[PREVIEW] SpaceCraft – Massive Potential, But The Demo Just Doesn’t Show It Yet

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The first time I encountered SpaceCraft from Shiro Games was at last year’s Gamescom in August. There, I had the privilege of speaking directly with the developers, diving into what this ambitious space exploration simulation had in store. Now, during the Steam Next Fest, we’ve been given a short demo, one that polishes everything I glimpsed back in August.

SpaceCraft is a game that blends a rich tapestry of exploration, ship design, resource management, automation, base building, and a player-driven economy. The potential is immense. That said, I have to admit, the demo version left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. I recognize this is still early days, there are no online servers yet, and the full PVE elements haven’t made their debut. What we do get just a slice of the galaxy. After about an hour in, I found myself hopping between planets, mining resources, and customizing my ship.

Interesting Foundation and Concept

Beyond the initial introduction, Spacecraft really shines technical execution. I didn’t run into any major performance issues, sure, there was a brief freeze as a planet loaded, but that’s hardly surprising at this stage in development. What truly impressed me was the transition between space, orbit, and planetary surfaces. However, not everything lands perfectly: when leaving your space base, there’s animation that interrupts what should be a grand open-air departure.

I suspect this will get refined or removed down the line, but for now, it does detract slightly from that sense of vastness. The story isn’t really the game’s strong suit, it fades quickly once you start playing, but where SpaceCraft excels is in its tutorial. It does a fantastic job of guiding you through the variety of tasks on offer.

At its core, the game leans into this contract-based progression. You’ll take on missions to explore new planets, locate valuable resources, and uncover deposits. While your ship starts out small, it’s endlessly upgradable, which means more storage and faster travel. The process is really intuitive: you collect resources like iron, quartz, and more, then return to your main base to smelt them and craft advanced components.

Solid Crafting System, But Barebone Planets

There’s a solid chain crafting system: you begin with basic ores, and from those, you create, for example, bolts and more intricate parts. The interface keeps things clear and streamlined: no clutter, just a smooth flow as you unlock new tech and expand your possibilities. The demo mostly revolves around exploring varied planets, though I should note, they’re still quite bare bones.

I’ll be honest: there’s very little life on them, and the environments feel a bit sparse, just open plains, mountains, and of course, the all-important ore deposits. Still, as you progress, you unlock new technologies, like the ability to analyze ores before you extract them, all from the comfort of your ship. I really appreciate that the game doesn’t force you out of the cockpit as you handle most tasks from inside, while your base is fully explorable in first-person, with multiple sections to interact with.

As you gather materials, you can trade them for credits, which, in turn, serve as a currency for XP and unlocking new gear. What’s more, reputation plays a big role, you’ll need to build trust with factions, earn licenses, and buy permits to access new opportunities. It’s a subtle, but promising hint toward a future PVE system, where player factions and reputations might shape the game’s world.

I Remain Cautious – Demo Was Disappointing

Sadly, I have to end on a cautious note. For a game of this scope, the demo is fairly short. I really wish they’d showcased more of the base building, which I know will be a crucial aspect. At Gamescom I got a glimpse of this multi-planet base system, where you mine different resources from each. But here, the demo really doesn’t do it justice. I can’t help but feel the game rushed this demo, especially considering how important the Steam Next Fest is. They only get one shot, and right now, it’s just a basic concept, no deep dive into mechanics.

It’s mostly hopping between planets, mining a few ores, crafting about ten recipes, and upgrading your ship – still very bare bones. I will say that the playtest they’re advertising on their Steam page is probably a better glimpse of what’s to come. This game is massively ambitious, if they manage to introduce solid combat, PVP, and PVE, this could be a fantastic game. But as of now, it feels like a technical test, an early glimpse, more of a foundation than a full-fledged adventure. In my opinion, they might have needed a bit more time before this demo was shown.

Even though it’s not yet perfect, I still think this demo is worth a shot. If you’re a fan of No Man’s Sky or other open-world space adventures, SpaceCraft might just be your next obsession, provided, of course, that the developers keep refining it.