All Games > Early Access Games > Ares Program
Community Hub
Ares Program
Build an underground colony on Mars. Keep your people alive with oxygen, food and power, command them against raiders and AGI drones, hack orbital networks, and send vehicle caravans to trade with other survivors.

Sign in to add this item to your wishlist, follow it, or mark it as ignored

Features
Languages:
Interface Full Audio Subtitles
English ✔
Korean ✔
Spanish - Spain ✔
Russian ✔
Simplified Chinese ✔

Early Access Game

Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Ares Program combines underground colony survival with direct control of individual colonists in combat. Oxygen, heat, food and power management must work alongside raids, body-part injuries, rescue and treatment. Early Access will help us refine this combination with player feedback, with particular attention to combat systems, raid difficulty and balance, as well as long-session performance, save reliability and usability.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Our current target is to leave Early Access within approximately two months of its start. This is an estimate, not a guaranteed release date. We may adjust the schedule based on stability, player feedback and the readiness of the full release.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“During Early Access, we plan to improve combat and enemy behavior, raid and medical balance, long-term survival and logistics, hacking and exploration content, large-colony performance, onboarding and localization. We also plan to develop a rocket journey to a safe human settlement as an ending. This ending is not yet available. Development scope and timing may change as we test the game and respond to feedback.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current version includes underground colony building, farming and industry, gas/liquid/heat/power systems, individual colonist needs and equipment, combat against human raiders and AGI robots and drones, body-part injuries, rescue and treatment, research, prisoners, random events, turn-based neural-chip hacking, factions, visiting caravans, vehicle trade and exploration journeys, and orbital trade. Contextual tutorials and a five-language interface are included. Balance and performance in long-running colonies are still being refined.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“We currently plan a modest price increase when the game leaves Early Access. The final price and timing have not yet been fixed.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“We will collect bug reports, suggestions and balance feedback through the Steam discussion forums. Feedback on combat, colony defense, raid difficulty, injuries and recovery will be especially valuable during Early Access. Reproduction steps, save files and diagnostic logs can help us investigate problems. We plan to share development progress and explain significant changes through Steam announcements and discussions.”
Read more

Buy Ares Program

INTRODUCTORY OFFER! Offer ends November 20

30% off. $7.99 normally, discounted to $5.59
Add to Cart
 

Report bugs and leave feedback for this game on the discussion boards

See all discussions

About This Game

Humanity's last hope: Mars

Earth's civilization has fallen in an AI war. On a partly terraformed Mars, a handful of survivors must dig out a home and build a future. Ares Program combines underground colony management, environmental simulation and direct control of your colonists in combat.

Build a colony that can sustain itself



Excavate layered geology, grow crops, cook meals and expand your industries. Route gases, liquids and electricity through pumps, pipes, filters and storage tanks. Manage oxygen, heat and pressure as your settlement grows from a shelter into an underground base.

Lead your people and defend their home



Set work priorities and schedules for colonists with individual skills, needs, equipment and stress. Draft a squad and give movement and attack orders when raiders, AGI scout robots or flying drones approach. Use barricades, traps and automated turrets to support your defense. Injuries affect individual body parts: rescue the fallen, treat wounds and help your survivors recover.

Hack the AI's orbital networks



A colonist with a neural chip can use a working satellite communicator to infiltrate AI satellites. Explore connected nodes in a turn-based hacking minigame, overcome defensive systems and use recovery, shield and penetration tools to reach the system core. Research skill improves your virus's attack strength. Recover in-game cryptocurrency or AI technology, and decode signals that reveal anomalies on Mars.

Trade and explore beyond your base

Meet visiting caravans and trade with other survivors. Build cargo trucks and exploration vehicles, choose a crew, and load cargo, food, oxygen and battery power for the journey. Use the rotating 3D Mars map to plan trips to nearby settlements and investigate anomalies. A powered satellite communicator also enables trade with the Human Protection Alliance's orbital station during contact windows, with purchases delivered by supply drop.

Make a life on a hostile planet

Random events bring new survivors, supplies and threats. Expand research, recreation and medical care while balancing everyday needs against the risks beyond your walls. Contextual tutorials introduce colony controls, combat, rescue, hacking and caravans. The interface and tutorials support English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

Generative AI tools were used to help create some building, character and environment artwork, promotional art, and drafts of some descriptions and localized text. These assets and text are reviewed and edited during development before inclusion in the game and its marketing materials. The game does not generate content during play or connect to external generative AI services.

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 11 (64-bit)
    • Processor: Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600
    • Memory: 8 GB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 560 (4 GB)
    • DirectX: Version 11
    • Storage: 5 GB available space
    • Additional Notes: Preliminary development targets; not yet validated on all listed hardware and subject to change. SSD recommended. Large colonies and fast simulation speeds may require stronger hardware.
    Recommended:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 11 (64-bit)
    • Processor: Intel Core i5-12400 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600
    • Memory: 16 GB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (6 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 6600 (8 GB)
    • DirectX: Version 11
    • Storage: 5 GB available space
    • Additional Notes: Preliminary development targets; not yet validated on all listed hardware and subject to change. SSD recommended. Large colonies and fast simulation speeds may require stronger hardware.