2021’s Before We Leave was a chill, planet-hopping metropolis builder with the occasional house whale who would possibly hoover up your world’s hexagonal tiles. Now developer Balancing Monkey is again for one more go at spacefaring administration, however this time your metropolis is constructed on high of an area whale, moderately than being terrorised by one. Their follow-up, Beyond These Stars, can be hitting early entry on PC later this 12 months.
Let’s handle the whale within the room first, that whale’s title being Kewa. Players will construct their metropolis on the again of certainly one of these cosmos-travelling creatures, coping with the restricted room and supplies, and micromanaging each facet of this new intergalactic civilization. Beyond These Stars’ trailer reveals that Kewa’s again is definitely extra habitable than you would possibly anticipate; greenery is plentiful, there’s loads of pure rocky supplies to reap, and a quaint little stream runs via the village.
Of course, Kewa is a dwelling creature, not only a resource-filled host, so gamers might want to develop a relationship with it. You can select to stay in concord with Kewa or to use it to your metropolis’s achieve, and both choice may have penalties. Kewa’s extra more likely to take heed to your instructions when you have a greater connection, for instance, making it simpler to traverse the procedurally generated cosmos.
If you don’t need to strip the attractive whale of all its assets you’ll want to ascertain outposts on different planets, extract their provides (if Kewa decides to stay round lengthy sufficient), and meet the alien denizens of different cities. Balancing Monkey tease that Kewa isn’t the one majestic creature swimming via house both.
I’m keen on the trailer’s enjoyable, jolly tackle metropolis constructing, and I’m much more keen on the whale. Not solely is Kewa a cool setting for a metropolis builder, I actually dig impartial animals in games, typically. I take into consideration childhood recollections enjoying Black & White, being in awe of how autonomous the massive cow felt, as if it was quietly rebelling or warming as much as me by itself. Then I grew up and realised it was all code, however that tug-of-war relationship could possibly be fascinating in a metropolis builder like this.
Beyond These Stars is releasing into early entry later this 12 months on PC by way of Steam and the Epic Games Store.