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Watch trailer on Steam ↗Etrom 20th Anniversary Edition
AgeOfGames · Published by AgeOfGames · Official site ↗
Mostly Positive — 70% positive (27 reviews)
Last updated 27 Sept 2026
A point & click action RPG set in a dark future. Explore sprawling cities, unravel mysteries, engage in epic battles, and navigate parallel dimensions. First released on a proprietary engine in 2003, you may encounter bugs!
£1.12
£2.49Lowest price we've ever recorded
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Price history
Action, Indie, RPG · 2023 · More under £5 games
Dive into a dark future where you explore vast urban landscapes, unravel mysteries, and engage in intense combat. Etrom 20th Anniversary Edition from AgeOfGames offers a rich point & click adventure across parallel dimensions.
About this game
Welcome to Etrom - The Astral Essence’s 20th Anniversary Edition, an immersive point and click action RPG set in a dark future where societies are not only divided by walls, but also laws, secrets, and the treacherous Void Lands.
In a dark futuristic Middle Ages, between arcane rituals, endless wars and bloody fights with techno-mystical blades, you will play the role of Etrom, a former HWD (Human World Defense) attacker who has suffered the mysterious call of the Astral Essence.
As an elite soldier turned fugitive, you must navigate through hostile cities, ancient civilizations, and otherworldly realms to uncover the truth about the enigmatic Astral Essence and your own existence. With a multitude of locations and settings, each brimming with rituals, secret-service plots, and dark spells, Etrom offers a rich and captivating world to explore.
Please Note: The game features a proprietary style of controls, so players should be prepared to familiarize themselves with a gameplay experience which was both revolutionary and controversial for its time, a truly unique way of experiencing RPG, point and click gameplay that divided the masses, and left critics reviewing the game from 2/10 to 9/10!
Engage in intense battles against hordes of enemies, from humans to monsters and extradimensional beings, fighting will be gruelling, bloody, and constant! Use a variety of spectacular Astral Powers, such as Meteor and Lightning Storm. Depending on the choices you make in game, you'll be able to unleash incredible transformations, becoming a fearsome Demon, Draconian Guardian, or an Abyssal Knight. You can also learn to pilot powerful war mechs and experience the thrill of strategic combat against formidable adversaries.
The voice of the Gods resonates in the astral worlds and you can now hear their Call. Will you have the courage to answer it and discover the secrets that lie beyond the gates of a dark reality, to follow your path of Truth and Justice?
Key Features:
20th Anniversary Edition of Etrom - The Astral Essence, first announced in 2003
Unique Proprietary Controls - Experience an alternate way of playing point and click RPGs
Includes the first episode of the novel written by Fabio Belsanti and CyberScrivens!
Seven possible endings, shaping the fate of the parallel dimension
Over 70 huge environments with a total of approximately 50 hours of gameplay
Pilot powerful war mechs and engage in strategic battles
Discover secrets and unravel the mysteries of ancient civilizations
Encounter demons, secret divinities, dragons, and intelligent entities
Over 500 types of weapons, armor, rings, magic amulets, and more
First-person sniper mode for precise targeting and deadly accuracy
To Those Struggling to Run Etrom on their Machine:
If you are having issues playing Etrom on your machine, the community has recommended you run the game with DgVoodoo2, a set of implementation of old graphics APIs. Please Search for DgVoodoo2 online!
We hope you continue to buy and play Etrom, even 20 years after its original release, and hope to one day, together with you, fund its porting to a newer engine, or even create something new!
If you have any doubts or questions, take a look at the community posts on Steam, there's a lot of information from other players that may help you on your way.
Developer’s Technical Note:
We regret to share that bugs and system crashes, both during game launch and during gameplay, can happen on some hardware and software configurations.
In our last internal playtests in October 2024, 20 years after the game’s launch, we have found that the situation has drastically improved with the newest Windows 11 update 24H2.
Prior to this, in our 2023 testing, at least one incidence of major bugs and/or crashes on approximately 30% of PCs running windows 10 and 11 operating systems. This can at times be resolved by following the guide above. If it persists, please request a refund within 2 hours of gameplay, as unfortunately the game may continue to crash for you - though as we say, the latest Windows updates have made things much much better!
