Star Solo – A Solo Space RPG

I am exhilarated to announce the very beginning of a game I’ve been working on for a long time – Star Solo!

Star Solo is a solo space role playing game. In Star Solo, you’ll fly from location to location, dodging asteroids and space pirates, trying to find odd jobs and make just enough money to stay ahead of your debts.

Star Solo is also, interestingly enough, the most downloaded game I’ve ever made – and by far. Back in 2020 I created a blog post that included several game designs that were in playtest form. At the time, my hope was that the games would help people through the pandemic. From that single post, the Star Solo (playtest version) has been downloaded over 1,300 times! I think it’s time I start giving this game the attention it deserves.

Before I link the game, I need to make something very clear: Star Solo is not even close to finished. I’ve explained why I’m releasing the game now in an unfinished state, further in the article below. But if you want to get started right away, here’s where you can get Star Solo for free!

Download Star Solo for free from itch.io

Star Solo Timeline

Like I said above, Star Solo has been downloaded over 1,300 times, from just a single blog post that was published over three years ago. That’s incredible, especially considering how ugly the document was that I published. It was truly a playtest version. 

It’s time to give Star Solo some dedicated game design time – and followers! Below is a very loose timeline that include my hopes and dreams for Star Solo.

Now – I am updating the playtest version from 2020, and turning it into a free version of the game. This includes both formatting updates, but also some game design updates that I’ve made in the last three years.

Next – I will be adding locations, jobs, and new game mechanics. It is my hope that I can hear feedback from players, to build the game that they want to play. Much of my focus during this time will be based on the feedback I receive.

Next Next – At some point I would like to finish the free version of the game. This would be similar to a game demo. This version will hopefully illustrate how the game works.

Big Goal – After the free version is complete, I’ll create an in-development version of Star Solo. I will continue to improve the game based on my goals and player feedback with this version.

If you want to stay updated, please join my mailing list here – I’ll be sending out updates about Star Solo and more!

Star Solo Design History

Star Solo is by far the most ambitious project I’ve ever attempted. I started designing it about 10 years ago, after I played the inventive (yet clunky) game Star Smuggler by Dennis Sustare. 

Star Solo has gone through about nine different versions, several of which were major deviations from the previous version. What I’ve found over these nine versions and 10 years of off-and-on game design, is that I wasn’t making meaningful progress.

I was second guessing my decisions, and re-designing core gameplay concepts. Even though I have several playtest sessions complete, I was unable to move forward in the game design.

I think the problem is that the project is too big for the resources I have. So, to help me move along with my design, I need people to play the game, have fun, and give me feedback.

That is why I’m releasing the game in an unfinished version.

It’s a bit of a risk. It’s possible that the unfinished nature of the game will scare people away.

Yet, it’s also clear, from the download numbers from my 2020 blog post, that there is huge interest for this game. The goal of this early release is to improve on the 2020 playtest version, and listen to player feedback so that I can improve the game together with all of you.

Join and Play Star Solo

If you’re still reading, you are probably interested in playing Star Solo! You can download Star Solo free here from itch.io

You can also join the newsletter here, which will allow you to receive updates on news around Star Solo and other games.

Finally, if you have feedback, you can follow me on itch.io where you can leave comments, or share your comments through my Star Solo feedback survey.

Thank you for being a fan of games! I’m looking forward to flying with you!