doing an actual lore season. But from some past seasons, we've gathered that Ancestors mined crystals and used it to create machines and harvested Light from light creatures. That their actions caused the Dark to spread, and there was a war. The shields in the battlefield during aurora concert have two separate symbols, one of which is the diamond thats everywhere in sky and might be the symbol of eden elder, so likely a war between a king and revolutionists. We dont have info yet on the giant crystal in eden and what exactly eden elder did and etc etc. I hope after moomin season we get more lore

[@Talia8pie]

Genuinely, this comment is about the many unexplained things that happen in Sky, the many buildings left untouched that we never get to learn anything about. The fact that the only lore we're beginning to get is from outside sources (The Two Embers and the Art Book) and not the game itself is starting to get tiring. What's the point in having a storyline when you don't even care to show the world it takes place in.

[@theclovercross]

you get it! I started during aurora and basically quit this summer. it was just gonna be a break because I had a lot going on but getting some distance to the game I realised how unhealthy it had been to me. the fomo and daily grind and no friends to hang out with besides candle running.

[@fellonahardrock]

Started playing around your time, then stopped playing last sunmer. Now im playing it again and my love for sky has been rekindled

[@jax99888]

I started around the same time. I stopped last month. I sometimes go back to see friends, but nothing much more anymore.

[@Marshimello]

​@@fellonahardrock i almost have the same experience, started during august of last year and played regularly, i stopped around november i think, and picked it up again when they released it on steam, because my partner wanted to play it

[@tsundereyoongi3869]

Same here, I stopped just before the season of duets. I was losing money and time. It became boring and monotonous. I adored the Aurora season, of course, but as there were basically no instructions I missed out on much of it including the ultimate gift.

[@Davidledonkayy]

thats why lately ive been doing the candle run doing my own thing and then chilling my favorite thing to do is play the horn instrument you'll probably find me somehwere im usually in pretty famous and well populated areas example: at the bells in aviary village, the vault of knowledge, "home" ive been chilling in the moonlight season area lately too and the theatre in aviary village im everywhere and i love playing the instrument so pls listen if u find me

[@Belph1e]

i started playing sky because i was unwell and wanted to experience something calm and chill, but after 3 months of playing and with my anxious personality, Sky started hurting me

[@UnLawlessly]

FOMO in this game is horrendous. Bugs and glitched with lack of compensation is laughable. I saw in the mail they sent us a measly 15 candles with a couple seasonal candles and AC and wow, I'd rather not get anything at this point. Its humiliating. The visuals in this game are my favourite and some of the cosmetics they introduce are very nice but I am questioning if I should even spend for a company that gives no care to their community.

[@titadogelo5090]

The only youtube ad I’ve ever given even a single drop of attention was when, instead of a loud song and clearly fake gameplay, I saw a peaceful landscape, with winged characters flying holding hands. Not only did the game actually look real, it looked *good*. So when I saw the name “Sky: Children of the Light”, I started following it. I tried playing it on my phone, but didn’t really like the way the controls worked, so I decided to wait for the pc release. This was years ago. Sometimes, I still see a Sky ad. Except it isn’t like that anymore. It’s still leagues above any of those fake ads, but it’s clearly trying to emphasise its content, rather than its experience. I hope that by the time the full steam version releases, it’ll have improved for me to experience the Sky the way the veterans have, all those years ago, in all its glory

[@Rajclaw]

The full steam version has released

[@NallenRose]

The game is already on steam actually

[@cro_sky]

because sky is live service it will always be labeled as early access on steam. it fully released in april

[@titadogelo5090]

A. Well, I’ll be playing it a lot earlier than expected then. Thanks for the heads up, I was going to be waiting eternally for it to release lol

[@kakonthebed]

You sort of still can actually. It’s open world. But you could also play Journey if you want

[@laalyna]

I've been playing sonce 2020 when Sky came to Android and followed it for like a year before that. This game was so important to me. I struggle a lot with making connections, and Sky made it so easy to find people to talk to and become actual friends. But it started crumbling when the issues with the overpriced ia purchases came. I dont care that for collaborations, you have to make separate items available for real money, but now you can't even get one nice cosmetic without the season pass. It used to be evenly distributed between season candles and season pass with the super unique items as ultimate reward. I also feel like the core story of Sky is completely forgotten. As much as I will never attempt the fire trial again, season of prophecies had me so engaged. It was interesting, challenging and just so intriguing. I miss that so much. My friend constellations also don't light up much anymore

[@venusrose5641]

This 😭 literally only one of my old friends log on now ands it heartbreaking. I always end up redownloading the game only to leave right away since I just can’t keep up with the daily grinding. 😅

[@hard.to.define]

I was also a prophecy moth. And I haven't seen my Sky friends in the game for a year almost, because I take long breaks from the game sometimes and my Sky friends don't play much anymore. We used to talk and play a lot together.

[@Nevaeh1726]

😮you are so right, exploration was a major thing back in the day in sky, eventually they blocked of the tricks and that sucks. It was fun showing moths around and teaching them different things

[@lottylouart]

Yes the piggy rocket and ways to get to the twins in oob areas. That was fun, that’s where most people hung out. Instead they fixed the ‘bugs’ and put in forced areas to hang out. But no one goes there, most of those areas are empty. Sad!

[@Nevaeh1726]

@@lottylouart yes, including our nest, they put a cap on how many items u could put, such a downer

[@nekaneb.a.]

I really feel this video. Been playing since little prince. I think the biggest issue with the community is how old season cosmetics such as owl hair are such a flex,and new players or those who didn't have an iOS device now have the fear of missing again such cosmetics and feel left out of the community.... which is sad. Then the bugs and glitches are horrid. Recently, one of the last seasons I was farming really hard,then...had the last two weeks with a bug where I couldn't see misions or my daily pass candle. I felt scammed. When I tried to contact TGC,instead of helping me or compensating me for THEIR mistake,thet just kept responding me why and when the bug happened..Cool .. I Guess? But I couldn't care less...I lost an Ultimate reward due their incompentence. TGC and the community are gonna kill this game. Specially with all this FOMO and flex of old limited cosmetics. People is scared,they don't wanna miss on cool stuff anymore. But this is burning them. EDITED: a typo ajhshsh

[@yesyesyes666]

I joined since Season of Sanctuary and I also felt this video so much and just been on and off the game. the player controls are pretty bad but it was so beautiful and the ost was great. But then it just became a collecting game and even my friends were just competing over getting the newest capes/emotes and I didn't have enough time or care for the capes. i just liked the parkour/flying gameplay and exploration. But the bugs and glitches were never fixed so I quit now

[@nataliasierra2150]

THIS!!! Your comment is exactly how I feel. I'm a new player and the way some veterans act just because they have limited items is disheartening. Like, a lot of people focus more on how you look and what items you have instead of forming friendships and helping moths finding the way to play the game. Some even bully them and it's so frustrating and sad to see.

[@nekaneb.a.]

​@@nataliasierra2150 That is sadly how most old veterans act sadly...you have no idea how much of a fuzz they make with even the simple thought of bringing old ultimates back. I thought this Game was about sharing with friendships and all,why is there so much gatekeeping :')

[@zephyrias]

@@nekaneb.a. same. I wish we could get old ultimates. I played once during IOS. then I got bored, then didnt play until the switch release. I've been only getting season passes and playing every so often to get the seasons cosmetics and enjoying the story bit by bit. Im probably a vet by now with over 300 hundred hours recorded on switch play log. Still I play with one friend, we have fun bouncing around and goofing off. Still I want more story and less nice cosmetics behind a pay wall. :/ or LIMited TIEM~

[@tenshiharuno1184]

As a veteran myself, who is still addicted to sky out of pure anxiety and FOMO, I can tell you that there are so many nasty veterans exactly because all the nice ones had quit long time ago... This game was all about friendship, but TGC somehow managed to scare off all the good people, who were in it for connections and experiences. It honestly makes me want to cry.

[@puppixy]

I started playing sky during the Season of Enchantment event. and officially quit sometime around Season of Aurora. I remember playing the game for up to 6 hours every single day. I loved it to bits, and i remember when all the candle farming was done i would keep trying to play more. I had a lot of fond memories of sky, which are now all bittersweet. my fallout with sky happened when i realized the game only kept you playing through grinding. It was a never ending cycle once you finished the main story. I realized my friends would only get on to candle farm. Up to 6 people would hold hands and just go afk while the main pilot would collect candles. After a while, naturally this got very stale. Even though the game held a very special place in my heart, i started to grow distant from it. And no matter how many times i attempted to get back into the game it just never really worked.

[@Beefabee]

That’s actually the exact time I entered and exited. Candle farming was fun for a very long time for me because so many of my friends would be on at any given time and it would be an excuse to hang out. But now it’s empty. I miss it.

