Starbound
You’ve fled your home, only to find yourself lost in space with a damaged ship. Your only option is to beam down to the planet below, repair your ship and set off to explore the universe...
- Released
- 2016
- Developer
- Chucklefish
- Platforms
- 2 systems
- Critics
- 81
- Steam Deck
- playable
- Download
- 3 GB
What is Starbound?
You’ve fled your home, only to find yourself lost in space with a damaged ship. Your only option is to beam down to the planet below, repair your ship and set off to explore the universe...
Description as published by the developer on its own store page, read 30 August 2026. It is marketing copy, not our assessment.
The record
| First released | 22 July 2016 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Chucklefish |
| Publisher | Chucklefish |
| Platforms | Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam Deck |
| Genres | Action Adventure, Role-Playing, Open World |
| Languages | 1 supported |
Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q6332857, seeded 30 August 2026. Store data from Steam, read 30 August 2026.
How was Starbound received?
Method. Player figures are Steam's own totals for the PC version, read 30 August 2026. The Metacritic score is the one Steam publishes on its store page and can lag the site itself. Metacritic page. Neither is our opinion. We have not published a review of this game.
What does it support?
| Capability | Support |
|---|---|
| Controller | Not stated |
| Cloud saves | No |
| Cross-platform play | Yes |
| Mod support | Steam Workshop |
| Online play | Yes |
| In-game purchases | No |
| Steam Deck | playable |
| Download size | 3 GB |
| Add-on content | 1 DLC listed |
| Age gate | None |
Method. Read from the publisher's Steam listing on 30 August 2026. Describes the PC version. Console versions differ.
What does it cost?
Steam price in US dollars, read 30 August 2026. Prices move hourly and vary by region. Check the current price.
Problems players report
We read the 300 most recent negative Steam reviews of Starbound on 30 August 2026 and counted what they mention. These are complaints, not confirmed defects: we have not reproduced any of them, and a review describes one person's machine. What the counts tell you is which problems more than one person ran into.
- Crashes and freezes13 of 300 (4%)
If something is made with bad config this crashes the game and can in fact ruin your worlds if you happen to not have a backup.
Steam review, 25 March 2026 · 407 hours played · 4 readers marked it helpfulThere can be significant performance issues, and running the game in windowed fullscreen resulted in crashes if left open for more than an ~hour.
Steam review, 16 January 2026 · 104 hours played · 4 readers marked it helpful
A further 7 reviews call the game buggy or broken without saying how, which is why they are counted separately rather than assigned to a theme. Counted by keyword across review text, so a review discussing two problems is counted under both. Read the reviews yourself.
Games like Starbound
24 games overlap with Starbound on the tags Steam players applied to it, on genre, and on theme. The closest are Terraria, Core Keeper and Astroneer.
Common questions about Starbound
What platforms is Starbound on?
Starbound is available on Xbox Series X and Series S, Steam Deck. It first released in 2016.
How much does Starbound cost?
$14.99 on Steam in the United States, read on 30 August 2026. Prices move often and vary by region, so check the store before buying.
Do players recommend Starbound?
90% of 123,280 Steam reviews are positive, which Steam rates Very Positive. That is players rating it, not our review. We have not published a review of this game.
What is the Metacritic score for Starbound?
81 out of 100 for the PC version, as published on the game's own Steam store page. Steam can lag Metacritic by a few points.
Does Starbound work on Steam Deck?
Valve rates Starbound as playable on the Steam Deck, from its own testing.
How big is the Starbound download?
3 GB on PC, from the storage requirement on its Steam listing. Console versions differ.