- Publisher: Seismic Squirrel
- Release Date: Mar 30, 2026
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Summary:
Immerse yourself in this Decopunk Narrative RPG set in an alternate 1930s where anti-gravitational technology has taken cars, roads, and even New York City into the sky. Muster a crew, master tactical turn-based combat, and unravel the dark secrets lurking beneath the floating metropolis.
- Developer: Seismic Squirrel
- Genre(s): Role-Playing, General
- # of players: No Online Multiplayer
- Cheats: On GameFAQs
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 14 out of 17
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Mixed: 3 out of 17
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Negative: 0 out of 17
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Mar 30, 2026Superbly written and acted with some of the finest worldbuilding in any RPG this decade, Aether & Iron is an instant classic and one of the best games of the year.
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Mar 27, 2026Aether & Iron delivers a compelling story wrapped in gorgeous visuals and smart, tactical combat with its own CRPG twist. Despite some bugs and pacing dips due to heavy dialogue, the strong characters and presentation carry it through. Bottom line: an excellent game you shouldn’t miss.
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Apr 16, 2026Aether & Iron is a stylish and ambitious narrative RPG set in a retrofuturistic 1930s New York. Its strongest elements are its rich worldbuilding, sharp social themes, and noir-inspired storytelling, driven by meaningful choices and an introspective protagonist. While its tactical combat and RPG systems take a back seat, the game excels where it matters most, delivering a cohesive, immersive experience that feels fresh and distinct.
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Mar 27, 2026Aether & Iron rises above its quirks with sheer creativity and artistic expression. I love the hand-drawn world, the characters I wish I could engage with far beyond the credits, and the struggle Gia and New York City’s citizens engaged in. A story worth telling, it’s a cliche noir tale told from an entirely different angle and elevated by a cast that stands above most others. My hope is that we see more tactical RPGs with imaginative systems like this, with their creative visions better realized.
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Apr 28, 2026Aether & Iron delivers a narrative-driven noir adventure that can be both enjoyable and frustrating. This “decopunk” New York is beautiful, brutal, and sets the stage for great stories, even with some flaws in the pacing. Its combat is interesting enough to provide a break between episodes, but it’s up to the player to decide whether or not they’re in the mood to make the most of it.
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Apr 6, 2026Aether & Iron delivers a high-quality narrative RPG experience, boasting a captivating steampunk-noir aesthetic and a well-crafted story set in an alternate 1930s New York. The unique turn-based vehicular combat system is innovative but underutilized, appearing infrequently. While the hand-drawn art style and dense, atmospheric writing are strong points, the game suffers from a lack of accessibility due to no Portuguese localization, occasional audio bugs, and an unintuitive UI, particularly in inventory management. Less experienced players may struggle with the complex menus and fragmented narrative flow.
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Mar 27, 2026Aether & Iron is a very promising title that tells a highly compelling story of power and class, and is crowned with one of the most clever SRPG battle systems on the market. However, it is full of disruptive glitches and bugs that rear their heads far too frequently, which prevent the mind from fully engaging with the wonderful story. Signs indicate that the developers are quick to fix issues as they arise, so there is reason to believe they will get fixed over time. However, at the moment of writing, the flaws are too numerous to overlook. This makes it difficult to fully recommend the game to a wider audience than hardcore SRPG and aetherpunk dystopia fans. For those that love these aspects, though, there are few titles on the market that will scratch that itch as well as Aether & Iron.