[@Soph1k99]

I feel you, there's honestly not much to do in game with friends other than collect candles. Yeah, you could chat and unlock the friendship tree, but then what? Nothing. I've been playing since 2020 but recently this year I stopped because I lost purpose and interest in the game. Don't get me wrong, it's a good game if you want a place to hang out with strangers or possibly make new friends, but once you do make friends, you'll realize there's not much to do. Eventually, my friends stopped playing and so did I.

[@elijah2760]

for me as a veteran player of 5 years i took a long break but i love the game a came back about a year ago and spend most of my time helping new players. i do my best to help them feel wonder most of them leave but it is how I play sky and it is the reason i stay the connections i make is what is important too me and makes me want to stay. The wonder and beauty is still there I take great joy in helping others find it. ( sorry for bad grammar)

[@helsha]

Same! No one forces anyone to buy clothes in sky, it’s for each and everyone of us to decide what for are we coming to the game every day. I wear the same cape all the time and come to hang out with my lovely friends. Nothing changed for me in these 5 years, still the best game for me

[@hard.to.define]

Yup, exactly. I don't feel the rush with new seasons or popular cosmetics. I only get what I want and what I can get.

[@janesdead6802]

One thing that really irks me on top of all Sky’s increasing iap items are the limited edition capes that grant access to new areas in the game. The aurora cape is still purchasable and fairly easy to find someone with the cape to take you to it and the nine coloured deer cape grants a feature that enhances a nice area but that area is still accessible without it. The Little Prince aviator cape however, has an entirely separate and unique experience locked behind it and I don’t know a single person who forked up the $30 or so CAD to get it so that’s just a whole wondrous and fun substantially large part of the game barred from almost every player and for what? Edit: I thought aurora was still purchasable but went and checked and was wrong. Side note, I have one Little Prince aviator cape spell left and I've been holding onto it for a hangout with friends or smthn

[@yetihehe]

The aurora cape and little prince cape are not purchasable anymore.

[@susanadisanto5825]

They made those capes accessible for free during the anniversary ...saw the Prince area for the first time (I started playing season of Abyss)

[@SunsetEnvy]

those 3 can't be bought anymore though

[@antlersev]

I did actually purchase the little prince cape. I bought it because at the time, IAPs were WAY less egregious. I purchased it because it felt like me saying thank you to TCG, since I had been playing since season of sanctuary, and the game got me through a very hard time, all for free. After I bought the cape, I stopped playing for years. I recently came back, and now the IAP’s give me such crippling panic :”( I was thankful I was able to experience the aurora area due to the anniversary event, but I was so sad that was the only time I could do it. The game’s atmosphere is so sad now. That being said- if anyone wants to experience the Little Prince experience, lmk ;w; I’d love to share that with people

[@BeepBoop-z2v]

A bit off topic, but that makes sense now how one time I went AFK then suddenly I was in the little prince area despite playing long after it ended 😂

[@migs192]

For a game posing as a place to relax and socialize, it gives you no time to do that out of fear of missing out on scheduled things. As I said in their official discord, this game is run by currency. If you don't have enough candles, hearts, etc... say goodbye to EVER getting something that you felt like you wanna get... pertaining to the ultimate gifts. Instead of those gifts being a symbol of hard work born from your own time, it becomes a symbol of "I obeyed the rules so I got this item cause TGC's time is precious". Anyway, I've said a lot more well thought out stuff somewhere and have given up on thinking it might have some kind of effect on this game's future.

[@Ram-wv8kb]

Sky was at its best for me when I was a moth, when everything was new, wonderful and beautiful. I have seen many moths quit after their first Eden run, they are the lucky ones. They get to end their experience with a beautiful and satisfying ending. But the rest of us foolish enough to remain? We suffer the grind, and allow ourselves to be controlled by FOMO. The only way you can be free from the grind, is to release yourself from the cycle, and allow yourself to be free from the game.

[@AsiLII88]

I am a new player who came to Sky after the release of the game on PC, but I already feel the problem of grinding. I am so sorry that I missed out on so many events and seasons in the game, because I could not play on other devices. And now I am forced to collect all the candles every day like crazy and save them, because I am AFRAID that I will not have the opportunity to buy something from traveling spirits. Now 4 t-spirits came at once and I was insanely excited, because, contrary to popular opinion, I like the atmosphere of this dark season and location. But when I realized how many candles are needed to buy all these cosmetics from spirits, I was horrified. Now I literally feel fear that if I do not log into the game for at least a day or miss even one candle out of 20 daily, I risk missing my chance to buy something that will be from a spirit who will only come for 3 days and who can then disappear for several years. It's really frustrating.. If I had some candle stock like an old player, and if I wasn't so attached to the spirits because I was a participant in the previous events and seasons, I wouldn't feel this crazy pressure. When I first came to the game, I was in love with it and felt new emotions that games haven't given me for a long, long time. But now it literally seems almost unbelievable to me that just a few months ago I could just play musical instruments for hours, walk around the world or relax in picturesque locations, without thinking about the fact that in 10 minutes I need to run to Geyser or Granma. When I finish my candle run, I'm too tired or I just don't have time for this game. And it upsets me. Honestly, I have an income and I can afford to spend money on an in-game item if I want to. So the donation issue doesn't scare me so much, although it is really sad when there are SO many microtransactions in the game. I think a lot of the prices are really high and TGC would make a lot more profit if they made the prices more affordable, simply because people would buy them a lot more often. I think you would happily buy the 5th anniversary cape if it cost two or three times less, because it was a wonderful, memorable event. But in the end, very few people made that purchase. Including me, I did not buy the cape, despite the fact that I was IN LOVE with the atmosphere of the festival and all its events. But what really scares me is the grind and the fear of not collecting candles. I hardly pay attention to the beauty around me, I only think about distributing my time and energy to collect wax. When I do tasks and something funny happens that makes me spend more time (for example, when players are fooling around or not opening 8-candles door or when you try to bring a spirit among the krillas, etc.) I do not want to have fun, use emotions and experience unique situations with players. I just want to menacingly raise my voice and tell them, hey, stop wasting my time! And this is very sad.. The magic of the game is still alive for me. But since I am a new player, it will be very difficult for me to reach that point where the lack of candles stops scaring me. And unfortunately I can not say what will happen first - reaching this point of calm or my burnout.

[@julia88katynicole70]

I can help you. I will farm for you. I was like you: I had to farm 22c each day in the first year 365 days each single day: to get back all I’ve lost. Now I farm basic 20 in less than 2 hours. This game requires a lot of patience, daily diligence and time, or just renounce the cosmetics. And all these iap now seriously with Moomin it’s gonna be very expensive and I’m tired of this 100€ iaps and 30€ for one broom 🧹 . Enough is enough.

[@PumpKinnii_]

Honestly same, you explained how I feel about Sky so well, I'm a nesting moth and it's being only months since I started to play this game and I'm already tired of all the grinding thing. It is so tiring, and now I'm grinding 20 candles everyday to be able to buy the cosmetics I want from the 4 shattering spirits only to see that next Thursday we gonna have another ts, genuinely what the fuck TGC?? I don't remember the last time I stopped to play like o used to when I was a moth, when I was enjoying the game and wasn't stressed bc all of the ecosystem TGC made. The only times I relax in sky is when I'm playing with my friend who is a moth and only plays sky to pass some time with me so they aren't stressed over candles and they tell me "hey take me to that place I like" and we just sit there talking and enjoying the place. But I just can't do that by myself bc the FOMO is horrendous in this game. It is so funny how TGC shows sky like this chill cozy game where you can have friends and connect with people and the way the game actually is made is to suck every last dollar out of our wallets. I was so excited for the Moomin season then saw what is happening on beta with the IAPs and season pass and I'm just so disappointed. And you know what?? There is a website named "Dark Pattern Games" that shows you if a game has some dark patterns (obviously) to take your money or make you addicted, etc and sky shows in that website as "bad/really bad" (I don't remember correctly) but yeah this is absolutely a cozy game, trust guys!!

[@susanadisanto5825]

I ve played for about 2½years now... and feel exactly the same, I thought maybe I could ease off a bit but no they introduced the furniture 😢 just overwhelm. (Decided not to bother) Can't imagine what the games like for newbies. The IAPs are overpriced and agree, many more would but if they were half the amount or less. I would, the conversion of US$ to UK£ is unfair...actually makes them MORE expensive for me. I don't buy. Merch is overpriced and I waited MONTHS to reiver order. Never gwt time to make acquaintances or play music. I play with an alt twin because server splits ruin continuity. (Also one horrible player puy me right off plus its hard to maintain friend coordination)

[@julia88katynicole70]

@@AsiLII88 only problem that the owner of this video deleted my comment bcz I said I want help this new player. Wtheck! 💩👿👹

[@TheSkyKidWinion]

My friends I agree with you. I bought the seasonal pass for season of duets, and I don't regret it, but I wish everything was not this expensive.... I wish i had an umbrella and other stuff, and I hate seeing the prices for things be $20-30. I am still doing the daily quests for this season just so I can get regular candles. I'm gonna go long onto Sky right now, light my friend tree and just play music. I'm not going to bother doing the daily quests today. Thanks so much for your comment/comments. And thank you so much for your video.

