Getting Started

Starwind is a browser-based space-trading game about building a capable ship, earning trust across a fractured sector, and following the evidence that hides behind ordinary freight work. The game starts small on purpose: one captain, one starter ship, a registration voucher, and a short first route.

Start a captain

Open Play Now, enter a captain handle if you want one, and choose New Game. The opening directive tells you what to do next. It remains visible on the map and at stations, then follows accepted work after the opening lesson.

Your current game is saved automatically in the browser. You do not need an account to play.

Read the interface

Starwind is presented as a shipboard operating system:

The top bar shows location, day, credits, hull, fuel, and ship status.
The star map is where you discover stations, plot routes, and jump.
A docked station exposes its information, comms, market, services, outfitting, shipyard, crew, and resource operations when available.
The navigation dock on the map contains the sector roster plus Missions, Factions, and Codex records.
The current directive is the best place to look when you are unsure what to do next.

Not every station offers every service. Derelicts, beacons, and anomalies may only provide an information record.

Complete the first trade

The opening work teaches the core loop:

Check the directive and the cargo already aboard.
Use the map to select the connected destination.
Confirm that the plotted route is within your fuel range.
Jump, resolve any event in transit, and dock.
Open the relevant station service or Comms contact to complete the task.

After that route, markets and authored faction work gradually open into contracts, upgrades, mining, exploration, and longer investigations.

Good habits

Keep enough credits for fuel and repairs instead of filling every cargo slot.
Inspect an importer before buying a large load.
Cargo and modules add mass, which reduces effective speed.
Read route warnings before jumping into hazardous space.
Export a save before a risky experiment or major browser cleanup.

Continue with Trade and Progression or keep the Controls and Saves reference nearby.