Aphelion

Aphelion

Released Apr 2026

Hunted on a frozen planet, astronaut Ariane must brave rugged landscapes and shifting realities to rescue her wounded partner, Thomas. This action-packed sci-fi adventure blends exploration, traversal, and tense stealth gameplay.

64% positive · 345 reviews
Not yet
Recently released, post-launch plans unclear
Low confidence
Recently Launched
Not yet
Recently released, post-launch plans unclear
Low confidence
Recently Launched

Where to buy

Steam $29.99
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Evaluation

Aphelion launched on April 28, 2026 as a complete narrative action-adventure game. The developer, DON'T NOD, released a Standard and Deluxe Edition at launch — the Deluxe Edition includes a cosmetics pack, digital artbook, and the original soundtrack by composer Amine Bouhafa. The only DLC listed on the store is the released soundtrack pack, which shipped on launch day. There are no unreleased DLC entries and no announced post-launch content roadmap. Post-launch, DON'T NOD issued a technical workaround on June 2, 2026 addressing crashes with NVIDIA DLSS, showing the team is still monitoring and supporting the game. However, no content updates, expansions, or future content plans have been communicated. Given that the game only launched on April 28, 2026 — less than two months ago as of today — there has not been enough time to determine whether DON'T NOD intends to support it with additional content. The game appears to be a self-contained story-driven title, which is consistent with DON'T NOD's typical output, but no explicit statement confirming or denying future content has been made.
Evidence
Aphelion officially launched on April 28, 2026. Deluxe Edition includes cosmetics, digital artbook, and OST — no post-launch content roadmap mentioned.
news post · Apr 28, 2026 source content shipped
high
Only DLC is the Aphelion Soundtrack, released on launch day. No unreleased DLC entries exist in the store listing.
dlc listing · Apr 28, 2026 source ambiguous
medium

Content

1 of 1 released · no outstanding content
Released
Apr 2026

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
DON'T NOD
Achievements
30
Platform
Windows
Controller
full support
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player

About this game

By 2060, Earth will be uninhabitable. The discovery of a 9th planet – Persephone – at the edge of the solar system, is humanity's best hope. The European Space Agency is dispatching the Hope-01 scientific mission, consisting of 2 of their accomplished astronauts, Ariane and Thomas. Their mission: to survey the planet and determine whether humanity can prosper anew here.

Your adventure begins in chaos, as the crash landing of their ship scatters them across the planet, launching them on a desperate quest to find one another. 

Aphelion is a cinematic third-person action-adventure set on the planet Persephone, an uncharted, frozen world. Stranded and isolated, you must survive the truly unknown, find each other, and complete the mission. Traverse stunning alien landscapes, avoid lurking threats, and discover the haunting secrets buried beneath the ice.  

Explore the surreal beauty of Persephone, a vast frozen world shaped by deadly weather and ever-changing terrain.

Armed only with your explorational tools – pathfinder, oxygen tank, grappling hook, and more – you must face the unknown, traverse treacherous terrain, and gather clues about the strange, reality-bending phenomenon threatening your existence. 

Ariane must persevere and push forward to save Thomas. Her Pathfinder tool helps her find the way through the shifting expanse. She faces desperate swings over dark chasms and tricky climbs up melting ice – risking her life with every step. Thomas, injured in the crash, must rely on ingenuity and observation, piecing together what surrounds him to survive. As both characters explore and investigate, they will uncover secrets and clues as to the planet’s strange conditions and what caused the crash of their ship.   

You are not alone. There is a hostile lifeform stalking you. Avoid detection in tense, thrilling stealth sequences; use the environment to your advantage, and stay one step ahead of whatever hunts you. Explore Persephone and complete the mission, all while trying to survive in the terrifying presence of an unknown enemy.

Helpless on the edge of the solar system, the Hope-01 crew faces a brutal new world and the echoes of a complicated past. Ariane Montclair and Thomas Cross share a deep connection, a relationship left unresolved by the demands of their careers and their mission. Facing overwhelming odds, their fractured bond becomes a lifeline as they grasp in the dark for one another.

Key Features:

  • Grounded sci-fi exploration: a realistic depiction of near-future space exploration 

  • Dual-perspective survival: experience both Thomas’s resourceful investigation and Ariane’s high stakes parkour gameplay 

  • Cinematic third-person action: gripping traversal mechanics, with grappling, sliding, and momentum-driven movement 

  • Tense stealth encounters: face an alien threat in tense and exciting stealth-based sequences 

  • An emotional core: two astronauts bound by a complicated past, fighting to find each other 

A game in collaboration with: 

Last evaluated Jun 16, 2026
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