Getting Started
Q: Is Starminer free to play?
No. Starminer is a paid game available on Steam. It entered Early Access on May 27, 2026. There is no free version or demo currently.
Q: What are the system requirements for Starminer?
Starminer is relatively well-optimized but benefits from a dedicated GPU. Check the Steam store page for current minimum and recommended specs, as they may change during Early Access. The physics simulation (Newtonian 6DOF) is CPU-intensive — a modern quad-core processor is recommended.
Q: Which game mode should I start with?
Campaign. Always Campaign. It introduces systems gradually through missions that double as tutorials. Sandbox gives you full freedom but zero guidance. Survival will destroy you if you don't know the mechanics. See our Beginner Guide for details.
Q: Is there a tutorial?
The Campaign mode is the tutorial. Early missions teach you mining, refining, selling, and basic ship building. Pay attention to mission text — it contains critical information the game doesn't repeat.
Q: How do I save the game?
Starminer auto-saves periodically. You can also manually save from the pause menu. In Survival mode, auto-saves are less frequent — save manually before risky operations.
Controls & Movement
Q: How do I stop my ship from drifting?
Press Space to engage dampeners and kill velocity. You can also toggle dampeners to always-on in the UI. See Beginner Guide §3 for full control mappings.
Q: Can I rebind the controls?
Yes. Veteran players strongly recommend rebinding rotation controls from Shift+WASDQE to Numpad 8/4/5/6/7/9. This single change dramatically improves flight control. Access keybinds from the Settings menu.
Q: Why does my ship feel sluggish?
Your ship has real mass and inertia. Adding modules increases mass — a fully loaded mining ship handles very differently from an empty one. This is not a bug; it's Newtonian physics. Design your ships for their loaded state, not their empty state. See Ship Building Guide.
Mining & Resources
Q: Why won't my haulers collect ore chunks?
You're probably too far away. Haulers only work within a certain range of your ship. If you fly away mid-transfer, they abandon the job and the ore is lost. Stay close until the transfer animation completes.
Q: What do the colors mean when scanning?
Blue patches = Silicates (Si). Green patches = primary resource (Iron, Cobalt, Thorium, Eonite, or H₂O depending on the asteroid type). The scanner doesn't tell you which resource — you learn to identify asteroids by shape and location.
Q: Where do I find Cobalt?
Debris fields are your best early source. Scattered small fragments almost always contain Cobalt. Dedicated Cobalt asteroids exist but are harder to identify. See Mining & Resources Guide §6.
Q: Where do I find Thorium?
C-class asteroids — large, dark, heavily cratered. You need a T2 Refinery to process Thorium. One good C-class asteroid can fund your entire early expansion.
Q: Where do I find Eonite?
Rare deep-space asteroids with glowing veins and unusual shapes. You need a T3 Refinery to process Eonite. It's a late-game resource required for Link Gates (interstellar travel).
Q: Should I sell Iron and Silicates?
No. This is the #1 new player mistake. Iron is needed for all construction. Silicates are needed for repairs. Selling them for quick credits leaves you unable to build or fix anything. Only sell Cobalt, Thorium, and Eonite surplus. See Money Making Guide.
Ship Building
Q: Why does my ship spin uncontrollably?
Probably asymmetrical thruster placement. Thrusters must be placed in mirrored pairs. A single off-center thruster creates rotational torque. Also check that your Center of Mass hasn't shifted due to cargo weight. See Ship Building Guide §2.
Q: How big can I build my ship?
Keep ships to 5–6 hulk spheres long. Anything longer won't fit inside the mothership docking bay. Width and height are more flexible, but length is the hard constraint.
Q: What order should I build ship modules?
Core systems first, engines last. Build reactor → cockpit → functional modules (storage, refinery) → then size your engines to the total mass. If you add engines first, you'll be under-thrusted when you add payload. See Ship Building Guide §1.
Q: Can I have multiple ships?
Yes. You can build and manage multiple ships — a dedicated miner, a cargo transport, a combat vessel, and a scout. Specialized ships outperform generalists. Switch between them via the fleet management interface.