Etrom was first developed by a group of young dreamers from southern Italy who, mad as they were, decided to begin by creating a proprietary engine, which they then used to develop the game. The game, made by AgeofGames (known at the time as PMStudios Italia) should therefore be considered an Artifact, a piece of the Independent Videogame Archeology from the beginning of the millennium. The proprietary engine, developed by a single programmer, was imperfect back then, and likewise right now, as hardware configurations have swiftly evolved.
Players should also note that the game cannot be saved until the first level is completed. The first level takes between 15 to 45 minutes to complete, depending on skill and the amount of each player’s interaction with the enemies in the map.
Some antivirus systems may also block the game altogether. Not being able to update the code in the engine in any way, we will not be able to solve the problems that will be reported to us.
One thing we did manage to fix was the English dialogue (only dialogue not Etrom’s journal unfortunately), which has been overhauled by the award winning science fiction writers of the CyberScrivens collective.
We have decided to republish Etrom at a symbolic price despite all these problems because we believe that the setting and the overall narrative structures of the project are still very valid and fascinating today and we hope, also thanks to the addition of a free extract of the novel, that new and old players can immerse themselves for a few hours in this parallel universe that we want to be able to expand in the future with modern technology and development programs.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
- OS *: Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
- Processor: 2,000 MHz
- Memory: 1 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 580
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Storage: 3 GB available space
Recommended
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: i3 3.40 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: RTX 1050
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Storage: 3 GB available space
Supported Languages
*languages with full audio support
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
Introducing Five New AgeOfGames Bundles on Steam!
The New Bundles: AgeOfGames - OldSchool Turn-Based Strategy Bundle Immerse yourself in our classic strategy games! This bundle gathers all our beloved turn-based strategy titles, perfect for players who enjoy tactical depth and strategic planning. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44597132/16a96d2f956fb5d7282a24ece39d3b3d35334c0b.jpg The Etrom World Bundle Explore the dark, immersive world of Etrom and Chroma Wars. This bundle combines two games with rich storylines and intense gameplay set in our mysterious universe, which has birthed video games, novels, short stories and so much more still to come. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44597132/88fa7e9cbd08054cbcc1c2a6d1fbe484ba533ce1.jpg The King Island Bundle Dive into the entire King Island series, including the latest installment, King Towers. This bundle is a must-have for fans of action-packed adventures with a side of comedy. The King Island series reveal the story of Kaptivo’s journey through three ARPGs - King Towers is our only Tower Defence game currently available on the store! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44597132/c4e0a11bb5803425dab0c6bc14f531c158690356.jpg The Eukarion Continent Bundle Journey through the world of Eukarion, where Fantasy Kommander and the Eukarion Tales series live and breathe fantasy. Set in a shared universe, this bundle delivers an epic fantasy experience with classic RPGs as well as our strategic masterpiece! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44597132/1e4b829a7ddf6a06e52e7eceb4407ab79a055ff1.jpg The AgeOfGames OldSchool ARPG Bundle This collection gathers AgeOfGames’ classic indie action-RPG. Featuring nostalgic visuals and hours of immersive gameplay, this bundle is perfect for those looking to relive the charm of old-school RPGs {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44597132/af4a1e4fa681668bbaeebf4810c344bce671d6af.jpg The Original: AgeOfGames - Millennium Artifacts Bundle Already available, Discover a grand collection of games that have stood the test of time. This bundle is your gateway to some of AgeOfGames' most cherished titles, all in one place w...Read full article on Community Announcements (Noovola)AnnouncementsOfficial
Etrom: The Astral Essence – Now Fully Compatible with Windows 11!
Greetings Astral Warrior, We're very pleased to announce that Etrom: The Astral Essence, after 20+ years since its original launch, is now running much smoother on Windows 11 systems, especially with the latest version: 24H2 (Who would’ve thought!) After thorough testing, we can confirm that the game’s performance has significantly improved, and we’re excited to share this with you, as we initially warned users of the possibility of fatal errors when running on previous iterations, especially on Windows 11. This is a major update for all those Windows 11 users who could not play earlier, and an invitation to try the game again now! If you're on the newest version of Windows 11, you should now enjoy the full experience without any issues - but do let us know if otherwise - so we can continue to keep each other updated on the matter. For now, we felt comfortable enough to have also updated the store page to reflect these changes and edited the previous note about incompatibility on some systems. Say hello if you read this, we always love to chat! AgeofGamesRead full article on Community Announcements (Noovola)AnnouncementsOfficial
🔥 Millennium Artifacts Bundle – Our First AgeofGames Bundle!