[@someone2447]

It's just a dress-up game at this point lol there is no other "gameplay" than candle running. They could preserve some of the functions from events to make the world feel less dead...

[@chickenwatercheese3315]

soft launch player here,i played sky before it was released globally. What makes it feel so magical was the community and chatting with people. It's a social game after all, and cosmetics were only a plus. The home (aviary) used to have a permanent community bench were all 8 players can sit around like a camp and talk without a time limit for candles. I have met so many friends through that benches. This is what I think sky is lacking. It is a social game, but it lacks spaces to do so. Stumbling upon another player is the only means now to have an interaction which is hard to comeby. T should be more permanent cosmetics in sky rather than so many seasons of limited ones. Having a constant seasonal items gives players the mindset of constantly grinding and grinding everyday in fear of missing out which us sad. I think that sky has problem in giving motivation for players to play, and seasonals are not it. What I could suggest is having more permanent cosmetics as a trophy for completing achievements/feats. Similar to getting elder hairs for going to the end. There could be things like, "Complete eden with 8 players to unlock this cape", "Collect all spirits in ____ to get___", "Reach 200 stars to get ____", "Complete the obstacle course without bumping into walls to get___" , "Complete musical sheet with someone and hit all notes to get ___", and many much more harder challenges to complete and even add in more achievements that requires another player. This gives players more motivation to play the game as it is, without worrying about candle runs. It's something both old and new players can enjoy, where the veterans will help this new person get ___ which plays on the premise of being a social game. There are so many other ways sky make it fun and not focus too much on limited seasons. Ofcourse they have to earn money too, but the over abundance of limited edition cosmetics could demotivate its players. There should be balance. I love sky and its rich environment which can often get ignored because of the constant hussle of grind.

[@lottylouart]

That’s right, I think the forgot the main permanent constellation. Why is that not updated and enhanced, new levels added? Progression is what is missing. Cape enhancement takes a long time too, but new skills could be unlocked or something like that. It would add a dynamic.

[@mhenderson7673]

I love that idea

[@Kam_i_]

The new quest system is so stupid I can only laugh - so instead of conveniently getting all our quests from the prayer stone, we have to walk up to individual spirits… and they call this increasing player engagement with the characters… but TGC has been randomly using “relive this spirit memory” as a very average boring grind quest for YEARS. How exactly are we supposed to suddenly get emotionally invested in the spirits you’re using for grinding? The only spirits I’ve ever felt an emotional connection with was the Remembrance season. That was a fantastic, heartbreaking story with a bit of lore that we don’t always get from Sky.

[@zimitraa]

that's why i have home be the original home and not aviary village, you don't have to get the quests from aviary village, you can still go to the prayer stone in the old home

[@lest8838]

I go back to old home just to get the quests and to turn them in, the seats next to the spirits make me sit rather than get the quests

[@Kam_i_]

@@zimitraa yes, I also use the old home for this reason, it’s just that I feel like the devs are working on the wrong things in general. Even though they left the old system, they market these new updates as if they’re taking the game in new exciting directions, when they’re actually just adding uncreative, inconvenient things. They don’t actually have a good idea of what the players want, and they mess it up when they try (more examples are the Nests which no one uses, the cafe in Aviary which no one uses unless there’s an event.) They need more interaction with their playerbase. The only new mechanic I’m happy they added is the emote wheel!

[@missdeer_d1437]

I started playing again recently and I was amazed by the aviary village, the stores, the caffe, our nest! Then they changed the quest system, and I was like "ohh, okay. So lets talk to the spirits." Then I realised that I still needed to talk with the spirits to claim the quest, this is so... not pratical. And now, watching this video I noticed that the old home and the new home its so empty, and its not because people are in the realms, I remember how people really liked the prairier "lobby" it were even hard to compleat that "light 20 candles" task

[@steakraw9452]

i’ve played since sanctuary but started seriously playing during flight…i think moomin will be my last season personally because it’s too hard to keep up and with all these iaps , it’s insane and honestly disappointing like…it used to be fun but now it’s tiring to the point i gotta FORCE myself to play and it shouldn’t feel that way

[@evelynarm2985]

Same here, Moomin will be my last season, i can't waste my real life playing sky anymore

[@ahja6]

Same kinda, but I'm just less active now

[@hard.to.define]

Tbh you don't have to keep up and don't have to have the most popular cosmetics. I think that just might be me only but I only grind for what I want and I do admit that sometimes I want some IAP items I just know that I won't spend money on a game and my parents wouldn't also let me. I take it more slowly and I just don't have the rush to grind or buy anything.

[@luminescentstar475]

It used to be lively and cozy.. Now it's empty and cold... I miss everything.

[@Mick4yD0nald]

Real, many of my friends that i usually hang out either busy with their lifes or having issues so they quit

[@kas_ualties7692]

One of my favorite vtubers (Fulgur Ovid) recently played this game and the KZbin algorithm just so conveniently recommended your video when I was feeling nostalgic lol. I used to be a 2019 veteran, literally started playing the day of the release. I remember everyone being moths and collectively exploring new areas together, it was so much fun and interactions were genuine. People actually spent their candles friending random people after 1 minute of knowing them, the good ol’ days of ignorance before the knowledge of currency and grinding hit us like a train. I played for a good 3 years or so, popped in for rainy treehouse, little prince, and aurora season and then never touched the game again. My sister who had introduced me to the game stopped playing, my old online friends had left the game, I was just a lone player looping the same map over and over again. Sky will always have fond memories for me, but I will never return to it. I have all the candle locations burned into my memory, and actually seeing the gameplay gives me a headache now. Sky is the type of game you play with a loved one, explore together, finish eden together, maybe a few seasons and that’s it. It should’ve never been about farming, or the newest, most exclusive cosmetic to obtain. That’s what killed my love for Sky.

[@citruspov]

I was one of the veterans that played during 2020, I was really interested in the lore, atmosphere and general character design. I'm also many of little people that actually returned, if it's not for the PC port, I would never even look at it again. When I actually came back with a new account, I feel welcomed and surprised with the new lobby, I also felt more nostalgia than I should. The story, the emotions and of course, Eden. I fell in love with it until I see myself committing to the grind loop once again, the one thing that made me left in the first place. It really is a hard challenge for TGC to really change the monetization, but I think TGC should slow down and start focusing what can be improved, not added. Honestly, it only take a few days for another season to start, and I also think Sky should approach more topics,,, like horror tehee

[@DonutToast]

commenting for more engagement. Well said, brother! This is exactly how i feel about the current state of sky too. It's sad how everyone's already losing their excitement for the moomin season with the full snufkin set taking 3 IAPs... And it's even extra sad when most players already suspect buying an irl moomin plushie will be cheaper than an IAP one. that's when you know there's a problem.... it really is a shame, because i've wanted a moomin collab since day 1

[@sarrz002]

here you go, we oldies know its hard to stick to it as much as before, its a constant burn out with all our life requirements and our self requirements even when it comes to entertaining, sky might not be our first choice anymore and i think that's okay , im totally fine with all the things im missing as long as i can still sometimes go in and hover around to get some sense of something, no massive grinding just actually chilling

[@_xianno_]

The first thing I thought when I got sick and couldn’t play for 2 days was how much candles I couldn’t get. That is when I realized, holy shi wtf am I doing. And just started to have lots of breaks and just accept, if I can get it okay, if I can’t then it’s okay too

[@cro_sky]

you explained it so well! sky feels empty sometimes, but then i distance myself from the community and play solo or with my closest friends and that spark exists again. i will definitely recommend weekly rewards in feedback

[@elimclovin703]

Sky is a job that doesnt pay

[@firebat9664]

I’m a new player to sky and I came from genshin. I wanted a game to fill what genshin was for me, a relaxing chill game I can grind in whenever. It’s just for me. I have no real expectations going into sky, I just kept seeing what games were free that I could get that were like genshin. It was great! I played through the game in a week and it was really nice! Then I realized playing with people is what makes the experience, so I joined a discord and started playing with them and now I’m grinding for candles for the Halloween event cause I need some sort of cosmetics. The grind is sorta crazy but I find it a lot more relaxing than genshin and it’s what I needed. My plan is to grind for cosmetics for my character than go back and explore more in-depth and continue meeting people. I think just having conversations and meeting people is just the whole thing and that’s just so nice

[@kidal00-44]

it's been 2 years already that im leaving sky. I have no friends because most of my friend were burnout...either me. But sometimes, i miss the memories. I felt lonely and empty feeling, try to making friends with stranger but not working because sky nowadays is different...

