Home

Home is where any newcomers will begin the game, as well as being a central hub for the rest of the game. One of the key features of Home is the ability to use doorways known as "portals" to select a stage to arrive in. The portals start out dormant, each one activating linearly. After enough progress is made, the levels become more open-ended, allowing access to the different realms regardless of the initial order. The only exception to this rule is the Eye of Eden, which, alongside the requirement of the other six realms being played through, can't be entered until twenty winged lights are collected. When players walk into a portal, it automatically transports them to the beginning of the corresponding area, regardless of previous progress. There is a small circle dubbed the Return Shrine, which will send the player to the realm they were last in.

Home also contains the constellation table. All spirits that are saved in the other realms are displayed in their realm's constellation. When the constellation of a spirit is selected, hearts and candles can be spent to unlock new items. These include spells, leveled-up expressions, and customization options. Another feature of the Constellation Table is the Friend Constellations, for viewing other players that were added to the friend list, allowing the players to give and receive gifts, and joining servers to play together.

Other features of Home include closet space to change cosmetics, a bell that chimes every hour and quarter hour, and a boat called the Sleepy Traveling Merchant's Boat, occasionally arriving to give the player free spells and sell season exclusive items.

At the starting point of each realm there is a small hub with gravestones of the spirits you find, closets (except for Isle and Vault), and a portal to return Home (which were removed from all realms in a later update).

The Isle of Dawn

The Isle of Dawn is the first realm the player will encounter at the beginning of the game after the first cutscene. It is also part of the tutorial the players receive when they play for the first time. The Isle of Dawn appears like a desert with tall rocks and caves dotted around. Three of the regular spirits can be relived here although the realm has seasonal spirits as well. Once the player reaches the tall hill like rock structure leading to the Elder's temple they fly towards it. After landing they go inside the temple. In the temple, once the player lights up the candles at the Elder spirit's Altar a cutscene is activated where the player meets the Isle Elder, a tall but old humanoid being with long arms holding a tall staff. Once the elder regains their light they show the player to their destination, The Eye of Eden. After the cutscene the player is shown the Isle constellation where they can deepen their bonds with the spirits. The Isle of Dawn leads to the Daylight Prairie.

The Daylight Prairie

The Daylight Prairie is the second realm the player encounters after finishing the Isle of Dawn. The Daylight Prairie is a lush green place with colourful flowers dotted everywhere along with golden butterflies which the player can interact with through an emote. The Daylight Prairie consists of two parts, the first part where the flowers and butterflies are present and the second part consisting of bell towers which need to be lit to activate the manta cutscene.The realm contains 8 regular spirits. Once the bell towers are lit a stone platform in the middle of the bell towers with a manta shaped constellation lights up and large mantas rise from the clouds below the bell towers and the platform. Multiple mantas rise and each collect a player and drop them at the Prairie Elder spirit's temple. The player goes in and lights up the altar of the Prairie Elder spirit which activates the next cutscene. In this cutscene the Prairie Elder spirit, a gigantic humanoid being with thick arms, then takes the player's offering (a small flame) and turns it into a golden butterfly which circles around the player before the Prairie elder places it inside a large pot. After the cutscene the Prairie constellation is shown, after the player is done viewing it, another cutscene is activated in which the butterflies from the pots surrounding the altar, burst outside and flutter around. The player then calls upon them and is taken to the next realm, The Hidden Forest.

The Hidden Forest

The Hidden Forest is the third realm the player encounters once they finish the Daylight Prairie.The Hidden Forest is located under the clouds and has four parts.The first part has two gates, upon opening the first gate a cutscene is triggered where rain begins pouring down in the hidden forest. If the player steps into the rain their light begins getting drained and once all of it is drained they "die."

The Valley of Triumph

The Valley of Triumph is the fourth realm the player encounters after flying out of the Hidden Forest. It is a snow area and is portrayed as a hill that you slide down. At the end of the level, players will find a stadium called the "Coliseum" (named after the Colosseum) and a temple where you advance to the next realm.

Seasons and events

Sky features ongoing seasonal events, with new storylines and unique spirits and items. Seasonal events are completely free-to-play, but some of the spirits' items require a paid "Season Pass" to unlock. The seasons have a unique currency called "seasonal candles," which can be used to purchase seasonal items and are converted to regular candles when the season ends. Seasonal spirits may return as "Traveling Spirits" in the future, which players can give their candles and hearts to receive seasonal items for a limited time, albeit at a higher price.

Music

Sky features an orchestral score composed by Vincent Diamante, with some tracks performed by FAME'S Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra.^[8][9] Norwegian singer Aurora also provides the vocals for the game's intro and outro songs.^[10]

Four volumes of soundtrack albums have been released. The first volume covers more recognizable music from the base game cycle.^[11] The second volume contains mostly ambient background music, and the third includes various pieces composed for Sky's Seasonal Events.^[12]

Charity

In 2020, thatgamecompany held some in-game events in support of charity. First was the "Days of Nature" event, in celebration of Earth Day, during which a unique IAP (in-app purchase) was available. Proceeds from each purchase of the IAP were used to plant one tree per purchase, in partnership with the OneTreePlanted charity. This event resulted in a total of 40,576 trees planted across the Amazonian and Australian forests damaged by wildfires.^[13] In April 2021, Sky hosted its second "Days of Nature" event, using the game to promoting awareness towards plastic pollution of the ocean.^[14]

In May 2020, thatgamecompany hosted a "Days of Healing" event to help raise money for the Médecins Sans Frontières organization,^[15] leading thatgamecompany to donate $719,138 to the MSF COVID-19 Crisis Fund.^[16] For the event, thatgamecompany also joined the World Health Organization's #PlayApartTogether campaign.^[15]

In June 2020, Sky held its first "Days of Rainbow" event, featuring colorful rainbow items and spells as a way to celebrate pride month. The second "Days of Rainbow" event the following year gathered funds for The Trevor Project and the Global Fund for Women, with players raising $794,420 in total.^[17]

Accolades

The game won Apple's iPhone game of the year for 2019.^[28] On October 5, 2020, Gamasutra reported that the game had topped 50 million downloads worldwide.^[29] Pocket Gamer awarded it the People's Choice award in 2020.^[30]