Out this week on PC, Beyond These Stars presents a unique city-building experience where players develop settlements on the backs of colossal, interstellar cetaceans named Kewa. The core gameplay loop involves creating a symbiotic relationship with these creatures, balancing industrial expansion with the well-being of the host.
Players take on the role of a "Space Whale Mayor," responsible for transforming Kewa's craggy exterior into a thriving habitat. Each hexagonal plot can become a mine, smelter, or forest, providing resources and breathable air for the inhabitants. The developer emphasizes giving back to Kewa by nurturing its environment, such as planting saplings and irrigating its surface. However, the game introduces mechanics that can lead to ecological strain, like the use of wood-fired power plants that can pollute the environment. Players must then actively repair this damage, for instance, by building automated tile cleaners and pausing disruptive industries.
While the game encourages sustainable practices, the author reflects on a personal desire to explore more destructive paths, drawing parallels to a "Moby Dick simulator." This inclination stems from a feeling that purely eco-friendly builders can sometimes become too comfortable or "cosy." The author posits that a meaningful environmental narrative requires the potential for genuine harm, a feature they question Beyond These Stars' ability to deliver.
Beyond its core premise, the game functions as a competent city-builder with some familiar challenges. The interface is described as somewhat dense, with numerous overlays and icons that can make identifying production bottlenecks a chore. For example, a smelter might cease production not due to resource scarcity, but a lack of power, which in turn is caused by a power plant lacking fuel because the lumberjacks were reassigned to farming. The hexagonal building placement can also be fiddly, making it difficult to visualize layouts and maintain clear paths, especially before power line technology is unlocked.
On a more positive note, Beyond These Stars integrates its research system organically by tying unlocks to in-game achievements rather than abstract science points. This approach weaves technological progression into the city's development seamlessly. The game's architecture is also praised for its unique blend of rustic and futuristic elements. The developers have also implemented systems that allow players to manage the direct impact of their settlements on Kewa's health and mood. Factors like air and soil quality, as well as the presence of thorny patches or flowers on Kewa's body, reflect the player's stewardship.
The campaign mode features Kewa as an amnesiac entity recovering its past, which may hold unfavorable revelations about humanity's presence. Beyond the campaign, Beyond These Stars includes a sandbox mode and various themed scenarios, some of which restrict building to planetary surfaces, echoing the developer's previous title, Before We Leave. The sandbox mode allows for the customization of difficulty settings, offering the opportunity to create a truly punishing experience for both the player and their space whale host.