Astro Colony Wiki
Your complete guide to automation, exploration, and colony building in the infinite voxel universe.
Controls · Beginner Guide · Technology Tree · Items · Stargate · 1.0 Release
Release & 1.0
Astro Colony launched in Early Access on November 7, 2022 and reached full 1.0 release on June 2, 2026 after over three years of development by Terad Games.
The 1.0 update brings refined visuals, improved multiplayer syncing, controller support, Steam Deck compatibility, Blueprints+, logic valves, Map Autopilot, and a polished UI with updated recipes and building efficiency displays.
The game is available on Steam and GOG for Windows. Dedicated server support is available via Steam App ID 2662210.
| Milestone | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Kickstarter | 2021 | Funded by community support |
| Early Access | Nov 7, 2022 | Core automation and exploration |
| 1.0 Release | Jun 2, 2026 | Full version with story elements |
1.0 New Features
- Blueprints+ system for saving and sharing builds
- Separators and Valves for advanced pipe logic
- Map Autopilot for automated navigation
- Refined conveyor visuals and building mirroring
- Improved multiplayer sync and reduced bandwidth
- Controller keys and Steam Deck support
- Updated ModKit 2.0 and Steam Workshop integration
System Requirements
- Minimum: Intel i3, 4 GB RAM, GTX 660, 3 GB storage
- Recommended: Intel i7, 8 GB RAM, GTX 1060
- OS: Windows 10 or later
- Network: Broadband for multiplayer
Controls
Mastering controls is essential — many buildings like the Auto Asteroid Catcher are only found in the full build menu (K key), not the hotbar.
| Action | Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Move Forward / Back / Left / Right | W / S / A / D | Standard FPS movement |
| Jump | Space | Works in low gravity |
| Sprint | Left Shift | Consumes stamina |
| Crouch / Slide | C / Ctrl | Useful in tight spaces |
| Interact / Use | E | Interact with devices and astronauts |
| Inventory | Tab / I | Access personal storage |
| Build Menu (Full) | K | All buildings — Mining, Power, Water, etc. |
| Hotbar Slots | 1–9 | Quick-place favorited buildings |
| Rotate Building | R | Rotate before placing |
| Demolish / Pickaxe | Left Mouse | Mine voxels and remove buildings |
| Place Building | Right Mouse | Confirm placement |
| Radar / Map | M | Scan for resources and planetoids |
| Technology Tree | T | Research new technologies |
| Cheat Hub / Mod Menu | H / Home | Built-in sandbox cheats (not promo codes) |
| Screenshot | F12 | Steam overlay screenshot |
| Console | ` (Tilde) | Debug commands in some builds |
Beginner Guide
Follow this four-phase route to go from a stranded astronaut to a self-sustaining automated colony within your first hours.
Phase 1: Survival Gathering (0–15 min)
1. Collect basic ores
Mine Iron Ore, Copper Ore, Carbon Ore, and Ice Cube from nearby asteroids with your pickaxe.
2. Craft a Smelter
Smelt Iron and Copper into bars, then craft Plates and Wires at the Constructor.
3. Build Solar Panels
Place 2–4 Solar Panels for early power. Carbon Reactors come later.
4. Set up Ice Breaker
Place Ice Breaker connected to a Water Tank — pipes alone have no buffer.
5. Research Oxygen
Open Technology Tree (T) and unlock Oxygen as your first priority.
Phase 2: Base Infrastructure (15–45 min)
1. Build Oxygen Generator
Connect to water supply. Astronauts need oxygen to survive.
2. Construct Canteen
Provides food service area for recruited astronauts.
3. Place Storage Containers
Organize raw and processed materials near production lines.
4. Build a Drill
Automated drilling on planetoid surfaces saves manual mining time.
5. Recruit first astronauts
Use Human Laboratory — assign Science, Cook, and Engineer roles.
Phase 3: Automation (45–90 min)
1. Research Asteroid Catching
Unlock manual then Auto Asteroid Catcher via K menu → Mining.
2. Lay Conveyor Belts
Connect miners to smelters to constructors in a straight production line.
3. Add Transport Pipes
Route water and oxygen through floors — pipes can pass through floors.
