Starship Simulator, an ambitious space exploration game, has been successfully funded with $400,000 and is set to release in March 2025, with plans for post-launch evolution including planetary landing and procedural generation techniques. The game will focus on temporary planetary exploration, feature ship-to-ship combat with tactical training mode, and allow players to create customized star systems and alien races for an immersive and engaging space exploration experience.
Starship Simulator, an ambitious space exploration game, has been successfully funded with $400,000, setting a release date for March 2025. The game will continue to evolve post-launch, introducing new features and expansions. A key addition will be planetary landing, allowing players to explore diverse planetary surfaces by piloting shuttles from their orbiting starships. Procedural generation techniques will ensure consistency and diversity in environmental design, with each planet’s appearance influenced by a seed that matches the exploration experience.
The game will focus on temporary planetary exploration rather than settlement, with starships serving as mobile bases and hubs. Players will be able to interact with settlements throughout the galaxy for trading and other activities. High-tech planets with advanced civilizations and urban environments will have restricted landing zones to manage technical performance and gameplay quality. Walking on planets is optional, with players also able to use probes for remote sampling and collection.
Starship Simulator will offer players the ability to create customized star systems using in-game tools that tap into procedural generation algorithms. Players can select star classes to determine their system’s location in the galaxy and adjust planet appearances, geological features, and presence of rings in real time. The game will also allow players to design alien races with control over physical attributes, societal structures, and technological advancements. Backers at certain tiers will have the ability to create star systems, planetary systems, and alien races for review and inclusion in the game.
In addition to exploration, the game will feature ship-to-ship combat with a tactical combat training mode accessible through a multiplayer menu. Players can engage in combat scenarios to disable and board opponent ships, with matches taking place in procedurally generated space environments. Combat will focus on tactical and slow-paced gameplay, emphasizing realism with subsystem-level damage simulation instead of traditional health bars. The game aims to promote peaceful interactions through diplomacy with most alien species while maintaining a sense of danger with hostile encounters. Overall, Starship Simulator promises a rich and immersive space exploration experience with a variety of features to engage players in the vast galaxy.