Space station sim Spacebase Startopia now has beta access for pre-orders

(Image credit: Realmforge Studios)

Kalypso has announced that upcoming sim Spacebase Startopia now includes closed beta access for anyone who pre-purchases on Steam. If you were holding off on this one because you wanted the Steam version, and you'd like to play the (unfinished) game now: Congratulations. 

The beta includes "three tutorial maps, three singleplayer missions and an early version of Skirmish mode with randomized parameters, 15 rooms and five tech tree levels." Kalypso and developers Realmforge Studios will add more stuff to the beta in the run-up to the game's release on October 23rd.

The original Startopia was a game quite liked by its proponents, but not one that really took off. Spacebase Startopia is a spiritual sequel, but only spiritual, as the rights to the original lie with Square Enix. That means the alien species you'll cater to are new kinds of aliens. Nary a repeat from the first game. For example, I very specifically recall the original Startopia having telepathic sex angels and I do not see those here. 2001 was a wild time in videogames, wasn't it?

Our Fraser Brown quite liked Spacebase Startopia when he got a look at it last year, calling it a faithful successor to the original Startopia—if an unofficial one. "I've never enjoyed a space station management romp—of which there are tragically few—quite as much as I did Startopia, so the absence of changes is fine with me," he said. Perhaps that's changed since last year. Perhaps not. 

Spacebase Startopia is developed by Realmforge, creators of the Dungeons series, which is underrated but pretty hard to get into. You can find it on Steam for $50, or 10% off before launch on October 23rd. The game will be available on PC, Mac, and Linux—more on that at the official site. 

Contributor

Jon Bolding is a games writer and critic with an extensive background in strategy games. When he's not on his PC, he can be found playing every tabletop game under the sun.

Latest in Sim
An ancient, angry stone mech from No Man's Sky's new Relics update
No Man’s Sky lets you unearth ancient, angry mechs in the astro-archaeology filled Relics update
Dwarf Fortress adventure mode art
After 23 years of making Dwarf Fortress, even its creator is still 'terrified' of drowning all his dwarves with aquifers: 'Part of the problem is we are just not good at videogames'
Tarn Adams, who cofounded Bay 12 Games with his brother Zach, talks about their single-player simulation game "Dwarf Fortress" during an interview at their home office in Poulsbo, Washington, west of Seattle, on December 9, 2022. - A cult favorite among indie game fans, "Dwarf Fortress" has been available for purchase on the Steam online store since December 6, a first for this title that has been distributed for free since its debut in 2006. The real-time management game, set in a medieval-fantasy world and involving overseeing a group of dwarves seeking to build a mighty fortress, has climbed to the fourth best-selling weekly title on Steam. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
Dwarf Fortress' creator is so tired of hearing about AI: 'Press a button and it writes a really sh*tty, wrong essay about something—and they still take your job'
Decorations in TCG Card Shop Simulator
TCG Card Shop Simulator finally adds the ability to decorate our stores, and suddenly all my profits are being spent on adorable Pigni posters
A person on a snowmobile riding a track in the forest in game Sledders.
Powder enthusiasts seem pretty pleased with new physics-based realistic snowmobile sim Sledders
Dean Hall at GDC 2025.
Outer space inspired DayZ's Dean Hall to become a modder and game developer, and now he's making a Kerbal successor called Kitten Space Agency
Latest in News
An Enshrouded player in a recreation of Erebor from The Lord of the Rings
Kings under the Mountain! 33 Enshrouded players spent 10,000 hours to recreate this iconic location from The Lord of the Rings
A mech awakens.
Mecha Break developer is considering unlocking all mechs following open beta feedback
Lara Croft Unified Art
Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics lays off 17 employees 'to better align our current business needs and the studio's future success'
A long bendy arm stealing money from people in a subway car
'You're a very long arm. You steal things. It's a comedy game,' explains developer of comedy game where you steal things with a very long arm
The heroes are attacked by monsters
Pillars of Eternity is getting turn-based combat to mark its 10th anniversary, and that means PC Gamer editors will soon be arguing about combat mechanics again
Image of Ronaldo from Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves trailer
It doesn't really make sense that soccer star Ronaldo is now a Fatal Fury character, but if you follow the money you can see how it happened