4. Research Automated Mining
Full chain: Oxygen → Electricity → Asteroid Catching → Mining → Automated Mining.
5. Scale power generation
Add more Solar Panels or upgrade to Carbon Reactor.
Phase 4: Expansion (90+ min)
1. Install Engines and Thrusters
Propel your station to discover new planetoids.
2. Build Docking Station
Dock planetoids to chain-expand your colony network.
3. Research Agriculture
Grow food locally instead of relying on Hydrotonic alone.
4. Set up Radar
Scan for quartz-rich planets (needed for Hydrotonic food production).
5. Plan Stargate materials
Begin stockpiling for late-game Graphene and Polymer production.
Technology Tree
Astro Colony has 70+ technologies across six science branches. There is no official tier list — this recommended priority path optimizes early survival through endgame.
Basic Science
Foundational crafting, hand tools, and simple devices.
Engineering
Conveyors, automation, engines, and structural buildings.
Chemistry
Smelting upgrades, polymers, graphene, advanced materials.
Biology
Agriculture, animal breeding, food processing chains.
Space
Radar, thrusters, docking, planetoid terraforming.
High Tech
Fusion reactors, stargates, remote fabricators, universe travel.
Early Game
- Oxygen — Astronaut survival — unlock immediately
- Electricity — Powers all early machines and solar infrastructure
- Hand Crafting Wire — Required for conveyor belts and basic automation
- Asteroid Catching — Gateway to automated resource collection
- Mining — Enables Drill and ore processing chains
Mid Game
- Automated Catching — Auto Asteroid Catcher — core automation milestone
- Automated Mining — Hands-free ore extraction from docked planetoids
- Solar Energy — Scalable clean power for expanding bases
- Agriculture — Sustainable food without constant quartz hunting
- Gas Extraction — Access Universe II resources
Late Game
- Fusion Energy — Endgame power for massive production lines
- Expert Engines — Fast inter-planetoid travel
- Stargate II — Cross-universe travel prerequisite
- Stargate III — Complete universe network
- Remote Fabricator — Build across distances via drones
Items & Resources
Resources are divided into raw ores, processed materials, organic goods, and Universe II exclusives. Understanding the production chain prevents bottlenecks.
| Resource | Source | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Cube | Asteroids, Ice planets | Water via Ice Breaker |
| Carbon Ore | Asteroids | Fuel, Carbon Reactor, steel |
| Iron Ore | Asteroids, planetoids | Iron Bar → Plates, Rods, Screws |
| Copper Ore | Asteroids, planetoids | Copper Bar → Wire, Electronics |
| Gold Ore | Rare asteroids | Advanced circuits, Motherboard |
| Aluminium Ore | Mid-game planets | Lightweight structures |
| Titanium Ore | Deep mining | High-tier components |
| Uranium Ore | Rare deposits | Nuclear Reactor fuel |
| Quartz | Specific planetoids | Hydrotonic food production |
| Mercury Ore | Universe II | Advanced chemistry |
| Cobalt Ore | Universe II | High-tech components |
| Gas | Gas giants | Chemistry and fusion chains |
| Dirt | Planetoid surfaces | Terraforming, farming |
| Stone Block | Mining | Construction material |
- Iron Bar → Iron Plate → Iron Rod / Screws / Gears (core construction chain)
- Copper Bar → Copper Wire → Motherboard (electronics chain)
- Graphene + Polymer × 128 each required for Stargate construction
- Organic resources from farming: plants, animals, breeding systems
Buildings & Devices
Over 100 buildable devices span nine functional categories. Access all buildings through the K key build menu.
Crafting
Mining
Power
Water & Oxygen
Service
Farming
Bots
Navigation
Endgame
Water & Food
Water and food systems are the most common early-game stumbling blocks. The Ice Breaker must connect to a Water Tank — pipes have no internal buffer.
Use Radar (M) to find planetoids rich in Quartz — without quartz, Hydrotonic production stops and astronauts starve.
Assign a Cook-role astronaut to kitchens for faster food production. Each Laboratory supports 3 astronauts per batch at optimal efficiency.
