Tycos is a vertical world of floating islands spread across three altitude bands — lower (lush, stormy and jungle-like), middle (dry, rocky, barren and most habitable) and upper (the hardest to access, likely very dry) — and moving between layers requires corresponding upgrades to lift.
On this page
Why the islands float
The islands float because hydrogen is abundant in the air, the earth and in the organisms that live there, although the exact cause of the geography is left deliberately unexplained. What matters for the player is that the world is laid out as a vertical stack of distinct climate bands.
What each layer feels like
The lower layer is lush and jungle-like, with high moisture, dense vegetation, and the most aggressive wildlife. The middle layer is the most habitable, dry, rocky and barren, similar to a desert. The upper layer is the hardest to access and likely very dry. Early Access launches with two of the regions, and a third region called The Rime is planned for the 1.0 update.
Moving up and down between layers
Moving up and down between layers requires corresponding upgrades to your Wasp — the higher you go, the more lift you need and the more balloons you must add to your Cloud Cruiser to stay airborne. Lift upgrades are part of the same budget as the rest of the Cruiser's power and fuel loops.
What drives exploration forward
Exploration is driven by the Scout Wasp's scanner and Geiger counter for finding sites of interest, by Research Desks that unlock new craftables from artifacts you bring back, and by scavenged maps and air cards that reveal navigation points across the layers. Weather is part of every route — see the weather flying page for how jet streams and storms shape each leg.
FAQ
Which platforms is ATMOSFAR on?
ATMOSFAR is currently listed for PC (Steam) only. The atmosfar.pro guides are written around the Steam release and the keyboard-and-mouse controls on that platform.