Archean
First-person engineering sandbox for building and programming physics-driven machines
batcholi, FloDKSM · Released May 16, 2024 · Early Access
- Reviews
- Very Positive
- 88% of 252
- Recent reviews
- Not enough recent
- Playing now
- 16
- right now
- Steam Deck
- Unsupported
- Last update
- 2 weeks ago
- Sep 3, 2026
Free demo available, 0 playing it now: get the demo.
What is Archean?
Archean is a first-person, open-world engineering sandbox and space simulation set on a young Earth where you are the first engineer. You build vehicles and other machines in the world, connect their systems, and program their behavior with code or a visual node editor. Their shapes and wiring affect how they work in air, water, and space.
For you if...
- +you enjoy debugging the controls of custom vehicles
- +you want to experiment with orbital mechanics
- +you prefer self-directed projects to unlocking preset parts
Not for you if...
- −you need clear goals beyond your own building projects
- −you want simple controls without learning machine programming
What players say
88% of 252 reviews are positive
Players praise the freedom to build and program complex machines and the orbital simulation. They report a steep learning curve and performance problems, while opinions on aerodynamics are mixed. Some also want clearer goals.
Screenshots and trailer
Archean system requirements
As published by the developer.
Minimum
- OS
- Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- Processor
- quad core
- Graphics
- NVIDIA or AMD gaming GPU
- Memory
- 8 GB RAM
- Storage
- 5 GB available space
Recommended
- OS
- Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- Processor
- 8 core
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- Memory
- 16 GB RAM
- Storage
- 5 GB available space
PC version details
DRM, required accounts, controller support and Steam features.
- DRM
- None declared on Steam
- Controller
- Keyboard and mouse
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux
- Steam features
- Workshop, Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Steam Deck: Unsupported
- Not supported on SteamOS
Multiplayer and co-op
Languages
Text only: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Russian, Traditional Chinese.
Tags
- Early Access
- Sandbox
- Building
- Programming
- Immersive Sim
- Open World
- Crafting
- Science
- Space
- Space Sim
- Physics
- Simulation
- First-Person
- Multiplayer
- Realistic
- 6DOF
Recent updates
- Sep 3, 2026 · Update 129
- Aug 7, 2026 · The Destruction & Aerodynamics Update
- Jun 19, 2026 · Update 119
- Jun 11, 2026 · Update 118
- May 15, 2026 · Update 115
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