Aether & Iron News

[p]Thanks to everyone who’s jumped into Aether & Iron and had the opportunity to fall in love with both the characters and world that we’ve built. The passion and engagement we’ve seen from the community has broken through all of our expectations as a team, and we couldn’t be more excited by the response to Aether & Iron.[/p][p]With our first patch, v1.0.159, we wanted to address the reports of save issues popping up for a small number of players and are digging into what’s causing it. This is our main focus right now, and the team’s working to lock down a solid fix. This patch contains a solution to allow players to repopulate their missing saves, and we believe we’ve identified the main culprit behind the issue and are working on a long term, stable solution for the near future.[/p][p]We’ll keep sharing updates as we make progress and once we’ve got that fix ready.[/p][p][/p][h2]Patch Notes[/h2][h3]New[/h3]

• [p]For any players encountering save file issues: added a “Recover” button in the Load Screen that will re-check all of your save files and display any missing ones (note: this may take a while to run).[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Fixed[/h3]

• [p]UI/UX[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a few instances of missing translations for POIs.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue with purchasing and then immediately customizing a vehicle.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed missing POI in Dreamland Garage.[/p]
• [p]Misc[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issues causing some player’s save files to not appear in the load screen.[/p]

[p] [/p]

[p]We’re excited to team up with Artifice Studio, the talented team behind Legends of the Round Table to bring you a new bundle![/p][p]Pair our decopunk narrative RPG Aether & Iron; set in a floating alternate 1930s New York City full of jazz, intrigue, and tough choices with their beautiful medieval RPG filled with honor, magic, and romance.[/p][p]If you love strong storytelling and meaningful choices, this bundle is for you![/p][p]➡️Aether & Iron + Legends of the Round Table Bundle [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[h2]Aether & Iron is finally here![/h2][p]Step into a breathtaking decopunk 1930s floating metropolis. Play as Gia, a sharp-witted smuggler with a mysterious past, as you recruit your crew, engage in tactical turn-based combat from your gravity-defying vehicle, and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath the glamorous skyline.[/p][p]With full English voice acting, meaningful choices, and a rich narrative full of rivalries, alliances, and moral dilemmas, this is a story-driven RPG where your decisions truly matter.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who has been following our development journey. Your support, feedback, and enthusiasm have meant the world to our team. We hope you love playing the final game as much as we loved making it.[/p][p]If you’ve already been enjoying Aether & Iron, we hope you’ll leave us a review on Steam. Your reviews help new players discover the game and mean a ton to our team. [/p][p][/p][h3]Launch Bundles[/h3]

• [p]Pick up the Deluxe Edition bundle, which includes the full game plus the complete jazz-infused soundtrack composed by Grammy-winner Christopher Tin and Alex Williamson.[/p]

[p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

• [p]Sovereign Syndicate, another fantastic story-rich RPG with a strong Victorian steampunk vibe.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]
• [p]Minds Beneath Us a powerful, emotional sci-fi narrative adventure where humans are exploited as living components in a vast AI-driven system.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]
• [p]Shardpunk a tense turn-based tactical RPG with strong survival and resource management elements in a grim steampunk setting.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]If you love deep storytelling, complex characters, meaningful choices, and thought-provoking worlds, both of these titles are worth checking out![/p][p][/p][h3]Want to stay connected? [/h3][p]Join our Discord community! Every week we host a live voice call where different members of the dev team drop in to chat, answer questions, and talk about the game. It’s a great, low-pressure way to hang out with us and other players.[/p][p]https://discord.gg/SeismicSquirrel[/p][p] [/p][p]Thank you again for following our development, playing the demo, and supporting independent games. We can’t wait to hear what you think of Aether & Iron![/p][p] [/p][p]Now take to the skies, you've got a city to save![/p][p]~ The Seismic Squirrel Team & Chaos Theory Games[/p]

