Aether, a collaboration between Edmund McMillen (Gish, Triachnid, Coil) and Tyler Glaiel (Magnetism, Paths), is a gloriously imaginative puzzle adventure game where you swing through the stars to reach the planets.
You start on Earth, with the visit of a creature that takes you on a strange odyssey. Using the [ASWD] keys for direction, you click on the left mouse button to launch the 
tongue of the creature up into the clouds. Swing from cloud to cloud to go higher up until you reach space, then swing from star to star to launch yourself toward one of four other planets and solve a puzzle for each one. Once you're above the clouds and you have enough speed, you can also just hurtle through space without being attached to any stars. There are different colored navigation indicators pointing you towards each planet that look like butterflies.
Two-key combinations can also help you gain momentum, for instance pressing up and left at the same time can help you can gain enough swing to go completely around in a circle.
Each planet's puzzle has a different type of solution. When you successfully solve each one you see a flash of light. After you complete all four puzzles, head back to blue earth to complete the game.
Analysis: Surely influenced by The Little Prince, the game seems to take place within the imagination of a child. On each planet you encounter creatures with some kind of complaint or anxiety, each trouble is symbolically released through creative puzzles.
A few things about the game were a bit wonky. On some of the planets, solving the puzzle didn't solve the creatures' problems, which was confusing. The somewhat clumsy physics of the tongue while swinging makes it difficult at times to build momentum. Combined with the gravity of a planet or moon, this makes it awkward to leave a planet, so starting off is the hardest part to get used to. It was also difficult to tell where the planets were as you were approaching because the navigation indicator would disappear.
But those are small quibbles in an otherwise amazing game. The designers have made a truly compelling experience with excellent atmosphere. It's a fantastic artistic endeavor with delightful physics-based game play and creative puzzles. You can also just spend some time flying through space or the clouds, the music and movement are so relaxing.
This game is excellent. That's all that needs to be said.
Well, I completed everything except for the one with the moons that you can grab onto, but I can't seem to complete it. I think I'm supposed to
hover over each moon until it explodes or something, but I can't seem to stay there long enough for that to work.
Amazingly fun game and very good ambiance. Unfortunately, it was very short.
I have no idea how to solve the puzzle on each of the planets? I talk to everyone and then what, do I have to find something? or do something? I don't understand the basics of how to solve the puzzle? Any help would be appreciated.
I've gotten the island one
ate the fish in the water
And I've done the grumpy/happy planet
landed on each moon until they landed and exploded
But now i'm stuck on the snow one...any hints?
evilmrhenry -
There are three moons that you need to destroy.
I thought the easiest way to destroy one was to
Jump up and down repeatedly.
And the one with the moons you can grab onto is...
grab on and spin ALL the way around a few times...you'll notice it getting bigger and then explodes
For the planet where you can go underground:
You need to swing along from the crystal growths about halfway up. With each swing, a note will sound.
for the pink planet you need
to go inside of it (find the mouth) and grab on to all of the floating crystal thingies
For the snow one you need
come crashing down on it from space
Walkthrough:
Island w/water
dive and eat all the fish
Planet with cave
fall through the hole and swing from diamond to diamond, when you do it fast enough you'll solve the puzzle
Planet with moons you hang from
hang from each moon and spin all the way around it until it explodes
Planet with emotional moons
land on each moon until it crashes into the world below
then all you have to do is...
go back to earth
In the cave, after making all the notes chime, and the core is smiling. How do you EXIT the cave...?
The controls are getting on my nerves, though; and how long it takes to get to any particular goal. The game has so much going for it, otherwise. Grrrr
whoo. that was quite the interesting game. although i'm happy that at the very very end it says "to be continued..." because that means that there's going to be a second one. or a sequel. can't wait!
it was kinda easy, though, once i figured out the green planet.
Wow. The first one I went to was the underground one, and I was tempted to just quit right there because
1) I didn't have the sound on
2) All the spinning was making me queasy
But I managed to finish. Neat game. If you need me, I'll be the one with his head between his knees.
