$24.99Starcom: Unknown Space Build a ship, chart the unknown
An action RPG about drifting through a hundred star systems in a ship you built yourself. Scan strange planets, investigate over 230 anomalies, pick your allies among alien factions, and piece together a story that treats you like a capable adult. Calm, curious and quietly addictive.
Is Starcom: Unknown Space worth it?
Starcom: Unknown Space is worth it if…
- you like exploring a big open galaxy without being pushed from marker to marker
- you enjoy designing and rebuilding your own starship
- you want a story with witty crew banter and aliens that feel like they have their own agendas
- you prefer positioning and preparation over twitch reflexes in combat
- you are happy reading a log and figuring out where a quest leads next
Screenshots
A ship that is genuinely yours
You start in a small scout, and the shipbuilding system is where the game gets its hooks in. Bolt together a long-range explorer, a fast strike craft or an armor-heavy battlecruiser, then rebuild it from scratch as new modules come out of research. It is simple enough to learn quickly but detailed enough that a missile frigate and a point-defense plasma boat play very differently. Building the ship is a highlight, and sharing blueprints with other players is part of the fun. Research points from your discoveries feed a tech tree that shapes how you fight and travel: better cannons or long-range missiles, armor or shields, a bigger hull or crew specializations first.
Exploring at your own pace
The universe holds more than a hundred star systems, over 230 anomalies each with its own illustration and story, derelicts, artifacts and strange phenomena. Nothing shouts objectives at you. You scan planets, poke things you maybe should not, and find small stories tucked into quiet corners of the map. A smart autopilot handles routine trips to known places, fast-travel gateways open up as you discover them, and a detailed searchable ship log keeps track of everything you have seen. Some distances are long on purpose; the empty stretches are part of how space here feels.
What should you know before starting?
Can you play it solo?
Yes, it is a singleplayer game through and through. You captain the ship alone, with a command crew you train to improve their skills and ship management bonuses. The crew talk among themselves and comment on what happens, which gives the game a livelier feel than the empty void might suggest.
How does the story work?
There are over 60 main story and side-quest missions, plus a sinister enemy threatening the galaxy with an ancient power. The writing is witty and the crew banter is well made, but the game does not hold your hand: quest steps are not always marked on the map, and the log gives hints rather than beacons. If you like working out the next step yourself, that is a feature. If you want constant guidance, it can feel vague.
Do you need to play Starcom: Nexus first?
No. This is a brand new story, not a direct sequel, and the mechanics are similar but improved. You can jump straight in without knowing anything about the earlier game.
How do the alien factions work?
The galaxy is full of factions with their own motives, and their disposition and behavior change depending on what you do. You decide who to trust, trade with, hire or vaporize, and those choices shape how the galaxy treats you as you travel.
Is the pacing slow?
It can be, and that is by design. The first few hours may look simple and empty before the game opens up, and some players find the mid and late game repetitive as you scan system after system. If you want constant fast action, this will feel slow. If you like drifting through space and letting discoveries come to you, the pace is the point.
