Destination Ares
You're the AI of a rickety colony ship, bound for the red planet. You have limited resources, a desperate crew, and an unknown fate awaiting you. Can you survive the journey across the Big Black?
Developer
Publisher
Release
September 22, 2017
8 years and 315 days ago
Steam Reviews
Mixed25 reviews48.0%
Does this feel indie?
Vote based on whether this game feels indie to you. You can change your vote at any time. Results earn an IGF score after 10 accepted votes.No votes yet
Game contextLatest: IGF Team
| ContextThe evidence factors used to assess whether this game belongs on IndieGame.Fan. | Status | Notes Latest Contributor: IGF TeamEdit notes |
|---|---|---|
Updated: Jul 16, 2026Developer scaleThe operating scale of the game's developer. | ||
Updated: Jul 16, 2026Publisher scaleThe operating scale of the game's publisher. | ||
Updated: Jul 16, 2026Publisher statusHow the game's publishing relationship is classified. | ||
Updated: Jul 16, 2026Release statusWhether and how the game has been released. |
Media
8 itemsAbout the Game
A colony spaceship has been thrown together with old, worn parts. The crew boots up the ship's artificial intelligence as they start the arduous journey to the red planet.
You've awoken, AI. Can you keep your crew alive and survive the journey ahead?
Design your own ship. Customize everything.
Directly control the ship's systems, set alarms to get the crew's attention, and respond to emergencies. Will luck be enough?
You will die, alone and drifting, in the dark.
A single run takes less than half an hour, but success takes hours of mastery. If it comes at all.
Destination Ares is about losing power over time rather than gaining it. It's about the internal struggle instead of the external. There are no aliens or guns; just nonchalant blobs of water named Charlie.
Discover hidden, branching story arcs with several endings, ponder the meaning of existence, panic as another system breaks down, and laugh at a crew that is woefully incompetent.
Lose capability over time. You're no farmboy-turned-hero; play smarter, because you certainly won't get stronger.
You've awoken, AI. Can you keep your crew alive and survive the journey ahead?
Take Fate into Your (Digital) Hands
Design your own ship. Customize everything.
Directly control the ship's systems, set alarms to get the crew's attention, and respond to emergencies. Will luck be enough?
You will die, alone and drifting, in the dark.
Brutal and Challenging Experience
- Deep mechanics
- Simple controls
- Responsive difficulty, always Hard
- Short sessions
A single run takes less than half an hour, but success takes hours of mastery. If it comes at all.
An Uncaring World
Destination Ares is about losing power over time rather than gaining it. It's about the internal struggle instead of the external. There are no aliens or guns; just nonchalant blobs of water named Charlie.
Discover hidden, branching story arcs with several endings, ponder the meaning of existence, panic as another system breaks down, and laugh at a crew that is woefully incompetent.
Lose capability over time. You're no farmboy-turned-hero; play smarter, because you certainly won't get stronger.