I'm stuck at the sad planet.
Rook:
Just make sure the tongue is long enough to swing you anywhere onto the surface
2 words:
amazing!
the other word is just me holding my mouth open in amazement for some time.
And oh so sad... or is it just me?
Everybody is so enthusiastic... Is is just me having this bug when scrolling suddenly stop? All the physics remain the same, but no matter where I go, I still see the same screen. Makes it somewhat difficult to leave a planet since I cannot see or even blindly aim towards the clouds.
Starting all from scratch for the 3rd time is not so appealing. If it's just me, I guess I'll try again from another computer...
great game, the atmosphere and music is so relaxing... the graphics are beautiful
So, on the planet with the emotional moons:
how many did you have to make crash in order to complete the puzzle? I've done three, and after the third one got a funny noise, but nothing on the planet seems to have changed.
Merci!
Wow, I just came home from a lecture where I learnt that "Aether", in Greek mythology, is where the Gods live, the air which is too thin for man to breathe in.
This game is stunning, yet somewhat scary, I was in constant fear of getting lost in space.
Jess, there is an fourth moon, higher than the others. I found it because when i first came on bibulon, i crashed on the moon.
Another thing, if you come back to earth after each planet finished, you will notice it gradually becoming smaller.
Jess:
4
There's one high above the "girl face" on that planet.
this is a truly lame game. I can't even find the first planet. How do you find a planet and the puzzles? Stupid game.
Grrrrrrrr!
I can't even start the game yet!!!!
The loading screen stops at 41%
Why?
And how to deal with it?
Wow, that was an unexpected ending...
Okay, there are a lot of good hints here, and I'm going to go ahead and compile them into a walkthrough because it's about time I contributed more than just a sentence or two to the mix
Overall Gameplay Tips
-You can check the name of the planet you're on in the upper right hand corner when you first land on it.
-Some planets are a bit tricky to get back into space from (Gravida and Debasa in particular). Your best bet is to get a bit away from the surface and just swing until you're going in circles.
-Remember centripetal force: When you let go of a cloud or star, you fling off at a tangent to the circle you're making. So if you want to leave a planet, your best bet is NOT when you're on top of the cloud, but when you're next to it on the upswing.
-There are three ways to tell if you've solved a planet: The flash of light, the mood of the planet (not its inhabitants), and whether or not the planet's "butterfly" pointer appears when you're in space.
Blue-green Planet (Earth)
Remember how this all started with the boy wanting to explore?
Every time you solve another planet, Earth gets a little smaller.
Come back to Earth after you've solved all the other planets to see the ending.
Pink Planet (Gravida)
Hey, this planet looks... dead.
Check out the open mouth.
It must get boring all alone inside that shell.
What can pass the time?
Maybe some music?
Each of the crystals plays a note when you swing on it.
Swing on all of the crystals in turn.
And because at least one person had a problem doing so, to leave the core,
just swing up to the surface from the crystals - don't worry about lining up with the open mouth again.
Blue Planet (Malaisus)
Wow, that guy's a jerk. It has nothing to do with the puzzle, I just thought I'd mention it.
Although he does look like the creature you're riding. I wonder if this is where he comes from?
He must be hungry after taking you all over the galaxy.
Maybe he should eat?
What is there around for your creature to snack on?
Eat all the fish.
Yellow Planet (Biblion)
Before we get into the puzzle here...
This may be a bug, but I noticed there are two faces on this planet - one happy, one mad. So you may not be able to use the mood of the planet to determine whether you're done with it.
Hmmm... There's only one alien on the planet. Who's he talking about?
Mothers get upset when their kids run away.
The planet is upset... who are its kids?
Those moons sure are talkative.
How can you bring them home?
Stand on top of the wayward satellites.
Green Planet (Debasa)
Wow, what's with the atmosphere here? Kind of thick, isn't it?
I wonder where it's all coming from?
Check the upper atmosphere.
Maybe something should be done about those moons.
