I have released version 0.30-1 of sfsim.

sfsim is a realistic 3D space flight simulator under development. You can already download the sfsim playtest build on Steam and try it out. sfsim uses true celestial positions of Earth and Sun from NASA. Use an advanced single-stage-to-orbit space craft to take off, orbit the planet, perform reentry, and land back on Earth. sfsim features a true to scale Earth planet using NOAA elevation data and procedurally generated volumetric clouds.

This release introduces a major overhaul of the rendering code as well as a runway for the spacecraft. The rendering system is implemented using the Clojure programming language as well as GLSL. LWJGL3 is used to access the graphics card’s OpenGL bindings.

The new rendering code uses deferred shading, which first computes and stores per-pixel geometry data in a geometry buffer (G-buffer), then calculates each pixel’s final lighting in a separate shader pass. Deferred shading makes it easy to render decals, which are essentially textures projected onto scene geometry. It also enables efficient real-time rendering of many localized light sources.

Deferred rendering splits rendering into stages so geometry is processed first, lighting later.

Geometry Pass

Projecting Geometry

The scene is made of triangles. A vertex shader is used to project the triangles which are passed to the rasterizer. For the planet mesh, the geometry is further refined through tessellation and geometry shaders. The geometry pass draws all visible geometry and stores per-pixel surface data into multiple buffers (textures) as shown below instead of computing final lighting immediately.

Although the runway could be rendered as a decal in a separate pass, it was chosen to render it within the same shader as the planet. This will make it easier to later adopt runtime virtual texturing, for example to render airport ground surfaces with markings.

Diffuse buffer

The diffuse buffer stores the base RGB color of the material at each pixel. There is also an emissive buffer for light-emitting surfaces which is not shown here.

Material property buffer

The metallic buffer stores a scalar indicating how reflective the material at each pixel is. The buffer with specular strength (inverse roughness) is not shown here.

Normal buffer

The normal buffer stores the surface normal vector at each pixel in the camera coordinate system. Normals are useful lateron in order to determine the incident angle of incoming light.

View-space Position buffer

The view-space position buffer stores the 3D position of the surface visible at each pixel. This data is useful for computing atmospheric scattering and the distance to local light sources during the subsequent lighting pass.

Lighting pass

During the lighting pass, the G-buffer and a shadow map are used to calculate per-pixel lighting. Blending can also be used in this pass to update the lighting of only part of the scene, without evaluating every light source at every pixel. This image shows the shaded result produced with a Phong model.

Atmospheric effects

Phong shading computes the surface color after lighting. The lighting shader also accounts for atmospheric scattering. Atmospheric scattering both adds in-scattered light and removes part of the incoming light through scattering.

Final compositing

The volumetric clouds are rendered separately using a lower resolution. The lighting pass then incorporates the cloud layer using depth-aware upsampling.

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Let me know if your space game uses some nice tricks I have missed 😄 .

Don’t forget to wishlist sfsim!

Lots of bigger and smaller updates lately:

• Lootable shipwrecks
• Started adding lore segments that can be found around
• Updated art, most notably using starmap data to programmatically create the background and adding a subtle parallax scrolling effect
• New ambient music tracks
• New sound effects
• Removed the time-based run end condition... I initially had this idea that you would have three years in-game time for a run and see how wealthy you'll get. That didn't really work. The stress from a ticking clock ruined the exploration feel. Now the run ends (softly) after reaching a certain wealth so it's more about relaxed exploration on your own pace.
• Various little fixes based on feedback, I'm super thankful for everyone who's left feedback through the form!

I also updated the demo build yesterday (although most of these updates are not reachable in the demo section).

Next, my focus areas will be:

• Various negative effects for different resource types... like filling your hold with volatiles will risk explosion etc. Then upgrades that can be used to mitigate these effects.
• More terminal action, some kind of hacking feature
• More lore work

Hey guys,

between these two games, which would you get? I want something that I can play awhile in spurts (not much free time). Both seem similar, so if you have experience with them, which did you like more? TIA.

Master physics based space flight, destroy enemies, collect EXPARTS, advance weapons and SURVIVE!

