Mass Effect Meets Dungeons & Dragons In New Turn-Based Sci-Fi RPG

Published Aug 20, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream. You may know him as the former Managing/Reviews Editor of Destructoid, where he published hundreds of game reviews across every genre, including MMOs, sports games, and Metroidvanias. Find Chris on Twitter @_SRChris. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Sci-fi and Steam go together like peanut butter and jelly. There are some genres you can just find without even trying on Steam, and there are so many sci-fi games that it's hard to even wrangle them all up at any given time. The possibilities of other worlds and space travel are endless, as are the story implications dealing with new lifeforms, just like the Star Trek series. You have the chance of seeing something completely new every time you try out another sci-fi game. If you're a sci-fi fan and are looking for something new, there's plenty on the horizon for 2026. This particular Steam release is also an option, and it's coming very soon. Aether Oblivion Is A Huge New Sci-Fi RPG Developed by Ex Nihilo Entertainment, Aether Oblivion is due out in September, and is taking us to the future. Set in 2490, you'll take control of a fleet and solve the murder of an Emperor: "Aether Oblivion is a story-driven, tactical turn based strategy game set in 2490 during the rule of the Stellconian Empire. Command your fleet, manage resources, and lead High Admiral Caelus on his mission to uncover the conspiracy behind the late Emperor's demise." Interestingly, the world has a full workup before the game is even out, as it takes place "214 years since the end of the AI war," and "11 years since the end of the Corporatist War." The Emperor is dying, and you need to find out why, while commanding a giant fleet of ships and battling enemies. It's inspired directly by XCOM: Enemy Unknown and other classic strategy games, but has a branching campaign with "30 possible missions and 12 different endings." Those endings, mind, are influenced by both player choices and "performance," adding a neat wrinkle into repeat playthroughs. Avoiding assassination yourself is also a concern, as are "moral dilemmas" throughout the story. 2003's Battle for Wesnoth is cited as the biggest influence; it was a highly decorated open-source turn-based strategy game. Wesnoth Inc. developed it, and it rekindled love for the genre for many folks, including the developer of Aether Oblivion: "Players will recognize tactical gameplay similar to Wesnoth with the meta strategy elements of XCOM." Mark Your Calendars For September 2026 If you're looking for more, there's a single-player skirmish mode with CPU support, or 1v1 battles with other players in hot seat form. A Tug of War mode is supported for human and CPU opponents if you want more modes beyond the campaign and skirmish mode. Extra modes are always appreciated, especially if the campaign doesn't deliver on everything it sets out to do. Note that these modes are local, and that there doesn't seem to be online support for Aether Oblivion at this time. A price also hasn't been set for the game. There's no exact date set for Aether Oblivion on Steam right now, but it is coming in September. Hopefully we'll hear more by the end of the month, as September approaches. Given the scope of the project, there's a chance it could even get a free demo, or an introductory sale during the initial launch. Brand Valve Original Release Date September 12, 2003