Stellar Promise is a 2D pixel-art third-person shooter / strategy / role-playing game. Players will pilot procedurally generated ships across the starry river, using personally crafted spells to vanquish all incoming foes, uncover lost or concealed secrets from scattered clues, and lead companions to resiliently confront successive natural and man-made disasters.
About the Demo and Early Access
Since this update introduces new systems with a significantly different style from previous gameplay, the demo has been updated accordingly. The current demo and Early Access versions are essentially identical in content. We recommend fully experiencing the demo before considering a purchase. Future updates will primarily be delivered through the Early Access version.
Core Features
Modular Ships: From Blueprints to Combat Modification
In the starfields where human civilization is widely dispersed, starships are not merely vehicles but symbols of survival and power. Each faction possesses its own distinctive ship technologies; every design represents a unique hull structure, module layout, and firepower configuration. You, an independent captain operating outside faction control, will seek suitable vessels during your adventures and, through in-depth enhancements across multiple dimensions, break through their original performance boundaries.
Diverse Ship Construction: Every ship in the game is defined by a procedurally generated blueprint, covering three main types: small Fighters, medium Corvettes, and large Frigates. Blueprints determine the ship's basic structure, slot count, and armament configuration, which in turn influence each vessel's combat style and performance characteristics.
Modular Ship Adjustment: Fine-tune ship performance by replacing modules like Frame, Armor, Engine, Cockpit, Shield, Automation/Core, and configuring armament slots such as Main Cannons, Secondary Guns, Large Turrets, and Medium Turrets. Modules have distinct directional categories and varying grade options.
Randomized Ship Modifications: Beyond module adjustments, a separate modification system exists, covering four major categories: Hull, Engine, Shield, and Weapons. Modifications can provide performance boosts far exceeding ordinary module upgrades, but each attempt yields results with a degree of randomness. You can repeat the process to approach your ideal configuration.
Blueprint Acquisition and Manufacturing: Obtain module and weapon blueprints by increasing faction reputation. Once acquired, you can manufacture these equipments on your Mothership, achieving a high degree of freedom in ship customization.
Magical Spells: From Aetheric Words to Devastating Incantations
Alongside the "Spellcasters" who arrived in this universe came the magical system that uses words as tools and Aether as energy. Contrary to common belief, spells are not secret arts reliant on imagination but a form of "magical technology" that can be logically combined and repeatedly debugged. Each Spellcaster is a complete vessel of magical technology. They weave basic words into statements, follow grammatical rules to shape Aether into projectiles, and finally, through incantation, propel forces that transcend physical laws into the depths of space.
Word Combination Logic: Construct spells starting from the most basic magical words. The sequence of words determines the spell's effect—channeling energy, bestowing attributes, shaping projectiles, aiming, and launching—each step interlocking. Incorrect combinations become meaningless, just as language requires proper grammar.
Aether and Incantation Management: Constantly monitor the Aether value and incantation progress within the spell structure. Insufficient Aether will directly cause the spell to fail, while over-infusing Aether carries the risk of disorder. Mastering this balance throughout the entire incantation process is the essential path to becoming a powerful Spellcaster.
The Potential to Overturn Scale Disparity: Through clever arrangement of words, spells can manifest power beyond imagination. A meticulously crafted spell is potent enough to pose a lethal threat from the smallest Fighter against a massive Frigate.
Automated Factories: The Industrial Revolution in Microgravity
When gravity no longer constrains production, the very form of industry undergoes a complete revolution. Logistics pods and drones replace traditional conveyor belts; seven types of functionally distinct pods form the arteries and nerves of the automated factory. From mineral smelting to the assembly of precision components, everything flows in silent order. And "Special Equipment"—those experimental machines that cannot integrate into standardized production lines—represents civilization's eternal pursuit of higher efficiency.
Automated Production Lines: Construct fully automated assembly lines from raw materials to finished products by rationally arranging seven types of logistics pods and five types of engineering stations.
Special Equipment Integration: Equip your Mothership with experimental devices possessing unique functions. They boast astonishing efficiency but limited versatility, requiring careful planning for how they interface with the production lines.