They don't seem to like it if you swing around on them too long.
Swing around on the moons until they explode
Though the text made me cringe on several occasions it was a very enjoyable experience.
After all, we can't all be Dr. Seuss.
The major complaint I have with the game is that my key buffer or mouse click buffer, not sure which, overloads during play and I have to wait for all my key strokes and mouse clicks to catch up. It makes for a game I can't play, period.
Ooh, got it. Thanks all. :) I finished it...what an odd, lovely game. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
The major complaint I have with the game is that my key buffer or mouse click buffer, not sure which, overloads during play and I have to wait for all my key strokes and mouse clicks to catch up. It makes for a game I can't play, period.
I had the exact same experience. A shame as it looked/sounded very nice when it wasn't getting beeped over by my motherboard speaker....
If you are having problems with the browser version, there is an option to download the game at the start. I found that if I just waited a moment and didn't try to click anything, it would catch up.
John Moses: Once you are in space, follow the colored arrows - they look a bit like butterflies. Once you are near a planet the indicator will start to point down and you can fall onto a planet.
How do you get the character to swing all the way around? It hits a maximum arc swinging back and forth whenever it's under the influence of gravity. Is there a trick to the game physics that I'm not insightful enough to try?
I have played the game on two different PC's both online and downloaded, same problem every time; the motherboard speaker whining at me from the buffer overload. I am bummed too, the game (what I could play of it) was fun.
A pause or save feature would have been nice though.
Strange ending.
Username: If you press Esc, that will pause the game.
StaceyG, I tried hitting Esc but nothing happened, I think it was due to all the commands trying to play catchup. I swear it blows my mind that only one other person is experiencing the same problems I am.
that is one seriously awesome game!!
the end was weird though...
and there is a pause, press P and the screen says PAUSED.
sorry for double post, but Username, esc didn't work for me either then I pressed P and it paused.
I can't find any planets. I've been following one arrow around for five minutes or more and space just keeps on going and going and going...
I tried another arrow and it just disappeared off the screen. Suggestions anyone?
It was kind of short. You think they'll make game packs for it?
auroraB: This was something irksome about the game - when the color arrow disappears toward the bottom of the screen that seems to mean you have arrived at a planet, you just need to keep going down to the surface.
Love this game. It took me a while to figure out though... Did anyone else find that sometimes all the butterflies just looked grey??? I hope there's a sequel.
The atmosphere and the music are what is most compelling to me. If more people could create games like this to pass the time, I probably would be a completely unproductive member of society. Thank god games like these don't come out everyday... I would never get anything done.
I'm not sure if the ending was supposed to be happy or sad, but either way a fun little game
Not that I dislike the music, but a mute button is ALWAYS nice. That aside, very cute (if quick) game.. it's too bad you can't cheer up everyone, but I guess that's a sort of life lesson.
Did i just?
Yeah i think i did.
But it was a metaphor?
And it was real?
Sort of?
I'll figure it out eventually. Awesome ending.
I can't get the snow planet, Biblion. I've stood on the moons, I've landed on them from great heights, nothing's happening! What obvious thing am I doing wrong?
You have to stay standing on the top of the moons and they will start to sink. It may take a few tries to stay on long enough
ok... im confused, how do you change the screen you are on? i kept spinning on the planet at the beginning but i cant find a way to move go into space.
I cant get out of the darn pink planet! It wont let me go any higher than those crystals......
After I finished the planet with grabbable moons, I found a very small planet with things that look like beans, saying "please don't hurt me!"
Anyone know what that is?
Wow, cool, a hidden planet... Maybe a little bit of forshadowing before the sequel?
Also I find that going all the way around stuff is always a good thing, if only because it's a lot of fun.
After finishing the puzzle on Biblion (yellow planet), the camera froze in place. I can move my character around, but the camera doesn't follow him anymore, and I can't get off the planet because of it. Has anyone else run into this? Is it just a bug?
