Sign in to add this item to your wishlist, follow it, or mark it as ignored

Early Access Game

Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Releasing into Early Access allows us to greatly accelerate development. It is our goal to use Early Access funds to hire additional development staff to work on improving the software.

The feedback we get from Early Access testers will help us find bugs and issues, and continue to improve performance and features. The wide range of hardware setups that Early Access testers have will help to make sure that the engine performs properly on as many hardware configurations as possible. User feedback will also be extremely valuable in guiding the development of future gameplay features and improving the overall user experience.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“Our goal is to leave Early Access within 1-2 years.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The full version is planned to have a more complete set of features, including expanded Universe generation, improved scientific accuracy, updated astronomical catalogs, and a more polished user experience.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“SpaceEngine has two main modes: the Planetarium and the Flight Simulator. The Planetarium mode is already fully functional, and includes a large number of features such as:
  • Simulation of many types of celestial objects, including galaxies, nebulae, stars, star clusters, planets, moons, comets, and asteroids.
  • A large set of objects imported from real astronomical catalogs, including NGC, IC, HIPPARCOS, and others.
  • Advanced procedural generation to populate the unknown areas of space with scientifically-accurate celestial objects.
  • Realistic rendering of Kerr blackholes, including accretion disks and jets.
  • Rendering of procedural terrain on planetary surfaces.
  • Presentation of high-detail surfaces for many real Solar system objects, available through free DLCs.
  • Modding support, allowing users to add their own astronomical objects.
  • Much more; see the “About This Game” section for more information.

    The Flight Simulator mode is a work-in-progress. It currently allows flying spacecraft with Newtonian physics, including a basic aerodynamic model for atmospheric flight. Some ships have warp drives for faster-than-light travel. Custom models can be imported and configured by the end user, providing an opportunity for modding.

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“There may be a modest price increase during and/or after Early Access.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“The feedback we get from Early Access testers will help us find bugs and issues, and continue to improve performance and features. User feedback will also be extremely valuable in guiding the development of future gameplay features and improving the overall user experience.

Additionally, SpaceEngine has a wide range of modding abilities. You can find and install mods in the Workshop, and propose your own mod ideas in the discussion forum.

Community feedback is helpful in guiding development. Join the SpaceEngine community on the SpaceEngine Discord server, the official SpaceEngine forum, the Steam group, or the Steam Discussion forum to get involved.”
Read more