PCGame

The Pale Beyond

Story-driven survival management on an icebound polar expedition

Saltstone Studios · Published by Fellow Traveller · Released Feb 24, 2023

AdventureIndieRPGSimulationStrategy

Reviews
Very Positive
90% of 1,966
Recent reviews
Very Positive
93% of 49 in 30 days
Players
10
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Verified
Last update on Steam
10 months ago
Dec 14, 2025
Minimum PC
DX10
4 GB RAM · 3 GB disk
Full requirements

Metacritic: 77/100 (critic reviews)

What is The Pale Beyond?

A single-player survival management game about a polar expedition searching for a ship lost in the ice. When your own ship becomes trapped and its captain disappears, you manage supplies, keep the crew and sled dogs fed and warm, and make decisions that affect morale and the story.

For you if...

  • +you enjoy character-driven stories shaped by difficult decisions
  • +you like balancing scarce supplies against crew morale
  • +you prefer a tense polar setting to fast action

Not for you if...

  • −you want fast-paced action rather than dialogue and planning
  • −you want complex survival systems more than story choices
  • −you dislike pressure from decisions about crew survival

What players say

90% of 1,966 reviews are positive · 93% of 49 in the last 30 days

Players praise the writing, characters, art, and music, as well as the tension of keeping the crew alive. They complain that the interface makes decisions hard to revise and crew status hard to check. Some find the consequences unclear and replaying conversations tedious, while others find the resource management too shallow.

Players over time

▼ -4% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 108 players on Oct 11, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 202610
Nov 6, 202613
Nov 5, 20265
Nov 4, 20266
Nov 3, 20267
Nov 2, 202613
Nov 1, 202610
Oct 31, 202612
Oct 30, 20267
Oct 29, 20269
Oct 28, 202612
Oct 27, 202616
Oct 26, 202620
Oct 25, 202626
Oct 24, 202617
Oct 23, 202618
Oct 22, 202631
Oct 21, 202623
Oct 20, 202622
Oct 18, 202636
Oct 17, 202628
Oct 16, 202632
Oct 15, 202642
Oct 14, 202641
Oct 13, 202653
Oct 11, 2026108
Oct 10, 2026101
Oct 9, 202613
Oct 8, 20269
Oct 7, 202611
Oct 6, 202611
Oct 4, 202611
Oct 3, 202611
Oct 2, 202611
Oct 1, 20263
Sep 30, 20269
Sep 29, 20266
Sep 27, 20266
Sep 26, 202610
Sep 25, 20267
Sep 24, 20265
Sep 23, 20265
Sep 23, 20268
Sep 22, 20264

How many players finish The Pale Beyond?

24% of Steam players have unlocked «Act V», the achievement for finishing the main story.

Share of everyone who owns the game on Steam, including those who barely played it. Updated weekly.

Screenshots and trailer

The Pale Beyond screenshot 1

The Pale Beyond system requirements

Minimum: DX10, 4 GB RAM, 3 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run The Pale Beyond?

Tell us your graphics card once and every game page will answer this for you.

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Minimum

OS
Windows 7
Processor
1.2GHz processor (Intel Core i5 and up)
Graphics
DX10, DX11, DX12 capable.
Memory
4 GB RAM
Storage
3 GB available space
DirectX
Version 10

Does The Pale Beyond have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Does The Pale Beyond run on Steam Deck?

Verified Yes, Verified by Valve: it works on Steam Deck out of the box.

  • All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
  • Shows Steam Deck controller icons
  • In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Full controller support
Platforms
Windows, macOS
Achievements
47
Steam features
Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Languages
Text only: English.

Does The Pale Beyond use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 25, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

3 DLC available.

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