Auriga

Rover exploration on Mars

Auriga is a rover exploration and simulation game for PC, set across missions separated by centuries. In 1988, an experimental rover drills into Martian rock and finds something that leads to the program being shut down. Centuries later, the rover’s core is revived. You drive the machine across unfamiliar terrain, survey what you find, and follow the story of the discovery and the probes connected to it.

Driving is deliberate: you control one rover, and each metre has to be negotiated. Its rocker-bogie suspension handles uneven ground, but wheels can slip in sand or break off ledges, and a poorly judged slope can roll the vehicle. Mistakes persist, so crossing rough ground and keeping the rover intact are part of the work.