StarKeeper looks like a tavern simulator mixed with Startopia

Longterm Games has announced their upcoming game, StarKeeper, which has you manage a tavern on a wayward meteor. Alongside it, they have released a trailer that showcases gameplay that looks oddly adjacent to 2001’s Startopia.

Management sims based around building a tavern have been growing in popularity over the past while. It’s one of those concepts that creators have grasped onto and are trying to put their own spin on it. As a hobbyist, it can be a bit vexing, as I don’t really even know where to begin when it seems like the announcement of three of them hit my inbox each day, and I can’t tell their names apart. But while StarKeeper bills itself as a sci-fi tavern builder, it looks like it has a different take on the concept.

The tavern in question is built on an asteroid that is hurtling through the depths of space. While this seems like an inconvenient location, it means that you’ll see different events and visitors depending on what star system you’re going through at that time. So, like a space food truck.

What gives me Startopia vibes is partially the art style but also its inclusion of friction between alien races. You need to provide specific services for the different species that visit, and they will sometimes butt heads against rival factions. According to the press release, you have a hand in the wider political sphere where you can befriend or eliminate factions in “a political game.” Seems like a lot of influence for a small business owner.

However, there are more intimate features more befitting of a business sim. You build trading agreements, arrange the furniture, and can also experiment with dishes. There’s just more to it than making sure your business has comfortable seating and good service.

The last time we really saw a take on the Startopia formula that I know of was Spacebase Startopia back in 2021. It was a decent game but it didn’t really feel like it improved on the original. At the time, I felt like an expansion or DLC could round things out, but that didn’t happen, unfortunately. So, I’m looking forward to what StarKeeper brings.

StarKeeper is coming to PC followed by a console release sometime after. There’s no indicated release window at this time.