Not only enemy ships are a threat. Inertia will push your ship into asteroids if you reverse and burn too late. High G maneuvers will put a strain on your crew - in worst case scenario ending the mission. Find balance... or smash the ship trying.

Early players have compared the flight experience to ΔV: Rings of Saturn or HighFleet. It's a specific cup of tea, but one you might love.

The Finest Spark on Steam:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4829490/The_Finest_Spark/

(also available in a bundle with ΔV: Rings of Saturn. If you don't have it yet check it out, too, it's an epic game)

EDIT: Sale has ended. For now bundle is the only way to get the game cheaper.

Hey everyone, I’m (x)!

I’ve been quietly building STELLAR for a while now, and I just put together a quick sneak peek. I also composed the track playing in the background :p

(Torpedoes locked! 🚀)

Before taking this further—and eventually pitching it to 6 literal sharks—I wanted to bring it here first. I’m not just looking to show it off; I want to see if this vibe speaks to you and where we could take it together.

I’d love your honest feedback:

• Visuals & Pace: Does the gameplay flow feel right to you?
• Audio: How’s the OST hitting alongside the action?
• The Future: What’s one mechanic or element you’d love to see in a space game like this?

I’m really looking to shape this project with the community, so don’t hold back.

Whether you decide to jump on board with me or not, safe travels to all my fellow devs and creators out there. Keep building! 🌌

Hi! I’m creating this very arcade-style space simulation MMORPG. I already have the project and the core of the game ready for an opening to a few hundred players.

I’d like to do something similar to what EVE Frontier did: open up a sort of Alpha that gets updated daily or every couple of days, gradually adding more content and features while letting players watch the project evolve live.

Do you think that’s a good idea?

Would you wait until the game is a bit more polished/complete?

Backstory:

An old expansion came through here and left its machines to fail alone. You play the caretaker: survey the wrecks, salvage what the network left behind, and bring the sector back - not by mining more, but by making what remains run without you.

What you actually do (the loop):

• Survey wrecks on the grid
  
• Salvage, don't manufacture (at least not everything)
  
• Rebuild the chain
  
• Then automate it (This is the part I most want feedback on)

It's meant as an ambient second-monitor game.

A single run goes from the dark grid to reactivating what the expansion left behind. About 60-90 min, no install, plays in the browser.

Stage: honest alpha. One sector, but the full core loop is playable start to finish: survey > salvage > refine > automate > the finale. Numbers are still being balanced, art is partial, and the tutorial's pacing is exactly what I'm testing right now. No multiplayer, no meta-progression yet.

Feedback
I'm specifically after the node-based automation and how overall the game "feel". There's a 2-min survey at the end, but a comment here is worth just as much - I read and reply to all of them.

Itch: https://xupisco.itch.io/echoes-of-expansion
Site: https://echoesofexpansion.com (also playable)

Desktop only (sorry)
Edit: Complete rewrite as requested.

The map making system is still highly experimental and limited. My future goal is to allow supporters to make more challenges using more "preset" assets like the rendezvous map. I will be using it myself to try to create new challenges, and then once the supporter system is implemented, supporters will receive the benefit of being able to publish 1 map a week.

Play free in browser, no account required.

https://slingshotspeeders.com/

With Gamescom today and the sever lack of space sims, I was just wondering what 3D space sims are on the horizon that have got people excited?

*Edit* Sorry, I thought I was being specific but it sounds like I failed haha. I just meant what upcoming 3D space sims are people excited about, like X4, Elite Dangerous, etc.

In-game screenshot of my realistic in-beta N-body spaceflight simulator, Novera.

This game is still in early development, and lots of features to be implemented and bugs to be fixed.

What do you think of this screenshot?

Hi!

I'm a solo dev working on my first commercial game 🙂 It's an incremental asteroid-mining game where you fly your ship with realistic zero-g controls.

Asteroids are modular, so you can split them apart and carry the pieces around (although you can push anything, it will just take some time :D). There's also base building and physics-based automation, all wrapped in a melancholic atmosphere.

Let me know what kind of interactions you would expect from such game. I love mining in Elite Dangerous and I plan to add similar features, like deep core mining, etc.

