AETHUS News

[h3]Hello again, Pioneers! [/h3][p]When I started making this game, I felt like I had the potential for something special, and that if I put my heart and soul into making it a reality, it could become a proper, successful product with the potential to allow me to keep doing this.[/p][p]More than two years on from that moment, when I left my career in AAA to go out and make something that was entirely my own - to bring Maeve and Roland and their world to life - we've passed 20,000 outstanding wishlists on Steam.[/p][p]This is an amazing moment for me as a developer, and I feel vindicated in that original belief, thanks to you![/p][p][/p][p]Wishlists are a crucial way of showing Steam that your game is worth promoting to potential players on the platform, so I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support in wishlisting the game and telling other people about it so they can do the same.[/p][p]The game is almost done, and the finish line is now in sight.[/p][p]I'll be running one final playtest in the next month or so, but I'm also expecting my first child at the end of November so things are about to get very busy...[/p][p]Finally, we've had an influx of awesome new members to the Official Discord, and I'd love to chat with you about the game - you can leave feedback, ask questions and contribute directly to the creation of the game with me![/p][p]Join the Discord[/p][p]Join the community and talk to me directly, get access to future playtests for the game, and get exclusive behind-the-scenes content![/p][p]Thanks again for your support - it really means the world.[/p][p]Alex + Apollo[/p]

[h3]Hello again, Pioneers! [/h3][p]I'm very proud to say that AETHUS was picked for the Official Selection at SXSW Sydney this year![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The game will have a physical booth at the show on October 15/16, and will participate in the Steam festival from October 18-24th![/p][p]Huge thanks to the SXSW Sydney team, particularly Peak, for featuring a game from outside Australia and allowing for games like mine to be showcased 'remotely' at such an awesome show.[/p][p]A massive thank you to Pete and Babette for volunteering to man the physical booth at the show! free demo for AETHUS![/p][p]I've worked hard to ensure the demo provides the best possible intro to AETHUS for new players, so if you’re jumping into the game for the first time, welcome! It's great to have you! [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]If you've already played but have yet to leave a positive review for the demo, please do so if you get a few spare minutes! It really helps to show new players the game![/p][p]Finally, I'd love to chat further about the game or studio in the Pawsmonaut Discord - you can leave feedback, ask questions and contribute directly to the creation of the game with me![/p][p]Join the Discord[/p][p]Join the community and talk to me directly, get access to future playtests for the game, and get exclusive behind-the-scenes content![/p][p]Have an awesome SXSW Sydney![/p][p]Alex + Apollo[/p]

[p]Hello again, Pioneers! [/p][p]Welcome to the September Development Diary for AETHUS! [/p][p]This month, we have an updated Gameplay Trailer to showcase, we get our first introduction to the final biome of the game - the Magma Rifts, and confirm the inclusion of plenty of Achievements you can hunt down at launch![/p][h3]Reminder: Could you review the AETHUS Demo?[/h3][p]Before we begin, I just wanted to request a little something - as a wee reminder, I recently swapped the AETHUS demo to a separate Steam page, which means that you can now leave reviews directly for the demo, which helps give new potential players an idea of what you all think and make an informed choice! [/p][p]It would help me out a lot if you'd take a couple of minutes to head to the Demo Page (or click the widget below) and leave a review if you enjoyed it, even if it was a while ago!
[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]The more positive reviews we can gather, the more new people we can introduce the game to! [/p][p]Thanks a lot to those who've already left reviews, it really does help and means a lot to me as a solo developer! ❤[/p][h3]With that done, onto September's Updates![/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]The game recently passed 18,000 Wishlists on Steam, and to celebrate, I created an updated Gameplay Trailer which you can check out on the Store page as the first video![/p][p]Unfortunately Steam doesn't allow me to embed the video(!) but have a click through and check it out![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Hopefully you'll agree that this is a step-up from the old one, and there's a lot of exciting new stuff in there to give you a taste of what you'll see in the full game... [/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h2]New Survival Challenges[/h2][p]The Magma Rifts are the third biome featured in the game, and the deepest you'll explore in your journey.[/p][p]A huge underground magma lake, surrounded by craggy cliffs and enveloped in searing heat, you'll need to pay attention if you're going to survive in this challenging biome as it contains several new survival challenges and new gameplay mechanics, including:[/p][h3]Heat Management:[/h3][p]Managing your heat in this sweltering environment using items, constructions and more will be key to progressing through the zone and uncovering its secrets.[/p][h3]Radiation[/h3][p]Some of the Magma Rifts are not just hot, but also radioactive! This even includes some of the resources you'll be wanting to mine and use for yourself...[/p][p]Craft protective items and take care when exploring in order to not succumb to the effects of radiation![/p][h2] Centre of the Conspiracy[/h2][p]It is within the Magma Rifts that the truth will finally be revealed and the history of this fateful mining claim laid bare. Maeve and Roland will have big decisions to make that could change the fate of the megacorporations that control everything...[/p][p]The story of the game comes to a head here among the decaying ruins of the most secret and eventful facilities left behind long ago... Will you be able to help Maeve to uncover the truth?[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]I'm happy to confirm that you will be able to hunt down and complete dozens of Steam Achievements at launch![/p][p]The total number to collect is likely to be around ~50, many of which will be tied directly to the core story, but there will also be achievements for exploration and side content as well as engaging with the systems of the game, such as the 'Mass Production' achievement shown above![/p][p]I am hoping to have custom art for all of these Achievements in for launch, as well.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h3]That's it for this development diary![/h3][p]I'm head down full-pelt working to finish the game, so please forgive me for the sporadic updates![/p][p]Oh, and remember to take just a minute to head to the demo page and leave a review and help me out! ❤ [/p][p]Until next time, [/p][p]Alex (and Apollo)[/p]

