AETHUS News

[h3]The AETHUS Demo is now live as part of Steam Next Fest![/h3][p]If you're new here, welcome! I'm Alex, the solo-developer of AETHUS.[/p][p]I've been working on the game for coming up on three years, and it releases next week - straight to v1.0, no Early Access, just a complete and polished experience.[/p][p]As part of Next Fest, I've just released a brand new demo for the game, where you can experience the first hour or so of content (with no demo time limit) as you begin to establish your Outpost on the surface of your newly purchased mining claim.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Take your first steps into the underground caverns of Aethus and start to investigate the abandoned remnants of a long-forgotten corporate expedition who called this place home before you arrived...[/p][p]This demo features brand-new content compared to the previous demo including an entirely new prologue, and runs on the launch version of the game so should be beautifully polished and smooth![/p][h3]When you're done with the demo, you can pick up where you left off with seamless save integration into the full game when it launches straight to 1.0 on March 6th![/h3][p][/p][h3]Keep an eye out for news later this week about pricing, launch bundles, and FAQs about release![/h3][p]If you're excited for the demo, I'd love for you to share the game and trailer with your friends - it would really help build awareness of the game ahead of launch.[/p][p]Thanks a lot for coming along on this ride with me.[/p][p]See you underground,[/p][p]-Alex and Apollo[/p]

[p]Just a heads-up that the AETHUS demo will launch on February 23rd as part of Steam Next Fest![/p][p]Experience the first hour or so of content (no demo time limit) as you begin to establish your Outpost on the surface of your newly purchased mining claim.[/p][p]Take your first steps into the underground caverns of Aethus and start to investigate the abandoned remnants of a long-forgotten corporate expedition who called this place home before you arrived...[/p][h3]Finally, when you're done with the demo, you can pick up where you left off with seamless save integration into the full game when it launches straight to 1.0 on March 6th![/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Keep an eye out for news very soon about pricing, launch bundles, and FAQs about release![/h3][p]If you're excited for the demo, I'd love for you to share the game with your friends - it would really help build awareness of the game ahead of launch.[/p][p]See you underground,[/p][p]-Alex and Apollo[/p]

Aethus is a crafty new sci-fi survival game in which one woman and her flying drone pal excavate a layered underground world on behalf of a galactic megacorp. You’ll create a surface base from holographic modules, gather evidence about a doomed science expedition, research a wacky new element, and unearth the dirty secrets of your employer.

It sounds a lot like Coffee Stain’s Satisfactory, with opportunities for automation later on, but it’s viewed from an elevated third-person perspective, and appears more narrative-driven. Satisfactory through the eyes of Diablo? I can - as we space miners like to say – 'dig it', though I’m quite weary of games about being the lonely stooge of some breezily villainous extraction racket. This particular seam of satire has long since been gutted. I am ready for games in which we go to other planets for Nice reasons. I feel like that ought to be possible. Anyway, here’s a trailer.

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[h2]A mysterious corporate mining claim. An engineer on the brink of burnout. The chance for a fresh start, to build something of your own...[/h2][p][/p][p]I can't quite believe it, but AETHUS launches on Steam, straight into v1.0, on March 6th, 2026![/p][p]It's been almost three years working on this game, but it will finally be in your hands in a mere few weeks![/p][p]As mentioned, there'll be no Early Access period or anything with this game - what you see is what you get - a full, complete, polished experience, day one.
[/p][h2]Check out the brand new Story Trailer! [/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]More info to come...[/h2][p]I will be posting more details as release approaches, including info on:[/p]

• [p]Price (it's lower than you'd expect)[/p]
• [p]Bundles (awesome survival games that you may already own!)[/p]
• [p]Additional ways to support development at launch (no microtransactions, promise)[/p]

[p]I hope you're excited to finally step foot into the underground world of AETHUS - I can't wait to hear what you think.[/p][p]If you are excited, I'd love for you to share the game with your friends - it would really help build awareness of the game ahead of launch.[/p][p]It's very tough launching an indie game these days with no external support from a marketing team, publisher, etc. so I will really rely on you all helping to spread the word about the game - I'd love to be able to keep doing this and not have to go back to AAA, but it all depends on how the game does![/p][p]Thanks a ton for your support, and speak soon.[/p][p]-Alex and Apollo[/p]

[h3]Happy New Year, Pioneers![/h3][h3]I hope that 2026 brings you health and happiness![/h3][p][/p][p]I'm pleased to present the second AETHUS Gameplay Deep Dive - Building Mechanics[/p][p]Join me as I walk you through building in the game, as we expand our Outpost in order to construct a Greenhouse Hab to start our hydroponic farming project![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Let me know what you think of this Deep Dive in the comments or via social media or Discord![/p][p]Please like and comment on YouTube to really help share the game with the world - it's much appreciated, it honestly helps a lot![/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][/p][p]AETHUS will officially launch before April this year![/p][p]I'm not quite ready to share the official launch date just yet (stay tuned, it won't be long!) but rest assured that you'll have the game in your hands in the next couple of months![/p][p]If you're a content creators who'd like advance access to the game, please get in touch via socials or official email - all available on the Steam page![/p][p]Thanks as always for your support in making AETHUS as successful as it can be - the journey is almost at an end![/p][p]As always, until next time![/p][p]Alex and Apollo.[/p][p][/p]