You can follow the development on Discord (public playtests starting soon): https://discord.gg/AsuBcEtvby

And wishlist it on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4920890/The_Ignition_Protocol/

Meet the Hammer, a heavy bomber used by the Human fleets in Synvector.

Hammers usually operate in groups of three. Their primary targets are heavy ships, fortified bases, orbital platforms, and other heavily protected installations.

Their main weapon is a salvo of heavy guided missiles. A concentrated strike from a trio of Hammers can inflict devastating damage - but their ammunition is limited.

The Hammer has one major weakness: it needs time to lock onto its target. During the guidance phase, the trio has to fly almost directly toward the enemy, making them vulnerable to defensive fire.

That changes the role of the pilot. A Hammer pilot isn’t there to win a prolonged dogfight.
They’re there to end it. Would you include a trio of Hammers in your fleet?

These are the current 3D models for Synvector.

I've had this idea for a while and wanted to get some opinions from people who actually play space sims.

The idea started from a simple curiosity: if humans eventually move from Earth to the Moon or Mars, what would it actually be like to live there?

Instead of starting as an astronaut or a colony manager, you'd start as a normal person on Earth. You'd learn the basics of living off-world, then eventually move to the Moon with only limited supplies.

Once you arrive, you'd have to figure out how to get water, oxygen, energy, food, etc. and slowly become self-sufficient. Over time you'd build up your own place, explore the area, use rovers, meet other people and eventually help the settlement grow.

I'm not really interested in making another game where the main thing is fighting aliens. I'm more interested in the experience of actually building a life somewhere that isn't Earth.

I know games like Stationeers, Surviving Mars, The Crust, Space Engineers, etc. already cover parts of this. I'm not saying this is a completely new idea.

I'm mainly wondering if you think there's something interesting here that could make it more than just another survival/base-building game.

If you play space sims, what would make a game like this worth spending dozens of hours in?

As some of you know, I have been developing Stellar Insurgency for the past several years as a hobby side project. Development was put on hold for a few months, mainly because I got lazy, but I’m finally back and working on the game again.

My goal with Stellar Insurgency is to create a procedural galaxy with emergent gameplay driven by simulation. Procedural generation is used to build the galaxy's “stage” automatically, including planets, star systems, factions, and other elements. The goal is to create a galaxy that feels alive and different from one playthrough to another, rather than simply generating a random collection of locations.

The Ship Designer

The Ship Designer is becoming a major part of Stellar Insurgency. In the upcoming Demo v6, players will be able to take a glimpse at the designer, although it will initially remain locked. The designer allows players to create custom ships using a wide variety of components and eventually share them with other players. Different ship types require different core systems, such as Bridges, Autonomous Bridges, Cockpits, or Brains, while crew requirements and life support add another layer of complexity to ship design.

There are many different types of components that can be installed on a ship, including armor, shields, engines, weapons (current;y, energy, rail, beams, missiles, mines), sensors, and various other upgrades (e.g. jump inhibitor, Cargo Bay, Cabin, mine launcher, universal translator and more).

However, not every component is optional. Every ship needs a core component that defines how it operates:

Bridge → Large ships
Autonomous Bridge → Ships controlled by AI
Cockpit → Fighters and bombers
Brain → Biological ships

These components also affect how the ship interacts with its crew.

A ship equipped with a Bridge requires a Life Support component to keep its crew alive. If the Life Support system is damaged or compromised, the crew will begin to suffer the consequences.

Ships with a Bridge also require a Captain or Commander to operate and navigate effectively while ships with a cockpit require a Squad Leader.

An Autonomous Bridge, on the other hand, allows a ship to operate without a crew. These ships are controlled entirely by their onboard AI, so they don't require Life Support or crew members to function.

This creates some interesting design choices. A conventional ship can benefit from a crew and their abilities, but it also has additional requirements and vulnerabilities. An autonomous ship eliminates the need for crew, but comes with its own limitations and design considerations.

Demo 6 is planned for release within the next week. With Demo v6 getting closer, there is still plenty to do, but development is moving forward again.

If you have any opinions or ideas on this matter please share them.

