$14.99Starlathe A living galaxy in 2D
Run one small ship through a simulated economy of mining, trade and war, then build stations and grow a fleet with friends in co-op.
Is Starlathe worth it?
Starlathe is worth it if…
- you like sandboxes where the economy runs on its own and you find your own place in it
- you want to build a fleet and an empire one ship at a time
- you enjoy trading, mining, salvaging or piracy, and switching between them
- you want a space sim to play together with friends, each with your own ship
- you don't mind a rough edge or two while the game grows
Screenshots
A galaxy that runs without you
Miners cut ore from asteroid fields, transporters haul goods between stations, factories consume and produce, and war fleets clash over territory. All of it is simulated across 150 sectors, live, whether you are watching or not. Nothing spawns from thin air: every shipment travels, every ship flies, and every wreck drifting out there was somebody's ship. You can watch a convoy crawl between two stations and know it is really carrying something. Follow it long enough and you will see where it goes, who buys it, and what happens when someone (you, for instance) decides that cargo would look better in their own hold.
Choose your line of work
You start with a small ship and pick a path. Mine asteroids and refine the ore into something worth more. Trade across a supply chain of more than 50 goods, buying where things are cheap and hauling them where they are needed. Hunt pirates for a faction, or become the pirate yourself and live with the reputation that follows. Salvage derelicts for loot, tow home the odd ship, and craft weapons, modules and whole vessels through refining and full production chains. Every path pays, and none of them locks the others out: most pilots end up doing a bit of everything, whichever job happens to be profitable this week.
From one ship to a fleet
Your own miners feed your income, transporters run your routes, escorts guard your convoys, and a dreadnought can lead your battle line. You can also build stations with full production loops, from mining operations to shipyards, and start wars of your own: conquer an entire faction if the mood takes you. Combat is quick and brutal, so losing a ship stings, and the galaxy will not shed a tear for you either.
A crew of up to four
One of you can run cargo while another charts wild space and a third argues about which station to rob.
What else should you know?
Can you play it solo?
Yes, the whole galaxy is yours alone if you want it. Co-op is optional: you can run your empire, fight your wars and chart the fog of war without ever opening a lobby.
How does the galaxy change over time?
Stations can die for real, leaving evacuations, wrecks and loot fields behind, and factions rebuild them. Territory changes hands as war fleets fight over it, prices react to actual supply and demand, and the law takes notice of smuggling and piracy. Your reputation follows you from sector to sector, so the pirate life costs you somewhere.
What is there to explore?
Beyond the known space there are ship graveyards, abandoned sectors and wild space past the gates, plus 22 different skies to fly under. Scanners help you jump around the map, and charting new territory pays on its own, so exploring is a career and not just sightseeing.
How rough is it in its current state?
It is in early access, and it shows in places: the interface is busy, balance is still being tuned, and some systems are simpler than they will need to be. The upside is that updates land almost daily, many straight from player feedback, so rough spots tend not to stay rough for long. If you prefer a polished, finished game, waiting is a fair call.
