SpaceCraft, the multiplayer interstellar space sim and automation adventure from Northgard, Dune: Spice Wars, and Wartales developer Shiro Games, debuted new gameplay footage in a developer commentary video during IGN Live 2025.
“SpaceCraft is an ambitious game for us, and one I’ve always dreamed of making,” says lead designer and Shiro Games CEO Nicolas Carnasse. “One of the things Shiro always strives to do is combine big design ideas in a way that just makes sense when players pick it up, and I think SpaceCraft is a perfect example of that philosophy.”
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Ambition lies at the heart of everything Shiro Games does. Yet, before we can fully understand their philosophy, let’s dive into what audiences can expect from SpaceCraft and its story.
What is SpaceCraft About?
2350. While studying the lost technologies of a forgotten civilization, humanity unwittingly reactivated the Tripods, autonomous and self-replicating war machines. A brutal century-long war ensued, and everything changed after the mysterious H Incident. In an instant, much of the human fleet was obliterated, and the balance of power shifted drastically.
The Tripods began to decimate the United Planets, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction. Amidst the chaos, a coded transmission from a distant galaxy offered a lifeline, the coordinates to a hidden portal. In a final act of hope, the remaining survivors fled through it, escaping to an uncharted galaxy that held the key to their survival.
What the Gameplay Video Reveals
The new gameplay commentary video starts in one of SpaceCraft’s space stations: huge interplanetary hubs of trade activity and resource refinement. Fly a fully customizable ship into open space using elegantly simple controls to chart a trajectory and set propulsion levels. Find new planets, then seamlessly navigate from open space into the upper atmosphere and down to the surface, scanning new mineral structures and flora to identify promising resource nodes.
Back in the hangar, modify any ship to suit the mission at hand. Fit external components like weapons and mining gear to hardpoints, or completely alter the design with new modules. Each change impacts the handling profile and speed of the ship, so carefully consider each addition!
Traverse planets on foot to gather certain materials, taking care to avoid planetary hazards. As teased in the overview, SpaceCraft’s progression curve encourages automation by establishing mining facilities. Once built, networks of resource extractors, cargo ships, and drones allow players to develop full interplanetary industrial enterprises. Team up with other players to form corporations and set up shipping routes to connect each node of the network – the opportunities for optimization are endless!
In summary, here are the key features of the game:
- Explore the Unknown
- Exploit Planets and Build Ships
- Automate and Expand
- Combat and Shape the Galaxy
- And Remember, You’re a Part of a Living Universe
SpaceCraft is set to launch on PC via Steam in late 2025. You can wishlist the game now on Steam.
SpaceCraft | Devblog | Gameplay Overview
WISHLIST ON STEAM – Get a first look at our in-development build and discover the core systems behind our online space exploration and building game. From seamless planetary landings to modular ship design and automated base-building, this is just a glimpse of what’s coming.
More about Shiro Games
Shiro Games is an independent Bordeaux-based studio founded by video game veterans Sebastien Vidal and Nicolas Cannasse to bring new innovative games to life.
Based in Bordeaux, France, the studio released its first project, Evoland, in 2013 and its acclaimed sequel, Evoland 2, in 2015. Shiro Games then launched its popular Viking strategy game Northgard on Steam in 2018, which has gone on to sell more than 3 million units across various platforms. The studio also released Dune: Spice Wars, a spice-infused blend of 4X and RTS gameplay.
Prior to the announcement of Fartale and the recent updates surrounding SpaceCraft, Wartales was their latest title, with several major DLC additions since its release in April 2023.
