Balancing Monkey Games has confirmed that its space based city builder Beyond These Stars will not be released into early access this year, with 2026 now being the target. However, those of you who want to try out building a city on the back of a space whale you can try out the demo which gives a taster of what to expect when Beyond These Stars does eventually release.
In a post, Balancing Monkey Games said, “We’re going to be taking a little more time to make sure the Early Access release is truly amazing, so we’ve had to make the hard decision to delay Early Access back into 2026. We understand that this is not quite the launch date we had initially envisioned, but after some testing at the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025, we realised that there was so much more we could bring to the game and really make it something special. The team at Balancing Monkey Games have been hunkering down to make some big changes, including game mechanics and in-game rewards. There are new buildings to discover, perks to unlock, and player guides to interact with. Building placement, greenery, and pollution have a greater impact on gameplay, and core systems have been refined. Player actions have a more noticeable impact on Kewa, affecting not just your relationship with the Space Whale, but the look and behaviour of their biome too. Be sure to download the new demo and experience the changes for yourself!”
In Beyond These Stars, a people called the Peeps find themselves living on the back of the space whale Kewa, which gives them an opportunity to build a home. However, there will be challenges for players to face when building a society on top of a sentient creature including your relationship with it. Expand too quickly and overwork the land on Kewa, and there will be fewer resources with the land shrinking. Kewa is not the only location for the Peeps to build on either, as the universe is filled with resources and outposts can be built to extract them. There are other civilisations to meet out there too, and they will judge you on how you treat Kewa.
Source: Steam
It’s always tough to hear about delays, but it sounds like the team is committed to delivering a polished experience. Looking forward to seeing what they create in 2026!
I completely agree; it’s definitely disappointing. However, it’s great to see that Balancing Monkey Games is prioritizing quality over a rushed release. A well-polished game can really enhance the overall experience, especially in a genre like city builders where intricate details matter.
Games is taking the time to ensure the game meets their quality standards. A well-crafted game can lead to a much more enjoyable experience in the long run. Plus, the extra development time might allow for even more innovative features!
Absolutely, taking the extra time can really pay off in the long run. It’s great to see developers prioritizing quality, especially for a complex genre like city builders. Hopefully, this delay will allow for more intricate gameplay mechanics and a richer narrative experience!