Seismic Squirrel provided a private showing of their game, Aether & Iron, as they prepare for a console release. It is a decopunk narrative RPG that initially dropped on PC (Steam) earlier this year in March 2026 to very positive reviews. I was able to get a hands-on look at the game and speak with members of the development and leadership team. Ed also conducted an interview with the Art Director, Gary Jensen.
While Aether & Iron is not brand new, but it’s still fresh in its release cycle, and this is the first time I get to play Aether & Iron. Here’s more about the game for those that aren’t familiar:
Fast Facts:
- Title: Aether & Iron
- Developer: Seismic Squirrel
- Platform(s): PC (Steam); PlayStation 4 & 5 and Xbox One and Series in 2027
- Genre(s) and key words: RPG, decopunk, noir, narrative-driven, choices matter
- Release Date: 3/30/2026 on PC
- Demo availability: Yes (Steam)
- Summary: “Immerse yourself in this Decopunk Narrative RPG set in an alternate 1930s where anti-gravitational technology has taken cars, roads, and even New York City into the sky. Muster a crew, master tactical turn-based combat, and unravel the dark secrets lurking beneath the floating metropolis.” –Seismic Squirrel
- Trailer:
Before I launched the demo, I spoke with President, Jay Zylstra, and Art Director, Gary Jensen, who shared a few games that inspired the gameplay and narrative experience: Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy, and the Mass Effect titles. There are even people who formerly worked for Bioware that suggested this Mass Effect storytelling approach. Jay and Gary described the initial launch as a success and have worked on updates since then, including minor bug fixes as well as future plans to better the player experience.
The demo was very enjoyable. The first thing that caught my attention was the stunning art style, which was striking and unique. It adds to the story-rich narrative and really sells the 1930’s atmosphere. As I continued playing, I found myself exploring every scene, collect any and every bit of detail or item, and exploring various dialogue options. Aether & Iron put me in Gia’s shoes (she’s such a likeable and strong female protagonist that I’m tempted to cosplay as). I shrieked in delight when the bottle of top-shelf liquor that I snatched helped curry favor with the rough-and-tumble taxi drivers while determining how to best smuggle my “cargo”.
The other key call out is the use of virtual dice to roll for outcomes. You can see the statistical likelihood to get the outcome you’re looking for. It’s such a fun way to bring RPG elements into non-combat settings that would otherwise play out much like a visual novel. As I continued throughout the demo, Jay and Gary explained that they plan to enhance the impact of some of these key interactions and decisions. They explained there are tiers of dialogue options and decisions— some have no impact on the plot, while others may impact a specific mission (minor but not total), and so on. This is great news for all those fans of “choices matter”.
The other aspect of Aether & Iron is the turn-based vehicular combat. At first, I was hesitant and worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up because I usually associate vehicular combat as something fast-paced. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. Aether & Iron was able to structure these battles as turn-based (so one can plan each move), and yet it made my heart pound with excitement. I enjoyed the level of strategy where I needed to plan how to best utilize my limited action points and take civilians into consideration.
After the demo concluded, I still had more questions for Jay and Gary. So, I asked them more about their future console release and any other planned updates. They explained that they built Aether & Iron with console in-mind, despite the fact it first released on PC. With that said, the endeavor to expand into console has been easier and more efficient from an optimization standpoint. I would agree with the statement because I didn’t feel any clunkiness using a controller when navigating my environment. For example, in a still environment, I can either use the control stick or toggle between each actionable item with the touch of a button. It’s clear that they are spending the time to ensure optimal button mapping and usability.
As I mentioned a few paragraphs above, the team is not only working on a console release but stages of updates that include, but are not limited to, deepening consequences to certain decisions, improvement to combat, added depth to the environment, and new or optimized (modular) backgrounds and characters. The next update doesn’t have a firm date, but they are hopeful for some time in October, if possible.
Although this was not a Spotlight interview podcast, I couldn’t help but ask Jay and Gary what their ideal physical Collector’s Edition would be if there were no budgeting and resource constraints. They eagerly threw in some wonderful and fitting ideas including a model car, vinyl of the OST, stickers, and maybe a physical artbook since they plan on releasing a digital artbook in the future.
Based on my conversations with Jay and Gary as well as my experience with the demo, it is clear that Aether & Iron isn’t just a game. It’s a clever blend of genres that are a feast for the senses that also boasts fun RPG gameplay. Moreover, the team has been mindful of player experience from day one, valuing quality, access, and hopefully building a universe that sticks around for a while.
A big thank you to Jay Zylstra and Gary Jensen for their time. I highly recommend everyone either to check out Aether & Iron on Steam (it’s currently on sale as of 9/15/2026) or keep an eye out for its release on PlayStation and Xbox next year!
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Featured Image Credit: Seismic Squirrel via GameTrailers
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