Star Birds News

[p]We’re Part of the Games Forged in Germany Steam Event![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We’re excited to announce that we’re participating in this year’s Games Forged in Germany Steam event – a celebration of the diversity and creativity of games made in Germany, hosted by Games Germany, the alliance of regional funding and network institutions from across the country.[/p][p]Alongside a curated showcase event, the Steam sale highlights innovative titles from German developers and studios – and we’re glad to be part of it![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]We’re showing off our own two projects during the event:[/p][p][/p][p]🌳 Dorfromantik – a peaceful building strategy and puzzle game where you lay down beautifully drawn hexagonal tiles to grow your own idyllic village landscape. Explore charming biomes, unlock new tiles, and complete quests that bring your world to life. Originally developed as a student project, Dorfromantik has become a beloved indie title worldwide.[/p][p]🪐 Star Birds – our upcoming asteroid base-builder where you guide a colony of spacefaring birds through the stars! Harvest resources, build sprawling industrial networks, and relax into a rhythm of exploration and creativity. Star Birds combines chill vibes with strategic depth – all wrapped in cosmic charm.[/p][p][/p][p]We’re far from alone in this – Germany is home to a vibrant, supportive, and growing game development ecosystem. Here are just a few players we admire and want to highlight:[/p][p][/p][h3]Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg[/h3][p]A fantastic funding partner that supported Dorfromantik from its early days. What makes their funding model so special? Developers only repay if their game becomes a success – a fair and supportive approach that encourages creativity without stifling risk-taking. Their commitment to nurturing talent has had a real impact on our journey.[/p][p][/p][h3]game – The German Games Industry Association[/h3][p]The backbone of the German games industry, game is a crucial voice for developers, publishers, and players alike. From policy advocacy to business support and networking, their work ensures the German games scene continues to thrive. As members, we’re grateful for their dedication and for always being approachable and open.[/p][p][/p][h3]HTW Berlin and Germany’s Tuition-Free Game Education[/h3][p]It’s easy to forget just how special it is that you can study Game Design – and other creative disciplines – tuition-free in Germany. Institutions like our home university HTW Berlin are shaping the next generation of game creators and proving how powerful public education can be for the creative industries.[/p][h3][/h3][p]... speaking of ...[/p][p][/p][h3]Noteworthy German Indie Studios[/h3][p]We’d love to highlight some incredible German developer projects that we truly admire—starting with WANDERBURG and the fantastic team at Randwerk. This is one of the most exciting indie projects we’ve seen in a long time. Wanderburg is a minimalist open-world roguelike set in a fascinating ecosystem of castles on wheels. Consume, grow bigger, upgrade your modules, and survive! Unlock new weapons, build your castle, and explore a procedurally generated map filled with opportunity and danger. It’s bold, fresh, and full of style.[/p][p]Another game close to our hearts is Thronefall, a minimalist game about building and defending your little kingdom. GrizzlyGames stripped a classic strategy game from all unnecessary complexity, combining it with some healthy hack and slay. In Thronefall, you build up your base during the day, and defend it til your last breath at night.[/p][p]From the creator of SUMMERHOUSE comes the brand new game SLOTS & DAGGERS - a compact retro-fantasy roguelike where battles play out on a slot machine. Arm yourself to the teeth and set out on an adventure across strange and dangerous lands, where every spin could be your last![/p][p]Next up is REKA, a cozy and atmospheric witchcraft adventure. Build your chicken-legged hut, gather herbs in autumnal forests, and uncover the mysteries of Baba Jaga. We’re especially excited to follow this one—not least because the team studied at HTW Berlin, just like we did.[/p][p]For the automation fans in our community, we'd like to recommend shapez. shapez is a minimalistic factory building game about the automation of shapes through extraction and satisfying production lines. Last August, the successor, shapez 2, was released. With the second part of shapez, you get the chance to build huge space factories. Tackle increasingly complex automation challenges at your own pace – you won’t have to worry about enemies.[/p][p]Our fellow-developers of Gentle Troll Entertainment introduce us to the world of Tavern Talk. A cozy visual novel about running a tavern in a Dungeon and Dragon-inspired fantasy. New up in the universe is the title Tavern Talk Stories: Dreamwalker. Meet adventurers, gather rumours and mix fate-altering drinks to stop dreams from twisting into nightmares.[/p][p]And finally, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, the thrilling follow-up to Lonely Mountains: Downhill by Megagon. Crash again and again until you master the mountain. Now with 2–8 player cross-platform multiplayer: descend the slopes together or go all-out in a race to the base. Fast, fun, and beautifully chaotic.[/p][p][/p][p]Games Germany – Regional Funds and Networks is a unique cooperation between 12 regional institutions – six funding bodies and six industry networks. Due to Germany’s federal system, these institutions operate locally, but under the Games Germany umbrella, they come together with a shared goal: to strengthen and showcase the national games industry. [/p][p][/p][p]For the past four years, they’ve been organizing a recurring Steam event featuring local players from our neighborhood. We’re excited to be part of it and to celebrate friends and partners we've known since our university days and the early years of Toukana. Companions on our journey, creative minds, and fantastic game makers. Check it out! 💛[/p][p] [/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]Wishlist Star Birds & Join Our Newsletter[/h3][p]Star Birds is an indie project by Toukana Interactive and kurzgesagt. We are over the moon to have such an amazing community. You are the reason why this project exists. If you want to support us, Wishlist the game here on Steam, and tell your friends about it.

