New Space Game 'Starseeker' Is All About Teamwork and Discovery

A new video game called Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions is now available for players on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Made by the studio System Era, the game lets players explore planets, complete missions, and work together with other people from around the world. It is the follow-up to the popular space game Astroneer, but it takes the series in a brand-new direction. Instead of building big bases alone, players go on shorter trips and team up with strangers to reach shared goals.

Adam Bromell is the creative director at System Era. He helped create the original Astroneer back in 2015, and he has been working on Starseeker for about seven years. Bromell talked with Space magazine about what makes this new game different and why his team chose to try something new instead of making a straight sequel. He said his biggest goal was to build a game where players feel connected to each other.

Bromell got his love of space from watching Star Trek as a kid. He said the show gave him hope for the future and taught him about being kind and fair to others. Those ideas shaped how he and his team designed Starseeker. The game is meant to feel like 'hopeful science fiction,' a phrase that came from another person at System Era named Veronica Peshterianu.

In Starseeker, players start on a space station called the ESS Starseeker. This station is the main hub where explorers meet before heading out on missions. Those missions include things like finding lost technology, scanning alien life forms, and exploring new planets. The missions are shorter and more focused than what players did in the original Astroneer.

One of the coolest parts of the game is how players' actions affect everyone else. When you complete a mission, it helps the whole community reach shared goals. You might even run into a group of total strangers while out on an expedition. Bromell said this kind of shared experience is what he has always wanted to create in games, comparing it to building something big with friends in Minecraft.

Starseeker is part of a gaming style called the extraction genre, where players go out, find items, and try to bring them back safely. But unlike many extraction games, no one in Starseeker is trying to attack or hurt you. There are still dangers, like wild alien creatures and harsh environments on unknown planets. However, the game is designed to feel less stressful and more fun than most games in that genre.

Bromell also talked about the game's story. There is a larger plot already being set up, and players can get a taste of it in the opening cutscene. He said players will meet different villains and learn more about why the Astroneers keep exploring. He plans to finish the main story by the time the game reaches its full 1.0 release, though adventures will keep going even after that point.

The game's cartoon-like visuals are colorful and fun, but they are also based on some real science. The team made sure that the resources in the game — like minerals and plants — are based on things that actually exist in the real world. Bromell shared a funny story about the early days of Astroneer, when players pointed out that a mineral called malachite was the wrong color in the game. The team learned from that and worked to stay true to real-world ideas while keeping things playful.

Bromell also said he wants Starseeker to feel open and a little silly. He does not mind if players find creative tricks or shortcuts in the game. At a gaming event called PAX West, one team found a sneaky way to beat a mission using the game's tools, and Bromell said that was his favorite moment of the whole event. He believes the best gaming experiences come when players are free to experiment and surprise even the developers.

Starseeker is still in early access, which means it is not fully finished yet. The team plans to add free updates over the coming months and try fun new ideas, like morning announcements on the space station or special rewards for top squads. Bromell said the early access period gives them a chance to listen to players and keep improving the game. Whether you are a longtime Astroneer fan or brand new to the series, Starseeker offers a fresh way to explore the stars together.