Paradox Arc, a publishing arm of Paradox Interactive that focuses on supporting smaller studios, has announced it will publish Starminer from CoolAndGoodGames. Starminer is a space exploration, mining, and tower defense game with RTS mechanics.
According to the new official Steam page, Starminer will enter Early Access in 2024. A concrete release window was not confirmed. The developers plan to keep Starminer in EA for about a year. The full version would add a dynamic campaign, new units, and more.
Paradox Arc released a full gameplay trailer that breaks down the basic loop:
Paradox Interactive is best known for Cities: Skylines and popular strategy games like Stellaris. However, Paradox Arc is a relatively new addition. Fortunately, the titles that Paradox Arc has published thus far have received fairly well.
These include Mechabellum, Space Trash Scavenger, and Stardeus, all of which are also deeply rooted in sci-fi. Only Paradox Arc’s foray into the Knights of Pen and Paper series has been dismissed outright by fans.
Starminer is clearly more on brand. Its gameplay loop plays differently than Stellaris. However Starminer does share many of the same visuals and a strategic foundation.
Players will need to build fleets in order to mine asteroids, as well as defenses against a variety of dangers. It feels like a new riff on Dome Keeper, and that could be a good thing. Its space sim elements and real-time aspect will definitely distinguish this one.
According to Starminer’s Steam page, just two people run the dev team CoolAndGoodGames. That’s a welcome gesture of support that should earn goodwill from fans of the indie scene. There has been a lot of discussion about the true identity of indie games following The Game Awards.
For more on Paradox Interactive, you can read about their recent parting with Harebrained Schemes over the performance of Lamplighters League.
