Indie · December 3, 2020
Per Aspera (2020)
The surface of Mars is littered with Humanity’s failed attempts to colonize its surface. This time will be different - this time there is no room for human error. Per Aspera is a planetary simulation game that combines hard science fiction and base building and takes the experience planet-wide. Step into the role of AMI, an Artificial Consciousness with the prime directive of terraforming Mars for human colonization. FEATURES: Balance a complex well of resources to build interconnected structures that span the entire planet. Customize your planet with branching research trees that allow players to tailor their terraforming plan — Develop new technologies, steeped in real-world science, to create a thriving interplanetary civilization. Uncover the mystery of a threatening presence on Mars and defend your colonies from unknown and combative forces. Immerse yourself in a rich, compelling narrative or take your time and craft the perfect Martian landscape with Sandbox Mode. Includes the immersive voice acting talents of Troy Baker, Phil LaMarr, Laila Berzins, Yong Yea, Lynsey Murrell, and Nneka Okoye. Terraform Together with Friends (up to 4 players). Sandbox Mode Only. Using scientific theories proposed by real space agencies and geographical data directly from NASA, Per Aspera presents life-like conditions and challenges steeped in theoretical science. Per Aspera contains a rich narrative that presents players with difficult decisions with planet-wide consequences. See the world through the eyes of an infant AI as it traverses a complicated ocean of self-discovery and shapes the fate of the human race. Navigate your ever-evolving programming to adapt to morally challenging concepts and forge relationships with the human colonists that look to you for their continued survival. The choices you make will impact how your mission ultimately concludes. Keep your wits about you as this is not the first time humans have tried to tame the Red Planet. Expose long-forgotten relics of Humanity’s failed attempts, learn from their past mistakes, and uncover a looming menace that threatens to see you fail at any cost.
Indie releases from 2020
25 Indie titles launched in 2020 — top 6 by review volume.
Community Tag Signals
Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.
- Online Co-Op · 989
- Real-Time · 646
- Management · 629
- Strategy · 623
- Automation · 621
- Base-Building · 617
- City Builder · 614
- Moddable · 601
- Colony Sim · 599
- Resource Management · 593
- Building · 588
- Robots · 587
- Simulation · 584
- Multiplayer · 570
- Sandbox · 546
Peer Indie titles
Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.
Position in Indie
| Metric | This title | Genre position |
|---|---|---|
| Review volume | 5.5k Steam reviews | Top 45% in Indie |
| Positive rating | 76% positive | Genre average: 87% — this title sits in top 90% |
| Metacritic | 78/100 | Genre average 77 — top 48% of Indie titles |
| Engagement hours | 24 h average | Top 25% for session depth among Indie |
Reception Metrics
Steam community
76%Mostly Positive · 5.5k reviews
4.2k positive · 1.3k negative
Metacritic
78/100 critic aggregate
Metacritic user score
6.7/10
Curator recommendations
4.0k
Localization Coverage
Interface / Subtitles (8)
- English volume_up
- French
- German
- Spanish - Spain
- Japanese
- Portuguese - Brazil
- Russian
- Simplified Chinese volume_up
Full audio (2)
- English
- Simplified Chinese
Features & Capabilities
Multiplayer
- Multi-player
- Co-op
- Online Co-op
Community
- Steam Achievements
- Steam Trading Cards
- Steam Workshop
- Steam Cloud
Other
- Single-player
- Family Sharing
Release & Availability
| Release date | Dec 3, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Tlön Industries |
| Publisher | Raw Fury |
| Base price | $7.49 -75% |
| DLC / Add-ons | 7 released |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Estimated owners | 100k–1M |
| External links | Official site · Metacritic page · Support · [email protected] |
Engagement Profile
All-time avg
24h
moderate (15–40 hours)
Median
11h
Typical completion time
Achievements
55
Steam unlocks available
Editions & Packages
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