Space Station Designer - Visuals, gameplay, and polishing update
Dear Station Designers, Last month we unveiled Space Station Designer version 00.06.00 , which included new gameplay features, improved visuals, and various QoL improvements. We made some good progress this past month across various areas, and today we're pleased to share Space Station Designer version 00.06.50 with all of you. If you're interested in the full list of changes and additions, ple…
Dear Station Designers, Back in late March we released Space Station Designer version 0.5.130 , which featured dozens of improved gameplay mechanics, QoL additions, bug-fixes, and general improvements. After another three months of work, today we're unveiling Space Station Designer version 00.06.00. This update includes a combination of additions and improvements, including updated visuals, new…
We had a great chat yesterday with Ignacio, Lead Developer at Polar Motion, diving into new insights and updates as the team prepares the game for release. If you missed it, don't worry: you can now watch the full livestream here: As development progresses, we’d love to hear your feedback— share your thoughts, questions, and curiosities with the community on Discord . And don’t forget to wishli…
Dear Station Designers, Back in late November we released Space Station Designer version 0.5.90, which focused exclusively on polishing the overall game experience. After nearly four months of work, today we're unveiling Space Station Designer version 0.5.130, featuring dozens of improved gameplay mechanics, QoL additions, bug-fixes, and general improvements. If you're interested in the details…
Welcome to the fifteenth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry ( Dev Diary #14 ), we discussed some of the influences behind the game, including NASA's Space Station Freedom and various technical and history books we used for reference. In this entry, we'll expand on some of the games that inspired the design and aesthetics behind 'Space Station Designer'. Project S…
Dear Station Designers, Back in early September we released 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.72, which included a series of improvements and a whole revised set of Interactive Tutorials. Today we're happy to unveil 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.90, which is exclusively focused on polishing the overall game experience. Please read on to learn about the main highlights. You can find fu…
Welcome to the fourteenth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the two previous entries ( Dev Diary #12 and Dev Diary #13 ), we went deep into the details of the Lunar Orbit station . In this entry and the next, we'll take a small break from covering game mechanics and discuss some of the influences behind Space Station Designer. The initial idea and its evolution When we set out to…
Welcome to the thirteenth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry , we covered some of the details behind the Lunar Orbit station, including information about its location at the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point (L1 ), its associated orbit control and attitude control rules, and the type of resupply spacecraft available. In this second entry, we'll wrap up the overview of th…
At the end of June we published 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.60 . We have continued making progress since then, and today we're proud to share 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.72 with all of you. This new version comes with a lot of cool stuff that we're sure you'll enjoy. As usual, this post will cover the main highlights. If you're interested in the full overview, you can always g…
Welcome to the twelfth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. The last two entries covered the two stations available in higher Earth orbits: the GSO station and the L2 station . In this new entry, we're going to start another two-part series with the goal of analyzing the details behind the Lunar Orbit station , including what makes it unique, and how it contributes to the development of…
Welcome to the eleventh Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry , we started a two-part series that covers the two stations available in higher Earth orbits. The previous entry discussed the details behind the station in Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO). In this entry, we'll analyse the station in the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2) and what makes it unique. The Sun-Earth L…
Welcome to the tenth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry , we wrapped up a seven-part series that covered the various mechanics available in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) station. Beyond LEO, Space Station Designer allows us to establish stations in higher orbits, and even around the Moon. In this article, we'll cover the basics behind the Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO) s…
A few months ago we published 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.47 , which included the first implementation of the 'Lunar Space Elevator' megaproject, along with a series of Quality of Life (QoL) improvements, bug fixes, and new content. We've been very hard at work since then, and today we're proud to unveil 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.60, which is our largest update to date in te…
Welcome to the ninth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry , we covered two important revenue-generating mechanics: Modules Leasing, and Commercial Services. In this article, we'll cover two more mechanics related to the LEO Station: 'Earth Facilities' and 'Space Tourism'. Earth Facilities Behind every successful network of space stations, there's a large structure…