[h3]The countdown is on. Aether & Iron launches globally in one week!![/h3][p][/p][p]This is it!! Our first game, Aether & Iron, releases globally March 30-31, 2026. Your exact launch time is shown in the graphic above.[/p][p][/p][h3]The World We've Built:[/h3][p]Aether & Iron is a fully-voiced 1930s noir Narrative RPG set in a gravity-defying alt-history New York. Play as Gia, a smuggler caught in a conspiracy that threatens the impossible floating city.[/p][p]🚗 Master turn-based vehicular combat on the Aetherways - outfit your car with weapons, armor, and modifications, then take on enemies in tactical battles.[/p][p]🕵️‍♀️ Develop your skills by spending talent points in Brass, Hustle, and Smarts. Navigate encounters with dice-based skill checks where you can persuade, intimidate, or lie your way through the branching narrative.[/p][p]🤝 Recruit companions who have their own agendas. Your relationships with them shape the story and determine final outcomes.[/p][p]✍️ Featuring hundreds of hand-drawn Leyendecker-inspired characters and environments, plus an original jazz-noir score recorded by a live orchestra with Christopher Tin (Grammy winner, Civilization) and Alex Williamson.
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h3]To Our Community:[/h3][p]Thank you. To everyone who wishlisted, played the demo, joined our Discord, watched our dev diaries, left feedback - you've been part of this journey. Your support means the world to us!![/p][p]We'll see you in the skies next week!![/p][p][/p][p] ~ The Seismic Squirrel & Chaos Theory Games Teams[/p]

[p]Hello everyone![/p][p]We are just over a month away from Aether & Iron's full release on March 31st and wanted to release an update to make sure the demo best represents the experience you'll have in the game's full release. [/p][p]This update focuses on early-game stability, combat balance, UI clarity, and presentation polish. [/p][p]Thank you to everyone who has been playing the demo and sharing your feedback! [/p][h3]New[/h3]

• [p]More voiced dialogue in the demo (plus fixes for VO that fired at the wrong time or didn’t match subtitles).[/p]
• [p]Combat feels fairer and clearer with early-encounter balance tweaks, and improved tooltips.[/p]
• [p]UI/UX improvements for vehicle setup, inventory, tutorials, and controller play.[/p]
• [p]New accessibility warning before combat for players sensitive to motion sickness / flashing lights.[/p]
• [p]More robust save support (including behind-the-scenes improvements so saves behave more reliably between updates).[/p]

[h3]Improved[/h3]

• [p]Combat & Balance[/p]
  • [p]Early combats rebalanced for pacing and readability (including HP/AP tuning and encounter flow tweaks).[/p]
  • [p]Aura and hazard tooltips now communicate effects more clearly, including who they affect and hazard type.[/p]
  • [p]Better enemy/vehicle consistency so bystanders and enemies are easier to identify.[/p]
  • [p]Improved combat performance in several encounters (especially around turn transitions and heavier VFX moments).[/p]
• [p]UI/UX[/p]
  • [p]Vehicle customization defaults to a clearer “part map” view to help you understand what fits where.[/p]
  • [p]Storage upgrades are easier to compare, with clearer slot counts and “net gain/loss” info.[/p]
  • [p]Improved presentation for tooltips, popups, and UI text (including non-English layouts).[/p]
  • [p]More readable POI outlines across key early locations, making it easier to spot what’s interactable.[/p]
  • [p]Better handling of widescreen monitors.[/p]
• [p]Miscellaneous[/p]
  • [p]Campaign sorting order now matches your save file sorting order, so your most recently updated campaign appears at the top.[/p]
  • [p]Repairing vehicles at The Hole is now free.[/p]
  • [p]Improved translations in several key early-game areas.[/p]

[h3]Fixed[/h3]

• [p]Combat[/p]
  • [p]Fixed cases where visual effects or auras persisted after enemies were eliminated.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed several encounter-specific issues that could cause odd deaths, broken flow, or incorrect outcomes.[/p]
• [p]Narrative & Scenes[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a large set of issues where the demo could block progress, including:[/p]
    • [p]Getting stuck in certain conversations or mission states.[/p]
    • [p]Edge cases around leaving/returning to hubs and key locations.[/p]
    • [p]Several cases where interactions or POIs didn’t appear when they should.[/p]
• [p]UI/UX[/p]
  • [p]Fixed multiple issues with controller navigation (including history screens and incorrect prompts).[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issues in the control remapping UI (mouse wheel scrolling and keybinding behavior).[/p]
  • [p]Fixed UI bugs like double victory text, fuzzy icons, and misaligned roads in some areas.[/p]
• [p]Misc[/p]
  • [p]Fixed audio continuing to loop after pausing/unpausing in some cases.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed some localization edge cases (including missing characters and incorrect fonts).[/p]

[h3]Known Issues[/h3]

• [p]There are still instances of missing and/or mismatched VO.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Thank you for playing, reporting issues, and helping us make Aether & Iron better.[/p][p]March 31st is just around the corner, and we're excited to release our first game![/p][p]If you enjoyed the demo, be sure wishlist the game: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]And if you haven't joined our Discord yet, come hang out. We're active daily and always happy to chat:
https://www.discord.gg/SeismicSquirrel [/p][p]See you at launch![/p][p]- Seismic Squirrel & Chaos Theory Games[/p]