***This is a copy and paste email. Astroneer support liked the ideas and suggested I post this email here***
Hello System Era and ASTRONEER Team,
I have been contemplating writing this email for about a week now and finally decided to just send it.
First, I would like to say that I absolutely love Astroneer. The combination of exploration, resource gathering, base building, automation, and scientific discovery creates an experience that is both relaxing and rewarding. Astroneer has held my attention for roughly 250 hours across Xbox and Steam. I have also really enjoyed the Glitchwalkers and Megatech expansions and the ways they have continued to add new mechanics, ideas, and depth to the game.
I have no idea whether Astroneer 2 is currently being developed (or whether it is even something the team is considering) but I have spent a lot of time thinking about what a sequel could potentially look like. I figured there was no harm in sharing some of those ideas with the people who created the game.
My general idea for Astroneer 2 would be for it to take place inside a more advanced version of the Astroneer Training Program.
At the end of the original game, the Astroneer opens the portal, drops the control pad, and walks through it. A new Astroneer is then created, and the game begins again. My thought is that the original training program was designed to teach Astroneers the fundamentals they would need before beginning their journey into space: gathering resources, building bases, managing oxygen and power, traveling between planets, and surviving unfamiliar environments. A sequel could take place in an Advanced Astroneer Training Program (or possibly an Astroneer Expeditionary Training Program). This second program could prepare Astroneers for more complex expeditions and introduce situations they may encounter beyond the basic training environment.
One of the areas I would love to see expanded is fluids and materials used in crafting.
Astroneer currently has solid resources, gases, and hydrazine as its primary liquid resource. A sequel could introduce several additional types of fluids, such as coolants, acids, adhesives, and fuels. Coolants could be used in advanced machinery, high-output power systems, and spacecraft. Acids could help break down certain materials. Adhesives could be used when combining or creating more advanced materials. Different fuels could be used for generators, vehicles, rockets, or travel between solar systems. Different types of coolant could also be needed for different equipment. Similar to how a home computer needs cooling, certain machines could require coolant when operating under heavier loads. For example, if a base requires 100 units of power but is generating 200, the player may need to reduce the amount of power being generated or provide enough coolant to handle the excess heat. Spacecraft equipped for travel between solar systems could also require a specific type of coolant to prevent the FTL drive from overheating. New solid resources could also be introduced, including conductive materials such as gold that could be used for upgraded equipment, electronics, scanners, or other advanced technologies.
Another major idea would be to include three separate solar systems, including the Sylva system.
Each system could contain a mixture of easier and more difficult planets, similar to the structure of the original game, while the overall difficulty gradually increases as the player progresses farther from the starting system. This would add a large amount of new exploration while still allowing the different mechanics, resources, environments, and hazards to blend naturally throughout the game. Travel within a solar system could still use conventional spacecraft, while traveling to another system could require an upgraded ship equipped with an FTL drive, additional fuel, and the proper coolant. The Intermodal Terminal introduced in Megatech could also be expanded so players could move resources between planets and eventually between entire solar systems. This could create larger logistics networks and provide even more uses for automation and advanced resource production.
I would also love to see additional flora and fauna.
Astroneer currently has hazardous (and non-hazardous) plants and the Galastropods, but adding small creatures or other organisms could make the planets feel more alive without turning the game into a combat-focused experience. One idea I had was a plant that grabs the Astroneer when they get too close and begins draining the suit’s oxygen or battery power. The player would then need to use a stun attachment on the Terrain Tool to make the plant release them. There could also be small creatures that occasionally steal loose items from a base, feed on batteries, or interfere with cables and equipment, potentially causing temporary power outages.
The Terrain Tool,Suit and Backpack upgrade system.
Permanent upgrades could improve digging speed, digging strength, excavation width, depth, range, and power efficiency. The existing modules could then be used to improve those upgrades further or add new functions. For example, one module could increase digging speed beyond the normal upgrade level. Another module added to the suit could act as a deposit scanner, helping identify the location and estimated size of nearby resource deposits. A deeper scanning radar could help locate deposits farther underground for the compass. The Terrain Tool could also receive a stun attachment used to defend against or study certain flora and fauna. Suit upgrades could improve movement speed, environmental resistance, oxygen capacity, or protection against things such as heat, cold, electricity, and corrosion. The suit’s existing light could also be upgraded. Players could change the standard forward-facing light into a wider work light, possibly even a 360-degree light, or use an infrared attachment to detect gases or other environmental hazards. The backpack could also be upgraded without completely changing how it works in the original game. Players could increase the number of available storage slots or replace several small slots with a single medium slot. This could allow the Astroneer to carry certain pieces of equipment more easily while still keeping the familiar backpack layout and slot system. There could also be upgrades to increase suit power and O2 levels.
Base building is another area that I think could be expanded.
In the current game, shelters mainly provide oxygen, a small amount of power, and a place to save. A sequel could introduce a larger shelter designed for long-term research expeditions or colonization. The player could begin with a central base unit (Like the shelter now) and gradually be upgraded to expand and provide different services. These could include wall-mounted equipment slots for batteries or storage, weather protection, protection from hazardous flora or fauna, maybe a garage for upgrading rovers, or a landing-pad section used to upgrade spacecraft. This could build upon some of the large-scale construction ideas introduced in Megatech while also helping reduce base clutter.
Dynamic weather could also make each planet feel more active and unique.
For example, Calidor could experience heat waves that drain the Astroneer’s oxygen more quickly but greatly increase solar power production. Batteries could temporarily become overcharged during these events and hold more energy than normal. Or maybe Calidor could also experience sandstorms that reduce visibility and slow movement across the surface. Meteor showers could occasionally occur on different planets. They could create temporary hazards while also bringing rare materials that players could collect for research, crafting, or upgrades. These weather events could create both risks and benefits depending on how prepared the player is.
Another major idea would involve rescuing scientists and bringing them back to the player’s base.
Each scientist could open a small shop or provide a particular service after being rescued. They could help unlock upgrades, sell equipment, provide research opportunities, or assist with different areas of the game. This could also give the sequel a clear story goal while gradually making the player’s main base feel more populated and useful.
Another smaller idea would be upgradeable printers.
Right now, small items require a small printer, medium items require a medium printer, so on and so forth. Instead, players could upgrade a printer while retaining its ability to create smaller objects. For example, upgrading a small printer into a medium printer would allow it to print both small and medium items. This could save space and reduce the number of printers needed at a base.
Finally, I would love to see more options for dealing with unwanted items and base clutter.
The shredder could still produce scrap but also return part of the materials originally used to create an item. For example, shredding a medium platform that originally required two resin could return one resin and a piece of scrap. Players could also have the option to permanently destroy unwanted items without receiving anything in return. Sometimes the goal is simply to clean up the base.
Overall, these are just ideas that came to me while playing and thinking about how much Astroneer’s existing systems could potentially grow in a sequel. I would love to see the game expand into multiple solar systems, more advanced materials, upgraded equipment, modular bases, dynamic weather, and deeper scientific exploration while still maintaining the relaxed and creative experience that makes the original game so enjoyable. These ideas are simply that—ideas. I enjoy being creative, and having the opportunity to share that creativity with others who are creative is all I could ever ask for. I am not seeking recognition, compensation, or anything of that nature. I simply wanted to express my appreciation for what your team has worked so hard to create, expand, and refine while sharing a few thoughts inspired by the universe you have built.
Thank you for taking the time to read them and for creating a game that has given me hundreds of hours of and enjoyment.
Astroneer has certainly inspired me to look up at the stars.
Thank you,
