Beginner Walkthrough

Your complete guide to surviving and thriving on the space whale Kewa.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started

Welcome to Beyond These Stars, a unique sci-fi city builder where you guide humanity's last colony aboard the ancient space whale Kewa. This walkthrough will help you survive your first cycles and establish a thriving civilization.

Game Overview

You are the colony administrator tasked with building and managing a settlement on the back of Kewa, a massive space whale that travels through the cosmos. Manage resources, maintain the ecosystem, and discover the secrets of the universe.

Key Concepts

  • Cycles: The game runs in cycles (days). Each cycle, you receive resources and must manage consumption.
  • Kewa Health: Keep Kewa healthy - if it dies, your colony dies.
  • Space Limits: Kewa's back has limited building space. Plan carefully.
  • Ecology Balance: Maintain the ecosystem - overharvesting causes collapse.

2. First Hours on Kewa

Your first few cycles are critical for establishing a sustainable colony. Follow these steps to get started on the right foot.

Priority Actions (Cycles 1-10)

  1. Build a Habitat Dome to house your starting colonists
  2. Construct Resource Extractors for basic materials
  3. Set up a Food Farm to feed your population
  4. Establish a Power Generator to run your buildings
  5. Scout the immediate area for resource deposits

Starting Resources

You begin with limited resources. Focus on gathering rather than building luxury structures early on. Prioritize self-sufficiency before trading.

Essential First Buildings

  • Habitat Dome
  • Solar Array
  • Hydroponic Farm
  • Minerals Extractor

Avoid Early

  • Luxury Buildings
  • Exotic Research Labs
  • Large Storage Facilities
  • Trade Depots

3. Early Game Priorities

Once you have basic infrastructure, focus on these priorities to ensure sustainable growth.

Early Game Priority List

Resource Management

  • Balance resource extraction rates
  • Build storage before overflow
  • Monitor Kewa health constantly
  • Track population growth

Infrastructure

  • Expand power grid carefully
  • Set up supply chains
  • Build redundancy for critical systems
  • Plan expansion zones

Kewa Health Tips

Kewa is your most important asset. Monitor its health bar and watch for warning signs:

  • Brown patches indicate ecosystem stress
  • Reduced movement means Kewa is weakened
  • Strange sounds often precede health drops
  • Regular ecological surveys prevent surprises

4. Expansion Strategies

As your colony grows, strategic expansion becomes crucial. The limited space on Kewa's back means every placement matters.

Zone Planning

Divide Kewa's back into functional zones:

🏭

Industrial Zone

🏠

Residential Zone

🌿

Ecology Zone

Expansion Guidelines

  • Always build Ecology zones first - they support other zones
  • Keep industrial zones downwind (if applicable) from residential
  • Leave space between zones for future expansion
  • Connect zones with efficient supply chain routes
  • Consider Kewa's movement patterns when placing buildings

5. Mid-Game Goals

By mid-game, you should have a stable colony. Now it's time to optimize, trade, and explore.

Mid-Game Objectives

  • Establish Trade Routes: Contact alien species and start trading
  • Research Technologies: Unlock advanced buildings and capabilities
  • Optimize Supply Chains: Maximize efficiency across all production
  • Explore Surroundings: Send scouts to discover new resources and secrets
  • Prepare for Events: Stockpile resources for random events and crises

Alien Trading

Trading with aliens unlocks exotic resources and technologies. Key tips:

  • Build a Trade Hub to enable alien commerce
  • Different aliens want different resources - learn their preferences
  • Maintain good relations - hostile aliens can attack your colony
  • Trade routes can be disrupted by cosmic events

6. Advanced Tips

Take your colony to the next level with these advanced strategies.

Efficiency Tips

  • Chain production buildings for automatic workflows
  • Use transport drones to connect distant zones
  • Monitor and adjust rates seasonally
  • Build buffer storage for volatile resources

Survival Tips

  • Always have 2x emergency resource reserves
  • Build redundant power systems
  • Keep population growth below infrastructure capacity
  • Save before major decisions

Secret Discovery

The universe holds many secrets. To discover them:

  • Build Observatory structures to scan the cosmos
  • Complete alien trade quests for lore fragments
  • Research deep space technologies
  • Pay attention to Kewa's reactions to specific events
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