How to Play

Everything you need to know to survive and thrive in the galaxy

🚀 Quick Start Guide

  1. Use WASD to fly your ship around the star system
  2. Press TAB to open the System Map and see nearby objects
  3. Approach a planet and press F to scan it for resources
  4. Press R near scanned resources to mine them
  5. Find a station and press E to dock for fuel, repairs, and trading
  6. Press M to open the Galaxy Map and travel to other systems
  7. Press V to check your progress toward victory conditions

Controls

🎮 Flight Controls

Key Action
W Thrust forward
S Thrust backward / Brake
A Strafe left
D Strafe right
Q Rotate left
E Rotate right / Dock at station
Shift Boost (uses extra fuel)

🗺 Navigation & Maps

Key Action
TAB Toggle System Map
M Toggle Galaxy Map
1-9 Select system in Galaxy Map (press twice to jump)
J Open Discovery Journal

🔎 Scanning & Mining

Key Action
F (hold) Scan nearby planet/moon (reveals resources)
R (hold) Mine resources from scanned body
I (hold) Investigate anomaly

⚔ Combat

Key Action
Space Fire weapons
P Tactical pause (plan your moves)
[ / ] Decrease/Increase weapon power
; / ' Decrease/Increase shield power
. / / Decrease/Increase engine power

💾 System

Key Action
ESC Pause menu
F5 Quick save
F9 Quick load
U Faction standings
L Mission log
V Victory progress

Gameplay Guide

⛽ Resource Management

Your ship requires careful resource management to survive:

  • Fuel - Consumed when thrusting and jumping between systems. Refuel at stations or mine fuel deposits.
  • Hull - Your ship's health. Damage from combat or hazards. Repair at stations.
  • Life Support - Slowly depletes over time. Recharge at stations.
  • Power - Used for weapons and shields. Regenerates automatically.
  • Credits - Currency for buying fuel, repairs, goods, and upgrades.

💡 Survival Tips

  • Watch your fuel level - running out in deep space is fatal
  • Dock at stations regularly to top up life support
  • Mining fuel deposits can save you credits in the long run
  • Always keep some credits in reserve for emergency repairs

💰 Trading

The economy follows supply and demand:

  • Buy low at stations that produce goods (Mining stations sell ore cheap)
  • Sell high at stations that consume goods (Industrial stations pay well for ore)
  • Check prices before buying - red prices are above average, green are below
  • Larger cargo holds let you carry more goods per trip
  • Some stations specialize in certain goods - learn the trade routes

💡 Trading Tips

  • Food sells well at Mining and Military stations
  • Ore and minerals are valuable at Industrial stations
  • Technology components fetch high prices at Colonies
  • Build reputation with Traders Guild for better prices

⚔ Combat Tactics

Combat uses real-time action with tactical pause:

  • Power allocation - Balance power between weapons (damage), shields (defense), and engines (evasion)
  • Tactical pause - Press P to pause and plan your next move
  • Shield management - Shields regenerate over time if you have power allocated
  • Know when to flee - Escaping costs fuel but saves your life

💡 Combat Tips

  • Max out weapons to end fights quickly before taking damage
  • If shields drop, boost engine power for better evasion
  • Weaker enemies flee when damaged - finish them fast
  • Asteroid fields have more pirate encounters - be prepared

Victory Conditions

Five paths to glory - choose your own adventure

🌏
Explorer
Visit every system in the galaxy
💰
Tycoon
Accumulate 75,000 lifetime credits
⚔
Warrior
Defeat 30 enemies in combat
⏰
Survivor
Survive for 60 days
🏆
Archaeologist
Collect 5 alien artifacts

💡 Victory Tips

  • Press V anytime to check your progress toward all victory conditions
  • You can achieve multiple victories in a single playthrough
  • The game continues after victory - keep exploring!
  • Artifacts are found by investigating anomalies on scanned bodies

Ready to Put This Knowledge to Use?

You've got the skills. Now show the galaxy what you're made of.

Start Playing