StarRupture: A planet in sweltering heat - and you in the middle of it. What if your greatest enemy wasn't a hostile alien species - but the star that makes life possible in the first place? In StarRupturethe new sci-fi survival game from Creepy Jarthere is no threat of a classic end of the world - it just happens regularly. The sun of the planet on which you are stranded causes cyclical catastrophes that mercilessly turn the world to ashes.
Support SPIELECHECK on Patreon - The entire website depends on your support.
Does that sound dramatic? It is. But StarRupture does not want to be a disaster simulator, but combines tactical setup, research and teamwork with the feeling of being at the mercy of a living world. The development of the title started under the name Chimera - We already had a first look at the announcement back then. Now the official playtest has started - time for an update.
StarRupture Gameplay: Plan - Build - Survive
In StarRupture You take on the role of a prisoner who is being held on the planet Arcadia-7 is stationed - a world full of resources, but with a small catch: it lies in the sphere of influence of the star Rupturewhose activity cycles regularly reduce everything to rubble.
The focus is on a mix of:
- Survival & Resource Management. Very basic: you have to manage hunger and thirst, you can poison yourself and unlock both technical progress and personal characteristics step by step.
- Factory construction and automation. Similar to Satisfactory or Factorio, you also have to Star Rupture set up large production lines with raw material extraction, further processing and shipping to the customer in hyperspace.
- Cooperative base construction for up to 4 people. Crerepy Jar has not yet announced a PvP mode. The game is designed for cooperation: You against the hardships of the planet Arcadia-7 and its star.
- Cyclical environmental destruction caused by solar flares. It is not yet known exactly what the solar flares can destroy. But testing suggests that buildings can be damaged if you don't protect them sufficiently. However, each solar flare also throws new meteorites into the game world, which can be used as resources.
You collect materials, build energy supplies, set up production chains - and you always know that you don't have much time. When the sun goes berserk again, it can all be over. This radically changes the flow of the game. Unlike in classic factory games like Satisfactory or Factorio you always have to reckon with a total loss - planning is everything.
Classes, technologies and teamwork
The playtest concentrates on the solo mode, later the StarRupture but will be playable in 4-player co-op. Four different character classes with their own abilities provide a clear division of roles: for example in research, construction, resource extraction or defense.
There are also tools and aids such as:
- Dismantling and construction tools. These are the first two tools you have in the playtest. With the mining laser, you have to be careful that it doesn't overheat. The construction tool erects complete buildings at the touch of a button - if you have the right resources.
- Generators & power distribution. At the beginning, solar panels help us, later wind turbines are added to the power supply. But you have to unlock them first.
- Conveyor belts & track systems. Connect the individual resource extraction stations with the factories and the shipping unit that shoots the finished products into space?
- Analyzers. You can only build this later once you have unlocked it. Here you can obtain valuable research data on things you find on the planet.
What is particularly exciting is that the game tries, scientific reality into game mechanics. According to the developer StarRupture inspired by real space research projects, including those of the ESA - even if this naturally takes place within the framework of creative freedom. This also applies to the destructive power of the star.
Wave of fire instead of enemies: the catastrophe comes from above in StarRupture
The regular destruction of the planet occurs not by earthquakes or tectonic shifts, but by extreme Solar cycles. The "Ruptura" sun regularly triggers a kind of global heatwave that sweeps across the surface and destroys almost everything that has not made it to safety. Existing buildings and machines overheat and fail until they are cooled down again. All organic life is burnt to ashes.
This cycle is not a rare event, but a core mechanic: Only those who Shelters built in good time will be able to pick up where they left off after the cycle. Anyone caught by the solar flare outside will burn up and be transferred to a new body for a fee.
What is included in the Star Rupture playtest - and what is not?
The Steam Playtest will take place from July 29 to August 4. It shows the first functional systems. Included are:
- The first of several planned biomes (incl. heat wave mechanics)
- Resource management, energy flow, conveyor chains
- Basic expansion and automation
- First analysis and exploration systems
- Tutorial sections partly set to music
Still not included are:
- Multiplayer co-op mode
- Extensive story content
- Advanced research areas
- Hostile life forms only exist to a limited extent.
According to our own experience and other game tests, the performance is surprisingly stable. The Unreal Engine 5 provides an attractive representation of the environment, even if not everything looks final yet. Only mouse & keyboard are currently supported, no controllers or ultrawide set-ups.
Early Access, release, platforms & cross-play: What is planned?
On which platforms and when is Star Rupture coming?
- Steam Early Access: on January 6, 2026
- PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S: No explicit announcement.
There is also no information on cross-play between PC and consoles. According to the development team, only the PC version is currently being actively tested and prioritized.
Conclusion: Those who want to play on console will probably have to wait longer. Anyone hoping for cross-play should keep an eye on developments - so far this is pure speculation.
Conclusion: Star Rupture is more than just a "survive and build".
StarRupture dares to do something that many representatives of the genre lack: a credible world with real risk. The biggest threat comes from nature itself - and forces players to think in cycles. Not only technically, but also strategically.
For all those who Green Hell because of its realism, but are more into technology than jungles, might like StarRupture be exactly the right next step. It remains to be seen whether the game can captivate players in the long term beyond the initial hype - but the foundations are there.
I'm looking forward to Early Access on Steam in the fall. The playtest has shown that Creepy Jar can also convince with a small, free trial and keep you glued to your computer for hours. If they approach the Early Access phase as confidently as they once did with Green Hell, we can look forward to valuable updates, community involvement and a clear roadmap to the 1.0 version in the fall.
Your opinion?
What do you think of this approach? Does the idea of surviving in a game that regularly destroys the entire game world appeal to you - or do you need more security in your base? Discuss with us in the Discord from spielecheck.gg!