Star Rangers™ XE
Early access since Jul 2016
Explore space and build on other worlds in Star Rangers! Star Rangers is a space exploration and construction game that allows players to build habitats and spacecraft, acquire gear and explore the solar system.
39% positive · 151 reviews
Not yet
In early access, content planned but development status unclear
Low confidence
Content Planned
Development Uncertain
Not yet
In early access, content planned but development status unclear
Low confidence
Content Planned
Development Uncertain
Where to buy
Steam $11.99
Can't confirm — worth a look
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Evaluation
Star Rangers XE launched into Early Access on July 6, 2016 as an explicitly unfinished alpha. The store description, written by the lead developer, describes the game as an "early, early access version" and invites players to help shape the final feature set. At the time of launch, many features were described as being in mid-stages of planning, including custom content tools, story-mode map sharing, and an astronaut training sponsorship program.
Between launch and August 2017, the developer was fairly active, shipping regular feature patches — adding new planets (Ceres in December 2016, Jupiter and Saturn encounters in May 2017), improving vehicles and AI, upgrading the game engine from Unity 4 to Unity 5, and working toward multiplayer functionality. A news post from August 16, 2017 introduced new AI characters and spaceship behavior, and noted that "Star Raiders themselves are not yet revealed" — indicating that a central promised feature was still incomplete.
After August 16, 2017, all developer communication stopped entirely. The game has never left Early Access, no 1.0 release has been announced or delivered, and the developer has made no public statement — positive or negative — about the game's future. As of June 28, 2026, the last official update is nearly 9 years old. The store page still presents the game as an unfinished work-in-progress with content yet to come, but there is no evidence that any of that content has been delivered or that anyone is still working on it.
Evidence
Last developer communication: surprise update adding AI characters and spaceship AI. Notes that 'Star Raiders themselves are not yet revealed,' confirming core promised content remains unfinished.
Jupiter and Saturn encounter scenes added as new content.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Awestruck Games
Achievements
47
Platform
Windows, macOS, Linux
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Not rated
Players
Multiplayer · Co-op · PvP
About this game
Explore space as an astronaut recruit and build on other worlds in Star Rangers XE
Star Rangers XE stands for Star Rangers eXploration Engine, a new way to explore the solar system through gaming.
This an early, early, access version of Star Rangers, which is our dream game. I've dreamt of it my whole life – to use a game engine to imagine what space travel in the next few years will look like and build a multiplayer sandbox around it which is fun, and possible, and wow – try to do it without using guns.
That’s a pretty tall order, and there have been literally 21 developers working on the game in a peak of 15 or so 14 months ago to turbodrive our core team of 5. We want you to have as much fun as we do , and help us choose the final features of the game for release.
We really want you to tell us what customization features you want the most, from Map editors to in-game stuff:
For example – what do you crave? If you’re like us – you want robots, rockets, maps, and persistence! You want lasers and fusion reactors and 3D printers and you want it all and you want it now.
I think we have an opportunity – an opportunity to show off our best work to SpaceX and NASA and all the rest of the real scientists out there (Like Bill), and really imagine what it takes to extend our civilization off of this rock we call earth.
Some of the things we have in the mid-stages of planning – are real astronaut training for our most active players – we’re saving 10% of all proceeds in a private account so we can sponsor one of you to Astronaut Training at Embry Riddle University with Project Possum! That means one day, one of you will be a real Star Ranger with training and a mission to complete! We’re saving the overflow for an actual space flight.
So, we’re working with a team that includes former astronauts to come up with the best ways for us to add user content to the game, and that’s shaping up to start with custom uniform textures, user-authored notes, and story-mode map-sharing as a first blush.
Thanks for you for attention, and enjoy the low introductory price – you’re the pioneers we were looking for, and we’ll work with you to get everything where we need it.
p.s. We're starting with a substantial discount and the price will go up over time to the sweet spot of 24.99, which seems to be what everyone is telling us.