The key to quick movement is to use ASDW while you are swinging on your tongue. You add to your momentum. So if you want to go up from a planet, grab a cloud off to the side (say right) and above you, press the direction you are swinging (right) while you swing down. At the lowest part of your swing also press up (right and up together) to gain momentum. At the side point (farthest right) let go and you will be going quite a bit faster and up!
i cant get the snowy planet =/ any tips? crushing down from space doesnt seem to work O_o
The online game is looping badly for me, anyone got the download link?
Please?
vhor:
First, land on a moon. The moon will start sinking. Find the other moons and use the same technique
I finished!
great and lovely game!
a bit confusing but dreamfull and really emotional
I'm looking for the sequel
One. word.... WOW. Amazing game! :)
this is an explanation to the 2 faces on the yellow planet
the female face is the moons' mother, and the angry face is the moons' stepfather that they ran away from, he is the one all the moons mentioned.
Cute, but dull.
Are there more than 4 moons on the yellow planet? Because I crashed 4 and can't find another one. Help please.
I found the hidden planet too, right after I finished the green one. I thought it was just a big star or something to pass over, then my little creature stopped when I hit it and landed. It was only in space, no atmosphere and I could walk around it like other planets, but was small and had little thingys, beans I guess, running around. The green planet was my last, so I went off to earth to see the ending, and didn't bother too much with the planet. Did I mention it was grey? And it was the only planet that talked. It said AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! The little bean things just scurried along.
How do I get out of the cave?
Amazing. This game was fun and sad all at once. I ... I'm speechless.
For the planet with the moons all you have to do is just swing around them.
I want to try this game, but it won't load. It just sits at "1% loaded" on the screen. I'll leave for awhile and see if it's different when I come back.
I really liked this game, had alot of fun playing it and solving each puzzle and solving the mystery. Im looking forward to more games from this guy, he did a really good job.
But am I the only one who wants an mp3 of the song? Its quite well done and I would kill for it.
i found a second hidden planet that has a bean on it that says im cool cause im dead.
I really really wanted to like this game. I just can't give it the best comment because it was seriously TOO hard to get out of one of the planets. I'm so motion sick right now from trying to get out! I would take a break and try again later, but you can't save either, and I do not want to do this entire thing again!
For anyone having trouble getting out of the cave on the red/pink planet, I really struggled with that, too. What I did is used the crystals to start going around in a circle. When you get going fast enough, you'll be slung out of the cave.
Music is relaxing, true, but I find the mechanics quite difficult to get the hang of. For instance, I swing off a cloud, then my (laggy) computer will (momentarily) freeze, and the next thing I know, I'm plummeting back to Earth.
Then, when I can get a bit further up, I land on a moonish-looking planet thing, and then, I am forced to re-load, because, despite my futile attempts, I can't get of the moon-thing!
Really, I'd like to love this game, but I can't.
Is this a bug? I click play, click through the introduction and instructions, then the screen fades black and it freezes! I was looking forward to playing this game (high average rating), but I can't.
*sniffle*
I love this game. But I can't play it on Kongregate.When it loads the bar says 888%. So I played it on Armorgames. Even so, I love the game and I think the animal thingy that the little boy rides on is cute.
Very interesting game, but I've never gotten around to finishing it. It's way too time consuming. Wait, I actually should say I'm way too impatient.
So I was hoping some generous person would willingly tell me the ending. I really want to know so badly! (And obviously hide it in a spoiler - just so we don't ruin it for the other players.)
That would be cool!
Thanks
Here is a walkthrough (my 1st) for people who are dozing off in space not knowing what to do.
Tips first
Bibulon
There are many moons but you can do something about them, like maybe crashing them into the planet? Wild guess. Or is it?
Debasa
Careful! It's moons are giving it pressure! Destroy them! But its easier this time because you can stick on them but unlike the other planet, you do something else......
Gravida
Try going underground...... Crystals and music!
Malaisus
Wow! Water! Lets eat seafood!
And finally back to Earth
You don't need a tip for this. Come back when you have done everything else.
