Rivals of Aether

Fast pixel-art platform fighter with elemental powers and community-made fighters

Aether Studios · Released Mar 28, 2017

Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive; 96% of 38K
Recent reviews: Very Positive; 93% of 122 in 30 days
Playing now: 106; peak 24h 401
Steam Deck: Verified
Last update: 1 year ago; May 13, 2025

What is Rivals of Aether?

A 2D pixel-art platform fighter set in a world where rival civilizations wield fire, water, air, and earth. Players use elemental fighters in one-on-one, two-on-two, and free-for-all matches, tackle waves of shadow fighters, or follow each rival’s backstory in story mode.

For you if...

+you like fast, skill-based platform fighting
+you want local competitive and cooperative play with friends
+you enjoy adding community-made characters, stages, and modes

Not for you if...

−you want a large built-in roster without community mods
−you prefer relaxed matches over competitive, timing-focused combat

What players say

96% of 38,205 reviews are positive · 93% of 122 in the last 30 days

Players most often praise the range of community-made characters, stages, and modes, along with the fast, skill-based combat. Common complaints are that the base roster and offline content feel limited without mods, while some players report online lag, freezing, and long matchmaking waits.

Screenshots and trailer

Rivals of Aether system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7 / 8 / 10
Processor: 1.2GHz processor
Graphics: DirectX Compatible graphics card with at least 32MB of video memory
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Storage: 300 MB available space
DirectX: Version 9.0c