The game has been developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency.
Set in a near-future where Earth is on the brink of collapse, Aphelion is an emotional journey to the edge of our Solar System to survey a planet that may be humanity’s last hope. As astronaut Ariane Montclair, crash landed on the newly discovered Persephone, players must brave harsh landscapes, master survival tools, and navigate reality-bending phenomena on a desperate mission to reunite with her wounded partner, Thomas Cross.
A powerful standalone single-player experience, Aphelion blends gripping exploration and traversal, environmental storytelling, and tense stealth gameplay.
“Aphelion is a game we’re very passionate about, something we’re really pushing ourselves creatively on. We’re excited to share more of DON’T NOD’s first human story in space, and to be able to do it in collaboration with the European Space Agency is incredibly exciting and special for us,” says Florent Guillaume, Aphelion’s Creative Director.
A Game Made in Collaboration with the European Space Agency
Aphelion is developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), grounding its depiction of space exploration in real scientific knowledge and humanistic values. Ariane and Thomas are both ESA astronauts, part of the fictional Hope 01 mission. This collaboration weaves authentic elements of space science into the emotional core of the game.
“For fifty years, ESA has combined rigorous space science with the boundless imagination of science fiction to explore solutions to our planet’s greatest challenges. Aphelion captures that spirit – where research meets imaginative vision – to inspire the next generation to carry Europe’s space ambition into the future,” says Nadia Lüders, ESA Partnership & Brand Licensing Officer.
Aphelion will launch on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 in 2026.