Power & Heat
Q: Why do I keep running out of power?
You're building modules faster than your power generation. Overbuild solar panels and batteries before adding new modules. The G2 Solar upgrade (5,000 credits, 0 RP) is a cheap early boost. Shut down unused systems — scanners, weapons, and idle refineries still draw power.
Q: How does heat attract enemies?
Your total thermal output creates a detection radius. Low heat = enemies don't see you. Medium heat = scouts appear. High heat = full swarms attack. In Survival mode, enemies detect you at medium heat instead of high. See Combat & Defense Guide.
Q: How do I reduce heat quickly?
Shut down all non-essential systems. Thermal Dumpers passively dissipate heat. Thermal Radiators actively cool (costs energy). Emergency Vent dumps all stored heat instantly (long cooldown). In an emergency, cut everything except life support and wait.
Research & Progression
Q: How do I start researching?
Build a Research Lab (100 Iron, 50 Silicates, 10 Cobalt, 500 Energy, 10 Colonists). Assign a colonist to the research role. The lab generates Research Points (RP) passively. Then use credits to unlock specific technologies. See Research & Tech Tree Guide.
Q: What should I research first?
T2 Refinery. It triples processing capacity and unlocks Thorium. This is the single most impactful upgrade in the game. Follow with Advanced Mining Laser and Battery Capacity I. See the full research priority order.
Q: How do I level up faster?
Mine more. Mining volume is the best XP source. Quantity over quality — mining lots of Iron gives more XP/hour than hunting rare ores. Missions also give large XP bonuses. Combat XP is inefficient compared to mining.
Combat & Enemies
Q: Do I need weapons in the early game?
No. If you manage heat properly, you can avoid combat entirely for 20+ hours. Weapons are expensive to research and maintain. Invest in your economy first — weapons are for when you're entering hostile systems. See Combat & Defense Guide.
Q: What's the best weapon type?
It depends on the enemy: Point Defense for scouts and drones, Laser Turrets for general combat, Missile Batteries for large ships, EMP Cannons for shielded enemies, Railguns for armored capital ships. Specialize — don't mix weapon types on one ship.
Q: How do I defend my station?
Layered defense: Point Defense on the outer ring, Laser Turrets mid-range, Missile Batteries for long-range interception. Redundant shields. Thermal Dumpers on every module cluster. Emergency shutdown protocol keybound. See Combat & Defense Guide §8.
Money & Economy
Q: How do I make money fast?
Early game: mine Cobalt from debris fields (72 credits/unit). Mid game: Thorium from C-class asteroids (360 credits/unit). Build a T2 Refinery ASAP — it triples processing speed. See Money Making Guide for detailed strategies.
Q: Should I pay off my debt early?
Not in the early game. Credits spent on expansion (T2 Refinery, G2 Solar, colonists) generate far more returns than the interest cost. Pay debt aggressively in the mid-game once your income is stable. See Money Making Guide §6.
Q: Where do I sell resources?
Fly to Reclamation 9, the large Governance ship. Approach the green arrows (trading lane markers) and the trade UI opens. Sell from your stored metals inventory.
Bugs & Technical Issues
Q: My haulers are stuck / not moving. What do I do?
This is a known Early Access bug. Try: (1) moving closer to the asteroid, (2) canceling and re-issuing the hauler command, (3) saving and reloading. If persistent, report it on the Steam Community forums.
Q: The game crashes when I [do X]. What should I do?
Starminer is in Early Access — crashes happen. Verify game files through Steam, update your GPU drivers, and report the crash with steps to reproduce on the Steam Community Hub. The developers are actively patching.
Meta & Community
Q: Is there multiplayer / co-op in Starminer?
Not yet. Starminer is currently single-player only. The developers have mentioned multiplayer as a possibility during Early Access, but there is no confirmed release date. Check the Steam page for roadmap updates.
Q: Will my save file work after updates?
Generally yes, but Early Access updates can sometimes break save compatibility. The developers try to maintain backward compatibility. Back up your save files before major updates (found in the game's local files folder).
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