Rivals of Aether 2 is a game you will never finish learning, one that cannot be perfected either by its developers or its players. It goes without saying that it’s hard to learn: I’ve been playing consistently for the last six years (see hours) and I’m pretty bad at it. But that journey has been one of the most rewarding and remarkable experiences I’ve ever had with a video game. The process of learning, sharing knowledge and adapting to continual change brings people together: I have made lifelong friends playing Rivals of Aether 2, people with whom I now share an extensive vocabulary rooted in this expansive, strange, beautiful game