LIVE | NEW Indie Survival? FIRST LOOK at AETHUS Demo - Mining & Base Building Gameplay

Quick overview

• AETHUS (streamer unsure of exact pronunciation) is a story-driven indie survival/mining/base-building game launching as 1.0 on March 6.
• The demo covers the early story arc, base setup, cave exploration, resource processing and a scripted objective (clearing a rockfall).
• Demo progress and saves transfer to the full release.

Note: The demo save carries over to 1.0, so time invested in the demo can be continued at launch.

Storyline (demo)

• You play Mave, a miner/engineer who quits/escapes Ark Corporation to buy an old mining claim tied to your granddad’s notes and a mysterious “Kappa module.”
• Mave and her drone Roland travel to a barren desert claim, scavenge, set up an outpost, and explore caves looking for resources and the Kappa module.
• The narrative includes tension with Ark Corporation (workplace grind, corporate messaging) and hints at deeper mysteries under the planet.
• The demo ends after clearing a rockfall/cracked habitat and teases further underground biomes and story content (full game ≈ 30 hours story).

Gameplay highlights

• Mining and resource nodes
  • Use Mave’s laser (left mouse). Some nodes require a charge mode (tap/charge technique) to break.
• Drone helper
  • Roland picks up and brings resources to you (limited range).
• Suit scans
  • Hold X to reveal interactables, resources, and points of interest.
• Base building
  • Start with makeshift forge and habitat, then expand to powered habitat modules.
• Power
  • Find an RTG in caves to power your outpost; many facilities require power.
• Processing chain
  • Crush sandstone/regolith → printer → smelter/smelter bars → crafting bench/workbench → advanced buildings.
• Environmental management
  • Caves use a limited air/oxygen meter — running out of air damages health and can drop carried items on collapse.
  • Oxygen domes create breathable pockets but have limits and risk oxygen poisoning if overused.
• Tools and consumables
  • Terraforming charges to clear surface rocks; mining explosives to clear large rockfalls.
  • Food and hydration: nutrient bars, cooked meals, cactus fruit & bottled water.
• UI/building features
  • Build-mode snapping, dismantle placed structures, storage crates (small by default), hotbar assignment (1–9), and R to insert items into some production buildings.

Key tips & strategies

• Prioritize shelter, power and storage early:
  • Build a habitat, place the RTG to get power, then add storage and production facilities.
• Manage air in caves:
  • Keep trips short until you have oxygen domes or suit upgrades; always watch the oxygen meter and return before it hits zero.
• Use Roland effectively:
  • Let Roland gather nearby nodes to save time but be aware of his limited pickup range.
• Use charge mode for tougher nodes:
  • Tap/charge the laser at the same spot until the node cracks.
• Convert surface sandstone/regolith into building material:
  • Sandstone and shards are crushed/processed into regolith and ores needed for higher-tier crafting.
• Build the smelter/printer early:
  • Processed materials from caverns are required for better benches and habitat expansions.
• Make and use explosives when needed:
  • Mining explosives clear rockfalls blocking progress (craft at a bench after gathering required ores).
• Watch inventory weight, not slot count:
  • Carrying is weight-based; deposit heavy items into base storage to avoid being overburdened.
• Save often:
  • The demo save carries into 1.0, so saving frequently preserves your progress for launch.

Controls / useful UI notes (as used in demo)

• Movement: WASD
• Mine: Left mouse button (charge by repeated taps)
• Scan / highlight: X (hold for suit scan)
• Build mode: B (V was used during the stream); right mouse to pin a construction plan
• Hotbar assignment: hover an item and press 1–9; R to throw selected hotbar item into a forge/production machine
• Inventory: Tab
• Dismantle placed structures: select and choose Dismantle
• Tip: the UI font/tutorials can be small/obstructive — adjust UI scale if needed

Demo progression checklist (recommended order)

1. Surface: scan points of interest, gather scrap/biomass/cactus, craft a dew-catcher and basic food.
2. Build: makeshift forge → makeshift habitat → storage crates.
3. Cave: do short suit scans, find the RTG and materials.
4. Expand: place RTG-powered habitat, add storage, printer and smelter.
5. Process: crush sandstone/regolith into usable material, make ingots/bars.
6. Craft: build a workbench/crafting bench.
7. Craft explosives: make mining explosives / terraforming charges.
8. Clear: use explosives to breach rockfalls and access deeper areas / mysterious habitation.
9. Continue: the demo ends at the rockfall breach — full game continues with progression preserved.

Demo / full-release features mentioned

• 1.0 launch on March 6 (not Early Access).
• Approximately 30 hours of story.
• Multiple underground biomes (outer caverns, last world, magma rifts).
• Hundreds of items, gem prospecting, gravity fishing, hydroponic farming, resource automation, drone and suit upgrades, outpost customization.

Gamers / sources / people referenced in the stream

• Beacon Dev (developer, joined Twitch chat)
• Verisha (chat), Mini Fox (chat), Brand (chat), Vlad (chat), Kachas (chat)
• SolarDemos (mentioned), Foodie (chat), Willow (chat), Lydia (chat)
• Berry Blossom (chat), Barry (chat)
• Steam page (mentioned as a source of release/feature info)

In-game characters and entities

• Mave (player protagonist)
• Roland (drone companion)
• Trudy (NPC, co-worker)
• Ark / Ark Corporation (in-game employer/corporation)
• Project Gaia (in-game project referenced)

This covers the demo’s story beats, core mechanics, starter steps and practical tips.