PCGame

Rivals of Aether

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

Aether Studios · Released Mar 28, 2017

Indie

Reviews
Overwhelmingly Positive
96% of 36K
Recent reviews
Overwhelmingly Positive
95% of 164 in 30 days
Players
462
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Verified
Last update on Steam
1 year ago
May 15, 2025
Minimum PC
DirectX Compatible with a…
0.5 GB RAM · 0.3 GB disk
Full requirements

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 36,446 reviews are positive · 95% of 164 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.

Players over time

▲ +7% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 651 players on Oct 18, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 2026462
Nov 6, 2026343
Nov 5, 2026321
Nov 4, 2026362
Nov 3, 2026407
Nov 2, 2026389
Nov 1, 2026539
Oct 31, 2026466
Oct 30, 2026383
Oct 29, 2026355
Oct 28, 2026441
Oct 27, 2026507
Oct 26, 2026532
Oct 25, 2026576
Oct 24, 2026480
Oct 23, 2026535
Oct 22, 2026520
Oct 21, 2026486
Oct 20, 2026516
Oct 19, 2026502
Oct 18, 2026651
Oct 17, 2026604
Oct 16, 2026568
Oct 15, 2026603
Oct 14, 2026574
Oct 13, 2026505
Oct 12, 2026394
Oct 11, 2026448
Oct 10, 2026403
Oct 9, 2026362
Oct 8, 2026366
Oct 7, 2026332
Oct 6, 2026355
Oct 5, 2026351
Oct 4, 2026475
Oct 3, 2026426
Oct 2, 2026361
Oct 1, 2026320
Sep 30, 2026314
Sep 29, 2026328
Sep 28, 2026382
Sep 27, 2026390
Sep 26, 2026436
Sep 25, 2026394
Sep 24, 2026429
Sep 23, 2026106
Sep 23, 2026401
Sep 22, 2026384
Sep 21, 2026282

How many players finish Rivals of Aether?

17% of Steam players have unlocked «Open the Gates», 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

Rivals of Aether screenshot 1

Rivals of Aether system requirements

Minimum: DirectX Compatible with a…, 0.5 GB RAM, 0.3 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Rivals of Aether?

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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

Recommended

OS
Microsoft® Windows® 7 / 8 / 10
Processor
1.4GHz processor or faster
Graphics
DirectX Compatible graphics card with at least 32MB of video memory
Memory
1 GB RAM
Storage
300 MB available space
DirectX
Version 9.0c

Does Rivals of Aether have co-op or multiplayer?

Yes: co-op split-screen; PvP online and split-screen. It also has a single-player mode. With Remote Play Together, one copy is enough to play the local modes online with friends.

Does Rivals of Aether 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
Achievements
36
Steam features
Cloud saves, Family Sharing, Trading cards
Languages
Text only: English, Japanese.

Does Rivals of Aether 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 Nov 6, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

21 DLC available.

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