- Deimos Games shutting, making Helium Rain and Astral Shipwright free to play - 28 August 2023
Deimos Games announced they're shutting down but their games code is already open source, and now both Helium Rain and Astral Shipwright will be going free to play. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2023/08/deimos-games-shutting-making-helium-rain-and-astral-shipwright-free-to-play
- Helium Rain to go free-to-play on September 1st - 23 August 2023
It's been about a decade since I first started prototyping a space game - one where you'd start off with a small ship and trade resources. Two games, three game engines and 15,000 copies sold later, here am I with a new life where I don't quite have the time for such work anymore. Deimos Games will be shutting down this year. Both Helium Rain and Astral Shipwright will be going free-to-play, so that new players can still experience them in the future. As a reminder, both are also open-source, so if you were going to build anything based on these projects, you now have access to free content too. It's been refreshing to see game developers reuse code for their own projects, and I hope that will continue. I want to thank all players who supported me on this endeavour. I'm truly happy that I was able to share my work with you. Stranger
- Astral Shipwright Demo released - 9 June 2022
It's been nearly four years since Helium Rain released for good, and after years of experiments, spaceships are back on the menu. Astral Shipwright is a new spacebuilding game with the same DNA as Helium Rain, and will be available in Early Access later this year. As part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest, a very early build of the game has been made available to everyone. While it's a far cry from a completely playable game, the current demo shows the foundation of the game including the spacecraft building system, inventory and orbital maneuvers. Read the announcement to learn more about Astral Shipwright (and join our Discord community server to talk about it!)
- Helium Rain modding kit released - 1 March 2019
Hello there ! After months in development, we're finally ready to release the Helium Rain mod support we initially promised during Early Access. Mod support is always a pretty great way to enhance a game's lifetime - speaking as a former mod developer. https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F29869307%2F8ef3f537b157abb1a58ceaf3cd8b48727cb74466.png Installing mods Players shouldn't see much change today, and will have an easy process to install mods through Steamworks. Browse the workshop on Steam, subscribe to mods, and once Steam has downloaded them, the game will automatically install them ! Our only guideline for players is that game saves should be tied to mods - please don't remove mods once you've started a game, as this might cause corruption of the game save. Adding mods should always "just work", but removal is not so easy. A small update was released to…
- Helium Rain 1.3.6 hotfix released - 9 February 2019
Hello, We've released the 1.3.6 update to Helium Rain. This update fixes two recently reported bugs : Fix research points increasing too quickly with Instruments tech Fix people consuming resource during construction Thank you for playing Helium Rain !
- Helium Rain 1.3.4 hotfix released - 10 January 2019
We've released a new hotfix for Helium Rain. This update fixes missing textures on Linux machines running some what older GPUs. A small Windows update was also published but shouldn't provide any noticeable change.
- Helium Rain 1.3.3 hotfix released - 23 December 2018
Hello, We've released a new update to solve a few bugs we previously didn't know about. Fix station scrapping not detecting all cargos Fix free money exploit on contracts Cleanup unwanted files from client We'll have more exciting news early next year with modding support ! Thank you for playing Helium Rain, and merry Christmas !
- Helium Rain 1.3.2 hotfix released - 8 December 2018
We've released a hotfix for Helium Rain today. As for 1.3.1, this update targets a specific issue. Fixed notifications at the end of a complex upgrade that would cause crashes We're also retiring the beta branch of Helium Rain today. The default branch has featured the same builds for a few months now, so this won't have any impact.
- Helium Rain 1.3.1 hotfix released - 4 December 2018
We've released the 1.3.1 hotfix to Helium Rain to account for two new issues. Fix failure to start on Linux devices Fix mod launcher failing to start while not logged on to Steam We're also investigating some crash reports. We'll have more news on mod support soon too !
