Ostranauts beginner guide
From character creation to your first salvage run: the systems the tutorial rushes past, in the order you meet them.
Spend years, buy skills, or gamble.
Character creation ends when you own a ship: or run out of years. These are the choices and what they actually do.
SEEK ADVENTURE
Simulates one year of life with a random narrative encounter. High variance, but the best expected payoff: choices can require skill checks and hand out huge rewards or serious debuffs.
WORK ON SELF
The reliable route: spend years to directly buy skills and traits. Costs character age: and older characters start with worse physical conditions.
SAVE SOME MONEY
Community verdict: not worth it. The cash is tiny compared to one hour of salvage and it burns a full year.
SEEK SHIP
Spend a year hunting for a ship; yields one or two options. The starter ship is the single biggest biggest factor in difficulty: see the starter ship guide.
REVIEW RESUME
Free, unlimited: check current money, skills, traits, and contacts before you commit.
Seven buttons you will press constantly.
The UI does a lot. These are the parts that matter in the first session.
Left buttons
Goals shows objectives (including the tutorial). Roster sets shifts and work priorities. Tasks lists in-progress work. Install is the build menu: press R to rotate items. Orders queues uninstall, haul, and repair jobs.
Home menu
I opens Inventory. N opens Zones (where items are hauled/sold, and NPC movement limits). PASS is a taxi between stations and owned ships for a fee. X cycles the Vizor AR modes; L adjusts it.
Left-click your portrait to open the inventory directly. Right-click it for the character sheet: physical needs on top, mental needs under Show more. The PDA panel groups inventory, zones, crew roster, build orders, and tasks in one place. The question mark button reopens tutorial help if you closed it.
Automation is on by default, so crew members handle a lot of the busywork. You can switch to manual control from the same panel while you learn; most players turn automation back on once the basics click.
Time
The game runs 1:1 with real time. [ and ] change speed up to x16; Spacebar pauses. Super Fast Forward simulates 1-6 hours for sleep and long travel: it is not meant for building tasks.
A seven-step loop that keeps you solvent.
Bills come due at the end of every shift. Everything else follows from that.
- Finish the tutorial objectives until the Base of Operations / first safe house is unlocked.
- Check your bills and mortgage: they are collected every shift (6 in-game hours).
- Settle unpaid bills before undocking: stations refuse departure while you owe them.
- Buy a salvage license before undocking; read its expiry.
- Fly to the nearest derelict and dock carefully: see the flying section of the wiki for docking physics.
- After docking, press
Xto scan the derelict before boarding; the scan shows loot and hazards. - Strip high-value parts: electronics, motors, and undamaged equipment beat bulk scrap.
- Haul cargo back using your ship (and cargo web once you have one).
- Sell at the kiosk, pay bills, upgrade one thing, repeat.
Common questions
Should I pick SAVE SOME MONEY in character creation?
Almost never. The wiki and community both note the payout is pitiful compared to an hour of salvage work, and it costs a full character year. SEEK ADVENTURE is the highest-variance option; WORK ON SELF buys reliable skills.
What should I do first after starting?
Follow the tutorial objectives, unlock your first safe house, check the bills due at the end of every shift, and buy a salvage license before undocking. Read the UI section below for the buttons you actually use.
What do I do with dead bodies?
Dead crew are a morale and cleanliness problem. Strip useful items, then haul the body somewhere out of the way or dispose of it; several community reports say bodies left in traffic areas accelerate crew complaints. If a quest references a private morgue, follow that plot chain.
How does the Strength Trainer work?
Install it with power, then have a crew member exercise. Community testing shows strength/fitness training before sleep gives extra gains during rest, and exercise can remove weak traits like Unfit or Feeble over time.
Is the game multiplayer?
No. Ostranauts is single-player; your crew are AI characters you hire and manage.