Sands of Aura Steam Key | Open-World Souls-like Action RPG PC

Release Date

Full Release Date: October 27, 2023 (Previously Early Access)
Platform: PC (Steam Global Key)

Sands of Aura: The Unrelenting Souls-like Adventure Across Talamhel

Sands of Aura is an open-world action RPG developed by Chashu Entertainment that features an unforgiving, challenging combat system often compared to the Souls-like genre. Set in the fantasy world of Talamhel, a realm consumed by a vast, perpetual sea of sand, players take on the role of a Remnant Knight tasked with sailing the sandseas to find the source of the corruption and restore life to a dying world.

Game Story and Focus: The Order of Remnant Knights

A ruinous cataclysm, unleashed by a tormented god, descended Talamhel into perpetual night, shattering the hourglass of time and leaving behind an endless desert.

The Narrative: You are one of the last members of the Order of Remnant Knights, the final protectors of humanity. Your mission is to track down the emergent, mutated evil caused by the Night Plague that has turned the former inhabitants of the world into violent, undying husks of corruption.
The Focus: The primary gameplay is centered on unforgiving, deliberate combat and non-linear open-world exploration. Players must chart their own course across the sandseas aboard their grainwake (a sand-sailing ship), discovering unique islands and dungeons filled with lore and plunder.

Key Features Defining the Sandsea Souls-like

Unrelenting Souls-like Combat: Prepare for a combat experience focused on timing, dodging, parrying, and managing your weapon's "corruption" level. Combat is deliberate, unforgiving, and requires mastering a Cleansing mechanic to maintain full damage output.
Deep Weapon Crafting System: Instead of finding finished weapons, you find hundreds of weapon components (hilts, blades, pommels, and codexes). These can be mixed and matched to forge thousands of unique weapons, allowing for highly personalized builds and fighting styles.
Seven Distinct Fighting Styles: Customize your combat approach by combining weapon components to access 7 different fighting styles (e.g., dual-wielding, two-handed, glaives), each with unique special attacks and animations.
Sanctuary Management (Starspire): The game features a major hub, Starspire, where you can take refuge. As an optional companion to core gameplay, you find refugees and decide who is worthy of shelter. These new residents unlock perks, exclusive equipment, and alter your story based on your moral judgments.
Open-World Sandsea Exploration: Sail your grainwake across the endless sea of sand. The environment is always shifting, revealing new secrets and dangers. Every island is a unique, challenging encounter with tiered levels of difficulty.
Customizable Progression: Progression is focused heavily on gear and Runes (gems similar to those in Diablo) that can be attached to armor and weapons to confer percentage bonuses and augment your stats, rather than traditional character leveling.

Sands of Aura PC FAQ

Q: Is Sands of Aura procedurally generated?

A: No. Sands of Aura features a beautifully crafted open world. The world itself is fixed, though the exploration experience feels non-linear as you sail the sandseas.

Q: Does the game have a class system?

A: There is no dedicated class system. Instead, your weapon crafting and gear choices effectively define your playstyle and class corollary, allowing for immense flexibility in building your character.

Q: Is the game verified for the Steam Deck?

A: Yes. Sands of Aura is Steam Deck Verified, ensuring that all functionality is accessible and the default graphics configuration performs well on the handheld device.

Q: What happens when the player dies?

A: Similar to Souls-like mechanics, dying causes you to lose your accumulated currency (used for upgrades). You respawn at the last activated Bell checkpoint (similar to a Bonfire), and all enemies are reset.

Q: How many endings does the game have?

A: The game features multiple endings, with certain choices regarding the Starspire settlement and main story quests altering your final outcome.

How to Download & Install Sands of Aura (Steam Key Activation)

The process for downloading and activating your game key on Steam is standard:

Install Steam: If you don't have it, download and install the Steam client on your PC.
Activate Product: Open the Steam client, log into your account, and locate the "Games" menu at the top.
Enter Key: Choose "Activate a Product on Steam..." from the dropdown menu.
Complete Activation: Enter your unique product code exactly as provided in your purchase confirmation and follow the on-screen instructions. The game will now be added to your Steam Library for download and installation.