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Sector Unknown - Prologue News

Sector Unknown Prologue - Launch Date - May 26th, 2025



Well, this month absolutely flew by and it's almost time for the prologue to launch on Monday, May 26th.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2890980/Sector_Unknown__Prologue/

The prologue includes both the prison transport intro and the starter planet of Maku, right up until you discover your first ship and prepare to explore the stars. So it’s just a matter of personal preference which one you choose to download and play.

I’ve been hard at work polishing and refining the final elements. The videos by Splattercat, Slandered Gamer, God Game Fluent, LMG, PlayWithRay, Nookrium, Wee Hours Games, and others have been incredibly helpful. I’ve spotted a number of small issues thanks to those playthroughs and have managed to fix those. I’ve also made several UI improvements based on your feedback and also what I observed in those videos.

That said, I really look forward to hearing all of your feedback! It's been a three year grind, and it feels exciting to be sharing a part of the game with the world finally.

Thanks again!

Launch News & Roadmap

Hey all,

After finishing my sixth full playthrough of the game over the past month—with only a handful of bugs each time—I’m feeling really confident about where things are at.

With that in mind, the game's launch is currently targeted for mid-July. I’m still watching what else might be releasing around that time, so I’ll have more specific details on the exact date soon.

The demo will be releasing later this month.

Early Access is still the plan, but I don’t expect the game to remain there for more than 4–6 months before the full release. Since I haven't posted since February, I wanted to share a quick update on the current state of the game and what’s planned for the Early Access period.



[h2]Current Game State[/h2]

As I mentioned, I’ve done several full playthroughs at this point, and the number of bugs has gone down each time. On my last run, there were only a couple of very minor issues—a single combat lockup and some logic I had to fix on a couple side quests—but otherwise everything played smoothly.

With two months to go before full launch, I’d estimate the game is about 97% complete. All quests are written, coded, and tested—including the main storyline. Major story choices are fully implemented, and the planets are populated and working as intended.

That said, there are a few areas I’d love to improve with community feedback during Early Access:



  • Combat – Combat is in good shape, but I’ll admit it’s never been my strongest area. Even in my past strategy games like Age of Gladiators and Raiders! Forsaken Earth, as someone coming from a writing background, it was always the management and storytelling aspects that grabbed me more. That said, Sector Unknown features a solid system with unique weapon-based abilities, special named weapons with their own effects, elemental damage, combat skill progression, and a deep perks system. I think it can get even better with input from players, and I’m really looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

  • Itemization – Due to budget constraints, the game currently doesn’t include individual armour or clothing sets. Yet. That will be coming post-launch. Right now, characters wear gear based on the environment they are in: space suits on hazardous planets like Maku and Helfyr, cold weather gear on Eremtera, and more relaxed Star Frontier outfits on planets like Nabi and Sjo. I actually like the environmental requirement as it adds a grounded sci-fi feel, but I do plan to expand the clothing and armour options down the line, including gear that works across multiple environments. Just had to prioritize based on resources.

  • Space Combat – There are a number of scripted space events that can lead to combat, and those have been a lot of fun to play through. That said, I think there’s still room to improve. I’d like to add more piloting skills and abilities that can be used during space battles to give it an extra layer of depth. I’m not sure yet if those additions will make it in before launch—it depends on how much I can get done in the next month and a half. I also need to finally crawl out of my development cave and spend some time promoting the game. So we’ll see if those features come in before or after release. Either way, I’m excited to get feedback from players—I know there are some smart minds out there who can help make this even better.

  • Localization – At the moment, the game is only available in English. The amount of dialogue is massive, probably the equivalent of five or six full novels—so localization would be a significant expense. It’s a bit of a catch-22: launching in multiple languages would definitely help the game perform better, but I just don’t have the budget for it right now. I’m also hesitant to rely on AI for localization, since I want to make sure the writing is done justice. We’ll see how the game performs at launch, and if things go well, I plan to start rolling out proper localizations after that.


So with that being said, here's my project road map after Early Access Launch:



[h2]Early Access Roadmap[/h2]

  • Bug Fixes – As stable as the game feels right now, my experience tells me that players have an uncanny ability to break things in ways I never anticipated. I expect the first 30–60 days post-launch will be focused on responding to bugs and addressing them carefully, without introducing new issues.
    Timeline: Days 1–60

  • Armor & Clothing Sets – Assuming some revenue starts coming in from Steam, I’ll begin expanding the available armor and clothing sets around the 30-day mark. This work can run alongside bug fixing and feedback updates. My goal is to add at least 10–15 new sets to give players more visual variety.
    Timeline: Starts Day 30, runs concurrently with the above

  • Localization - Same as with the armour sets, I will need revenue first before I can start localizing the game. The languages I would like to incrementally aim for are: German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Polish, and Spanish. I still have to determine the exact order, but I think the above is close.
    Timeline: Starts Day 30, runs concurrently with the above

  • Combat Optimization – As mentioned above, once the major bugs are addressed, my next priority will be gathering player feedback and making targeted improvements to the combat systems, both ground and space. I don’t anticipate any major overhauls; the core mechanics are solid. This phase will mostly involve balance tweaks and additional features based on community input.
    Timeline: Days 60–120




There are also a few smaller improvements not listed above such as enhancing the lava system on Helfyr and adding more idle animations for NPCs—but the major points above should give you a solid idea of what I’m aiming to tackle during Early Access.