And the answers! (for the lazy people)
Bibulon
You STAND on the moons and, yes, you crash them into the planet.
Debasa
You SWING around the moons with the rays until they explode!
Gravida
Swing from tree to tree... I mean SWING from crystal to crystal and don't land until the planet changes colour!
Malaisus
Go underwater and EAT the small fishesuntil there nare none left.
And Earth
Wait...... You do NOTHING!
I hope this helps!
I love this game, short but emotional especially for the song. I wanted the song too!!
JIGuest:
I think my computer was just being buggy and I missed something, but I got a picture of a really small, really sad Earth.
wow. that was very depressing. but other than that it was very good and intresting game.
The green planet was annoying. >:(
awww the ending was so sad! but great game. I would say the only annoying thing was the difficulty of changing direction in space
yeah! i did it!
Like an above poster my mouse/keyboard buffer continually overloads, making the game nearly impossible to play for long periods. I did enjoy the sections I've managed to play though.
You can find the music on Newgrounds.com, just look for Glaiel-gamer or somthing like that. The name of the song is skybridge, i think.
AHHH!!! I try to eat the fish but its not working...i swim up to them and the mouth touches them but the fish dont disappear...i cant do anything...
that was an
anticlimatic and odd
ending
I tried standing on all the 4 moons for a long time, jumped on them, crashed into them but still nothing happens, what am I doing wrong?
how to eat fishies?!
Rob, I found that one too.
For anyone who cares, here is it's location:
Above the green planet, you'll see a big planet in the background, that you can't interact with. The small grey planet it above that.
Sorry for the double post, but I just found another small grey planet above
the pink planet. Guess there's one for each color.
This game is beautiful. And it has everything. It has the graphics. It has the music. It has a little boy on an octopus. It has stars. It has space. It has planets, aliens with issues, moons, random backdrop images and fish. EVERYTHING.
im just wondering, but
ive noticed that every planet, exept the blue one, it seems, has an actual moon that you can walk on. i have probably swung around the blue planet for a total of about three and a half days, but i cant seem to find a little mini-planet that has gravity and i can walk on, but i think that there is, so either i cant find it, or its my computer. could someone let me know if they find one near the blue planet?
I still can't win the planet with the moons I can grab onto.
I keep grabbing and spinning but they don't explode.
is the earth supposed to go *pop* or was i going down way to fast.
i dont know what to do on this planet that has trees and a cottage and im stuck
I used to feel like those lonely kids on that polluted planet. :(
I guess I am an idiot lol. I have absolutely no clue what to do. I am sitting on something on a planet with a face and birds are turning into snowballs. I have tried running them over and jumping on them. I tried clicking with my mouse- nothing. I don't get it :(
just getting to this game after seeing it win the "best of". in 15 minutes I haven't managed to get off the first planet. the controls on this game are atrocious. I get up a few cloud levels and then fall back to earth b/c my tongue won't extend. from all the reviews, it seems like it's a good game, but I don't see it. Music and cute graphics don't make a good game if just getting started is that frustrating. shame.
I'm having trouble with the grabby moons one.
I keep swinging, but the moons won't explode!
Got it! [sorry for the double post]
If you are having trouble with the grabby moons one,
make sure that your are pressing up while you swing!
I think at the end, it said "to be continued". I heard they were going to make Aether 2, but there is nothing about that now.
i dont understand what these puzzles are...i go to a planet and just walk around and then these things say stuff that has nothing to do with helping me in knowing what im supposed to be doing. help?
I must be missing something. Is there another moon on the yellow planet? Because I can't get the one that has three things popping out to budge!
I sighed with relief when I finished the game and it said
To be continued
What about the mini planets? LIke the one where there is a mini planet (MOON? BUT Not related to a planet), and next to it a little rock broken off, on one a creature says: I'm glad I left and do they think about me ON the ohter, creature says I'm glad he's gone. Is there a solution for those ones?
(or
the mini planet where theres one who screams at you.