[h3]Hello again, Pioneers! [/h3][p]I'm delighted to announce that AETHUS is featured in this year’s Tiny Teams festival, organised by YogsCast![/p][p]I'm super excited to be joining the lineup of awesome games made by other micro-sized developers this year, and I'm hugely proud that AETHUS was selected from over 2,000 other applicants to be featured![/p][p]Huge thanks to the YogsCast crew for their trust and belief in the game and I![/p][p][/p][p]As part of the fest, be sure to check out the free demo for AETHUS![/p][p]I've worked hard to ensure the demo provides the best possible intro to AETHUS for new players, so if you’re jumping into the game for the first time, welcome! It's great to have you! [/p][h2][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]About my Tiny Team - Pawsmonaut Games[/h2][p]If you're new around here, let me introduce myself! [/p][p]I'm Alex, and I'm the solo-dev behind AETHUS, and my microstudio, Pawsmonaut Games.[/p][p]I named my studio after my dog, a dalmatian named Apollo. You may be able to tell that space and sci-fi have always been close to my heart in my choice of names (and debut game genre and setting!).[/p][p]I am the only person working on the game day-to-day, which means I have full control over everything - just the way I like it! Quality and attention to detail are my top priorities when making the game, so I'm always striving to make sure everything I do hits the mark.[/p][p]I have some awesome freelance partners who contribute in areas like audio design, music, artwork and narrative design, but Apollo and I are the only ones with access to the game project files and everything goes through us![/p][p]I worked on AAA games at studios like Rockstar North, Build a Rocket Boy and Splash Damage before going indie and forming Pawsmonaut in 2023 to make games a bit differently - with AAA quality and attention to detail, but indie heart. No predatory business practices or microtransactions, openness and honesty in communication, and absolutely no AI content!
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I hope this little insight into the studio gives you a bit more info on who's making AETHUS, and I'd love to chat further about the game or studio in the Pawsmonaut Discord. [/p][p]Join the Discord[/p][p]Join the community and talk to me directly, get access to future playtests for the game, and get exclusive behind-the-scenes content![/p][h2]Reminder: Gameplay Deep Dive[/h2][p]If you're new here or missed it, I recently released the first Gameplay Deep Dive for AETHUS which I titled 'The Menagerie'![dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Join me as I take you through various game features and introduce you to Trudy - your corporate rep - as we work to populate a corporate menagerie by collecting some mysterious eggs and earn some extra credits for our effort! [/p][p]Remember, you can check out the demo during Tiny Teams 2025 and if you enjoy what you play, please leave a review! The more positive reviews we can gather, the more new people we can introduce to the game![/p][p]
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]And thanks again to everyone who’s reviewed the demo already! [/p][p]Have an awesome Tiny Teams Fest![/p]

[h3]Hello again, Pioneers! I hope you're having a lovely summer![/h3][p]I'm pleased to present the very first Gameplay Deep Dive - 'The Menagerie'![/p][p]In this video, come with me as I take you through various game features as you get your first introduction to Trudy, we work to populate a corporate menagerie by collecting some mysterious eggs, and earn some extra credits for our effort! [/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Let me know what you think of this Deep Dive in the comments or via social media or Discord![/p][p]If you enjoyed it and would like to see more, I'd love to know what you'd enjoy a Deep Dive to focus on.[/p][p]
If you like what you've seen and haven't done so yet, you can go ahead and try out the free demo! [/p][p]If you were paying attention in the last month or so, you'll have seen an update about AETHUS being published by CULT Games.[/p][p]I wanted to update you all to let you know that this won't be moving forward and AETHUS will continue to be fully indie and self-published. I retain full control over every aspect of the game and its IP.[/p][p]This decision was a difficult one to make, but I now firmly believe that the best path forward for the game is to be completely independent. [/p][p]Rest assured that the game is coming along incredibly well, and I will be running the final playtest of the game in the next couple of months![/p][p]What this does mean though is that I will need your help more than ever in spreading the word about the game, sharing content like the Deep Dive above with people you think might enjoy it, and making sure you Wishlist and Follow the game.[/p][p][/p][p]If you've played the demo and enjoyed it, I'd really (really!) appreciate it if you would drop even just a couple of lines as a review on the demo page - it really helps with visibility![/p][p][/p][p]Thanks as always for your support in making AETHUS as successful as it can be! As always, until next time![/p][p]Alex and Apollo.[/p][p][/p]