If you would like to be the first to read content like this and are looking for more in-depth insights, we recommend our newsletter – sign up at toukana.com/starbirds.

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[p] [/p][p][/p][p]We have received a confirmation for our Star Birds Booth at Gamescom 2025. 🎉 [/p][p][/p][h3]Booth Conception[/h3][p]The confirmation for the Indie Arena is fantastic news — we're absolutely thrilled! Now it's full steam ahead with building our booth for Gamescom. What you can look forward to: [/p]

• [p]💻 Play Star Birds - We want to set up plenty of playing stations at the booth so that as many of you as possible can get a first-hand impression.[/p]
• [p]👩‍🔧👨‍🔬 Talk to the devs & team - ask your questions about the game and have a look behind the scenes![/p]
• [p] 🪐 Take photos with a totally real Star Birds asteroid (almost).[/p]
• [p]🧸 Get merch and win prizes - We're preparing spaced out items for you – get ready for bags, stickers, and more![/p]

[p][/p][h3]Gamescom Bag Sample: Unpacking![/h3][p]In the coming weeks we will order material, find partners, organize furniture and build props. If you feel like it, we'll take you behind the scenes in our Eventlog from time to time and report on how things are progressing with our Gamescom Booth. For once, we're not talking about code lines and an intuitive UI, but about the fitting saw blade, miniature construction and the right LED lighting. Hop into your dungarees, everyone, let's start building! 🔨[/p][p][/p][p]One thing that made us especially happy today: the Star Birds bags for Gamescom (designed by kurzgesagt and our Toukana team) are officially in print! We received a sample this morning and couldn’t wait to share the hot-off-the-press news with you. Just look at this beauty![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]More details coming soon. But for now, the most important thing is: We will meet you in Cologne in August! Who of you is visiting Gamescom this year? 🤩[/p][p] [/p][h3]About[/h3][p]Gamescom is the world’s largest consumer gaming event, held annually in Cologne, Germany, since 2009. It serves as a platform for game developers, publishers, and hardware manufacturers to showcase their latest products to both industry professionals and the public. Millions of visitors attend to experience game demos, esports tournaments, panel discussions, and community events. [/p][p]In 2022, we presented our debut game “Dorfromantik” at Gamescom, falling in love with the Indie Arena. A designated hall at Gamescom gathering the most exciting independent games. Curious to see the 2025 Indie Arena Booth trailer? 👀[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p] [/p][h3]Wishlist Star Birds & Join Our Newsletter[/h3][p]Star Birds is an indie project by Toukana Interactive and kurzgesagt. We are over the moon to have such an amazing community. You are the reason why this project exists. If you want to support us, Wishlist the game here on Steam, and tell your friends about it. If you would like to be the first to read content like this and are looking for more in-depth insights, we recommend our newsletter – sign up at toukana.com/starbirds. [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]In our first Star Birds Community Event, we asked you to show us your stats and favorite asteroids. Who would have thought that we would receive almost 300 entries?
[/p][h2]Almost 300 Entries[/h2][p]We had not expected this: We received nearly 300 screenshot submissions—and we couldn’t get enough of them! From star hunters who impressively maxed out their resources to aesthetic asteroid setups, and even players who turned pipes into genuine works of art—your creativity blew us away. We saw calligraphy in space, and newcomers who had never played a factory-building game before, yet still managed to conquer Level 2.1 with stunning results.[/p][p]
Here are just a few examples of your various Star Score entries: [/p][p][/p][h2]The Winners[/h2][p]With so many incredible entries and skyrocketing stats, we were relieved that it wasn’t up to us to decide, but left to chance. All participants were entered into a digital raffle, and now we’re thrilled to announce the winners:[/p][p][/p][p]🎉 BlueHound[/p][p]🎉 Maximus10113X [/p][p]🎉 Peter[/p][p][/p][p]We’ll be reaching out to each of you via DM. ✌[/p][p][/p][p]A huge thank you to everyone who joined in—we hope you had as much fun as we did, and we can't wait to see you again at the next Star Birds Community Event! [/p][p] [/p][hr][/hr][p] [/p][h3]Wishlist Star Birds & Join Our Newsletter[/h3][p]Star Birds is an indie project by Toukana Interactive and kurzgesagt. We are over the moon to have such an amazing community. You are the reason why this project exists. If you want to support us, Wishlist the game here on Steam, and tell your friends about it. If you would like to be the first to read content like this and are looking for more in-depth insights, we recommend our newsletter – sign up at toukana.com/starbirds. [/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]Wow – we’re absolutely overwhelmed by the number of players who checked out the Star Birds demo and the heartwarming feedback you’ve shared! Seeing so many of you dive into our game and enjoy what we’ve built means the world to us.[/p][p]Beyond the kind words and excitement, we’ve also received a lot of valuable, constructive feedback. You’ve pointed out what worked, what didn’t, and what could be better – and we’re listening closely. Now, we’re hard at work integrating these insights into the game as we prepare for the Early Access launch. [/p][p]We’re absolutely thrilled to see how many of you are already bringing the world of Star Birds to life with your own passions and creativity. Whether it’s taking part in the very first Star Birds Community Event (results coming soon!), unlocking the first hidden items in the main menu, or even diving into early speedruns — it’s been amazing to watch. [/p][p]Now we want to take a moment to recap what we’ve learned from the demo, and share a bit about what’s coming next.[/p][p] [/p][h2]Stats & Hard Facts - Skyrocketing Numbers 🚀[/h2][p]