Interstellar Logistics Network: Due to industrial differences, various habitats have ongoing demands for specific raw materials and goods. Fulfill these needs through transport, earn profits, and influence price fluctuations in local markets.
Habitat Construction: From Block Planning to Interstellar Metropolis
As key facilities for humanity's survival in the cosmos, habitats provide all essential functions. From residential blocks to engineering blocks, from ecological blocks to commercial blocks, their modular design—similar to that of ships—allows habitats to be freely expanded with different blocks. With more engineering zones and storage areas than a Mothership, habitats can take automated production to the next level. Researching technologies, constructing blocks, and accumulating step by step is enough to develop a habitat into one of the few great metropolises in the universe.
Hexagonal Blocks and Ring Expansion: Habitats are composed of hexagonal blocks, with a Core Block at the center and up to five rings extending outward, allowing a total of 90 blocks to be constructed. Higher ring tiers demand more Quantized Energy and Maintenance Capacity, so planning requires balancing space, energy, and maintenance limits.
Diverse Functional Blocks: Over ten types of blocks serve distinct roles, including Storage, Residential, Ecological, Commercial, Energy, Accretion, Engineering, Technical, Port, Dock, and Security. Upgrading blocks unlocks more storage cells, population capacity, ecological slots, factory facilities, and fleet berths, while gradually improving block efficiency.
Environmental Pressure Management: Local Pressure and External Pressure together form the Environmental Pressure system. Local Pressure affects the acquisition efficiency of Technical Accumulation Data and population benefits, while External Pressure gives rise to Deep Space Campaigns and Alert Incidents. Through Commercial Blocks, Security Blocks, and Technological Exploration, find a balance between population growth, resource output, and security risks.
Subordinate Fleet Automation: With the support of Docks and Ports, ships can be organized into four fleet types: Mining, Trade, Patrol, and Expedition. Mining Fleets automatically collect nearby resources, Trade Fleets automatically buy and sell goods according to settings, Patrol Fleets handle Alert Incidents, and Expedition Fleets respond to Deep Space Campaigns—letting your ships replace manual operations and achieve automation on a broader scale.
Technological Exploration and Deep Space Campaigns: The Technical Block unlocks the Technological Exploration interface, consuming Technical Accumulation Data, General Operation Data, and Extreme Environment Data to permanently improve block efficiency, fleet tactics, and Logistics Capacity. Deep Space Ports and Security Blocks are tied to Deep Space Campaigns and Alert Incidents, offering higher-risk challenges and rewards in the mid-to-late game.
Current Version Content Scope
Travel to all procedurally generated star systems.
Acquire and pilot all three ship types.
Experience the complete spell construction system up to the fifth circle.
Build automated production lines covering all mechanical technology components.
Participate in the main story, Civil Commissions, and random map events.
Construct and upgrade your own habitat, and organize various fleets.
Complete custom shipbuilding from scratch is not available (planned for full release).
Development Roadmap (Planned)
The game plans to be continuously updated in "Early Access" format for an estimated period of 6-12 months, gradually implementing the following content:
A greater variety of non-human hostile species and mechanical intelligence threats.
Multi-stage technological upgrades for the Mothership.
Complete custom shipbuilding starting from the frame.
Faction flagship-class capital ships as formidable enemies.
New ship modules integrating magical technology and full magical refits for ships.
Mysterious facilities hidden in deep space.
Important Notes
This is an early version and may contain numerous bugs. Your feedback is welcome, and we will address issues as quickly as possible.
Updates may, due to undetected bugs, lead to save file incompatibility. We will strive to avoid this, but players are advised to regularly back up their save files manually.
Save file path: Users\[Username]\AppData\LocalLow\VointStudio\星河的约言\ReleaseSaves\savedata0.rsd
Pilot ships defined by blueprints, craft spells woven from words, construct and manage your own habitat, and find your own way to survive in procedurally generated starfields.
Future versions will continue to expand with richer strategic content and a more complete main storyline. Stay tuned!
(All of the above content is translated by translation software.)
(Why? Because my English is very, very poor.)
