ICARUS

ICARUS

Released Dec 2021

ICARUS is a solo or multiplayer PvE survival game. Explore a savage wilderness in the aftermath of terraforming gone wrong. Complete narrative quests as either Open World operations or Individual Missions. Explore, build, craft and hunt while seeking your fortune and prospecting for exotic matter.

75% positive · 69K reviews
Not yet
Released, but still in active development
High confidence
Active Development
Not yet
Released, but still in active development
High confidence
Active Development

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Steam $34.99
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Evaluation

ICARUS launched on December 3, 2021, and RocketWerkz has maintained one of the most consistent post-launch development cadences in the survival genre — numbered weekly updates shipped nearly without interruption for nearly five years, now reaching Week 252 as of October 1, 2026. Major content milestones since launch include: the Styx Expansion (May 28, 2022), the New Frontiers Expansion (August 24, 2023), the Great Hunts Campaigns DLC (July 17, 2025), the Mendel genetics and animal husbandry update paired with the Homestead Content Pack (February 20, 2026), and the Dangerous Horizons Expansion adding the entirely new Elysium map alongside the free Kepler update (March 5, 2026). Weekly feature patches have continued at an unbroken pace since the Dangerous Horizons launch. Recent highlights include In-World Fish and the Carbon Fishing Rod (Week 244, August 6, 2026), Tusker breeding and phenotypes (Week 245, August 13, 2026), the Metal Weapon Rack (Week 246, August 20, 2026), the Electric Seed Extractor (Week 250, September 17, 2026), the tameable Kiwi (Week 251, September 24, 2026), and a major Field Guide quality-of-life overhaul plus the new Sandhorn Horn item (Week 252, October 1, 2026). The August 20, 2026 post (Week 246) explicitly announced an upcoming "Newton" free update accompanied by a new Great Hunts campaign on the Elysium map, described as currently in internal and closed external testing. The 'Future Content' sections embedded in each weekly changelog also consistently reveal substantial work in progress beyond what has shipped — including expanded Settlements systems, new crops (ginger, pineapple, spinach), new creature phenotypes and breeding, radiation-themed missions and a radiation boss, a T4 Launcher, and additional new biome content. The developer has not announced any conclusion to development.
Evidence
Week 252 update ships Field Guide subcategories and a new Sandhorn Horn item; previews upcoming radiation environmental effect improvements next week
news post · Oct 1, 2026 source development ongoing
high
Week 251 update introduces the tameable Kiwi companion; notes the team is finalizing Great Hunts Elysium content for external testing
news post · Sep 24, 2026 source development ongoing
high

Content

20 of 20 released · no outstanding content

Media

Details

Developer
Publisher
RocketWerkz
Achievements
171
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op

About this game

ICARUS is a PvE survival game with both Mission-based and persistent Open World modes for up to eight co-op players.

Endure a savage wilderness on Icarus, an Earth-like terraformed planet now considered humanity’s greatest mistake. From their orbital station, prospectors drop to the planet surface to explore, harvest, craft and hunt while seeking their fortune.

Confront and conquer a brutal PvE world determined to wear you down

From toxic atmosphere to savage wildlife, apex predators to destructive storms and forest fires, Icarus is a planet with a temper. Preparation and planning are everything, whether it’s to find a source of oxygen, stalk your next meal or stockpile supplies for a long journey into the wilderness.

Go at it alone, invite up to 8 Steam friends to join your game or play on dedicated servers. Dedicated servers are free to run and are recommended for Open World sessions.

Tame the wilderness

Icarus is wild but it doesn't have to stay that way. Hunt down creatures native to the planet or bring animals down from Earth, earn their trust and hone their skills. Tame mounts to traverse the terrain or protect you, breed animals to pass down favorable traits, equip and train companions through their own talent trees, and establish farms to supply and sustain your operations.

Master three separate tech trees: planetary tech, player talents and the orbital workshop

  • Unlock four tiers of technology from hand-crafted to advanced composites and electronics, plus 8+ different building materials.
  • Choose from over 100 talents as you specialize your character in exploring, building, farming, hunting, taming, fighting and more.
  • Return to the orbital workshop to exchange exotic matter for advanced tech and items with unique properties, which may give you an advantage on your next drop.

Narrative questlines in a Survival Game

You can experience narrative quests directly in Open World as "Operations", or in a episodic way as "Missions". The content is the same either way, but it is your choice with the experience you want to have.

Three Game Modes: Open World, limited-time Missions, or creative Outposts

However you want to experience Icarus, you can.

  • Forge your claim in Open World, battling the elements and apex predators for survival and testing the limits of your survival instincts. You can complete missions as "operations" in this mode, allowing you to experience narrative quests fully despite being in Open World.
  • Accept timed Missions to mine exotics and earn Ren as you complete tasks for the power brokers overseeing the planet. Drop down to the planet with nothing, establish a base from scratch and escape in time. This allows you to play mission content in isolation, rather than chained together like as operations in Open World.
  • Let your creative mind run wild in the Outpost regions with regenerating resources and safe environments.

About the world of Icarus

Icarus was once destined to be a second Earth, but when terraforming collapsed - the air turned toxic and humanity’s hopes of colonizing a new world died. Icarus became a joke, a symbol of humanity reaching for the stars and failing. The xeno-engineers salvaged what they could, released modified embryos and halted the terraforming process.

Yet when they discovered the cause of the failure - exotic matter - new interest was ignited. Valuable beyond reckoning, these ‘exotics’ sparked a gold rush and fueled political tensions back on Earth.

Prospectors flocked to Icarus to complete contracts to extract exotics and conduct research for various factions. Those that survive return to orbit as seasoned veterans, converting their exotics into advanced technology, and taking on ever more challenging drops. Those that get left behind... are lost forever.

ICARUS is being made by a team of survival game veterans at RocketWerkz in beautiful Auckland, New Zealand.

Last evaluated Oct 1, 2026
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