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• [p]Over 100,000 players have already played the Star Birds demo since its launch during Steam Next Fest on June 9.[/p]
• [p]The demo reached over 40,000 players on the very first day.[/p]
• [p]Star Birds climbed into the Top 10 most-played demos of the Steam Next Fest, peaking at over 3,000 concurrent players.[/p]
• [p]The demo reached #13 on the Steam Next Fest leaderboard for most-played demos.[/p]
• [p]It earned more than 1,000 user reviews with a 95% “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating during the event.[/p]

[p]And that is also to your credit! 🙏[/p][p][/p][h3]Community Quotes From the Review Section:[/h3][p][/p]

[p]"This feels like a game tailor made for my brain, calming and chill music, fun graphics, and resource management, it ticks all the right boxes." - redtailia[/p]

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[p]"Absolutely love the relaxed and simple structure that becomes step by step a little more complex over time, without getting too insane :D" - Artsuad[/p]

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[p]"It has birds in it" - Rick (... after over 3h of playing [p][/p][h3]Gaining Wishlists During Steam Next Fest[/h3][p][/p][p]Providing a well-liked demo, has propelled Star Birds into the Top 100 of Steam global Wishlist ranking. [/p][p][/p][p]👉 Right now Star Birds is #95 on the global Steam wishlist charts with over 350,000 wishlists. 🥳[/p][p][/p][p]As an indie project, Star Birds relies heavily on word of mouth and YOU – and that’s where Wishlists come in. For you as a player, they don’t cost you anything, but for us, Wishlists are a powerful tool to gain more visibility. Your Wishlist has been a tiny click for you, but a rocket booster for us. We have Lift-Off! 🚀[/p][p][/p][h2]Community Feedback - What We Learned From the Demo 💡[/h2][p]

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[p]Asteroid by @Devilpuppet[/p]

[p]Asteroid by @Poucks[/p]