[@Davidledonkayy]

my favorite friend quit the game D: every day i look at his star waiting for him to return he was so fun before we would tumble down the valley of triumph we would watch each other die in the forest and laugh about it but he's not here anymore i miss him

[@SunnyMaya1691]

Seasons and events are what makes the grind less boring, but with the new season having all the characters sucked out of the season pass and made into IAPS aswell as the remaining season pass being watered down with boring furniture I don’t see how TCG expects us to keep enjoying this game. i really loved this game before. Thank u for sharing your voice! Not a lot of people dare to speak out

[@ree9560]

4.5 yr daily player here: while I definitely agree with a lot of what you said and absolutely have my own grievances with the game...I really think the game is what the player makes of it. If the player goal is to get cosmetics and having that FOMO, yes...the grind is forefront. I like to play to just chill away from IRL. If I'm bored, I'll hang out in prairie...ushering moths around. I'll put up a soccer game in random places and get a game going. Throw a table up in forest to chat with people. Krill myself down to 1 star...just because. Recently friended a new person, who didn't understand why I was just hanging out at home in a table with randoms vs doing a cr. I think the issue is we are used to having games that have an end. Because Sky is endless...TGC is trying to create a goal (seasons/events/cosmetics) to keep players interested, when sometimes we have to entertain ourselves.

[@zimitraa]

agree! its up to you if you want to grind to get new cosmetics. i rarely get new stuff as i've found an outfit that I like and stick too, and prefer to focus more on instruments. i also started playing in 2020 during quarantine and took like a 2.3 year break because i was getting addicted to the grind playing everyday back then. most of my sky friend group is gone, but i've made some new friends and try to appreciate the beauty of the world that got me interested in the game in the first place. so yeah, it really depends on how you want to experience the game. you really don't have to buy anything, although i understand when they put out cosmetics that you really want and you basically have no access to, it sucks. i really wonder if they'll stick to the pricing on moomin that they have on beta or if they will change it based on people's complaints, but idk.

[@soulangela7154]

@@zimitraa Most people will want new stuff and new experiences in games. In most games you can either get new areas and story to explore throughout the game, you get new skills, weapons, spells, etc. and throughout playing a game you will usually earn enough money doing all these other activities (doing quests, selling items) to buy new cosmetics anyway or you just have to grind a little bit to save up. I love that you guys are able to enjoy the game besides cosmetics and don't have that need for new stuff, however that is because you make the experience enjoyable. Frankly speaking the only new content this game offers *is* the new cosmetics and like maybe 15 minutes of new story in an entire season. Personally I think it shouldn't be up to the players to make a videogame enjoyable, but the storytelling and actions should do that. If most of the players end up feeling fomo to this extreme of an extent, it isn't the players' fault but that of the game.

[@zimitraa]

@@soulangela7154 I agree wholeheartedly, they really need to shift from cosmetics (or at least limited edition cosmetics especially) to storyline and lore/ quests and stuff. If you really think about other games that also value exploration and experience, usually they are open world, which ok, sky can't do, but they do work around it with gates and stuff, and they also have a strong main quest which takes a bit to complete, as well as a ton of side quests which are actually interesting and fun. For me personally in other games (like Skyrim and the legend of Zelda for example) I get super carried away from all the side quests and exploring that it takes me a while to finish the main quest. All this of course might just have to do with the type of game and it might not be able to change. I do believe they can work around it though, by adding more to the main lore and quests.

[@lesliewoof]

4.5 years vet here, seeing new players get caught up on the grinding is kinda sad tbh. I wanna spread the magical feeling i got when i first played the game and got excited for buying a new color cape, but fomo on comestics and everything being much more expensive is destroying the overall experience

[@howard2020]

People don't even bother to light others anymore, they just want candles, which is sad considering that this is a game to socialize...

[@maythegamer1291]

Dude, I went through the exact same thing! I stopped playing for 2 years and honestly? I feel like a moth exploring all the new things again! But also? I'm definitely feeling the grind again. Counting the amount of seasonal candles I can collect everyday to see if it's still possible to get a single outfit, fearing the thought of missing a single day. It's the exact reason why I stopped playing in the first place. The grinding took. Away. The fun. And I want to step in and tell TGC this but don't know where I can in a way that they'll listen.

[@benendo6562]

I joined sky to play with few of my online friends but they abruptly shifted to another game (genshin) so I continued to play , the experience was beautiful, even though alone I enjoyed doing old seasons , but few seasons in recent just don't sit right.... Aurora was cool it was well done also added the lore we initially wanted to see like the wasteland one. Season of Shattering was even though I am an old player was my first complete season was cool too . But this game rather than opening new areas should reconstruct the old ones with lore , like wasteland , in the end accordingly our goal was to give our light but it doesn't change anything (after the main game) eden still exists , the eden elder is still not United to the others , I used to visit sky to play music when I would feel depressed and sad , it always will be a game I fully enjoyed and loved , the focus is shifted from the exploration part to mere spirit lore that unlock places players barely visit with virtual cosmetics with insane prices that does not improve the in-game goal

[@magnanorth4713]

I realized when I show up for a game every day but don’t for my health goals…. There’s a problem.

[@Swallow341]

I remember starting Sky when it was the Season of Sanctuary. I found it cute, and I was so amazed at how a mobile game could have something so beautiful of a game like Sky. The first time I “beat” Sky, man I cried. I met many friends there, and even irl friends played that game, and we would just chill or sometimes goof around. I even helped them sometimes grind candles, so I was always a lead flyer. 😅 Those were the days. It was fun, until it became repetitive and all of us eventually got bored. My last time I was on, was that Aurora concert which I found strange, yet engaging, but yeah when I saw the store, I couldn’t believe the amount just to have an exclusive cape. The FOMO was so intense, and I got severely burnt out. Sky lacked more gameplay, like is there anything else we could do than to just grind candles over and over again? And I also left the community because of how toxic positive it was.

[@kaorikarma]

Definitely felt this! Recently came back in June after playing as a little kid 4ish years ago. I have definitely felt way more pressure regarding cosmetics. Of course, it has been awhile, but from what I recall, I just… fit in. I loved sky. I was highly bullied, so it was a place I felt an escape, where I met people who genuinely cared and were great people. It fully served its purpose back then. Don’t get me wrong, especially with the new days of moonlight, I’ve actually met a lot of people waiting for light the past couple of days, but overall? No one is really active at all anymore. We are all (myself included, I can’t say I’m not guilty) just trying to complete our missions to get light and therefore cosmetics. I could sit down at any bench and speak to someone back in 2019-2020ish. Now it’s nearly impossible to find anyone to connect with or even help you open a door. It’s really wild how much the game has changed. It’s still one of my favorites, but the grinding is killing me. I feel like my love for this game is definitely half gone despite it being one of the only things in my childhood that allowed me to escape bullying, abuse, and other hardships. It was home and comfort for me. Now I spend too long each day just looking for light to seek out a new cosmetic to fit.

[@RainyUmbrella]

Everything you mentioned in this video are things I struggle with. To me Sky is like Journey, tainted with money and FOMO. I thoroughly enjoyed Journey and didn't get to play Sky from the beginning, bc I didn't have ios. Once I got it on Switch, I was hooked. The environments, the music and the feeling of soaring were all wonderful! I also like to play dress up with the cosmetics, but I got burnt out grinding candles too. I still play, but it's a chore. Eden has become a way to get more ascended candles than the emotional apotheosis of the story. There's nothing I do in the game but collect 4 types of currency (regular, ascended, seasonal candles and event tickets). I understand they need player engagement, but to drain the soul out of the game and have players run around the same hamster wheel every day, motivated by FOMO just isn't healthy. I have quit twice and missed out on great cosmetics. I want to quit playing daily, but the FOMO is too real. I could have learned to play guitar irl instead of grinding candles.

[@RainyUmbrella]

Oh and I forgot about the hearts. I don't even have most of the regular constellations completed, bc I'm scared to spend my hearts and candles in case a TS comes by for a limited time. I'd love to get the regular black cape, but how on earth will I get all the hearts I need for that?

[@DisasterAster]

Totally agree... It's not a permanent fix (I still feel a bit like a hamster on a wheel) but I would trade hearts with you if you wanted! I was able to get all the regular base capes by having basically 1 person that I regularly traded hearts with over the course of (*shudders in hindsight*) a couple months

[@hrctdelrey9540]

Every sky player needs to watch this video

[@Aegopodium]

Thank you. A lot. Everything you say, every single point, it's so true. I once voiced my criticism in a TGC stream and was banned by a troupe member! It's really dangerous, when you are no longer allowed to voice your opinion. Luckily not all are like this and I found troupe members stepping back and streaming other games. I have no idea where the game is heading but Sky is my family. I will never really leave. But, as you mentioned, the old players in my constallation have mostly vanished... We will see what will happen. If all fails, I can contact most of my friends on other channels. ...

