HIRED STARS is an isometric single player RTS game in an open, randomly generated sandbox universe. You take control of a small mercenary force. Plunder trade routes, attack pirates, fight the Empire or follow the story. Conquer or buy new ships and equipment. Recruit new captains and level them.
In the darkness of a human-dominated galaxy, assume command of a rising mercenary company. Navigate a vast, procedural sandbox where every Jump Drive activation could lead to a fortune or a lethal ambush. Forge your legacy through tactical brilliance, salvage what remains of your enemies, and survive a universe that is actively hunting you.
TACTICAL ISOMETRIC SQUAD COMBAT
Command a specialized fleet in high-stakes, real-time tactical engagements where every maneuver is a gamble for survival. Hired Stars strips away shields and supernatural tech, forcing a reliance on physical armor, positioning, and raw firepower. Lead your squad of captains through lethal skirmishes where the void offers no second chances.
- SQUAD-BASED PRECISION: Issue real-time orders to individual captains, managing a coordinated squad of vessels to outmaneuver and outgun superior enemy forces.
- GRITTY REALISM (NO SHIELDS): Forget regenerating energy barriers; survival depends on managing hull integrity, heat signatures, and tactical positioning behind environmental cover.
- ACTIVE PAUSE COMMAND: Take full control of the chaos. Freeze or slow time at any moment to evaluate the battlefield, synchronize weapon cycles, and issue precise navigational vectors.
- LETHAL ESCALATION: Experience a reactive battlefield where nearby hostiles, Imperial patrols, or opportunistic brigands can jump in at any moment, turning a surgical strike into a multi-faction warzone.
- ELECTRONIC WARFARE: Jam distress calls by maintaining close proximity to hostiles. Eliminating targets without witnesses prevents diplomatic fallout and preserves your standing with the victim's faction.
A LIVING PROCEDURAL SANDBOX
Hired Stars provides a persistent, evolving universe shaped by deep procedural generation. Every new campaign is a unique seed, ensuring that exploration, trade, and combat encounters remain unpredictable and fresh.
- TOTAL GALAXY CUSTOMIZATION: Define the scale of the universe by setting star count and connection density. Adjust travel speed and fuel costs to dictate the strategic pace of the journey.
- DYNAMIC STAR PROPERTIES: Explore systems with randomized astronomical traits that dictate local production, trade demand, and resource scarcity across the sector.
- RANDOMIZED FACTION LANDSCAPES: Navigate a shifting political map with randomly placed faction territories, pirate bases, and lawless outer rim belts that vary with every seed.
- PROCEDURAL MISSION ARCHITECTURE: Engage in adaptive contracts and specialized quests that respond to the player’s location, reputation, and fleet strength.
- GRANULAR GENERATION OPTIONS: Fine-tune the experience before starting by adjusting faction sizes, threat levels, and many more parameters to create a personalized sandbox.
RECRUIT & COMMAND YOUR MERCENARY COMPANY
Success in Hired Stars depends on the ability to transform a desperate group of freelancers into a dominant galactic force. As the fleet commander, the player must oversee the development of individual captains and the constant evolution of the fleet through hard-won spoils of war.
- CAPTAIN PROGRESSION: Recruit and develop individual captains. Through leveling, they acquire traits that define tactical roles and expand combat capabilities.
- SALVAGE & RECOVERY: Expand the fleet by recovering derelict hulls from battle-scarred wrecks. The player can claim new vessels from the remains of fallen enemies and repurpose them to fill specific roles within the company.
- LOOT-DRIVEN ARMAMENT: Secure powerful weaponry and hardware as direct rewards for completed contracts or as battlefield loot. The player decides which captain and vessel receive the most advanced hardware to maximize fleet lethality.
- DATA CORE RECOVERY: Salvage encrypted data cores from destroyed enemy hulls. Decrypting these cores provides vital intelligence and specialized quests.
- DEEP COMBINATORIAL CUSTOMIZATION: Adapt every vessel to a specific playstyle by aligning ship types with captain traits and specialized weapon armaments. Success requires the player to match the right loadout to the right strategy for every mission.
- STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP: Manage a roster of captains while balancing fleet objectives with shifting faction loyalties. The player shapes the company’s path through target selection and authorized tactical risks.
GALACTIC TRADE & PIRACY
Hired Stars offers a brutal economic sandbox where profit is often signed in blood. While legitimate trade routes exist, the swiftest path to power lies in the lawless shadows of the outer rim, the capture of high-tech Imperial vessels, or anything else that can be seized. Whether intercepting wealthy merchant convoys or defying Imperial tax collectors, tactical decisions must weigh the lure of elite technology against the certainty of a violent response.
- PREDATORY ACQUISITION: Aggressively target high-value Imperial convoys, tax collectors, and wealthy trade vessels to seize rare commodities and
