September 2025 Development Diary

[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]