News: ASTROBOTANICA Launches on Steam Early Access
ASTROBOTANICA, the debut title from Warsaw-based Space Goblin Studio, has launched in Steam Early Access on February 16th with a limited-time -15% discount. Following a successful Kickstarter raising $63,000 and a standout Steam Next Fest demo that amassed over 100,000 wishlists, the game offers a refreshing, relaxed science-driven survival adventure. Players embody Xel, an alien botanist crash-landed on prehistoric Earth 300,000 years ago during the Pleistocene era. Facing a toxic, oxygen-scarce atmosphere, unpredictable wildlife, and primal humans (Neanderthals), survival hinges on botany: farming, harvesting, experimenting with plants to produce food, medicine, CO2 supplies, and resources. Combat is replaced by cultivation—swords for seeds, destruction for discovery.
The Early Access build includes all core systems: botany experimentation, crafting, base building with walls/fences for protection, exploration of untamed wilderness teeming with secrets and dangers, puzzle-solving, and befriending Neanderthals by healing ailments with custom tonics to unlock tools and aid. Progression follows the P.R.I.M.A.L. skill system (Planetary Knowledge, Research, Investigation, Management, Adaptation, Learning), earned via Knowledge Points for personalized play. Recent community-driven updates feature a redesigned inventory/crafting UI, visual island enhancements, expanded human interactions, and performance optimizations, as showcased in the launch trailer. Space Goblin emphasizes a non-daunting survival genre focused on curiosity, at-your-own-pace play, and collaborative development via Steam Hub and Discord.
A 2026 roadmap promises three major updates: plant hybridization, fishing, and expanded building/crafting. Early Access spans 1-2 years, evolving into a full release with narrative campaign, new locations, additional systems, and co-op as a key feature—free upgrade for EA owners, followed by DLCs. Founded in 2024 by veterans from Creepy Jar (Green Hell), Event Horizon, and Titanite Games (Dying Light, Dead Island), Space Goblin aims to foster creativity, science rediscovery, and meaningful debates through innovative worlds. Companion Webtoons comic 'Sprout Out!' enhances the lore. ASTROBOTANICA delivers serene yet challenging prehistoric sci-fi survival, inviting players to thrive as the alien outsider.