Welcome to the eight Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous article , we discussed the process for manufacturing commercial goods in microgravity and selling them on Earth. In this entry, we'll cover the basics of two more revenue-generating mechanics: Modules Leasing , and Commercial Services . Modules Leasing As our space stations evolve and get larger, we may find that…
Welcome to the seventh Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry , we covered the details behind resupply spacecraft which, in addition to transporting astronauts, are used to keep stations operational and to transport the goods manufactured in orbit to Earth. In this article, we'll explain the basics behind two other mechanics: the manufacturing of Commercial Goods in…
Welcome to the sixth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry , we went deep into the various mechanics available for hiring and managing astronauts. In this post, we'll cover the mechanisms for requesting and dispatching resupply spacecraft. Requesting Resupply Spacecraft In order to keep our stations functional, we need to ensure that (1) there's a permanent presence…
Welcome to the fifth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry , we covered the mechanics found throughout the initial stages of the game (a.k.a, 'Phase I'), and went through various key concepts, including currencies, research, and the maintenance of the space station modules. This entry will focus exclusively on astronauts. Astronauts Astronauts are key players of you…
Welcome to the fourth Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry , we started a multi-part series that covers the mechanics found throughout the initial stages of the game (a.k.a, 'Phase I'), and covered concepts such as the time controls and the various station's stats. In this entry we'll discuss currencies, research, and modules' attributes related to their maintenanc…
Hello! After releasing the 'Lunar Space Elevator' update last month, for this new release we decided to focus exclusively on several Quality of Live (QoL) features that our beta-testers have been asking for. As part of this update, we've completely revamped the Preferences screen, which now includes useful features around screen resolution, display mode, target framerate, and input sensitivity.…
We’re excited to unveil the new main art for Space Station Designer ! This fresh visual represents the heart of space engineering and exploration, capturing the essence of building and managing your network of space stations. To celebrate, we’re offering the artwork as a downloadable wallpaper , perfect for adding a touch of space to your desktop. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue expa…
Welcome to the third Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous two entries, we gave an overview of the game and its modes. This entry will be the first of a multi-part series that will cover the mechanics found throughout the initial stages of the game (a.k.a, 'Phase I'). The Orbital Outpost Screen As we mentioned in our first dev diary entry , the game starts with the select…
Welcome to the second Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In the previous entry, we gave an overview of the game and covered the ' Campaign ' mode. In this article, we'll cover the rest of the game modes, including modding support . The 'Sandbox' and 'Free Builder' Game Modes As we mentioned in our previous diary entry , the game features a ' Campaign ', a ' Sandbox ', and a ' Free Bui…
Welcome to the first Dev Diary entry of 'Space Station Designer'. In this article, we'll provide an overview of the game and discuss some of the details behind the 'Campaign' mode . Whether you've just found out about 'Space Station Designer' or you have been following its development for a while, this post, and the upcoming part II , are a perfect entry point to learn more about the game. What…
Back in mid-December we published 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.40 . This update included what we refer to as 'Phase III', and included a whole new series of mechanics, such as being able to create stations in higher orbits, and even around the Moon. After publishing the previous update, we've been hard at work implementing the last remaining large system in the game: the 'Lunar Space El…
We made a lot of progress since our last update in late August, and today we're very happy to release 'Space Station Designer' version 0.5.40. This update picks up where the previous one left off and allows you to open stations in higher orbits and even around the Moon, which we refer to as 'Phase III'. In addition to this, this update includes our usual Quality of Life (QoL) improvements, bug…
We’re excited to announce the launch of the new beta for Space Station Designer . Now is your chance to dive into space construction and management like never before. The beta includes all the content and game mechanics from Phases I and II, featuring three engaging game modes: Campaign, Sandbox, and Free Builder . This beta version comes with fully balanced in-game data, providing a rich exper…
Dear Community, As we mentioned a month ago in this announcement , we've partnered up with Slitherine, who has now become the publisher of 'Space Station Designer'. The development of the game continues at a steady pace, and we're now focussing on the development of 'Phase III', which includes new game mechanics and content. We'll be sharing more details (and pretty screenshots) in an upcoming…
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Announcements are the developer’s own posts to the game’s Steam news feed: updates and their patch notes, in-game events, releases and sales. The important ones are marked on the players chart.