Oxygen Barrier creates habitable zones. Combine with Oxygen Generator and water supply for full life support.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrotonic | Water + Quartz | Base food material — most common early food |
| Bread | Hydrotonic + processed grain | Basic astronaut meal |
| Roasted Meat | Animal products | High nutrition from breeding |
| Tomato Soup | Farm tomatoes + water | Mid-game sustainable food |
| Omelette | Eggs + Hydrotonic | Cook-role optimized recipe |
Automation
Automation transforms manual mining into self-running production. The Auto Asteroid Catcher is the first major automation milestone.
1. Unlock Asteroid Catching tech
Research in Technology Tree before Auto Catcher appears in K menu.
2. Build Auto Asteroid Catcher
K → Mining → Auto Asteroid Catcher. Not available on default hotbar.
3. Connect with Conveyor Belts
Route output to Storage Container or directly to Smelter input.
4. Add Drill on planetoids
Dock a planetoid, place Drill on ore deposits for continuous extraction.
5. Research Automated Mining
Full prerequisite chain: Oxygen → Electricity → Catching → Mining → Automated Mining.
6. Use Separators and Valves (1.0)
Control pipe flow direction and split resources between production lines.
- Conveyor belts and transport pipes can pass through floors — use this for compact multi-level factories
- Logic Circuits enable conditional automation for advanced players
- Blueprints+ (1.0) lets you save and replicate entire production modules
- Miner Bots and Transport Bots supplement belt-based logistics at scale
Map & Planetoid
The universe is procedurally generated with fully destructible voxel planetoids. Each planetoid has four characteristics that determine its resources and terrain.
| Attribute | Options | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Terrain Type | Frozen, Sand, Moss, Volcanic | Determines visual biome and available plants |
| Shape | Donut, Bowl, Bullet, Spheroid | Affects docking layout and surface area |
| Landform | Flat, Hilly, Wavy | Influences building placement and drilling |
| Size | Small, Medium, Large | More resources on larger planetoids |
1. Install Engines and Thrusters
Propulsion required to move your station through space.
2. Use Radar to scan
Press M to detect nearby planetoids and resource deposits.
3. Navigate with Map Autopilot
1.0 feature for automated travel between discovered locations.
4. Dock with Docking Station
Connect planetoids to expand your colony as a chained network.
5. Terraform with Dirt
Modify planetoid surfaces for farming and construction.
- Universe events: Meteor Rain, Comet, Electric Storm, Black Hole
- Hundreds of plant species across different biomes
- Creature capture and breeding for organic resource chains
Stargate & Endgame
The Stargate system enables travel between universes. Finding a Black Hole with Radar is the first step toward endgame content.
1. Research High Tech branch
Progress through Chemistry and Space trees to unlock Stargate I.
2. Locate a Black Hole
Use Radar to find black holes in deep space — random universe events.
3. Build Remote Fabricator
Deploy construction drones near the black hole for remote building.
4. Stockpile materials
Graphene × 128 and Polymer × 128 required for Stargate construction.
5. Construct Stargate I → II → III
Each tier unlocks deeper universe travel and new resources.
6. Enter new universe
Universe II contains Mercury Ore, Cobalt Ore, and Gas resources.
- Universe II resources are required for Fusion Energy and top-tier manufacturing
- Electric Storms near black holes can damage unprotected equipment
- Multi-universe networks create the most efficient constellation of colonies
Achievements
Astro Colony features 25 Steam achievements. Several require multi-universe progress or full colony completion.
First Steps
Complete the tutorial objectives
Oxygen Provider
Set up a working oxygen supply system
Master Chef
Produce 5 different food types
Automation Beginner
Build your first Auto Asteroid Catcher
Conveyor Master
Create a 50+ belt production line
Planetoid Pioneer
Dock your first planetoid
Terraformer
Modify a planetoid surface with Dirt
Scientist
Research 25 technologies
Full Research
Unlock all 70+ technologies
Stargate Builder
Construct your first Stargate
Parallel Universe
Travel to Universe II through a Stargate
Colony Leader
Recruit 10 astronauts
Mega Colony
Support 20 astronauts simultaneously
Bot Commander
Deploy 5 automated bots
Fusion Power
Activate a Fusion Reactor
Black Hole Explorer
Build near a black hole
Creature Tamer
Capture and breed your first creature
Farmer
Establish a working farm with 10+ plants
Architect
Save a blueprint with Blueprints+
Multiplayer Host
Host a co-op session with 3+ players
Universe Network
Connect colonies across 3 planetoids
Resource Baron
Stockpile 10,000 units of a single resource
Speed Runner
Reach Stargate I within 10 hours
Explorer
Discover 10 unique planetoid types
End The Game
Complete all main progression milestones
Multiplayer & Server
Astro Colony supports 2–20 player co-op and dedicated servers. Multiplayer in 1.0 has improved sync but some issues persist with 3+ players.