- Helium Rain 1.3 released with new military contracts, Russian localization and more ! - 21 November 2018
It's been a month since our last major update, and we've some news for you today ! New military contracts We've upgraded military contracts in depth. Previously, a military contract meant only one thing - war. You would attack a faction on another faction's orders, and end up at war with the target, making this business unsustainable. This changes with our new mercenary-type contracts, where you will be free to attack your target at no reputation loss. Some variations of military contracts have also been introduced, including a new sector attack / sector defense contract. We hope this will let you play as pirates in a financially rewarding way. Good hunting ! https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F29869307%2Fd29392f530af24c77da0f2f75225287bda90156a.gif Game updates Unreal Engine was upgraded from 4.19 to 4.20, enhancing support for some hardware that used to no…
- Helium Rain 1.2.1 released - 6 November 2018
Helium Rain 1.2.1 has been released with three minor changes. The flying HUD will now keep a consistent scale from 1080p to 4K, to ensure it's still readable at high resolutions Joystick inputs now correctly disengage autopilot Joystick throttle now features accurate speed control Thank you for reporting these issues ! We're still working on a number of game crashes during gameplay. We're also considering a change to military contracts, to ensure chasing down targets doesn't result in all-out war against your company.
- Helium Rain beta updated - 27 October 2018
We've updated the Helium Rain beta branch on Steam. This is an experimental release meant to ensure the next engine version works well (from Unreal Engine 4.19 to 4.20). Some other changes included here will be part of the next official update too, so you can either try them here or wait. Fix joystick throttle not behaving in a controllable manner Fix autopilot not cancelled by joystick controls Fix unreadable HUD at 4K resolution This new beta version is fully compatible with existing game saves, so it is safe to move from the main to beta branch, and back, without risk to your game progress. To enable the beta channel, right-click the game in Steam, go to the Properties menu and the Beta tab. Select the "Beta - Helium Rain Beta" entry and confirm the change. Thank you for playing Helium Rain, and please tell us of any issue !
- Helium Rain 1.2 now available - 21 October 2018
We've updated Helium Rain to bring some improvements and fix a number of issues with the game. A week after launch, we have a lot to discuss ! Major changes Here are the big ones - these changes were highly requested changes or really annoying bugs. New flight control that allows for concurrent inputs - braking while moving left, for example, is now possible. Improved docking HUD (see below) Meteorite contracts have reduced meteor counts, higher intercept time, lower probability of spawning to make them less annoying Fix various issues with auto-trading, including ships ignoring the "trade" settings on stations Fix various issues with joystick support Many more changes ! The full changelog is available here with all 23 changes ! New docking UI Manual docking in Helium Rain is a controversial topic. We've seen lots of discussions about it. Your opinion matters - we've taken some steps to…
- Helium Rain is released ! - 11 October 2018
After a year in Early Access, Helium Rain is now publicly available as a full-fledged Steam game ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oAKZwCSxSY This release is meant to be a smooth transition. No change in pricing is occurring, all game saves since we released into Early Access are still compatible. Take a look at the forums if you have questions or issues. General discussions Bug report forum Linux support thread If you're a returning player, you should find that the game has changed quite a bit since the first days of Early Access ! https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F29869307%2F1fe9271a6da8614f229a61e3d2a64eb5d340404a.png Bug patrol The game itself has been unchanged since 1.1.4, but we'll still be on the lookout for bugs. Please report all issues you find in the game on on our public bug tracker, or on the Steam forums, so that we can investigate quickly…
- Helium Rain 1.1.2 released - 9 October 2018
We've released a new update to Helium Rain. It is mainly a bug-fixing update, with a twist... An oversized surprise As a surprise addition before launch, we're adding a 13th ship to Helium Rain. The Themis freighter is not a new combat unit, but a smaller version of the old Atlas superfreighter that will provide half of its capabilities for 60% of the cost. We thought this unit would fill the void between the Atlas and the much smaller Sphinx. https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F29869307%2F1fe9271a6da8614f229a61e3d2a64eb5d340404a.png https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F29869307%2F73094aa25a0bd8009cc31688d5bc118e2430a537.png A laundry list of bugs Having the game working perfectly is always our prime concern. Here are all the bugs fixed in 1.1.2, which is a longer list than usual - we've been testing the game pretty intensively si…