[@Aegopodium]

Oh, btw: I am chicky in game. 🐔

[@artisticako]

i remember being a diehard fan of sky during covid- i drew/wrote stuff related to sky only for a whole year, to give you an idea of how much i was into sky. i started playing during prophecy, but gradually stopped playing after around little prince/flight. it's been what, 2 years now? and now it feels so hard not only to get back into the game itself again, but also in the community, because of how much i've missed out on while i was on a hiatus on the game. it honestly breaks my heart seeing the state of sky now, considering it was one of the many games which shaped me into the artist/writer i am today. i still remember how whimsical and magical sky used to be as a game, and now it just feels reduced to a grinding game, which absolutely sucks

[@yueqiu5989]

I quit sky for more than 2 years too and came back, and I agree this is exactly what it feels.

[@cloudGremlin]

I was someone who really really loved the monotony of Sky, it was relaxing for me to have my friends and all the quests I knew exactly what to do and stuff I could collect at my own pace! And then a new season came around… and another… and another… and eventually I couldn’t remember where anything was or keep up with the cosmetics or even finish the seasons or the new quest required more than one person and then suddenly Sky required planning and sorting out with friends when everyone would be online to do multi-person quests and… yeah. I still keep it on my iPad, but every time I pick it up I’m bashed with all the new stuff and the knowledge that the NEXT new stuff is already coming and I am never going to catch up because the game will always be updating faster than I can play. I still want to pick it up, maybe one day I will. I really like my cute little child, and remember fondly sitting in odd places to watch people or find a secret spot to play my only musical instrument secretly. I had so many good conversations with friends on there, both silly and serious, even just laying around listening to the ambiance together. Honestly? I would be fine if there was a suite of “pay only” cosmetics to keep the game afloat and a new season only coming out once a year. Slow and beautiful with routines and friends.

[@Honehail]

It was always about the lore and the friends. Always, at least for me. I still only run Eden sometimes because I like to savor the experience. My favorite realm is Isle of Dawn because it is still pristine. I hate player creations sometimes. XD As a two-year veteran who's played almost every day since I got it, it helped me so much. But I've always played to help others, spirits or real players. I want to help others and enjoy the peace which is so rare in this world. Maybe someday, I will come back to Sky and fly through the Wind Paths and remember my first time ever flying. It felt like a dream. Thank you for this video.

[@D1SZZ]

Nearly 3? Year vet. I took like a 9 month break, no one I knew plays anymore. I've made 1 friend which we actually sit down and chat and not worry about candles. The iap prices have risen exponentially, I'd love to change games but none of us speak the same language and I'm too illiterate in theirs to read without translation. Players litter stuff everywhere and you still accidentally hit it and can't stop the pop ups...

[@reri5530]

I returned after 2 years, felt happy when random friends stil remembered me. But most are offline now. Met new amazing people again:)

[@antlersev]

I started playing sky in 2020 during season of sanctuary. It was a way for me to escape during the pandemic. I stopped playing after season of the little prince. I just recently started playing again, towards the end of the season of nesting. I’m really bad with fomo- I have high anxiety and depression. I ended up freaking out and spending money I didn’t need to spend. I panicked and bought stuff, then just felt gross afterwards. Back in 2020, I spent money maybe twice? And I felt wonderful about it because I was supporting a game that helped me through such an incredibly difficult time. Now opening the game fills me with panic and dread. I have some friends I made in the game, but they also make me panic. I’ll go on to candle run, then a friend will join asking “where have you been?” and it’s uncomfortable. I’m rambling now, but….. I just miss the old game, where it was about the experience.

[@2B_Maryam]

I started playing in early 2022. I'll give you a slightly strange analogy as an example. In 2022, I felt like I was somewhere outside the city. People were in no hurry, enjoying life, and were very open to communication. Now it feels like I'm somewhere in big city, idk maybe NYC or Tokio. People are running to work, working hard, they have no time to talk, no time to stop and look at the stars, after work they go to bed tired. And it repeats day by day, again and again. They can't stop, cause they don't wanna be homeless. Rent is expensive, clothes expensive. And they look on other ppl how successful they r and they wanna be like them, so they working even more hard. They run like squirrels in a wheel, but there is no finish line. The biggest hole in sky for me it's lack of contact. Ppl say "but we have so many events, what u need?". But these events it's just cosmetics, cosmetics and again cosmetics, which only gives people a sense of pressure - they should work hard. Lately I often say the same phrase after the start of each event, after each seasonal quest "and that's it???", cause I don't see anything interesting, only cosmetics. I need some lore, I need smth new, I wanna cry, wanna laugh, wanna feel. Also I heard so much stories how ppl angry when someone trying to lit their candle, or saying "they were pursued flirted with me" just because someone used cute emoties, so now I'm afraid to try to lit somebody or use any emote, especially around Ikemens, cause omg what if they will think I'm flirting, I'm fall in love with them.😂 So there is not much content/lore in game, less of communication in a social game. With my best friend we can play other games with content or watch a movies. But idk why I still open sky everyday.. Just can't stop. Wanna add smth important: guys I never was in NYC or Tokio. I believe both cuties incredible beautiful and both countries USA and Japan r amazing!❤ I gave these cities as an example only because they are very large cities and I believe the people are very hardworking there probably and irl it's not bad❤ That's impressive actually ❤ So I hope if somebody will see my comment, u won't be upset about it❤

[@blastoff3356]

I started during the end of little prince, so my first season to experience was flight. Even at my most active during shattering, I was unable to keep up and get everything because it required hours each day. I feel like less and less new spirits offer the clothing they wear, as well, and some of them are ultimate rewards leaving us to waste seasonal candles on random spells and furniture, which would make more sense to be available in the furniture shop or maybe a new traveling spirit.

[@Hollzie_2814]

My brother and I grinded for a week or two so that we would have enough candles to get some of the days of color items. Just recently, ever since he and I found out the season of shattering spirits were coming back, we grinded for a long time. Even now, after the spirits arrived, I STILL need to grind to get at least 2 more of the cosmetics I want. Not to mention the butterfly hair accessory costed 50 freaking candles...Then there's the "days of" events where you need to log on everyday to get the tickets for new cosmetics, otherwise they'll cost waaaay too many hearts or candles next year. I also missed out on season of passage because of how burnt out I was with the game. The grinding can be so bad sometimes.

[@tkak4]

i do hope they make some amazing changed. im always willing to come back. i got tired of the routine, or having completed everything that the game could offer and also achieve many personal goals and so i left for a while now, but I will always see it is as a comfort home to go back to

[@ecake3576]

:( You really hit the point on this one

[@annuka2409]

Thanks for saying what I have been thinking lol, I started halfway through Season of Enchantment, stopped playing halfway through Aurora, came back after two years and while I play on and off.... man, It's just really bad now huh? It's given me extreme FOMO and encouraged my abandonment issues when i first played, recognized it and I quit. I thought it was bad then. It's definitely worse now xP Commenting for visibility.

[@nekaneb.a.]

Very wise. I too left the Game a few times and seeing all I missed it's always like: man....and of course the coolest things are forever unobtainable!

[@Schnubi]

I'd wish the break between the seasons were longer

[@clearskyzs]

I started playing in early December 2021 and sky has changed so much and honestly it’s not fun anymore. The amount of seasons is so tiring and I miss when there was 2 months between seasons. For me the game started going downhill when the aviary season came out because it was basically nothing. And the amount of IAP cosmetics has become insane like look at the Moomin season there are 6 IAP and you can’t complete any character outfit without them. And the downgrade of spirits to mannequins in seasons is sad and we are getting less and less emotes. But even with all that I feel like I can’t quite or stop participating in seasons because of FOMO and because of how much money I have spent on the game. I just miss how it was during dream and assembly🥲

[@tkak4]

i dont keep any expectations from collabs. collabs mean, many things behind payment and broken into bits now. but aviary felt new to me. I felt like it slowly went downhill after aurora. but aviary brought new furnishing or something else for players to focus on instead of just cosmetics. but sadly the furnishings also seem to be pretty limiting with what all we can do

[@clearskyzs]

@@tkak4 I personally didn’t even participate in the nest season because I don’t really have any interest in the nest or any furniture so I didn’t get any fun from it. But I do agree it started to go downhill after Aurora. But even Little Prince and Aurora didn’t have as many IAP as the Moonmin one is going to have and with previous collabs we would still compete outfits without purchasing any IAP cosmetics

[@sphinxwidget]

Oh I absolutely dislike how lazy(?) they've gotten with just making mannequins now instead of .. you know .. interacting with spirits for that season. Takes away hugely from the experience and I wish they would actually always add a new area that's significant/substantial when they have a season too, I feel they can do so much more with interactive areas and new ideas for mini games, hand outs etc but they're dropping the ball

