Co-op fantasy survival adventure game To the Star announced for PC

■ General

What is To the Star?

To the Star is a whimsical survival adventure game where players explore a surreal fantasy realm inspired by “Alice in Wonderland,” craft bizarre objects in their Briefbase dimension, and fight incredible creatures to unravel the mystery behind the fallen star.

Who is making it?

Covenant.dev, a Poland-based indie game developer studio, is crafting this game. Founded in 2020 by Stan Just, a former producer at CD Projekt RED, our studio boasts extensive experience in game production, having worked with some of the best names in Polish game development. The company upholds the highest organizational standards and has a transparent and participative management style. Covenant is the first Polish game dev studio to receive the globally recognized “Great Place to Work” certification.

Covenant is committed to delivering innovative gameplay experiences. The team is focused exclusively on developing original, proprietary IPs. In 2023, they released their first title, Gord, a dark fantasy strategy game published by Team17. Available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, Gord was released in 12 languages and offered in both physical and digital formats.

What makes this game different from other survival games?

What sets To the Star apart from other survival games is its imaginative and interactive blend. Players explore a surreal fantasy realm inspired by the whimsical Alice in Wonderland, a refreshing departure from typical, realistic survival environments. The game’s unique crafting system allows for the creation of bizarre objects from an extensive array of materials, encouraging great creativity and experimentation. This system fuels not only progression but also exploration and combat, with food-based modifiers adding a strategic layer to gameplay. For instance, you could bake a shrinking cupcake and toss it at a giant slug enemy to reduce its size and simplify the battle. What’s more, crafting often takes place in a private, Maldives-like archipelago tucked away in a magical briefcase that’s always at your side.

What are the main inspirations for the game?

To the Star draws its enchanting setting and narrative inspiration from the timeless classics Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. These literary masterpieces inspire the game’s whimsical and profound universe. For gameplay, our initial spark came from the phenomenal survival game Don’t Starve by Klei Entertainment, which influenced our approach to some survival mechanics and, in part, the artistic style.

Why reveal the game so early in its development?

Revealing To the Star at this early stage is fundamentally about fostering community involvement. We’re keen on integrating player feedback and ideas into the project from the get-go. The sooner we start this process, the more flexibility we have to implement changes. This proactive approach enables our community to actively participate in shaping the game’s journey, making it a truly collaborative adventure right from the outset.

■ Gameplay

How do I survive in the world of To the Star?

Surviving in To the Star is straightforward, but the real challenge lies in the adventure. Your ultimate goal is to get… to the star, which involves gathering resources, crafting items, and engaging in combat. Gathering resources can be simple, though some are trickier to obtain, either being aggressive, running away from you, or only being available under specific conditions, like at night. The crafting system is particularly rewarding as it allows you to invent your own recipes and schemes, though you’ll need to find the proper crafter first. Combat adds an enjoyable twist, where consuming bizarre dishes buffs your character, and you can even use food to affect your enemies, altering their attributes and inflicting debuffs.

What is fullness, and how does it work?

Fullness in To the Star is a key parameter that governs the limits of modifiers on any character, including your avatar or enemies. When Fullness drops, eating or drinking can replenish it and add certain effects. However, once Fullness is maxed out, you can’t consume more items, nor can you add any new effects to your character. To manage your Fullness, you can burp any time, but this will also remove the modifiers from your last meal. Similarly, enemies have a Fullness level, preventing indefinite modifier stacking. And yes, they can burp to clear their Fullness too!

Is inventory limited?

Yes, inventory space in To the Star is limited to encourage strategic management of resources. As of now, there are 40 slots available. However, this number may be adjusted in the future for game balancing. Many items can be stacked, which significantly increases the carrying capacity of your backpack.

What pieces of equipment are there in the game?

In To the Star, players have six equipment slots available: headwear, clothing, footwear, a melee weapon, a ranged weapon, and ammunition. Each slot is essential for different aspects of gameplay, from combat to exploration.

Can I dismantle pieces of inventory?

Yes, players have the ability to dismantle any piece of equipment or structure through the inventory in To the Star. This process allows you to reclaim some of the resources initially used to construct the item, providing an added layer of resource management to the gameplay.

What are durability and deterioration in the game?

Durability is a key parameter representing the condition of each gameplay object in To the Star. When an object’s durability reaches zero, it gets automatically destroyed. Durability decreases through the use of equipment or structures. For consumable items, a similar parameter called deterioration comes into play, which decreases over time.

What is the Briefbase?

