Helium Electric

Helium Electric is a strategy game set in an alternate 1980s Cold War, when dwindling resources bring humanity close to a standstill. Corporations take control, and Helium Electric finds a way to mine helium on the Moon and convert it into electricity on Earth. You play alone at a lunar station, tasked with extracting helium for the company.

Mine helium

Your goal is to achieve the highest possible helium mining rate. You decide how to manage the station, using technology from 1986 and a dashboard where you enter commands with a mouse or keyboard. You coordinate unmanned vehicles and have only a limited amount of time each day before radioactive radiation reaches a dangerous level.

The station has six harvesters to extract raw helium from Moon dust, a drone to scan helium concentrations, vehicles and the station, a recovery vehicle to tow surface vehicles after a failure, and two satellites to scan the Moon’s surface and vehicle movements.

Life on the station

Your daily payment depends on how much helium you extract and helps support your family and friends on Earth. If you fail to provide enough, your relatives suffer, your stress rises and your mental health declines. You must also look after your own physical and mental health while working alone, with no one available to help.

After each workday, you can retreat to a recovery room beneath the lunar surface. You also have a communication system, though all extra expenses are charged. Once you have mined 25 tons of helium, your contract with Helium Electric is fulfilled; if you perform well, you can count on a position in the corporation.