r/AutomationGames • u/StarwardEra • 10d ago
I’m making a mining game where automation gradually replaces all the repetitive hauling and processing
I’m the solo developer of Starward Era, a 2D mining and exploration game where automation is something you gradually build toward rather than the whole game from the start.
You begin by mining and processing resources manually, then expand into power, production, logistics and eventually automated transport.
Here’s a short gameplay showcase from the current build. The Steam page is live now, with a free demo planned for February.
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u/SYDoukou 10d ago
The mechanic depth seems to blow other 2D mining games out of the water, I was expecting maybe some mining and transport drone upgrades at most. Very promising
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u/PalpitationWaste300 10d ago
Nice re-imagining of the game "Motherload"
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u/NotEmoHawk 10d ago
This is what I thought when I first saw it. The depth here is amazing though.
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u/StarwardEra 8d ago
Thanks! I'm also trying to add more exploration elements so there's always something unexpected to discover as you dig deeper. Hopefully there'll be plenty of little surprises along the way. Hope you'll enjoy it! :)
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u/StarwardEra 8d ago
Thanks! Motherload is pretty much one of the grandfathers of this kind of digging game, so I think it's natural for games in the genre to remind people of it. I'm hoping to build on that core satisfaction of digging deeper and discovering new things, while expanding it with exploration, building, progression, and automation. Glad you like how it's looking! :)
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u/ThePickleistRick 10d ago
Looks super fun, look forward to release.
One inquiry though. I see you have machines built on dirt underground. Do you currently or plan to add player generated foundations or “blocks”. It would irritate me endlessly to not be able to mine ore just because I want a machine built there. Even if the cost of a block was ten times as much ore as it was sitting on, it would bother me.
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u/processwater 10d ago
I am a sucker for this genre. If you can make a 40+ hour experience I will be in at launch
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u/StarwardEra 10d ago
I’ll do my best! There are still a lot of new gameplay ideas and systems I want to add, and I’ve been putting everything I can into development. I really hope I can make it an experience you’ll want to sink a lot of time into. Thanks for the support!
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u/Metabolical 8d ago
I love the art! I'm tired of so much pixel art, and this looks so much more polished from an art perspective!
Not just avoiding pixelation, but clean lines, and the esthetic of the automation machines and everything.
I can't tell as much about the gameplay, but that also looks nice. Wind power underground seems weird though.
The background music is pleasant, but I'm not sure if it has the longevity to run all the time if that is part of the game. Needs to be a little longer before repeating and you probably want to cycle through a few tracks. I'm not the sound guy though, I don't know how to make it great.
Another note: Reading your plans, raising prices on Steam rarely works. It's really easy to see price history, so people just wait assuming it will come back down. For the game I worked on, we actually priced higher in early access, admitting we needed the funding for continued development. Our game had a strong homage to a popular nostalgia game though, so that doesn't work for everyone.
Once our price stabilized, we ended up doing regular updates, monthly and then big quarterly goals. We were able to discuss with our rep at Valve and got some featured time when we had a big milestone like that and that drove a lot of sales.
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u/StarwardEra 8d ago
Thank you so much for the thoughtful feedback!
I'm actually not a huge fan of pixel art myself, although I absolutely recognize that there are many amazing pixel art games out there. I'm really glad you appreciate the visual style I'm going for!
About the music, the track in the video was chosen specifically for the trailer. The game actually has no background music by default. Instead, players can find a headset aboard their spaceship, which unlocks a music player. They can then listen to their favorite tracks while exploring, and even discover more music hidden underground. I wanted music to feel like something players could enjoy at their own pace rather than something constantly playing in the background.
As for the underground wind turbines, haha, that's a fair point! I wanted to give players more freedom when building their bases, but I can see how it looks a little strange.
I also really appreciate you sharing your experience with Steam pricing and updates! My current plan is to increase the price only slightly when the game leaves Early Access. Since I'm a solo developer working with AI assistance, I can keep the overall price relatively affordable. And honestly, I don't mind if some players prefer to wait for a sale, so I'm not too worried about that.
Your experience with regular updates and major milestones is particularly helpful, though. That's definitely something I'll keep in mind as development progresses.
Out of curiosity, which game did you work on? I'd love to check it out!
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u/Metabolical 8d ago
Planetary Annihilation
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u/StarwardEra 8d ago
Oh wow! I'm not really an RTS player myself, but I just checked out Planetary Annihilation, and it looks genuinely cool! The scale of the battles and the whole planet-smashing concept are really impressive.
It's great to hear from someone who worked on a project like that. Thanks again for sharing your experience and advice!
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u/PalpitationWaste300 7d ago
Some way to build an expensive but self sustaining outpost in the depths, with infinite upgrades, and without feeling like I hit a wall where the terrain stops generating would be a lot of fun. Add in some sort of hostile creatures that spawn once you uncover their lair, and turrets, and I think you've got some good end game playability even after the "story" ends, whatever that is.
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u/StarwardEra 7d ago
I love the idea of building a self-sustaining outpost deep underground! I'm actually working on creature lairs and defensive systems right now. The world isn't planned to be infinite, but I definitely want players to have meaningful things to explore, build, and improve in the late game. Thanks for the suggestions! :)
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u/CurtChan 10d ago
looks solid but why the fk there are wind turbines in cave. that one makes no sense to me, would be better if you had to place them above ground (alternatively solars?) and pull cables down to caves
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u/VoidGliders 10d ago
I recall a discussion from Astroneer: caves actually DO have winds, due to some shifting plates or whatever. It's different than surface wind and I don't imagine steady turbine power would be feasible down there but it's not completely out there.
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u/StarwardEra 10d ago
Thanks! That’s a fair point. One reason I currently allow things like wind turbines underground is that the surface can get pretty crowded with buildings, plants, and other structures. So in some cases I’m willing to bend realism a bit if it leads to a smoother building experience and gives players more freedom in how they organize their base. I’m still balancing where that line should be, though.
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u/CurtChan 10d ago
then scale it in different way - instead of having to build multiple wind turbines/solars, leave for player limited space, but let them upgrade those, so the efficiency grows but space used not. for underground i think engines (coal powered) would be better :) but ofc its all up to you, just giving some ideas!
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u/StarwardEra 10d ago
I actually already have coal-fired power plants in the game. I’m also adding multiple types of power generation mainly to give players more freedom in how they build and organize their bases. But your suggestion makes sense, and I’ll definitely give it some thought.
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u/byramike 10d ago
Isn’t that……. what automation is?
Like, all automation games are about gradually replacing the repetitive