What you get for free
Everything that makes up the game: every building, every research, every ship and defence, every mission, the Academy, Lifeforms, alliances and every universe the lobby offers. No purchase unlocks content that play does not, and there is no subscription.
A new account starts with a homeworld, 500K of every resource and 500K Dark Matter. A new-player checklist then pays small rewards as you try each system for the first time.
Dark Matter, the premium currency
Dark Matter buys time and convenience. You can earn it without paying:
- Expeditions can bring Dark Matter back from deep space.
- The activity bonus unlocks Dark Matter while you play actively during the day.
- Voting for Deuteria on toplists pays Dark Matter.
- Inviting friends pays both of you, in stages, as your friend keeps playing.
- The new-player checklist pays small amounts as you learn the game.
- Bounties pay out when you beat the same named pirate or alien captain again and again.
What Dark Matter is spent on
- Officers. Ten account-wide officers you level up. Every level is a permanent bonus.
- Instant completion of buildings, research and ships.
- Shop items such as production boosters, extra planet fields and resource packages.
- A new character class after your free first pick.
- Lifeform races unlocked early, instead of waiting to discover them on an expedition.
- Planet relocation to a new position in the galaxy.
The Dark Matter guide covers what is worth buying first.
The optional store
If you want to skip ahead, Dark Matter is sold in one-off packages, priced in euros on the public price list. Nothing renews, and the checkout shows the exact total, including any tax, before you pay. Dark Matter has no value outside the game and is never redeemable for money.
Is it pay to win?
No. Every premium item can be obtained without spending money, and no purchase unlocks content that play cannot reach. Fights are decided by technology, fleet composition, timing and whether you fleetsaved before you logged off.
The MMO part
Everyone plays in one persistent universe. Your neighbours are other commanders and autonomous empires that play around the clock. There is a universe-wide chat, alliances with their own treasury and wars, and a highscore ladder that moves as the universe plays.