One of the most important things you need to be taking care of during your travels in Beyond These Stars is not just your Peeps, but Kewa themself!
Kewa is a sentient being, a giant Space Whale with needs and wants of their own. We learn this close to the start of the game when Kewa ‘zoots’ through space and takes the Peeps far from their home planet.
A unique part of our game design is that Kewa’s happiness plays an important role in also keeping your Peeps happy!
What happens if Kewa is unhappy? They will go and eat all the planets you have settled with your Peeps!! Okay no, I'm kidding, they won't do that. Unhappy Kewa does cause some issues for your Peeps that can make life a little bit more difficult.
So just what is it that affects Kewa’s happiness?
First off, your behaviour and the impact it has on Kewa’s health can directly affect their mood. Even we Humans know that feeling unhealthy can make you unhappy, just as feeling healthy can make you feel happy! Keeping their biome healthy by planting trees, minimising pollution and creating rivers around your settlements on Kewa’s plate will help them feel good.
Temperature can also have a positive or negative impact on Kewa’s happiness and health. Sitting too long in a hot galaxy can make Kewa unhappy, and if their happiness drops too much, they’ll initiate emergency travel to somewhere cold to cool down for a bit.
Kewa’s Health is incredibly important to their Happiness and can directly affect how your story progresses and concludes in Beyond These Stars.
The dialogue choices you make in your conversations with Kewa can also have a direct impact on their happiness. Saying things that may hurt Kewa will lower their happiness score slightly, while saying positive things will boost the score a little, so how you choose to communicate has a real impact.
Okay, fine! We’ve told you what affects their health. But how do you KNOW that they are happy or unhappy, and how can you make them feel better (or worse, but that’s not really our thing)? Luckily, Kewa’s happiness meter is there to show you how the decisions you’re making in-game are affecting them.
As Kewa’s health moves above certain points, Kewa will initiate conversations with the Peeps. The healthier Kewa is, the more they remember about their past, and these memories can be positive or negative, adding to Kewa’s personality and helping you understand them more.
What can happen when Kewa is happy, unhappy and healthy? Let me tell you!
When Kewa is healthy, they’ll travel the galaxy faster, allowing you to get to different areas of the galaxy with ease. When they’re incredibly happy, you’ll have some Kewa fruit tree’s spawn, which have bonuses for your Peeps happiness!
When Kewa is unhealthy though, they’ll spawn Thorny Stems, which have negative effects on your Peeps!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Left: Thorny Stems. Right: Kewa Fruit Tree
So, moral of the story is… Treat Kewa with care, and Kewa will do the same for your Peeps!
Of course I cannot go spoiling the story of Beyond These Stars, but just remember this when going into your playthrough on launch, Kewa’s happiness matters!
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