Game Versions

NOTICE: This page is a Work in Progress as much of the lore/Development for the game is yet to be established.

Game Versions

This page details the various public demos, development builds, planned official releases, and potential platform versions for Starship Simulator.

Public Demos

Fleetyard Studios has released public demos on Steam to showcase progress, gather feedback, and allow players to experience core mechanics. To see any planned patches and releases please check out the Roadmap.

Tech Demo 1

• Released: October 3, 2022 (approx.)
• Platform: Steam (PC)
• Status: Superseded by Tech Demo 2.
• Content: Served as the first public proof-of-concept, allowing exploration of early ship interiors, basic flight, and showcasing the Unreal Engine visuals and galaxy engine.

Tech Demo 2

• Released: June 19, 2023 (for Steam Next Fest)
• Platform: Steam (PC)
• Status: Superseded by the current demo branch (moving towards Tech Demo 3). Was the main public version for an extended period, including the Kickstarter campaign.
• Content: Featured more interactive elements, including the Fusion Reactor "Cold & Dark Start" tutorial, basic Helm and Sensors functionality, ship interior exploration, and seamless galaxy travel.

Tech Demo 3 (Current/Upcoming)

• Release: Expected following the major 0.225.x development cycle (Date TBD - check official announcements).
• Platform: Steam (PC)
• Status: In Development (as of Friday, April 18, 2025). The currently available Steam demo branch receives updates from Dev Builds periodically, leading towards this refined public version.
• Content: Expected to include significantly overhauled Sensors systems, refined galaxy generation with real star data integration, updated Magellan Class geometry and interior layouts developed post-Kickstarter, and numerous bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements based on recent dev builds. The HUD was updated to reference "Tech Demo 3" in Build 0.225.0.89.

Development Builds

• Nature: Frequent, work-in-progress builds released privately to testers and supporters (via Steam Keys obtained through Kickstarter, [[1]], or raffles).
• Content: Contain the absolute latest features, changes, and bug fixes, but may be unstable or incomplete.
• Access: See the Dev Build page for details on access.
• History: See the Dev Builds page for detailed changelogs.

Planned PC Releases

The primary development target is PC (Windows), initially distributed via Steam.

Steam Early Access

• Status: Planned.
• Target Timeframe: Potentially late 2025 (This is an estimate based on past developer statements and is subject to change; follow official announcements).
• Content: Expected to offer a more polished and feature-complete version than the public demos, representing a significant step towards the full release, focusing on the core sandbox experience.

Full Release (Version 1.0)

• Status: Planned (following Early Access).
• Business Model: Intended to be Free-to-Play for the base sandbox game (full galaxy, ship simulation, procedural content). No microtransactions are planned.
• Content: Will feature the complete core sandbox experience: fully explorable galaxy, detailed Magellan Class ship simulation, implemented Crew Roles and NPCs, exploration mechanics, and potentially basic first contact scenarios.

Downloadable Content (DLC)

• Status: Planned (Post-Version 1.0 Release).
• Business Model: Intended as paid content to fund ongoing development. Estimated costs cited previously are ~£10 for smaller ships and ~£29.99 for full campaign expansions.
• Content: Plans include releasing additional starships (potentially smaller vessels suited for solo or small-crew play) and story-driven campaigns (multiple chapters envisaged).

Multiplayer & Server Support

• Multiplayer Approach: The game is primarily single-player, with online multiplayer offered as a co-operative, session-based experience. Players join a host's ship, each fulfilling a specific role alongside NPCs. Steam's backend is used for matchmaking initially. Testing has supported 14-16+ players.
• Dedicated Servers: A separate headless client for running dedicated servers is planned, allowing player groups to host persistent sessions.
• Shared Galaxy (Future Plan): A potential future system using external MySQL databases (hosted by player groups) is envisioned to allow different player ships/groups to see each other on the galaxy map, share science data, and communicate via text within a shared persistent galaxy state. Direct real-time interaction between separate player ships is not planned for initial releases.

Other Platforms and Versions

VR Support

• Status: Planned and funded as a Kickstarter stretch goal.
• Details: Native VR support is intended for the PC version. The FAQ mentioned releasing a "basic VR concept in the next few months" (relative to the FAQ's writing date), with development likely following major demo updates as indicated on the Roadmap.

Console Versions (PlayStation / Xbox)

• Status: Not currently planned.
• Details: The developers have stated console ports are not an immediate focus but haven't ruled them out entirely for the distant future, depending on development resources and funding post-PC release. An Xbox port is speculated to be potentially easier to implement than PlayStation, but this is unconfirmed.

Other PC Stores (Epic Games Store)

• Status: Potential future release.
• Details: A release on other PC storefronts like the Epic Games Store may be considered after the initial Steam launch.

Linux / macOS

• Status: Not officially supported at present.
• Details: The game reportedly runs on Linux via the Steam Proton compatibility layer, but this is not officially supported by Fleetyard Studios. There has been no mention of a native Linux or macOS version being planned.