Driven to explore the mysteries of the cosmos, the denizens of Beyond These Stars risk everything to settle on the back of Kewa, a majestic creature who travels the stars. Players will have limited room and materials with which to build their civilization, and the main question this spacefaring city builder asks is, how will players use this second chance they’ve been given?

Beyond These Stars is not just about developing the city and its resources, but also about developing a relationship with Kewa. Will players exploit Kewa’s resources for gain, no matter the cost? Will they try to live in harmony with Kewa? Players can also try and influence where they go, but using too much force comes with its own consequences.

Building an entire civilization cannot solely be achieved on the back of one Space Whale, however. As Kewa travels through a procedurally generated cosmos, they will pass other planets that could hold vital resources. Establishing outposts on these worlds will help further meet the needs of the citizens, provided Kewa can be persuaded to stick around long enough to extract them. And Kewa isn’t the only majestic creature travelling the depths of space - who else will you encounter, and what will you do when you meet them?

Hooded Horse and Balancing Monkey Games are pleased to share that Beyond These Stars dropped a new trailer as part of the Cozy Quest 2025 showcase.

With an updated demo to tide everyone over, excited Peeps can embark on a journey upon Kewa’s back in 2026.

Beyond These Stars has come a long way since first releasing its demo during June Next Fest in 2024, and managed to showcase some exciting late-game content during Gamescom earlier this year. Given how much has changed this year, the team felt a refreshed demo would tide people over until the full release is ready.

Key changes include:

• New Pollution mechanics with “toxic tiles” if players don’t keep on top of the trash
• Completely overhauled UI, with extra overlays and ways to track resource flow
• A new Tech tree, with a perk system
• The tutorial has been enhanced, as has the story overall
• Peeps now work in shifts and have a new “exhaustion” mechanic - if they get too tired, mistakes happen
• Lots of changes to how buildings work, from changed-up adjacent effects, to work radius on accommodation, and more!

Beyond These Stars will be released on PC Early Access via  Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store in 2026.