EthrA — Deep Dive Strategy Guide

Overview

EthrA is an open world RPG/adventure from StoneLab Games, a small indie studio. You control two characters at once: Bob, a farm boy who left home looking for a more interesting life, and Veil, a child of a rare species that can manipulate the world's magical energy. Together they explore the continent of EthrA, chase rumors, take quests, and uncover a thousand-year lie that everyone forgot.

The game's world runs on a substance also called EthrA. Centuries ago an ancient civilization filled the world with technology and magic, then vanished without a trace. What they left behind are giant monoliths that generate energy, which crystallizes into fragments with different forms and colors. Humanity built its entire economy around these crystals, and no one questions where they came from. That is the setup for the story: Bob and Veil start questioning it.

The combat design is the game's most distinctive feature. You do not pick one character and play them. You control Bob and Veil simultaneously. Bob handles melee attacks up close while Veil casts magic and support spells, and you coordinate both in the same fight. The official site describes it as strategic combat where you can "control both characters at the same time."

Game Details

Target Audience

EthrA is for players who like open world RPGs with a strong story hook and a combat twist. If you enjoyed the two-character banter and cooperative feel of games like the Tales series, the exploration loop of classic 2D Zelda, or the stat-building of traditional JRPGs, EthrA is aimed at you. The pixel-art-meets-3D visual style will appeal to people who liked games like Octopath Traveler's hybrid presentation, though EthrA renders in a full 3D perspective rather than 2.5D.

The game is also for co-op fans. Steam lists online co-op as a supported category, and controlling both characters yourself is demanding enough that having a friend handle Veil's magic while you focus Bob's melee could be a much more relaxed way to play. Skip it if you want a fast-paced action game with no story, or if simultaneous two-character control sounds overwhelming.

Getting Started — First 30 Minutes

1. Learn the two-character rhythm early. EthrA's core is controlling Bob and Veil at once. Bob goes in for melee, Veil stays back casting. In your first fights, practice moving them apart: keep Veil at range while Bob engages. Letting both characters cluster into melee range means both take damage.

2. Use Veil to divert attention. The official site says Veil can be used to "divert enemies' attention." In practice that means you can pull aggro with Veil's magic while Bob flanks. This is your first crowd-control tool and it is available from the start.

3. Read quest rumors before traveling. The world is full of quests and rumors you pick up from townspeople. The rumor system is your quest log: each rumor points to a location, and chasing them is how you find the interesting content, not just the main road.

4. Experiment with both weapon sets. Character customization lets you swap between two weapon sets on the fly. Do not commit to one build early. Try a melee weapon on Bob and a ranged option in the second slot, then flip between them mid-fight to see what the swap feels like.

5. Collect resources as you travel. The crafting system runs on resources found in the world. Gather everything you pass: the official site lists "collect all kinds of useful resources, and turn them into handy tools." You will not know what you need until a recipe asks for it, and backtracking is worse than hoarding.

6. Sneak before you fight. The game explicitly supports sneaking around enemies as an alternative to combat. When you are low on potions or just want to explore, stealth is a legitimate option. Not every fight is mandatory.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Core Mechanics Deep Dive

The World of EthrA and the Crystal Economy

The continent runs on crystallized energy. The ancient civilization's monoliths generate EthrA, which naturally crystallizes into fragments near the monoliths. Different fragments have different properties and colors, and they can be refined into different energy sources. Humanity depends on this economy completely.

The story hook is that some locations contain multiple monoliths, which is extremely rare. In those places, EthrA generation is so intense that it crystallizes organic life. Whole zones become lifeless, and different groups have built different meanings around them: cults worship them, others treat them as tourist attractions, and corporations use them as massive EthrA export zones. The only living things that can survive the highest concentrations are dragons, whose scales resist crystallization. That is why humans hunt them, and the only successful dragon hunt in recorded history belongs to the royalty.

Two-Character Combat

The combat system is built around simultaneous control. Bob is your melee fighter, the one who goes in and trades blows. Veil is your magic caster and support, staying at range to deal spell damage and divert enemy attention. You command both in the same fight, which turns every encounter into a coordination puzzle: position Bob for the engage, keep Veil safe, time the support spell.

The official site is explicit about the roles: "Bob handles melee combat, and Veil takes care of magic attacks and support. Coordinate them together to handle enemies with ease." The Steam page adds that Bob is in charge of melee attacks while Veil casts magic to support him. If you want the full picture of the intended flow: engage with Bob, disrupt with Veil, finish with whoever has the opening.

