Summary of "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.

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).

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.

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.

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

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

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.