The gods of old are forgotten, lost in the events that shattered the world, leaving only fragments of islands in the sky. On the journey, the player will encounter situations that have not been experienced in generations, and every step leads closer towards the end of the world.

In a genre mix between action adventure and flight exploration, players will join Auk on her pilgrimage. The surreal style of AER will be accompanied by reduced but colorful low poly graphics that underline the quiet tone of the game in a fitting way.

Wings? Yes, indeed! Auk has a rare gift: She can turn into a bird and is one of the few people who can reach even the most remote places in her homeland of flying islands, in search for the “Memories of the Past”. On her journey she encounters other shape shifters, visits the ruins of the old gods and has to face dark creatures to revive the world of AER from menacing shadows.    

AER is developed with a focus on strong aesthetics and free exploration gameplay, with all systems building towards that goal: The player is free to explore the world, complete objectives and progress in the order he wants to. All with a seamless, free flight mechanics, and with something new around almost every corner.

Karlshamn-based developer Forgotten Key, creator of The Shine of a Star and AER Memories of Old games, is closing down after seven years and two game releases.

“The questions we ask ourselves are ‘Where did we take the wrong turns? Why couldn’t we find partners who were willing to invest in our ideas, despite awards and proven talent? What could and should we have done differently?'” said Hjelte in a blog post. “The answers are probably many and nuanced, where we will surely fall to whatever the opposite of survival bias is called when trying to find explanations. One answer is probably the market’s development, another personal misjudging of priorities, and a third the inherent problem between making business out of creativity and art. This is a topic I will return to in future writings to explore different angles, and maybe shed light on the ups and downs of a studio.”

Besides The Shine of a Star and AER Memories of Old, Forgotten Key had other projects in development including Down the Well, a folklore-inspired adventure and Vind, a narrative flight exploration adventure. Both will be released as free demos on itch.io as a thank-you to the studio’s supporters.

Key Features:

• The player can jump off any cliff and fly without restrictions. Seamless transitions between human and bird.
• A large, fully designed world that is free to explore, and filled with secrets to discover.
• A pilgrimage and mysteries, puzzles and temples.
• High focus on atmosphere and aesthetics with a vibrant surreal low-poly art style.