Character Customization and Weapon Sets

You level up stats and gear to build your own playstyle. The headline feature is the ability to equip two weapon sets and swap between them on the fly. That means a single character can carry a melee weapon and a ranged weapon, or two melee weapons with different properties, and switch mid-fight without opening a menu. The customization depth covers Bob and Veil both, so you can build Bob as a tank, a glass-cannon melee, or a hybrid, and Veil as a pure caster or a support-focused utility mage.

Exploration, Quests, and Crafting

Exploration is the connective tissue. You travel across the continent to discover ruins, cities, and characters. Quests and rumors come from townspeople, and completing them earns coin. The crafting system takes gathered resources and turns them into tools, which feeds back into exploration and combat. The official site's "Collect, Craft, Explore" section makes the loop explicit: gather resources, turn them into useful tools, use them to explore further.

Pixel Art and 3D Hybrid Presentation

EthrA combines pixel art with 2D sprites and 3D models, all rendered in a 3D perspective. The official description says the goal is immersion: the 3D perspective gives the world depth while the pixel art and sprites keep the handcrafted feel. The trailer shows crystal-lit ruins, a bustling city, open fields with monoliths on the horizon, and a dragon flying over a summit.

Advanced Strategies

1. The Veil Tether. Keep Veil close enough to support but far enough to avoid melee. The ideal range is just outside the enemy's swing arc. When you need to reposition, move Veil first and let Bob hold the line. A tether too loose means her support spells arrive late; too tight means she eats cleaves meant for Bob.

2. Pull with Magic, Finish with Melee. Open fights by having Veil cast at the enemy from range. That pulls aggro toward her. While the enemy closes the distance to Veil, bring Bob in from the side or behind for the melee engage. This creates a pincer that splits the enemy's attention and gives you free damage windows.

3. Weapon Swap as a Combo Tool. The on-the-fly weapon swap is not just convenience, it is a combo mechanic. Start a fight with a slow, heavy weapon for big opening damage, swap to a fast weapon to build pressure, and swap again when the enemy's behavior changes. Learning which fights reward which rhythm is the difference between a clean win and a resource drain.

4. Route Rumors Before Main Quests. Before advancing the main story, sweep the current region's rumors first. Side content in RPGs like this usually gates useful gear and resources, and the coin you earn funds upgrades. Clearing rumors before the main quest means you enter story fights with better equipment and full consumables.

5. Stealth as Resource Management. Treat stealth not as a coward's option but as an economy tool. Every fight you avoid is potions and repair you did not spend. When you are low on supplies, stealth through, gather resources, and come back stronger. The game supports it explicitly, so use it.

FAQ

When does EthrA release? The release date is to be announced. The Steam page lists it as coming soon, and the official site says the game is in development for PC.

Is EthrA multiplayer? Steam lists multi-player, co-op, and online co-op categories. The game supports online co-op, though details on how co-op splits the two-character control are not yet published.

What platforms will it launch on? The official site says the game is currently in development for PC. Console versions have not been announced.

How much will it cost? The price is not announced. It is listed as a paid title.

How does controlling two characters work? You control Bob and Veil simultaneously. Bob handles melee attacks, Veil handles magic and support. The official site describes it as strategic combat where you coordinate both characters to handle enemies.

Is there character customization? Yes. You level up stats and gear to build your own playstyle, and you can equip two weapon sets and swap between them on the fly.

Is there crafting? Yes. You collect resources in the world and turn them into tools. The official site has a "Collect, Craft, Explore" section describing this loop.

Does it support controllers? Yes. Steam lists full controller support with gamepad recommended, plus keyboard and mouse.

What is the visual style? Pixel art blended with 2D sprites and 3D models, all in a 3D perspective for immersion.

Is there a demo or playtest? The developers ran an official playtest trailer campaign, but there is no public demo confirmed on the Steam page yet.

Final Tip / Verdict

The most important habit to build early is the Veil Tether. Every fight, before you commit Bob to an engage, place Veil at range. It takes two seconds and it turns every encounter from two confused characters into a coordinated duo. Master that and the rest of EthrA's systems, the weapon swaps, the crafting, the rumors, all become tools in service of a combat style you actually control.

EthrA is a promising open world RPG with a genuinely unusual combat hook. The two-character control is the kind of mechanic that is either a brilliant signature or a frustration, and the success of the game will hinge on how well it executes that coordination. For fans of story-driven, exploration-heavy RPGs with a twist, this is one to wishlist and watch. 4/5 for its target audience.

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Last reviewed by Game How To Editorial. We play each game, verify controls against official sources, and update guides when game mechanics change.