Star Rangers is being developed with the Steam community’s involvement. With this approach to development, the creation of Star Rangers will now progress in the direction the community chooses and contributes to, such as emphasizing asteroid-mining, or ramping up buildings for Mars colonization.
Star Rangers is an open ‘sandbox’ of the local solar system incorporating NASA content, with an emphasis on surviving and thriving on worlds other than Earth. The game has been in private alpha on Steam for several weeks, for vocal members of its fan base. The first alpha will feature some 6 maps on Mars, including the Victoria Crater, the Million Mounds area of the Moon, and a best-guess depiction of what it’s like under the ice on Europa.
Those who have participated in the alpha will be able to continue enjoying the game as it now moves over to Steam Early Access (thanks Den and WarDJ- you rock).
There are test maps, including a VR map, and you can let us know what you like and what you hate.
Star Rangers will award official Mozilla Digital badges for building and operating custom rocket-sleds, asteroid mining operations, rovers, robots, and more.
Star Rangers XE stands for Star Rangers eXploration Engine, a new way to explore the solar system through gaming.
Dear Steam Users,
Well it’s time. From a surprise meeting with Bill Nye at NASA, who said “Khal, build the game you want to, not what other people think you should build” to enough funding to allow us 2 years of developing and private testing on Steam , we think we’re ready to show the public our alpha of Star Rangers on Steam. Thank Goodness for Steam.This an early, early, access version of Star Rangers, which is our dream game. I've dreamt of it my whole life – to use a game engine to imagine what space travel in the next few years will look like and build a multiplayer sandbox around it which is fun, and possible, and wow – try to do it without using guns.
That’s a pretty tall order, and there have been literally 21 developers working on the game in a peak of 15 or so 14 months ago to turbodrive our core team of 5. We want you to have as much fun as we do , and help us choose the final features of the game for release.
We really want you to tell us what customization features you want the most, from Map editors to in-game stuff:
For example – what do you crave? If you’re like us – you want robots, rockets, maps, and persistence! You want lasers and fusion reactors and 3D printers and you want it all and you want it now.
I think we have an opportunity – an opportunity to show off our best work to SpaceX and NASA and all the rest of the real scientists out there (Like Bill), and really imagine what it takes to extend our civilization off of this rock we call earth.
Some of the things we have in the mid-stages of planning – are real astronaut training for our most active players – we’re saving 10% of all proceeds in a private account so we can sponsor one of you to Astronaut Training at Embry Riddle University with Project Possum! That means one day, one of you will be a real Star Ranger with training and a mission to complete! We’re saving the overflow for an actual space flight.
So, we’re working with a team that includes former astronauts to come up with the best ways for us to add user content to the game, and that’s shaping up to start with custom uniform textures, user-authored notes, and story-mode map-sharing as a first blush.
Thanks for you for attention, and enjoy the low introductory price – you’re the pioneers we were looking for, and we’ll work with you to get everything where we need it.
- Khal and the whole Star Rangers Team
p.s. We're starting with a substantial discount and the price will go up over time to the sweet spot of 24.99, which seems to be what everyone is telling us.
Disclaimer For Early Access
Star Rangers is being developed with the Steam community’s involvement. With this approach to development, the creation of Star Rangers will now progress in the direction the community chooses and contributes to, such as emphasizing asteroid-mining, or ramping up buildings for Mars colonization.
Star Rangers is an open ‘sandbox’ of the local solar system incorporating NASA content, with an emphasis on surviving and thriving on worlds other than Earth. The game has been in private alpha on Steam for several weeks, for vocal members of its fan base. The first alpha will feature some 6 maps on Mars, including the Victoria Crater, the Million Mounds area of the Moon, and a best-guess depiction of what it’s like under the ice on Europa.
Those who have participated in the alpha will be able to continue enjoying the game as it now moves over to Steam Early Access (thanks Den and WarDJ- you rock).
There are test maps, including a VR map, and you can let us know what you like and what you hate.
Star Rangers will award official Mozilla Digital badges for building and operating custom rocket-sleds, asteroid mining operations, rovers, robots, and more.
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Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 28, 2026
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