The Briefbase is a unique feature in To the Star designed to complement the game’s focus on exploration without tying players down to one location. It’s a private dimension cleverly concealed within the magical briefcase on your back. This personal space, resembling a Maldives archipelago, offers expansive building areas where players can construct their own haven, place various structures, and set up crafting stations. While inside the Briefbase, players can freely organize and customize their space. Importantly, when you enter the Briefbase, the physical briefcase remains in the “outside world,” maintaining a connection between your exploration and your personal haven.

What are sweet cuties?

Sweet Cuties are delightful, non-hostile creatures in To the Star, uniquely serving as a source of sweets essential for crafting delicious food items. To obtain these crafting elements, players have the option to catch Sweet Cuties and convert them into food. Also, you can choose to set them free to roam around cheerfully in your Briefbase… or to smother them later.

How do I engage in combat in the game?

Combat in To the Star offers versatility, allowing players to choose between melee and ranged styles. For melee, you can fight using bare hands or wield a variety of two-handed weapons. Ranged combat includes hand-thrown objects and tools like slingshots. The game enables quick switching between melee and ranged modes, along with abilities to jump, dash, or retreat from fights. Additionally, the Ammo Quickpick Panel lets players conveniently assign any food, drink, dish, or equipment projectile for use in ranged combat, enhancing tactical flexibility.

What happens when I die in the game?

In To the Star, upon dying, you will respawn at the nearest activated Shrine. Death affects the durability and deterioration of all items in your possession. Additionally, respawning will reset all of your character’s modifiers and attributes. This mechanic adds a level of strategy to gameplay, encouraging careful exploration and combat engagement.

Can I deal damage by throwing a briefcase in the game?

While throwing the briefcase itself won’t cause damage, its real power lies in what it can summon. Upon hitting the ground, it can bring forth any structure from your Briefbase. For instance, if you cultivate explosive flora like Popping Poppy in your Briefbase, you can summon them into the “outside world.” This allows you to tactically deploy them against your opponents, creating explosive and strategic combat scenarios.

Is there a day-night cycle in the game? What changes during the night?

Absolutely, To the Star features a distinct day-night cycle that significantly alters the game’s realm. As night falls, the environment transforms, revealing a stunningly beautiful night sky. This shift isn’t just visual—you’ll notice changes in enemy behavior, and certain resources and areas become accessible only under the cover of darkness, adding new layers of strategy and exploration to the gameplay.

Is it possible to change the appearance of the avatar?

Yes, players have some flexibility in customizing their avatars. You can select from a range of predefined elements to personalize your character’s appearance. We’ll share more detailed information on avatar customization options at a later date.

Can I play To the Star solo or with friends?

To the Star offers both solo and cooperative gameplay modes. Whether you prefer embarking on this adventure alone or teaming up with friends, the game is designed to cater to both experiences.

■ Technical

What technology powers To the Star?

The game is developed using the latest version of Unreal Engine 5.

Do you plan to launch this game in Early Access?

Early Access is part of our plan, but we’re still finalizing the release timeline. We’ll share more information as soon as we can!

Is it possible to mod the game?

Yes, the game will support modding, but we are not ready to share details about this matter at this point.

Which platforms will To the Star be available on?

Initially, To the Star is being developed for PC via Steam. We’re excited about the possibility of expanding to other platforms in the future.

What’s your stance on microtransactions?

We are firmly against incorporating microtransactions in To the Star. Our focus is on delivering a complete and fulfilling game experience.

How much will the game cost?

We’re still considering the best pricing strategy for To the Star. Our goal is to offer a fair price that reflects the game’s value and the experience it provides. We’ll announce the price as we get closer to the release.

Will there be a physical version of the game?

Details about a potential physical version are still under consideration.

What are the minimum PC specifications for the game?

While we’re striving to make To the Star accessible to as many players as possible with modest system requirements, we’re still in the early stages of development and can’t provide specific specifications just yet. Stay tuned for updates!

What will be the age rating for To the Star?

While To the Star does not include blood or gore, it does incorporate some elements of violence in its combat system. As a result, we anticipate that the game will likely be suitable for players aged 12 and up. The final age rating will be confirmed after a thorough assessment by the relevant rating boards.

What languages will be supported?

To the Star will feature voice-overs exclusively in English. However, we are committed to making the game accessible to a global audience with text localization. The planned languages for text localization include English, Polish, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Italian, French, Japanese, Korean, and Russian.

■ Additional Resources

Where can I find more information about To the Star?

Stay updated with the latest on To the Star by following our official Steam Page. You can also connect with us on social media platforms like Discord and X (previous Twitter), where we regularly post updates and engage with our gaming community.

How can I support the development of To the Star?

Your support means the world to us! The best ways to contribute to the development of To the Star are by spreading the word about the game, actively participating in our community discussions, and sharing your ideas and feedback. We’re grateful for every bit of support and enthusiasm from our players. Thank you so much!