For dedicated servers, forward both UDP 7777 and UDP 27015 on your router. Set ServerName and MaxPlayers in ServerSettings.ini.
Experimental 1.0 branch was available pre-release with password testastrorelease — saves transfer to full 1.0.
Co-op Mode
- Host or join via Steam friends or server browser
- Shared colony building and resource pools
- Known issues: item desync and ghost conveyor items with 3+ players
- Recommended: 2-player co-op for most stable experience
Dedicated Server Setup
- Install via Steam: Dedicated Server App ID 2662210
- Default game port: UDP 7777
- Query port: UDP 27015
- Configure ServerSettings.ini for max players and world settings
- Host account cannot simultaneously log into Steam client on same account
- Official docs: Google Document linked from Steam community
Codes & Mods
Astro Colony is NOT a live-service game — there are no official promo codes, redeem codes, or coupon codes.
Searching "Astro Colony codes" typically leads players to trainers (WeMod, PLITCH) or the built-in Cheat Hub. The Cheat Hub is a sandbox feature, not a code redemption system.
Press H or Home to open the Cheat Hub in-game. This provides creative-mode tools for testing builds without affecting Steam achievements in solo play.
ModKit 2.0 supports custom mods via Steam Workshop and CurseForge. Mods can add devices, resources, and gameplay tweaks.
- No official promo codes exist — beware scam websites claiming free codes
- Cheat Hub (H/Home): built-in sandbox cheats for creative building
- Steam Workshop: browse community mods directly from the main menu
- ModKit 2.0 documentation available via official Google Doc
- Third-party trainers are unofficial and may break after updates
Roadmap
There is no official public Trello board for Astro Colony. Development progress is shared through Steam News, Discord, and the official blog.
Follow official channels for the latest updates: Steam News page, Discord (discord.com/invite/EFzAA3w), and astrocolony.com blog.
The Early Access roadmap detailed milestones achieved across 3.5 years of development leading to the June 2026 1.0 launch.
- Story and cinematics — planned for post-1.0 content updates
- Additional devices and building types in future patches
- Quality of life: building mirroring, improved recipes UI
- Multiplayer: continued sync improvements and bandwidth optimization
- Mac and Linux versions planned (Windows is primary platform)
- Additional language localization beyond current 13 languages
- Controller and Steam Deck support — delivered in 1.0
- ModKit 2.0 and updated mod platform — delivered in 1.0
FAQ
When was Astro Colony released?
Early Access launched November 7, 2022. Full 1.0 release was June 2, 2026.
Why is my water pipe not working?
Ice Breaker must connect to a Water Tank first. Pipes have no buffer capacity on their own.
Where is the Auto Asteroid Catcher?
Press K to open the full build menu, then navigate to Mining category. It is not on the default hotbar.
Are there any promo codes?
No. Astro Colony is a one-time purchase with no code redemption system.
Is there an official Trello?
No public Trello exists. Check Steam News, Discord, and the official blog for updates.
How many players can play together?
2 to 20 players in co-op. Dedicated servers support the same player counts.
What platforms are supported?
Windows via Steam and GOG. Mac and Linux are planned for future updates.
How do I find Quartz for food?
Use Radar (M) to scan planetoids. Quartz-rich planets are needed for Hydrotonic production.
What is needed for a Stargate?
Graphene × 128 and Polymer × 128, plus High Tech research and a located Black Hole.
Does the game have controller support?
Yes, controller keys and Steam Deck compatibility were added in the 1.0 release.