Sky: Children of the Light hits 15 million more downloads in a month with China, Android launches

Thatgamecompany said its Sky: Children of the Light mobile game has topped 35 million downloads, including 15 million in the past month, thanks to its launch on Android and in China.

The soulful game from the makers of Flower and Journey launched in July 2019 on iOS. The team released the Android version in April, and it debuted on Android in China on July 9. While China provided a huge boost, the overall growth of the game has been global.

The Santa Monica, California-based company headed by Jenova Chen also said it is releasing the digital soundtrack for Sky today. Chen spoke at our GamesBeat Summit event in April about how the company created a positive community of fans for Sky, which is a fanciful journey into beautiful landscapes that players could undertake in a cooperative way with friends.

The speed of downloads has accelerated, with the company hitting 20 million downloads around June 30. Between July 10 and July 30, Sky gained an additional 15 million new installs. The acceleration came from the July 9 launch in China, as well as the launch of a new season of content worldwide on iOS and Android.

During the pandemic, Sky has been listed many times as “a must-play game” thanks to its calming, socially connected, positive nature, said Jennie Kong in an email to GamesBeat. She’s narrative writer and head of communications for Thatgamecompany.

Fans have played Sky as a way to stay in touch with friends while socially distanced. The latest Season of Sanctuary adventure was also promoted as a “virtual vacation” for players wanting to relax together this summer.

Vincent Diamante, who previously scored the studio’s soundtrack for Flower, created the music for Sky, which the company describes as a social adventure set above the clouds in a forgotten and desolate kingdom. The music underscored the compassion at the heart of the game design, which encourages players to work together. Sky’s score was inspired by the beauty of flight, a sense of wonder in the world, and the joys of companionship.

Diamante began scoring the music six years ago, when the project was in its infancy, and the fruits of this creative journey are now available in a 30-track first volume album. The soundtrack was performed by the Fame’s Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra with a 47-piece ensemble, incorporating both traditional orchestral and ethnic wind instruments to create the musical score, as well as sound effects throughout the game.

Sky: Children of the Light is available on the App Store and Google Play and is coming soon on Nintendo Switch. Sky Original Game Soundtrack Volume One will be available from today for digital download for $10.