The Mourning Star is the debut game from one-man development band Ben Russell Games. As an expectant father, Ben Russell’s mind drifted to where all future parents do; to the end of the universe, and so he produced a profound parable centred on wielding the last star in existence as a flail and protecting it from the end of the universe. Naturally.

Being suddenly awoken and finding themselves with amnesia Deah, presented as a big pair of cosmic eyeballs, discovered that all the stars are going cold as the whole universe is rapidly dying. In order to prevent this tragedy, the player will take the last remaining star and attempt to keep it safe as they attempt to complete a ritual that will result in a new big bang.

The gameplay consists of swiping around the screen to avoid hazardous fireballs or to smash asteroids that threaten the success of the ritual. Depending on how vigorously players swipe the star can either gently saunter around, or turn into a tethered jumping bean haphazardly darting here, there and everywhere, so much skill is required to accurately guide the star around the screen. Each level focuses on a different consolation in the stars and offers its own science-fiction parable to ponder over as the game goes on.

Accessible to all skill levels, there are multiple difficulty modes, depending on how comfortable you get with the erstwhile swings of your star. Normal and Hard are available for those who wish to add some stakes to the game, with each limiting how many errors you can make. Zen mode allows for infinite mistakes for those who want to enjoy the gameplay without fear of failing, whereas Story mode removes the gameplay and allows players to sit back and soak in the pleasant parables and mellow music.

The Mourning Star is available to download now on the App Store and Google Play. The game is free to play with ads, with an in-game purchase of $3.99 to remove the ads and also unlock the Bootes and Serpens constellations.