We’ve already had a very brief glimpse of System Era Softworks and Devolver Digital’s rather excellent-looking Starseeker Astroneer Expeditions during the Switch 2 Direct six months back, and now the game has gone and got itself a great big 17-minute gameplay reveal, so we can get a proper look at exactly what it entails.
You can check out the reveal video in full above, and following on from our initial excitement at what we gleaned from our first glance back in April (no thanks to livestream hiccups), this in-depth peek shows off a multiplayer space adventure that’s got real promise.
The hook in Starseeker, you see, is all about getting together with other players, kicking off aboard the titular Starseeker ship before getting ready to drop out onto alien planets where, we assume, death dressed as many varieties of interstellar comedy awaits.
Of course, being a sequel to the also-very-good Astroneer, the game keeps the series’ signature graphical style, although it does seem to have a lot more detail overall in the footage on show. We’re also getting some heavy Savage Planet vibes from the colourful and goofy look of the planets on which players bound around and zap stuff.
Here’s some further information about all of the gameplay aspects that you can check out in the vid:
Recruits begin their journey on the ESS Starseeker, an experimental space station packed with tools, supplies and the questionable leadership of the famous Action Science Hero superteam, the Fronteer Force. Players can set out solo or in a Squad with up to three friends, preparing their loadouts before diving into timed missions across alien worlds.
Step One – Gear up. Shop, craft and trade your way to the perfect loadout – or ignore all common sense and fill your pack with beach balls and fireworks.
Step Two – Deploy. The moment your dropship lands, the clock is ticking. Time is short, planets are hostile and everything (including your teammates) can, and probably will, go sideways.
Step Three – Survive, celebrate and swap stories back on the Starseeker. For all its “critical missions” and “serious science,” life on the station is more like a space party bus than a research facility.
Each planet in STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions is handcrafted, letting players return to favorite vistas, hidden caches or that one spot where Carl got eaten by a flower monster. As Squads progress, new Landing Zones unlock, opening up uncharted territory, fiercer challenges and bigger cooperative missions.”
Consider our phasers officially set to “very interested indeed” as we await this one’s 2026 release date on Switch 2.
Liking the look of Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions? Played the first Astroneer? Let us know your thoughts!
