Beyond These Stars review: a city on the back of a space whale
The successor to Before We Leave is out as version 1.0. Reviews praise its interlocking systems and calm mood – but newcomers may struggle.
Photo: Giles Laurent / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Trailer: YouTube · Hooded Horse · youtube.com
Critics' rating
Scores: Saving Content: 4 (“Awesome”)
- Platforms
- PC
- Studio
- Balancing Monkey Games (Hooded Horse)
- Release
- 16.10.2026
+ Pros
- Cosy city-building on a space whale
- Travel to new planets via a star map
- Tightly interlocking production chains
- Calm music and atmospheric visuals
– Cons
- Steep learning curve – not for beginners
- Too few prompts and too little information
- No voice acting in dialogue
Critics' verdict
An unusual, relaxed city-builder with surprisingly deep systems – players who push through the steep learning curve are rewarded.
Summary of published reviews – sources below.
The city-builder Beyond These Stars from studio Balancing Monkey Games launched as version 1.0 on PC on 16 October after a one-day delay. It is published by Hooded Horse and costs $29.99 on Steam, with a 20 per cent launch discount until 30 October. A successor to Before We Leave, it has players build a city on the back of the sentient space whale Kewa: production chains must be set up, water redirected and pollution avoided – and because the whale can get hungry, its needs have to be met too. Dialogue choices influence where Kewa flies next, while drones and rockets are used to explore new planets and found outposts.
Saving Content gives it a 4 (“Awesome”) and calls it a fine continuation that works in both short and long sessions. It praises the cosy feel, the journeys across a star map, the conservation theme around the whale, and the visuals and music. LadiesGamers is also taken with it, highlighting how tightly the individual systems interlock and how much forward planning is rewarded.
Accessibility draws criticism: LadiesGamers calls the learning curve steep and would like more prompts and information, saying the game is better suited to experienced strategists. Saving Content misses voice acting in the dialogue, was not keen on the art style of the cutscenes and says it could only scratch the surface of the trading systems.