Pistons

Pistons are weak points found on Gods but can also be found in other places. Pistons are one of the few ways the Hero can damage Gods. Some Puzzles require Pistons to be interacted with.

Appearance
They appear as golden, metallic cylinders housed within a larger cylinder. The outer part of the piston is etched with the same Runes as the Gods and Fallen Heroes. Upon usage, the runes light up around the outer cylinder until full, at which point the runes turn dark and dark, smoky particles emanate from the piston to indicate completion.

Usage
Pistons are used in boss fights to defeat the boss. The hero must pull then push the inner cylinder using the attack button, which will progressively fill the glowing ring that appears around the outer cylinder. Up to one-third of the outer ring can be lit up per individual attack. Once finished, the hero will be rewarded with a partial replenishment of their stats, the amount of which depends on the level of difficulty the save is on.

Trivia
In the early access build 0.5.011 patch notes, the pistons were referred to as pull switches

The runes that appear on the pistons match those on the Gods, the Fallen heroes, and other metalwork found in the mysterious islands.