Thanks again for your continued interest and support. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated as things progress!

Devlog: Support Personnel

In your adventures across various planets, you'll have the opportunity to recruit a diverse range of characters into your organization. While not all of these characters are suited for combat, they will each bring unique skills and contributions that are vital toward your success.

[h2]Non-Combat Support Personnel[/h2]

Among the characters you might encounter are individuals like Chef Gustav, a culinary genius whose exceptional cooking skills can boost morale and sustain your operation during challenging times. Then there's N-689, a financial AI programmed to optimize your organization's credit acquisitions, ensuring you have the funds necessary for operations and expansions.



Cleveland, the skilled metallurgist, is invaluable for constructing and maintaining anything metal-related within your base. His expertise can significantly enhance your infrastructure and defensive capabilities. Othello, the passionate mineralogist, has an eye for gemstones and can help in identifying and utilizing natural resources to fund and further your cause.

These characters, among many others you might encounter, can be recruited into your organization to provide essential services. Each one brings unique bonuses, abilities, and unlocks, aiding in your broader strategy against the formidable Star Frontier.



[h2]Integration[/h2]

Once recruited, these individuals will return to your base to support your mission, each contributing to your total War Score (details to be discussed in a subsequent post). Their varied skills and specialties not only bolster your operational capabilities but also enhance your strategic position in the ongoing conflict.

Given the broad array of characters available, it's possible that not all can be recruited in a single playthrough. This variability ensures a dynamic approach to team building, where every character you manage to recruit, regardless of their combat abilities, plays a vital role in the overarching success of your rebellion, thereby enriching the strategy and depth of your campaign.

Devlog: Space Travel

In Sector Unknown you find yourself stranded on the desert planet Maku. From there, once you find a ship of your own, the stars open up to you with six story planets available to explore and bring under your control, either through diplomacy or by force.



From your base, you choose your ship and pilot—combat success hinges on their piloting skills.





Launch into space to investigate your local system, which includes planets ripe for mining. Initially, Maku is the sole story planet, serving as your home base. However, advancing the story unlocks a jump gate to a new system featuring planets like Nabi, a harsh desert world, and Sjo, a shimmering aquatic planet, each with their own settlements.



Each system has their own jump gates, guarded by the oppressive Star Frontier, and must be conquered and claimed for use. The star combat system is still being worked on, so I don't have a lot to show there yet, but you will occasionally be able to interdict both Star Frontier and pilot vessels through combat, pacifying your systems and controlling traffic in and out of each.



Sector Unknown, once removed from star charts by the resource-greedy Star Frontier, is a critical battleground. These planets and stations, once under your control, are crucial in your mission to expel Star Frontier from the sector.

More to come!

[h2]Sector Unknown - Prologue[/h2]

Sector Unknown - Prologue is a free demo version of the full game, coming out soon.
Don't forget to wishlist and follow for release dates and information!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2890980/Sector_Unknown__Prologue/

Devlog: Bounties & Hunting Contracts

A smaller devlog this week.

In Null Sector, a region unmarked on star charts and devoid of formal settlements, inhabitants are continually threatened by both bipedal adversaries and wild beasts. To counteract these dangers, locals sometimes gather their resources to handle a threat beyond their capacity.



For the enterprising of players, this presents an opportunity for earning additional income. By constructing bounty and hunting terminals within your base, you can access current contracts available online. The bounty terminal lists individuals posing various levels of danger, ranging from minor narcotics traffickers to notorious serial killers.



Meanwhile, the hunting terminal offers information on local fauna that can be hunted for a reward. Targets vary from innocuous creatures causing minor nuisances chewing on power cables to dangerous man-eating predators posing serious threats to the sector's residents.



Tracking contracts in Null Sector will take some investigation, consisting of a blend of environmental scrutiny and conversations with local inhabitants. Identifying your target is the first step; the real challenge lies in neutralizing them, with the task's difficulty directly tied to their threat level.



The game's research system allows for the unlocking of various threat levels, adding depth to your strategy. While pursuing bounties is optional, successfully completing these missions offers substantial credit rewards, enhancing your resources for other endeavors in the game.

Disclaimer: The portraits and descriptions are still a work in progress.

[h2]Sector Unknown[/h2]

Sector Unknown is the full version of the game and can be seen in the link below.
Don't forget to wishlist and follow for release dates and information!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2734270/Sector_Unknown/