[@sphinxwidget]

Ugh I meant to say **hang outs lol

[@tkak4]

@@clearskyzs yeah the new collabs, they are breaking the items down into further smaller bits

[@sparklenuts4130]

I agree with everything you have said. I feel like i cant even play the game anymore

[@MYuukiChan]

Welcome back! 🥺🥺🥺 Yeah thank you for voicing out our frustrations over 4 years now, it's so exhausting. iap are too much now

[@shadowstar8619]

I think what frustrates me the most is that TGC wound up using a sort of idea I was hoping for -- bringing a bunch of previous spirits to a shop and have a handful of them come and go in rotations -- and instead used it for the Nesting shop. And there are so many things they could do to make our experience better beyond the TS shop -- some possibly even better than the shop -- that they never bother with: make hearts ACTUALLY easier to obtain for solo players, raise the daily candle cap if they don't plan on lowering prices, replay past seasons to give new players a chance and veterans a break, or just keep all of the spirits and their cosmetics available like the base game spirits. The FOMO's long-since gotten old, the economy for hearts is a shambles with no one really wanting to trade, and the IAPs are more expensive than getting REAL NEW GAMES. When I first got into Sky at the end of Aurora, I was hoping it'd be different from the f2p games that only cater to the players willing and able to fork over that much money in the first place, because that always hurts a game's player-base in the long run. But for all the big talk from the devs about not being about that life, they just fell headfirst into that abyssal pitfall anyway and refuse to dig themselves out.

[@kerrierobbins6193]

My favourite part of Sky was the first couple of playthroughs becaus the exploration was my favourite part. Id love new maps rather than just small sub areas being introduced for the seasons, and items that actually add to the gameplay rather than just cosmetics. (Even items that are standard in other games, like something to set an extra teleport point, or a backpack to hold more than 1 item on your back is missing from Sky)

[@izzygarcia681]

I started this game when it came out in 2019, and I played this game religiously for YEARS. But after a while I got so bored and stressed of the constant grind. I decided to come back to it because of the Moomin season coming out but the moment I reopened the game I was overwhelmed with all the new things and areas that oddly felt vacant. Not to mention it also felt impossible to get any of the cosmetics without becoming stressed about it. I still haven’t gone back to fully play again and I fear after this Moomin season I will be abandoning it for good. It’s a sad feeling but it’s just not fun for me anymore.

[@Nevernovanix]

Exploring was my favorite part of the game, seeing all the beautiful realms. Now that Ive seen everything a million times, the magic is kinda gone :(

[@purityshallabide1645]

This commentary was really accurate. After all this time, Sky is like the friend who's pretty likeable and comfortable but also has some major flaws. In life, if you get too emotionally invested in trying make a person be who you want them to be, you’ll end up frustrated and disappointed. So the best thing is to accept them where they are, while still encouraging them to be true to their core values. And the thing is, behind Sky there are all real people just like that. Sky game's personality always seemed to be that of an empathetic type, and it has created a safe place for hundreds of thousands of people while still trying make a living. The world itself has gotten darker, and based on the stories and seasons, Sky seemed to want to hold back some of that despair and help people work through their own seasons of life. In the end, Sky gameplay is what each individual makes it, whether hectic or peaceful. There is of course, much room for improvement. I think the reason Season of Shattering was a major missed opportunity in what could have been a really good turning point toward a more sustainable developmental direction. It fell far below players expectations, and especially for veterans, because it raised the long held hope for real sustained story development. But in the end it mostly gave us poor rewards, overpriced cosmetics and not nearly enough continued depth of story. The tasks seemed meaningless because they were delivered without context. In general, and because there was no real context, no understanding of why it was happening, it reflexed too closely the severe and grim uncertainty of the real world that people came to Sky to escape and amplified the stress and discontent that players had already been feeling toward the game. The many event glitches in addition to the regular game bugs didn't help at all in this respect. Since then it's been glaringly obvious that the main story that vaguely started at Isle of Dawn hasn't seemed to develop much further, after all the expectations. Of course, it's only so long after stumbling through as a moth and exploring Sky that Sky Kids would begin to long for more core development, instead of just new distractions in the form of collabs. Even the new season of Moomin, though undoubtedly poignant, just seems like an unrelated short story in a collection of short stories in the Vault. However, it's understandable from game development's strategic side to only release fragments of the story, to keep players teased and intrigued. The problem with that tactic is that in human connections the longer the need is withheld, the greater and greater the strain on the connection. The players have persistently waited, seeking the answers to all the question marks that TGC seems to still be working on, and are still waiting but with less expectancy and enthusiasm. Here are general unsolved mysterys: Why should players continue after Eden? (After returning from Eden everything in terms of story is incredibly anticlimactic and left unanswered.) Why did the world really become like that, why did it shatter, what holds it together? Why are there krill and how did they come to be? Why did shard events start happening? And what is the sky kids beginning and purpose of existence, grand mission, and the greater goal behind Eden sacrifices of light? New events pertaining to more story/history should open up only after each new Eden run with maybe an advanced Eden constellation that opens up or perhaps next level of constellations for each realm, and not only get you closer to elder cosmetics. And on that note, each seasonal spirit should remain discoverable with options to earn certain of their cosmetics but fully open up when their seasons return even with new posible exclusives. When their season returns players could have the option to fully reset the missions and replay the returned season for additional candles, and purchase keys to season exclusive areas or ticket to season events. Even if they keep the boring cosmetic situation the same, there'd be ample reason to keep playing because the main story continues to develop. To answer these questions it means that TGC will need to spend more time developing the plot. If Sky only keeps the introductory plot, then the people who are drawn to Sky because of it's uniqueness for moving our souls, will most definitely continue lose interest. Finally, yes one of the original values of the game is to foster connection and on the business side these connections keep the players playing, but connection remain very shortlived without a common end goal and grand mission to unite players. Appealing soley to consumerism is the soulless fast track to losing the target audience that came seeking connection and purpose. If this game were only for very young children then what they've done so far would be enough, but the fact is the majority of players are at the age to desire more from a game. TGC needs to deliver on story development and glitch fixes, and give satisfyingly interesting incentive structures because of the maturity of their audience. TGC, please feel free to contact me with a job offer.

[@dragonflower17]

I'm a semi-new player but my bf is a long-term player. You really hit the nail on the head regarding frustrations/issues. It's frustrating to be playing with my partners and have us getting dropped off each other's game when we're trying to do dailies together. The bugs are insane - there's several spirit missions I can't finish because the game is broken and I can't get the youtube workarounds to work. I wish the cosmetics were cheaper. If the capes were $5 and like a collection of items (say a cape, headpiece, and mask) were $10 bundled together I wouldn't feel so pricegauged. Having the ability to get those items IN GAME without buying them would be great too. Sky IS fun. I like running around and enjoying the beautiful maps. I like holding hands with friends and doing silly things like stacking in a pile 4 people tall to run around and do dailies... but the social aspect is what makes and kills this game. Journey has a start and an end - it feels like an accomplishment to get through it and see who you meet along the way. You can rush it - but why would you? It feels appropriate to explore and take your time in the environments. Sky doesn't have that luxury - it has to keep going and that impacts how players interact with it. Which is sad... Sky is a beautiful game. There are many instances where I'm playing by myself and I stop and admire the music and environments... but the gameplay loop isn't encouraging that exploration. I'm not sure what the solution is - but I hope they're able to figure it out. I'd like to experience more of the old magic I hear the vet players talking about.

[@Ochi-s4l]

Tgc could probably learn a thing or two from games wirh NPC namely the Skyrim and Fallout series. A big part of Sky is playing with real players. But I feel like having npcs that you can meaningfully interact with could do something to keep players online when their friends aren't.

[@harmonium5495]

It's funny because I also recently returned to Sky after leaving it for years, I had originally joined when Sky was fairly new and it was amazing, there were moments where the music and environment made me tear up. I got back into it a few days ago and it felt... off, it felt busy and crowded and the beautiful places felt far more separated then they once had

[@yosdeiselpetrol9496]

i LOVE sky ive been playing it consistently or at least not majorly missing any seasons or events ever since i started (just before season of sanctuary started), and imo the problem isnt necessarily that tgc got greedy. the greed is secondary to the grind that tgc itself is going through. i feel like sky got popular and tgc got busy, and once tgc got extra busy with collabs and new content, they wanted to work even harder which in and of itself is really nice, but this came with a huge downside which was that they worked so fast and so hard on this new content that they basically dragged all of us with them like our ankles were tied to a car and we were all being dragged around over the hot asphalt, dust and bugs flying right into our faces. i still love sky, but i genuineky want to urge tgc to slow down. they are working hard and fast and they are doing great with most of the collabs and events imo, all the power to them for getting so many collaborations and putting out so many new things, but theyre doing this at the cost of neglecting the "small" issues like rampant bugs and theyre completely ignoring pacing, so it feels like they're churning out season after season and event after event back to back so fast that my energy and wallet can't keep up with it at all. spending maybe $5 a month on events and season combined was very managable, but now that theres more events and seaosns, it's become more like double that price, and i've just stopped buying event cosmetics even though i used to always love to do it because i would look at my bank acc and feel really bad about spending money so fast.

