Xray
Now available on Steam Early Access for $24.99 USD, Aloft emerges as an enchanting cooperative survival game that takes players on a journey through the clouds. Developed by Astrolabe Interactive and published by Funcom, this ambitious title challenges players to restore life to a world plagued by fungal infection, one floating island at a time.
Aloft is now available in Early Access on Steam! 🌞
— Aloft (@Aloft_Game) January 15, 2025
Start a cozy survival adventure above the clouds. Build and sail your own sky island, explore, craft, and restore the ecosystems! ⛵️☁️
Grab your glider and join us! 🦋https://t.co/edRjFPMvYl pic.twitter.com/skmlG7Ci6j
A Journey Begins in the Clouds
Your adventure in Aloft starts modestly, with character creation offering basic customization options before dropping you onto your first floating island. Here, you’ll master fundamental survival skills, crafting essential tools and, most crucially, your first glider. While gathering resources like wood, leaves, and stone might feel familiar to survival game veterans, Aloft quickly sets itself apart once you take to the skies.
From Island Hopper to Sky Captain
The game truly opens up after acquiring four essential navigation skills scattered across nearby islands. These crucial abilities – rudder control, sail management, float systems, and navigation tools – transform static islands into mobile vessels, enabling players to sail through the game’s vast aerial ocean. This unique mechanical foundation sets the stage for Aloft’s distinctive gameplay loop.
A World of Endless Discovery
With over 500 recipes to unlock, Aloft’s crafting system provides impressive depth. Players can discover new blueprints through various means: finding knowledge stones, experimenting with the sketchbook system, or simply encountering new resources. The progression feels organic, from basic tools to complex machinery like millstones and looms, each discovery expanding your capabilities in meaningful ways.
Ecological Restoration at Heart
The game’s core mission extends beyond mere survival. Players must cleanse islands of fungal infection and restore their ecosystems through thoughtful intervention. This involves replanting native flora, reintroducing appropriate fauna, and sometimes removing harmful human elements. Success in these ecological missions yields valuable Atlas stones, which unlock new regions to explore and heal.
Your Flying Sanctuary
As you progress, your floating island evolves into a mobile base of operations. The building system allows for creative expression while serving practical purposes – housing crafting stations and providing shelter for rescued animals. These creatures aren’t merely decorative; they play a crucial role in ecosystem restoration and resource generation, requiring care and attention before being relocated to help heal infected islands.
A Tale of Three Biomes
Aloft’s world is divided into three distinct biomes, each presenting unique challenges and opportunities. Progression between these zones requires technological advancement – starting with simple leaf sails before upgrading to wool sails for arid regions, and even more advanced materials for the final zone. Each biome introduces new resources, recipes, and ecological considerations, ensuring that players must adapt their strategies as they progress.
Scale and Scope
The game world encompasses over 490 islands across its three zones, with the initial area alone containing more than 100 islands and offering roughly ten hours of gameplay. While the journey can be undertaken solo or with a partner, the game’s scope suggests that assembling a larger crew might be optimal for efficient exploration and restoration.
Charm and Challenges
Visually, Aloft captivates with its charming animated style. The islands, wildlife, and building options combine to create a whimsical, inviting atmosphere that encourages creative expression. However, the game does have its limitations – a modest bestiary and some repetitive elements might test player patience. The narrative, while intriguing, takes time to unfold, particularly in the early game.
Early Access Promise
Despite occasional technical hiccups, Aloft’s Early Access launch demonstrates remarkable polish and potential. The combination of exploration, crafting, ecosystem management, and base building creates an engaging gameplay loop. While certain aspects could benefit from further development, the foundation is solid and promising.
Verdict
Aloft succeeds in creating an enchanting world worth exploring. Its blend of ecological restoration, creative building, and aerial exploration offers a fresh take on the survival genre. While some elements could use refinement, the game’s unique premise and charming execution make it a compelling addition to the genre, particularly for players who enjoy creative freedom and environmental themes.
The game certainly has room to grow, but its Early Access release shows tremendous promise. As development continues, Aloft could evolve into something truly special in the survival game landscape. For now, it offers an engaging experience that will particularly appeal to players who enjoy exploration, crafting, and environmental restoration in a uniquely vertical world.
2025 Development Roadmap
The development team has unveiled an ambitious roadmap for Aloft’s Early Access period throughout 2025, outlining substantial improvements and additions to the game.
Enhanced Player Experience
The immediate focus lies on quality-of-life improvements, with planned updates to the UI/UX systems making navigation more intuitive. A new tablemap system will revolutionize exploration, while Steam Workshop integration will empower the community to contribute their creative additions. New players will benefit from expanded tutorial quests, and the world itself will grow richer with more diverse islands and points of interest.
Gameplay Evolution
Combat and movement mechanics are set for significant upgrades, with improvements planned for both glider and sail systems. The development team will introduce new tool tiers and expand the monster variety, creating more challenging and diverse encounters. The ecosystem mechanics will become more sophisticated, and the crafting system will see expansion with new options and materials.
Building and Personalization
Construction enthusiasts can look forward to an expanded building system with new materials and options. Creative expression will extend to food decoration, training dummy placement, and mannequins for clothing display. Animal companions will become more customizable with accessories, and a new condition rewards system will recognize architectural achievements.
Major New Features
The roadmap promises several exciting additions:
- A comprehensive compass system for improved navigation
- Animal reproduction mechanics for deeper ecosystem management
- Beekeeping and insect systems adding new gameplay layers
- Life trees introducing new progression elements
- Enhanced character customization options
- Additional biomes and explorable areas
- New social features including emotes
Technical Focus
Throughout Early Access, the team emphasizes their commitment to stability and performance optimization. Regular updates will address technical issues and improve game performance, ensuring a smooth experience for all players.
This comprehensive development plan demonstrates the team’s dedication to expanding and refining Aloft’s unique vision. With community feedback playing a crucial role in shaping these updates, the game’s future appears bright as it soars through Early Access and beyond.
System Requirements
Before embarking on your journey through the clouds, ensure your system meets these specifications:
Minimum Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 10+ (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, AMD Radeon RX 580, or Intel Arc A750
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 12 GB available space
Recommended Requirements
- Operating System: Windows 10+ (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5700
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070S, AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, or Intel Arc A770
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 12 GB available space
Note that the game requires a 64-bit processor and operating system for both minimum and recommended specifications.
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