Star Explorers News

The 3.8 Update includes a number of new things for you to enjoy!


I have done a bit of graphic work on the planets. Now, instead of one translucent atmosphere sphere, I added two more, so the atmosphere will appear a bit hazy when orbiting a planet. Also the outer sphere has a sort of inner layer, creating a slight glow on the side of the planet opposite from the star.

Here's what they look like:





Due to popular demand, the "Take All" button has been added to caches and storage panels. This allows you to take every item available, if you have room in your backpack, at the click of a button.




While testing the take all button, I also encountered an error where caches on planet surfaces and in caves would not properly record which items were placed in them, or taken out. I think this is resolved, and these should work consistently again.


I added more and larger nebulae when generating a new galaxy. This is purely a cosmetic change, like the planet atmospheres mentioned above. But I think it may add more variety and color to each play through...

Hey, did you know you could help Schmidt Workshops by writing reviews, sharing our games, and even by just playing them?

Well you can!



That's right, by simply playing a Schmidt Workshops game, you will help to show other players on Steam that these games exist. Writing a nice review will help to establish that our games are fun to play. Sharing our games on Social Media, or simply telling your friends about them will help too.

If you like the experimental, artistic and philosophical themes in Schmidt Workshops games, then please help by spreading the word.

I recently discovered (thanks to a friendly player) a small flaw in the testing version that would have prevented the game from running. The reason it was not caught sooner is that players running the testing version would have most likely run the default version first, thereby creating the necessary configuration file. If the testing version had been run without this file, it would have loaded a black splash screen, and the main menu would never show up.

The latest testing update (still called 3.7) fixes this issue.

Hey everyone,
I just submitted Star Explorers to a game jam called "Procjam" on itch.io.
It's about games that are procedurally generated like Star Explorers. Check out some of the other entries, comment if you feel like it ... follow the jam!

https://itch.io/jam/procjam/entries

I don't believe there is a competitive aspect to this game jam, it's more about sharing and learning.

This update is ready for testing. Of course I have done my own testing on the new features, and so far so good.

I am a bit torn over whether I should explain what was added to the game, or whether I should just allow players to happen across the new feature. This second option seems much more in-line with the procedural nature of the gameplay. But then, you might not even know it's a new feature.



Okay, I will settle on this - In the above screenshot, there is a small PDA item selected. That is the new item I added to the game. I will not tell you what it does or why it's there ... that's for you guys to figure out!



Also, notice the mapping tool shown above. There are two numbers that show the player's position on a planet surface. This is an important part of the new feature. I will say that I like this update and really look forward to testing it out more. I also look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.


If you want to find the new little PDA thingy, you will, unfortunately, have to start a new game.