[/p][p]Yes, we read all your feedback. We really do. Thank you so much for the constructive response — we’ve received over 3,000 messages filled with reports, ideas, and suggestions. We feel incredibly lucky to have such a thoughtful and engaged community that not only supports the game, but actively helps shape its future with smart, detailed input.[/p][p]As we go through everything you've shared with us, our first priority has been to ask: What’s preventing players from actually getting into the game? Whether it's hardware compatibility issues or frustrating softlocks, we want to make sure everyone can start playing without roadblocks. We're also looking closely at which quality-of-life improvements we can realistically implement before the Early Access launch — especially as a small team.[/p][p][/p][p]Here’s an overview of improvements and iterations that are currently sitting at the top of our to-do list for the Early Access version of Star Birds.[/p][p][/p][h3]Hardware: Optimize for More Devices 🛸[/h3]

• [p]Performance issues, especially during cutscenes or certain UI interactions - performance & stability improvement high on our list![/p]
• [p]Widescreen & hardware support - we're working on supporting wide screens and resolving incompatibility issues with certain graphics hardware (esp. noticeable when cutscenes aren't working on some devices)[/p]

[h3]Content: Keep the Mission Going! 🦆🐧🐦[/h3]

• [p]Tutorial break points and softlocks causing frustration - we're aiming to get rid of all of them and have a smooth onboarding experience in our release version[/p]
• [p]Sometimes asteroids are generated in a way that they are frustrating to play on - we plan to improve the generation algorithms to have better control about the different kinds of asteroids that can appear[/p]
• [p]"Demo nice but short" - we're working hard on lots of additional content coming in our release version. Campaign levels progressing the story, expedition levels with high replayability and achievements for special challenges[/p]

[h3]Intuitive Design: Make It Feel Good 😍[/h3]

• [p]Pipe handling finicky - we want to improve this to make drawing pipes more satisfying[/p]
• [p]Desire for additional hotkeys and keybinding support - super helpful to hear your suggestions and expectations so we can make the controls as intuitive as we can[/p]
• [p]Wish for concrete numbers to understand requirements & optimize production - we want to keep the UI clean but also want to find places to provide all the necessary information to play optimally[/p]
• [p]Star system map readability - this becomes more of an issue the bigger the level gets, so definitely on our list![/p]

[p][/p][p]With all the amazing community engagement over the past days, we’ve decided to keep the demo online for a while before the Early Access Release. That way, you can keep jumping in for a relaxing round after work, shave a few seconds off your speedrun time, or finally check it out if you haven’t had the chance yet.[/p][p]Thank you again for being such an engaged, supportive, and kind community. Please keep being the thoughtful, constructive, and collaborative crew you’ve shown yourselves to be — you’re truly fantastic. [/p][p]Honestly, we’d go to space with you. 🪐🧡[/p][h2][/h2][p] [/p][hr][/hr][p] [/p][h3]Wishlist Star Birds & Join Our Newsletter[/h3][p]Star Birds is an indie project by Toukana Interactive and kurzgesagt. We are over the moon to have such an amazing community. You are the reason why this project exists. If you want to support us, Wishlist the game here on Steam, and tell your friends about it. If you would like to be the first to read content like this and are looking for more in-depth insights, we recommend our newsletter – sign up at toukana.com/starbirds. [/p]

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[p][/p][p][/p][h2]Patch Notes[/h2][p][/p][p]UX[/p]

• [p]added a "run in background" toggle in the settings menu (not localized into all languages yet)[/p]
• [p]some polishing for level 02 at sections that caused confusion & softlocks[/p]

[p]Bugfixes[/p]

• [p]score & station level tooltip now closes when clicking anywhere outside of it[/p]
• [p]fixed rockets sometimes visually getting stuck and collecting above the launch pad[/p]
• [p]fixed camera jumping around when switching to map while placing a building[/p]
• [p]prevent canceling necessary quests in level 01 and 02, which cause the tutorial to stop progressing[/p]
• [p]fixed supply quests not respawning when canceling while they're already complete (also prevent canceling a completed quest in general)[/p]
• [p]changed compression format of cutscenes, which could cause a black screen for some hardware setups[/p]
• [p]fixed some causes for new excavation quests not appearing in level 02[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p]The best place to give feedback is our Discord server. There, we are running a Smart Ticketing System: Leave feedback, vote up change requests and bug reports from other users, and help us to prioritize tasks in the further development of Star Birds. [/p][p][/p][p] 🙏Thank you so much everyone for the overwhelming response, all your feedback, comments and bug reports! This helps us a lot to prioritize and identify issues with the game. We're trying to address the most critical issues as soon as we can. Please be patient though, since we're a small team and might take a while to address specific issues you're experiencing!🙏 [/p]