Starship Simulator, developed solo by Dan Goier over 18 months, has released its Tech Demo 3 featuring a revamped Miguelan class ship, an optimized procedurally generated Milky Way with 18 million stars, and enhanced sensor and bridge interactivity including NPC crew support. Looking ahead, the studio plans frequent updates with VR support, new celestial bodies, improved controls, and additional ships like the Caravlla, while encouraging community involvement and exploring team expansion.
After 18 months of dedicated solo development by Dan Goier, the newly updated free-to-access tech demo for Starship Simulator has been released, featuring a host of improvements including a ship refit, a new tutorial, and numerous bug fixes. Starship Simulator is an ambitious indie project aiming to simulate a large futuristic starship-based galactic exploration experience on a one-to-one scale with a procedurally generated Milky Way galaxy. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign in April 2024, Dan has been able to move development full-time to a custom-built workspace, allowing for better focus and progress on the game.
The latest tech demo, Tech Demo 3, showcases significant updates such as a complete overhaul of the Miguelan class exploration vessel, featuring a streamlined exterior and a more detailed, better-defined interior. The galaxy generation system has been greatly optimized to include 18 million real-world stars, with planets generated in much finer scientific detail. The ship’s sensor system has also been extensively revamped, now accompanied by its own tutorial to help players fully utilize the new sensor data and gameplay features.
To enhance gameplay and interactivity, the bridge’s central hollow display now includes initial interactable features, allowing players to target objects detected by sensors. Additionally, players can spawn NPCs at various bridge stations to perform tasks, reducing the need for multiple players or excessive movement around the ship. This new level of interactivity, combined with improved sensor systems, demonstrates the direction Starship Simulator is heading towards, with plans for more frequent, smaller-scale demo updates to keep the community engaged.
Looking ahead, Fleetyard Studios has outlined a roadmap for upcoming demo updates, including full VR support, the addition of white dwarves and neutron stars to the galaxy, enhanced NPC interactions, and improved controller and keybind support. Future updates will also introduce sublight engines, HOTAS support, wormholes, and moons. The studio is exploring scaling up development with potential new hires and private investment but emphasizes finding the right fit for the team and project.
Currently, Dan is also working on a second ship, the smaller Caravlla, which will support both NPC and player crews and serve as a testbed for rapid ship building. The next public demo update, focused on VR, is expected by the end of summer. The demo is available now on Steam, and interested players can join the Starship Simulator Discord or become backers through the project’s shop. The developers encourage community feedback and engagement as they continue to evolve this detailed and immersive starship simulation experience.