Anyone think those grey planets might be
hints? I mean, the "don't eat me" could be about the water planet and I know that the "I'm glad he's gone/I wonder if they think about me" duo were right above the motherly planet.
I've seen a random person floating through space. It sort of looked like a miniplanet, but it says I'm so outof here I think. Maybe there are more?
If you know the locations of the mini-moons for each planets (which are subtle hints to the planet) please tell us where to go. Are they above the planet's face? Are they on the bottom end? The happy or sad end? TELL US!!!!!
I found a gray moon!
On Debasa (the green planet with a thick atmosphere) the moon is on the side opposide the face ( this side
1 down, four more to go!
Good Luck.
Ding, moon #2 is found!
On planet Earth (the one you start on), just go in the direction above the face ( (: -->) There is nothing on it, but its interesting to see it before the ending.
Ding Gravida's err, dead moon, has been found!
To start, go to the open mouth. Now go left to what may seem like the left side. (You can go inside to help.) Now, stop when you see two cactus right next to each other and go right up. You should see the moon along with a bean bag looking fellow. And guess what! The moon is dead too!! Basically this is what your doing. (
Sorry again. Just here to say another random encounter.
It looks like the little bugs from Gravira (the pink dead planet). It apparently got stuck in space, and it says "Am I going to die?"? I saw it when I was (supposedly) heading to Gravira. (Because that planets pointer is no longer there after I solved the puzzle.)
Hmm...as i was swinging through space i found a little sad-looking, eyeless planet. I couldnt land on it, and it was uninhabited, but when i got close it said "im outta here" Weird. Greant game, though. :)
wow this is AMAZING....reminds me of spewer thoand spewer also has the name EDMUN MCMILLEN
ps:edmun is getting poplular
:-P
well if this is about the childhood memories and experiences of the person who made this, then they did not have a very happy time.
People talking about 'hidden planets', they're not planets, they're moons.
I wonder when the sequel will come out. It was a fun game, funny in appearance, but with such a deep meaning underneath. >_>;
Cool game. :] It was a bit hard to figure out what to do on a few levels... but I got the hang of it. :) (Also, hints are always very helpful! :D)
won't work.... the camera won't move so I can't see where i am going.
There are a few ways to tell whether you've solved a planet. Either
The planet will get some color
or
The face on the planet (ex: The face on the core at Gravadia)will change moods.
Once at the green planet, how the heck are you supposed to get above the atmosphere? I fell through and I paused it for a moment, and now I can barely move, let alone build up enough momentum to swing. Heck, I can't even jump. What do I do?
Keep trying, it takes awhile to get momentum. Once you get through the lower atmosphere it becomes easier.
How do you do the planet with the emotional moons?
Are there any secrets in aether?
when is aether 2 coming out?
I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it. I doubt you'll ever see it.
abno
You know... after stopping by to check out this game again... I begin to realize that this is a rather emotional game. It saddens me to have seen that more people were focused more on the puzzles, then the actual issues that were going on with each and individual planet...
If you play the game believing that this game might be about the life of Edmund McMillen (the creator)... you start to realize that the ending is happier then some might believe, while the issues portrayed on the planets are... tragic...
Basically, issues like desire for suicide or perhaps fear of his own life (resolved by a love and desire for music), dysfunctional families (parents who don't seem to want him there, and a family pushed apart by it), drug abuse or perhaps medication (remember the guy who says "I'm here because I'm bad"? This applies here); a conflict on whether or not to follow his dreams and the hesitation that results from it; multiple failed attempts to achieve a certain goal which might either be his goal, companionship, or both (there are plenty of fish in the sea...), and a realization that he can only set his own destiny, and that the life that he had and desired, is perhaps all but unobtainable...
It's very sad.
Play the game again, but pay attention to the characters, both on the planets, and their adjacent moons...
i can't swing him enough to grab higher clouds he keeps falling eventually and I have to start all over again (ToT) is it cause i'm using a laptop mouse pad that it's so difficult? i really want to get to at least one planet
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