Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Aetherbound, accounts, and supporter cosmetics.
Are the supporter pack banners and badges final?
Yes. Ember, Storm, and Astral banners, pack art, and badges are now the Whobrey Studios set. That art is the default on the storefront and on your profile card.
Anyone who bought a pack while the old placeholders were live still has them.
They stay in your cosmetic inventory as OG banner options. You can still set those originals on your profile if you prefer the earlier look.
Is Aetherbound made with AI?
Development is AI-assisted. AI tools are used as a copilot for debugging, architecture ideas, and boilerplate code, and as a sounding board for lore and system-log text.
Translations: the Russian and Spanish translations were done with AI. Both are still in testing, so send language feedback through Support & reports in the game.
Art: none of it is AI-generated now. The original AI art has been replaced with work from Whobrey Studios, including the Ember, Storm, and Astral banners, pack art, and badges. The only placeholders left are emojis.
Is Aetherbound actually free?
Yes. The full game is free. Supporter packs are optional cosmetics — badges and banners for your profile. They change how you look, not how you play.
Do I need to make an account to play?
Nope. Jump in as a guest. Save stays on this device. Sign in with Google or Apple to sync across phone, tablet, and the web, and to use the leaderboard.
How "idle" is the gameplay?
The Wilds idle. Aether comes in while the tab or app is open, and a capped catch-up applies when you return (base 4 hours; Pattern Holds can extend it). This is a short-session game, not a number that runs for days in your pocket. The Abyss is a crawl you play. Auto-Strike only on floors you've already cleared — not new floors, not bosses.
What are the roguelite elements?
Random floors, relics, fights. Fall and crawl out in this life, or True Death and the next of the line. Ascend is earned — the chart, maybe one worn piece.
Is there a native mobile app?
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play — same game as the web, same save if you sign in. They are not listed yet. Play in the browser now, or Add to Home Screen if you prefer the PWA. Android closed testers apply on Discord.