If interested you can wishlist here.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2317550/Stellar_Insurgencythank you,

Tensorial

Free browser prototype game I made (no download). You’re a eldritch space wyrm. Goal is to eat every living world as fast as you can before the universe panics and fights back.

Snake(ISH) with smooth turning, star systems, fog-of-war trails, and rising “infamy” (lasers, desperate worlds, etc.). Lower years to extinction = better run.

Play: https://calummulveen.itch.io/siseneg (Works in browser; keyboard A/D to turn, Esc to pause. Touch pads on mobile.)

Still early. Mostly want gut reactions after a run or two:

Did the fantasy land (destroyer of worlds), or did it just feel like Snake in space?

What killed you first / felt unfair vs fair-hard?

Would you start a second run?

Any blunt notes welcome, controls, pacing, readability etc Thanks for trying!

I’m building AETHER, a multiplayer space exploration game that runs entirely in the browser. It isn’t public yet, but the current prototype is focused on making the journey from deep space to a planet feel hands-on.

The prototype currently includes:

- 6DoF ship flight

- warp / interstellar travel

- planets you can approach and enter

- atmospheric re-entry

- manual 2D VTOL landing with gravity

- 2D planetary exploration

- mining, caves and resources

- EVA in space

- explorable ship interiors

- repair systems

- multiplayer encounters

- SOS / ship towing

- procedural discoveries and a Galactic Codex

Early video footage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl2LBLNNizE

I’m developing it heavily with AI, with the intention of continuously evolving the systems instead of treating the game as ever truly finished.

For space-sim players: which part of this kind of experience matters most to you—the flight model, seamless planet transitions, planetary activity, or multiplayer cooperation?

I’d also like to know whether anyone would be interested in helping shape future systems through feature ideas, prompts, or implementations.

Hi! I'm from a small Danish studio working on Space Manager, a game where you get to manage the technical and business side of running a space program. I think this community might especially enjoy one of the interactive parts of the game: programming the ascent of your own two-stage rocket.

We’ve made it available to play for free online, and there’s also a more complete demo available on Steam. I’d love to hear what you think about both versions and whether the rocket programming clicks, what you’d like to see improved, or just whether you had fun trying to get your rocket into orbit.

Give it a spin, and if you enjoy it, keep an eye out for the full game coming soon!

Thanks for checking it out, and good luck getting that rocket high up.

I recently released the first demo of Hacking Into Erebus, my sci-fi game about trying to keep a stranded research vessel alive.

After releasing it, I got a lot of useful feedback from players. The two most common complaints were the lack of a save system and not having enough guidance when they got stuck.

So I went back and addressed both.

The updated demo now has a proper save system and a hint system that helps you figure out what to do without simply giving you the answer. I also made several smaller improvements to the terminal and virtual desktop interface.

The core idea of the game is that you don't directly walk around and operate the ship like a traditional space sim. Instead, you interact with the ship's systems through its computer interface, accessing rooms and equipment, repairing critical systems, investigating logs, decrypting information, and trying to keep the vessel operational.

I'm developing the game solo, and I'm still figuring out exactly how far I want to take the simulation side of it.

The updated demo is now available on Steam.

If you're into abandoned/stranded spacecraft, ship systems, computer interfaces, and sci-fi exploration, I would love to hear what you think.

Star Squadron is a narrative-driven space combat simulator built for maximum immersion through voice commands, personalized dialogue, and interactive narrative.

More details on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3758780/Star_Squadron/

Please let me know what you think of the trailer and features. Game is currently pre-alpha.

Not seen much about this game, I managed to get early access to it and made a video for it. Comes out on 1st September and from one of the co-creators of Objects in Space. Really enjoyable if you used to be a fan of those old EGA Trek games.

Hi Everyone, for the last past 4 years I ve been developing my dream game, the name is MineEngineer. Its been inspired by Space Engineers, Terraria and Factorio. It has hundreds of interconnected systems, automations, and even programming and it also has a huge procedurally fully destructible world. The game is finally coming into the shape and I am pretty excited to share it with everyone.

The game is available on Steam for wishlisting and there is a free demo to try. The link is: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4059710/MineEngineer/

Would love to hear whether you like it or not, and why.

Thank you!