[@yosdeiselpetrol9496]

as a separate thing, i honestly kind of like the sky grindset to some degree. some people don't like it, but i think to me they are asking for consistency rather than momentary bursts of activity. and that is great! it's different from what many other games do, it asks you to show up every day, to come to the game and look at the world. the issue is that if the grind does ask for consistency, then the time needed to be spent is way too long, given that most people don't want to spend at least an entire hour (how long it takes me to do full 15 candle cr) on just grinding. it's okay to ask for consistency, to ask a player to check in every day and do a couple things. but i think the thing that tgc is forgetting to consider is that the candle run is so long that it isn't just a check in and a stroll around, it's a whole rat race.

[@Yunasst]

Thank you for making this video. I started to play sky in 2021 in the middle of season of the little prince and played it until 2023 end of season of moments. Then I run out of energy. The constant server splits and the bugs made me stop to enjoy playing. Also the pressure for farming candles every day, even if I'm too tired to do anything in real life, I logged into sky and did the quests and some candle running. Now I'm back in sky and a lot of changes are made. It felt interesting again. And I just don't pressure myself anymore for getting 20 candles every day. Only having time for doing the quests? Fine. It works well for me and I can enjoy the game again. I took a break from sky for 9 months. And like you mentioned, many old friends I had also quit playing. The pricing in sky is another thing. I also grew up with the Moomins. And I saw it in the beta that the cosmetics for the Moomin season are not completed. Only if you do some iap you'll get the full costume for any character? That's ridiculous in my opinion. Why buying a season pass if not one single outfit is complete? I know it's a collab but oh boy. There are still ftp players in sky. We will see how it turns out 😅😊. Thank you

[@fantasy71388]

Welcome back 🎉

[@everest2268]

I’m glad to see more and more players become aware of the iap issue in this game. I started in season of lightseekers so I’ve been around since basically the start - I dropped off after season of flight when I realized how much I was spending and how boring the game truly was. At the end of the day all we’re really doing is replaying the same vague short story over and over again and boy howdy does it get boring FAST. I always hoped they’d expand or elaborate on lore more, maybe add a new area - but unsurprisingly they never bothered. Any new ‘lore’ that’s been sprinkled in is hard to find and vague at best so most players never even really experience it - it’s almost like they’re afraid of fleshing out the world more which is wild considering what a cool concept they have. Seriously, do they even have writers?? The world is so full of potential, it’s truly a waste to see it ignored in favour of adding a random new area that’ll be abandoned in a few months and a bunch of overpriced cosmetics I’d hold out hope things will change but it’s been years at this point and things have only gotten worse sadly

[@help_what_is_going_on]

this video made me incredibly sad because of how true ut is tbh i feel like i cant never quit sky because i have so many memories and spend so much time on it im stuck im hooked and i cant let go

[@JablecnyMliko]

The amount of people saying you just need to "get over" FOMO and you don't have to buy everything as if it wasn't basically equivalent to gambling in gacha games- the game literally rewards you for 100% the main spirit trees so *they're* the ones putting the idea of completionism in your head in the first place. And why do companies never get criticism for taking direct advantage of people's weaknesses?? It's all so fucking tiring and I hate living under capitalism. I wish TGC made normal games again and not live service, but then again, last time they tried that they almost went bankrupt.

[@TheDragiix3]

I really enjoyed this game. I got an IAP here and there, played the seasons. When I have the time I don't mind the CR, it's fun to run around with friends, but at the end of the day if you don't run every single day, and if you don't send yourself hearts with 3 alts, you can't afford even the basic bi-weekly offerings. The free cosmetics suck, the seasons are really boring, while it's all visually stunning. I stayed but in order to be able to afford the many candles, I started using Dukun Langit to CR as I have a stressful job and a life outside games. Hell, I didn't use it daily at all. We dicked around with the mods a bit as a group having fun, we still played, the CR now took 30 min daily instead of 2 hours and that made life easier. Now we all got ban warnings because how dare you mod a non-competitive game. Well, we all stopped playing mid current season. This game is a fucking chore.

[@AfterAFashionASMR]

I had no idea about that Disney guy or that $160 million investment 😨😳 I’ve been playing since July 2020, Sanctuary moth. It definitely was the golden age. Back then the game was about much more than cosmetics. No wonder the last couple years have been so bad, that investment was like drinking from the poisoned chalice, and don’t get me started on Disney 🙄 They should never have taken that money or partnered with that guy. Mistake imo that killed the spirit of the game. Sad.

[@clintwinkleman7514]

6:27 haha! The guy sitting on the right of the other employee looked and sounded like he just woke up or was not feeling it at all. Literally when it is his turn to talk his first response was "I don't think I understand the question". Maybe Sky has burned him out?

[@boarbaby842]

I've been playing since nesting, the frustration with the overpricing could kill this game for many when they've stress cosmetics so heavily. I want to say they're worth it and support where I can but £20 for one cape alone? why not make 2-3 good capes each event or season and sell them at £10? It looks like their team is talented and even big enough to handle designing some and I feel like they would make more money and keep players coming back and satisfied. The monetization doesn't fit the games vibe, it feels like gacha shenanigans.

[@sooni00]

Maybe we should all start quit cr and just go OOB travel , practice and play music with friends, take beautiful pictures... and that's it. Then maybe all of this pointless addiction will end. We should only purchase or unlock items that really suits you, as your second self in game. And stick to that avatar. Maybe that's the way to play the game for all of us... except for cute little moths❤️

[@peachbunnii]

whoa great video. loved your inclusion of the early interviews with the devs because it really shows how much their philosophy has shifted. nowadays, if anyone complains about too many IAPs, they get mobbed in sky discord for "not supporting devs" - when the root of the problem may be the poor practices that have made the game far less attractive to old/new playerbase. (to name a few, breaking up sets of IAPs into separate bundles so people have to purchase more to complete sets; raising prices of TS cosmetics; imbalance of paid content VS free content in events, etc.) These are all business decisions that have impacted the overall feel of the Sky game and community.

[@mochid9]

I'm also a returning vet. Started in Sanctuary and played near daily all the way till Little prince then stopped and popped back for Aurora and slowly started to play again. I had to psyche myself up to push back that feeling of FOMO and allow myself to truly play "Casually" again. I stopped buying most iap (excluding the surprisingly cheap summer event returners) because I watched that trap set itself up, none more so than the cinnamon collab and i fear for the children who have access to money for these insane new prices. I wish we didn't have to play mind games to keep our sanity because I still love this game a lot. At the absolute least we have the 3 semi passive gatherings set up (Geyser, Grandma and Turtle)

[@martynamarchewka8954]

I am an Android veteran and after (above) 4 years i can say that doing daily is quite boring and playing every single day is tireing.. But even tho i still love sky and it's atmosphere

[@creepycucumber3487]

Can i just say that, when i first heard about the Season of Shattering, i thought we will finally get a Season based on Eden. I was so excited to see how they would expand on it. Then it was just a hollow space... Honestly this is why my favourite season will for ever be the season of the little prince. It was just something else... even if the plot in that season was sparse, it was enough to keep me hooked. I've missed out on many seasons, i regret only missing one, but i don't remember what it's called... i still play sky but only sometimes...

[@Smashed_Potato]

When i saw Sky for the first time, i thought it wasnt really my game but during the pandemic i missed my friends and i downloaded it to be able to hold hands and hug them even from afar. I played with them for just one day. And a couple of months ago i got back on the game. Playing it solo was really relaxing, a moment of peace in caotic days. I was also eager to get all the cute cosmetics and dress up my kid in fantasy attire. In the first week i spent many candles on making new friends. But after a while, watching videos online i realized that if i wanted cosmetics i had to save the candles. So i was more careful. Then i started looking at the official socials to keep up with TS and events. I started the grind phase. I met less and less people just to candle run for a one hour or so. The game is really pretty and fun but if all the developers want is you spendig money on outifts and wings, then the game loses all interest for me. I mean, i left other games for this exact reason, hoping that a cute and chill game like Sky could be a nice change of pace. Im really sad that it doesnt look like it, right now at least. These days especially, with so many spirits rerunning, prices beying incredibly high i feel the pressure to grind everyday just to get back a couple of tiny rewards (i mean, 70 candles for a tiny crab on your shoulder is a little bit much). I hope someday the developpers are able to take things slower and listen to the community. I JUST WANT TO FLY WITH MY FRIENDS IN A CUTE OUTFIT T-T

[@AlucardTheRedeemed]

It's sad that sky used to be my escape from real life and now its just toxic TGC defenders and realists.

