
Alstan is a 3rd-person action-adventure game set in the merciless deserts of Idnan, inspired by Amazigh and Tuareg cultures. You play as Alstan, a warrior cursed by the Mark of the Desert, a power that allows him to control sand but slowly turns him into one of the very Djinns he hunts.
Revenue comes from in-game items and microtransactions, which our price-based model doesn't estimate. Copies below reflect the player base, not paid sales.
Media

About
READ THE DEVELOPPER'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM
In the depths of an ancient tomb buried beneath the sands of the Idnan Desert, Alstan, a young nomadic warrior, has just lost his sister to a mysterious curse: the mark of the desert, a symbol burned into the flesh of those who bear the burden of the djinn.
Overcome with grief, Alstan crosses paths with a strange traveller. The latter reveals that behind this mark lies an ancient and feared being: Rahim, a legendary Djinn who has been confined for centuries in a forgotten temple. Driven by anger, Alstan embarks on a quest for vengeance.
Play as Alstan and set off across the Idnan desert, an arid and enchanting world inspired by Amazigh and Tuareg cultures. Along the way, face fallen spirits, ancient Djinns who have also been twisted by the curse.
With fast-paced combat, dynamic exploration mechanics and strong art direction, Alstan offers an immersive experience in a semi-open desert world, where every step brings you closer to the truth... and revenge.

Face a variety of enemies blocking your path and testing your skills and endurance.

Climb surfaces, slide across sand, and explore the most secret corners of the desert and its ruins to learn more about its history and find items to increase Alstan's power !

Use the curse to your advantage by harnessing its power, delivering powerful shock waves or propelling yourself into the air. It's up to you to decide how to wield this valuable asset.

The game is a vertical slice created by a team of students as part of our graduation project.
Genres
Stats
Languages: English
Engagement
Reviews
From what I read in the description, this is a student project, which explains the short runtime and the fact that it's free. The game is really nice the art direction is gorgeous and reminds me of games like Journey, Borderlands or Sable. You can really feel that Tuareg and Berber influence they mention in the description, and the whole desert setting gives off strong nomadic vibes. Visually it's just straight up beautiful, and the desert itself makes you want to explore every corner of it. The movement mechanics help a lot with that too climbing and sliding feel really smooth and natural to pick up. Combat is cool, and the final boss intro is genuinely impressive, very cinematic. The cutscenes are well done and actually make you want to dig deeper into the lore. Overall it's a really solid student game. Sure there are some bugs and rough edges here and there, but nothing that ruins the experience. Honestly impressive for what it is
I recommend this game, but with a bittersweet feeling. There are no microtransactions, no hidden price walls, and no way to financially support it. It’s entirely free, and that generosity is admirable. The game looks beautiful and clearly draws inspiration from Journey, one of my favorite experiences. It captures a similar atmosphere, though it also shows signs of being a first project: some stiffness in movement and a few noticeable bugs. What makes me hesitant isn’t the quality, it’s the future. Because it’s free and seems to be a passion project, I worry it may never receive the polish it deserves. There’s so much potential here: more environmental variety, more enemy diversity, refinement. I would gladly pay for that evolution. As it stands, it’s absolutely worth playing. I just hope it doesn’t remain frozen in its current state, because it deserves to grow.
Related
Related
Trends
Concurrent players on Steam, sampled daily since tracking started.
Hours played at review time, across 27 reviews with recorded playtime.
works only with controllers? What is this 2005 all over again?
this game is honestly really cool i love the style a lot, the mechanics are really fun when they work. theres a lot of glitches but i really hope you keep working on this game.
Et bah pour un jeu fait par des étudiants c'était vraiment plaisant ! Par contre la fin... je dit "non" mais le reste... la DA, la mise en scène, l'ost, les combats etc... très propre ! J'ai passé un bon moment, bon courage à vous pour la suite !
Short and sweet and loved every minute! The setting and world has me super intrigued. Combat was fun and the enemies were awesome. Cliff hanger ending got me hyped haha I can't wait to see if the developers have another passion project in the works. Top Drawer.
This is not so much a review as it is a message to the creator. As far as the my review thoughts go, Its good, Its short, and in an unfinished state. That is clearly stated at one point in the game. It is basically a demo. A GOOD one. If this game (as others have stated) is in fact a student project, then I think it's pretty clear that you passed the course. I saw style, creative ideas, and mechanics that beg to be expanded upon. This game is dripping potential all over the place. I guess I can understand if you have already moved on to bigger projects. Even if that is the case, then I have to say that I will be very disappointed if it ends here. Those last little cut-scenes at the end when the doors open gave me chills. I truly hope that I will get to play the finished version. Don't let it die.
O jogo esta divertido, porém alguns inimigos e o chefe estão com um glich que te permite simplesmente cancelar as animações deles e apenas atacar até que morram
Wow. For only 1 hour of gameplay I am floored!!! (Could prolly do 30min but I was dune riding XD) From the aesthetic to the mechanics to the boss. VERY solid. Needs moar. 10/10 Indie project
J'ai vraiment aimé ce jeu ! Un peu de bugs mais quand j'ai vu dans les crédits qu'il n'y avait aucun vrai dev sur le jeu, cela se comprend, surtout pour un jeu étudiant. Entre le désert et la direction artistique, ça donne vraiment envie d'en voir plus, surtout la fin qui m'a laissé l'eau à la bouche...
Audience
Estimated from the language of this game's reviews — a proxy for where players are, not official Steam demographics.