From Press Release:
Issaquah, WA, USA – March 31st, 2026 – Seismic Squirrel today announced that Aether & Iron, a narrative RPG focused on character-driven storytelling that’s fully voiced with over 200 characters is now available on PC via Steam for $24.99 / €24.50 / £20.99 with a launch discount of 20%!
Set in an alternate 1930s New York transformed into a vertical city by the discovery of “aether”, a key component to newfound anti-gravitational technology, Aether & Iron follows Gia, a smuggler navigating crime syndicates, political conspiracies, and fragile alliances. Players are able to recruit a crew of unique and resourceful companions, and together you make choices that will determine whether the city finds hope or falls to corruption. The game is fully voiced and features writing talent with credits on Mass Effect, Far Cry, and Sovereign Syndicate, with an original score composed by two-time Grammy Award winner Christopher Tin and Grammy nominee Alex Williamson, best known for their work on the Civilization series.
“Aether & Iron has been years in the making for our team,” said Tyler Whitney, Narrative Director at Seismic Squirrel. “We’ve poured a huge amount of care into its world, characters and choice-driven systems so we’re incredibly excited for players to finally step into this alternate New York and see how their story unfolds.”
Gameplay blends narrative driven roleplaying with tactical, turn-based vehicular combat that reflects the risks of life in the city’s underworld. Players customize a fleet of aether powered vehicles and recruit a diverse cast of companions, each bringing unique talents and personal stories that influence both combat encounters and narrative paths.
As a seemingly simple smuggling job escalates into a conspiracy threatening the entire city, players develop their Hustle, Smarts and Brass – core abilities that shape combat effectiveness, dialogue options and high-stakes decisions. Even the most carefully considered choices carry uncertainty, where success or failure can come down to a single dice roll. Over time, those decisions determine whether New York’s citizens find hope or remain trapped in corruption and violence.
Key Features
- Save Your City: Thoroughly researched and inspired by real life counterparts from 1930s New York City, explore its backstreets, dive into its seedy underbelly, marvel at stunning architecture, and peel back the city’s many layers of power and greed.
- Turn-Based Vehicular Combat: Assemble a wide range of incredible aether-powered vehicles and unlock new tactical options to try out in an interesting twist on strategic, turn-based vehicular battles.
- Muster Your Crew: Recruit unique and resourceful companions to watch your back, and follow their stories. Each is armed with a range of talents that can make all the difference in a jam.
- Dive into An Underground Life: Navigate secret paths, dodge enemies, hide contraband, and stay ahead of the big bosses out to get you.
- Your Choices Matter: Your decisions will shape the unfolding history of New York and the lives of its citizens, determining whether they will be able to find hope in a corrupt world of manipulation and violence.
- Grow your Talents: Level up your Hustle, Smarts, and Brass abilities to improve your chances in combat and social situations. But no matter how good you are, you’re always a dice roll away from success or failure.
- Drive in Style: Upgrade your aether-powered rides to suit your playstyle. Enhance your cars with every trick in the smuggler’s toolkit – hidden compartments, smoke dispensers, and, of course, flamethrowers.
- Hand-drawn Art: Inspired by 1930’s detective comics and the art deco period, Aether & Iron brings a unique visual identity to gameplay.
- Full English Language Voice Acting: Experience an alt-history 1930s New York directly through the voices of its inhabitants. Learn their stories; sometimes funny, sometimes philosophical, usually tragic.
Aether & Iron is available now on Steam and Steam Deck on March 31, 2026, featuring full English voice acting and text localization support for English, Spanish (Spain & Latin America), French, German, Polish, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese – Players can purchase Aether & Iron and try the demo today on Steam!