[@a_wild_beelzebub4922]

i’ve played since 2019 (guess that makes me a veteran) i do see the fomo, have felt the fomo. i came to this game for the friend interactions and the flying mechanic (stayed for it). i have had fun inviting my friends to the game and still play it on occasion. never been a frequent player. i still have fun running eden (and speed running it) I do still like the friendly community.

[@nivorann]

i've also recently came back after years of not playing. i love being able to play the game without FOMO (since i already have most of the cosmetics) but this makes me really concerned for newer players. the grind aspect is way more rough than back then- a cosmetic costing 70 candles on average is crazy... not to mention they have more stuff they would want to unlock. sheesh

[@sera1143]

As someone who's been playing since the exact day the game launched on Android (April 7th, 2020), I've also taken numerous breaks, or better said, hiatuses. Before my first big one, I played daily for at least a year, maybe two, before realizing that if I had had a particularly long day, been busy with other stuff, I would sacrifice my sleep to get that full candle run done. And this was before the daily light arrow system, so Valley would give you four candles, Wasteland as well, Forest three, etc., so you had to run almost every realm for the full 20. I would fall asleep while on Sky, the FOMO was so bad. That's when I realized I needed to take a step back, and in honesty, it felt incredibly freeing. I've dabbled in Sky every now and then after, sometimes staying for the full season, but trying not to let it engulf me like that anymore. One thing helping me with this is how ridiculously greedy TGC has become. First, it was the white candles in seasonal quest guide trees. Why do I have to spend EVEN MORE of my hard-earned candles just to fully finish a season, when seasons have always used orange candles and hearts only? TS and the numerous "Days of" events they've introduced sap your candles away easily, especially if you haven't collected the basic spirit trees or spend on friendship trees. Insane pushing for buying the candles outright. This began in Season of Assembly. And then the IAP prices... Now I know they've always been insane, I remember paying 15-20€ for the Snowflake cape, but they've made it manipulative now. Especially Days of Mischief does this, and now this new season. They lock the best ones (and they know which ones are the best ones) behind incredibly expensive IAPs, and release so many more to the shop every year. The leaf cape has been earnable with the event currency for at least 3 years in the shop, and every new cosmetic gets thrown behind a paywall. And not to mention the Snufkin set in Season of Moomin... cape is free, but the rest is IAP. Even buying the seasonpass isn't worth it anymore - it feels like they put half of what would've been in the free pass in, say, Season of Prophecy, into the paid pass, and the other into the free one, and the ACTUAL good cosmetics that would've been in SoP paid pass into IAPs. Dirty work. And the bugs, the amount of bugs... Krill pathing has and will forever remain, broken as hell, but our QoL glitches like the instrument trick and hometrick were patched out. OOBs aren't patched out yet but who knows when chibifall is removed, and you can't get into most places anymore? Remember when they removed the ability to run Vault fully alone, by removing chibifall access to those two four person rooms? They weren't past trying to remove the ability to afk for wax, to discourage ubering and to try to make people "socialize" more, so why would they be past this? TGC has seriously lost their roots. Or then they're in financial trouble! But that I cannot believe, as people still buy this shit. Most likely, they're just greedy.

[@aidanm.5461]

For me, Sky was always extremely hollow compared to Journey in it's heyday when Journey first released on PS3/PS4. Coming from Journey to Sky, it was evident to me right away that Sky was more focused on collecting cosmetics and outfits than on the actual heart and lore which made Journey a masterpiece. Yet, TCG obviously makes way more money off of Sky. I've been waiting for a Journey 2 forever, but TCG sold Journey for $15, whereas now they charge $15 for a single IAP in Sky! It's not hard to see why TCG keeps following the money and adding more and more items if players are willing to spend money on IAPs, season pass, and candles. I do miss Journey, but at least we can all clearly see what TCG is doing any why.

[@Lilliy-u1h]

Ive been playing sky since season of dreams and i really agree with you in the changes that have happened. They are trying to hard to keep adding new content faster and faster leading to players getting overwhelmed and drained. I really think that if they would slow down and focus more on the details and story it would make the game so much better and even if it doesnt lead to more daily players it would make the game so much more enjoyable. Even with all the problems though I still love the game and cant leave it due to the early days establishing such good friendships with other players.

[@enilicht]

I haven’t played since mid season of nesting. I once swore that i would play this game religiously, at least until for 5 years. Season of moomin just got announced, I miss sky’s 5th anniversary… but everytime I even try to open the game, I feel instantly demotivated, it’s the effect of burn out finally hitting me after 3 years. The quality of seasons and events going down doesn’t help. Not to mention like, 700 other problems as well as the most prominent being the iaps😭😭 this game feels so predatory now. There’s no sense of wonder anymore. There’s no new mentions of lore, no attention to the older seasons, overusing the “crowd” feature and social aspects of the game, forcing players to either play the game with other people or not play at all, etc.. I just don’t feel any excitement anymore going on. I wish to return someday.. maybe if they release an event that actually hooks me in but now I feel like all the other aspects of the game overshadow cute cosmetics, fun events.. it’s honestly really sad. This game genuinely means so much to me, it’s my comfort game to this day. But it’s getting harder to hang onto it🙁

[@enilicht]

As much as I hate to think about it, I think I really did “quit”, just with the false hope and assuring myself that I will return someday. Except that I likely won’t until maybe next year.. maybe once I find someone to actually play this game with to give me the excitement that this game can’t provide for me anymore.

[@meepitydoodle]

i came back to sky recently after a long, long time... it feels so different now. Back then i was focused on going through the realms and getting through eden! And i met a lot of people, we'd log on and try and find cool things we'd miss, or i'd get lead by more experienced players to winged light etc. it was so fun. I already feel the difference, I'm scared of not getting cosmetics, I don't even like them a lot of the time, i just feel like i'm missing out on so much. I've been doing the daily tasks, i quite enjoy them, but the fear of not getting candles everyday is *intense*. i think i'll save for moomin, as I love the moomins so much. after that, well. I'll just be chill. not so much grinding. I guess as a solo player grinding feels quite calm, but not if it's out of fear/fomo

[@polluxtiangge7800]

I remember my first time playing was in 2021 and there were only 23 days before the end of dreams,i actaully ENJOYED the game exploring doing quests i kept playing until 2022 march,from that point on the fun and magic were gone it was just grind grind grind,and so i left..tried to come back but didnt really vibe with it anymore..

[@dinooro1365]

Working with other people here IS A CHALLENGE, especially on 8 - people puzzle in Daylight Prairie. I don't want to quit it because of FOMO

[@uhhhidk8300]

I remember my first time in eden, getting helped by other players after i avoided it for a while… I actually cried, it can still make me tear up when i do it. I refuse to grind eden to get AC, because i find it such a beautiful ‘experience’ that i do not want to ruin with the grind/fomo mindset (and luckily not that many AC are needed for cosmetics)

[@Letgsl_]

I remember back in 2021 one of my friends said sky was becoming a cosmetic centered game. Now I agree with them 100%. I've been playing this game since 2019 and got my first sky burnout in 2021, during that time I thought the constant grind for candles was bad but now I feel like it's way worse. The cosmetics are too overpriced and they added even more events (I don't dislike them, but it's hard to keep up with so much content).

[@kerrierobbins6193]

Wow i didn't know there was a former disney employee there. Makes sense, the animations are very nicely done

[@assatta-QT]

I love Sky just like I love their game, Journey. After coming back to the game after many months of not playing it just to make it in time for the Aurora concert, after it all ended, it hit me. I told myself that day I can no longer keep holding on to Sky like I used to. This beloved game is going to be a distant memory like Journey used to be but Sky would become that way due to the points that you stated. Sky: Children of the light is a game for children and for adults therefore adults will point out the small details about the game to either make it better or to give the developers advice on how to keep the gameplay how it used to be while kids are not intricate about the game they are playing, they just play and play and play, that would work in Sky: Children of the light favor because most kids do not have jobs therefore they can spend most of their day playing Sky. Soon the developers keep going on the route that they are taken, their platform would only be children playing it, when those children get older and start seeing the details on what Sky is than they will stop playing it and the children would take their place and it would happen again, and again and again where kids would log on, play for a few months than stop, and so another child would take their place and do what they once did until they to get board and move on from the game and the circle would continue. It's so sad to see a game I was actually good at playing and being look up to because I'm a veteran to the game, that gave me the responsibility to help other Sky Children on their own journey. It was absolutely amazing, to get that sense that no one was actually better than someone in the game because we all saw the same scenery and experience all the same events happened in the game and all players can learn something from the less experienced players to the grinding players, on at that time choose to grind candles when grinding wasn't the main focus back than. Sky was my friend and now it's someone I used to know who's going to fade into just a memory.