Calling all adventurers, tacticians, and RPG enthusiasts! We're excited to announce the launch of the Millennium Artifacts Bundle, featuring a collection of our top titles at 53% off. Whether you're into action-packed RPGs or strategic tower defense, this bundle has something for you! 💥 Here's what you'll get: King Island: Dive into an immersive and humorous action RPG. Explore the island, battle enemies, complete quests, and uncover hidden treasures in a world filled with comedy and chaos. Fight crazy cows and level up your hero in this classic ARPG experience! King Towers: A retro tower defense game where strategy is key! Defend your kingdom from relentless waves of villagers, knights, evil witches, and even cows with dangerous weapons. Keep your gold and mana safe in this fast-paced, challenging game. Fantasy Kommander: Eukarion Wars: Lead your armies in epic, turn-based tactical warfare. Immerse yourself in a European fantasy world as you navigate four campaigns filled with heroes, quests, and powerful enemies. Etrom 20th Anniversary Edition: A point & click action RPG set in a dark future. Explore sprawling cities, engage in epic battles, and navigate parallel dimensions in this enhanced version of the original 2003 game. Chroma Wars: Engage in high-skill strategic battles in this techno-fantasy warfare. Command powerful armies and fight to save your base from abyssal foes in a retro turn-based strategy format. Eukarion Tales 2: Embark on a dangerous adventure against the forces of Kaos in this classic Flash RPG. Complete quests, gain experience, and equip powerful weapons and armor to face your foes. Whether you're reliving these Flash classics or playing them for the first time, now's the perfect time to dive in! Get the Millennium Artifacts Bundle now for 53% off and start your adventure today! ⚔️✨Read full article on Community Announcements (Noovola)AnnouncementsOfficial
It’s the Steam Spring Sale!
Dear Friends and Adventurers, It’s the Steam Spring Sale! For the next six days and between 14th March to 21st March, our entire catalogue of titles is available for 40% off! Play: Fantasy Kommander: Eukarion Wars: Immerse yourself in the epic battles of Fantasy Kommander, a turn-based strategy game set in a European fantasy world. Lead your armies, master the battle system, and unravel the captivating storyline across four campaigns filled with heroes, quests, and powerful enemies. Etrom: A point & click action RPG set in a dark future. Explore sprawling cities, unravel mysteries, engage in epic battles, and navigate parallel dimensions. First released on a proprietary engine in 2003, you may encounter bugs! Eukarion Tales 2: Embark on a dangerous adventure and do battle against the forces of Kaos. Complete quests to gain experience, learn new spells and abilities, and equip yourself with powerful weapons and armour. Relive this Flash Classic Today! Chroma Wars: A retro, turn-based strategy game on a square-map where you engage in techno-fantasy warfare in the world of Etrom! Command powerful armies, repel abyssal foes, and save your base in the dying desert fighting high-skill strategic battles. There are plenty more new games lined up for this year, so not to miss a single beat, why don’t you join us on Discord? Thank you, AgeofGamesRead full article on Community Announcements (Noovola)AnnouncementsOfficial
Etrom is on a 40% sale
Dear Friends and Adventurers, Etrom is officially on a 40% discount and Eukarion Tales 2 sees 50% off between now and March 11th! Note that Chroma Wars is also on a 40% Discount, until March 13th! For the Steam Spring Sale, here’s a list of all discounts planned: 14th March to 21st March: Steam Spring Sale, all of our titles will be available for 40% off We invite you to bookmark those dates and if you’ve already played all of our games, to tell your friends! Lastly, we want to remind you that there are plenty more new games lined up for this year, so not to miss a single beat, why don’t you join us on Discord? Thank you, AgeofGamesRead full article on Community Announcements (Noovola)