- Helium Rain 1.1.1 released - 27 September 2018
We've released a new version of Helium Rain ! 1.1.1 brings a few UI improvements, and fixes a few economy issues. The trade route menu and economy menus are getting new options to handle Storage Hubs, and sortable columns in tables ! https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F29869307%2Fbcbbccc9abc2869af0100bb536eaa2d8b659e37b.png Gameplay Trade routes don't default to trading with hubs anymore Balance Fusion Power Plant Improve performance in Night's Home Graphics & UI Add "Trade with Hubs" options to trading steps in the Trade Route menu Add arrow icons on "Move Up" & "Move Down" buttons in the Trade Route menu Add "Include Hubs" option to the World Economy menu Add sorting buttons to the World Economy & Resource Prices menu F4 now the default key binding for the World Economy menu, moving other menus to higher function keys (main menu is F10, settings F12, etc)…
- Helium Rain 1.02 hotfix released - 23 September 2018
We've released a hotfix to correct a number of issues with the game. The changelog for this update is as follow : Fix fleet controls available on AI fleets Fix auto-trade not actually requiring the Automated Trading technology Fix high memory usage and performance issues in company log Fix typos in texts Fix "buying" transactions not defaulting to the contract-bound amount Fix crash on sector reload We've also adjusted the rewards from scanning artifacts, to ensure they would be rewarding in end-game, unlike the previous situation. Please tell us if you find additional issues !
- Helium Rain 1.0.1 released - 22 September 2018
Our final Early Access update has been published today, and we've got a new trailer for our upcoming launch ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oAKZwCSxSY 1.0 now available on the default branch Last week, we released a new 1.0.0 version on the beta channel with many changes: New artifact system to earn research points through exploration New Anomaly & Pharos sectors New economy model New auto-trading technology to let fleets work automatically Trade route & contracts upgrades Lots of bugs fixed ! We haven't seen major issues with 1.0.0, and we're publicly releasing 1.0.01 today with some minor text changes, and a nerf on the amount of research points earned through artifacts. This version is now available on the default branch for the game ! Be sure to tell us of any issue that you see - we'll do our best to fix any problem that pops up. https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/pu…
- Helium Rain 1.0 now in beta ! - 16 September 2018
We're happy to announce we've released the 1.0 update for the beta branch on Steam. This is our last content update before the game releases, fixing economy, end-game and general gameplay issues. Take a look before you update... https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F29869307%2Fb7cbff46ab8cce73c1c831b07b8eb6f9b3f1e5f6.gif What's new ? We introduced a new artifact system. Artifacts can be found in the world and scanned for research points, and some additional lore. Explore everything you can ! As part of this feature, we've released two new sectors. The economy has received immense changes. You will find now that resource contracts are easier to fulfill, and the general AI behavior largely upgraded. We've made the Trading Hub station relevant again. It is now known as a Storage Hub and can work as a resource buffer in a sector, taking resources from cargos to su…
- What's next for Helium Rain ? - 3 September 2018
Hi ! It's been some time since our last update, with a hot, busy summer taking some time away from development. We're back ! https://cdn.steampulse.org/steam/asset?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsteamcdn-a.akamaihd.net%2Fsteamcommunity%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fclans%2F29869307%2F9d9171255c300ab4e495f5f3413f1950fb8da8eb.gif Our next update We've promised you a new patch since July this year, but it has since snowballed into a much larger update to address recurring issues with the game. The current list of changes includes : Scannable artifacts in the world to unlock for research points and lore details A completely re-worked AI for the game's companies, fixing a few long-standing issues with contracts An auto-trade technology to automate your fleet in end-game Two new sectors Weapon balancing Plenty of bugs fixed We still don't have a firm date for this version's completion, as we'd like to resolve as many long-term issues as possible, and testing all of them toge…
