Parhelia [May 2025 Playtest]

Welcome to the May 2025 Playtest for Parhelia! 

WISHLIST ON STEAM

About the game

Parhelia is a fast-paced platformer inspired by the golden ages of gaming and mythology. 

• You are invincible! 
• Wield the powers of fire and light to ignite torches, incinerate enemies, and blaze across the sky.
• Gain Praise and Tributes by racking up combos, speeding through levels, recruiting Acolytes, and purifying temples. 
• Engage in a world-spanning battle against mysterious invaders from beyond the sky. Some of your fellow gods will help you, but others want all the glory for themselves. 

About this build 

This is an early build primarily meant for gameplay & level design feedback. Sound effects are temporary, and there is no music whatsoever. All visuals are a work in progress.

Controls

Informed by the limitations of classic consoles such as the Game Boy, Parhelia uses an intuitive 2-button control scheme. It can be played with an Xbox Gamepad, keyboard, or keyboard & mouse combo. 

• MOVE LEFT / RIGHT 
  • GAMEPAD: Analog stick left / right (D-pad available in full release)
  • KEYBOARD: A & D, or Arrow Keys left / right
• DOWN
  • GAMEPAD: Analog stick down
  • KEYBOARD: S, or Arrow Key down
• JUMP
  • GAMEPAD: A button
  • KEYBOARD: L or Z
  • MOUSE: Right click
• HELIO BOOST (Air Dash)
  • Press JUMP and any direction in mid-air.
• SOLAR WHEEL (Melee Attack)
  • GAMEPAD: X button
  • KEYBOARD: K or X
  • MOUSE: Left click
• FLARE DIVE
  • In mid-air, press ATTACK and DOWN.
• SLIDE
  • On a slope, hold DOWN. Keep holding to activate SLIDE ATTACK.
  • Alternatively, FLARE DIVE directly onto a slope to automatically slide.

FAQ

• What platform(s) will Parhelia be available on?
  • Currently, just Steam / PC for the initial release, though I'd like to look into porting it further down the line.
• Will there be another playtest / demo after this?
  • Yes. I'm aiming for October 2025, which will showcase the first two worlds alongside boss fights, the soundtrack, and early storyline.
• How do you progress through the game? 
  • In the full game, the barrier to the next temple (hub) will be locked, requiring a certain amount of Tributes to move forward. 
• Will you be adding rebindable controls?
  • Yep.