Star Trek: Outposts FAQ
Single-player, no multiplayer, no demo save transfer, roughly a full campaign across three planets, and combat is threat response rather than a battle system.
The questions below are the ones that come up repeatedly on the Steam forums, in the community Discord and in search. Answers are short on purpose.
How long is the campaign?
A single campaign runs across three planets and, by the achievement structure, is expected to take several dozen in-game days — one achievement explicitly rewards finishing within 60. In real hours that lands in the tens for a first run, longer if you chase optional surveys and achievements.
Is there combat?
There is threat response, not a battle system. You will fight hostile root growths through security and science actions, defend against Nausicaan raids, and lose crew to environment and radiation. There is no tactical squad combat, no cover system and no fleet battles.
Can I play with friends?
No. Star Trek: Outposts Unknown is single-player only, with no multiplayer, co-op or online modes.
Does it autosave?
Manual saving is the safe assumption. Players have reported losing progress after force-closing during a stalled tutorial animation, so save before scripted moments like the shuttle pad.
Does demo progress carry over?
No. The demo was a separate build and progress does not transfer into the launch game.
Can I change difficulty later?
No. Difficulty is picked when you start a journey and is locked in.
How do buildings rotate?
The current build maps rotation to V. Earlier builds used the arrow keys, and older forum answers still say so — if V does nothing, check the key mapping screen, because the binding has moved at least once.
Is there a map screen?
Exploration is done on the planet surface rather than through a strategic map layer. Fog of war is cleared by moving and surveying, one planet at a time.
Why is my outpost stuck at "system failure"?
Something in the building's upkeep chain is missing — water, power or compute. Check the utility network first, then whether the building has a crew assignment. Failure is a state, not a one-off event, and it clears only when supply is restored and an engineer repairs the damage.
How many resources are there?
More than 55 unique resources. Hover any resource icon and the tooltip tells you where it can be found or produced.
Do I need to play the older Star Trek games first?
No. This is a standalone story in the 23rd century, set alongside the era of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Familiarity helps with flavour, not with mechanics.
What is the refund window?
Standard Steam policy applies: under two hours of playtime within fourteen days of purchase. Because a colony builder's real character shows up after the tutorial, that window is short relative to the game's pace — worth knowing before you buy.
Is the Mac version out?
Not yet. Mac support was announced as coming in a future patch, with no date given.
Does it run on Steam Deck?
A developer has said they play it on Deck and that it runs well, while also noting Valve has not issued the compatibility check. Controller support is partial, so expect to use the trackpad for menus.
Where can I report a bug?
The developers point to their Discord and the Steam bug-reporting subforum. Both are linked from the store page.