Frequently Asked Questions

Who developed Starbound?

Starbound was developed by Chucklefish, an independent game studio based in London, UK. You can read all about us here!

When will Starbound be finished?

Starbound is available now via Steam, Humble and GOG! The Steam version requires access to a Steam account to install and update Starbound, but GOG and Humble both have direct download versions of the game available.

Can I play Starbound on <thing>?

Starbound is currently available for PC, Mac and Linux. We’re working on a version for Xbox One Game Preview, too!

Can I customize my character’s appearance?

Yes! There are seven unique races to choose from and each race has a whole load of customization options. Meet the races!

Can I play with friends?

Yup! If you’re not sure how to get started, check out our wiki’s Multiplayer Setup Guide.

Is Chucklefish hiring?

Not right now! We also don’t have space for internships or work placements. We’ll post here if something changes!

What engine is Starbound built in?

Starbound uses a custom engine built in C++ and Lua.

Can I post videos of Starbound on Youtube?

Chucklefish LTD hereby grants permission for the use of in-game audio & video for “Let’s Play”, “Preview”, “Review” and/or “Commentary”-style videos on YouTube, including ad-supported channels/videos. The creator of the video may use in-game audio & video for as many videos as desired.

Please include a link to www.playstarbound.com OR any online store selling the title involved. Specific permission is required for any soundtrack use outside of captured gameplay.

If you have any questions, please email us.

Where can I go to read exciting legal terms and conditions re: Starbound?

I’m glad you asked! Check out our EULA and Mod Terms!

Help! Starbound isn’t working!

Ahh oh no! Please read through the following before contacting us for support. Several common issues are described here, but if after reading through the information below your issue is still not resolved, then please post on our support forums or email us if you feel that would be more appropriate!

How to report a bug/crash

When reporting bugs to us, following a few simple rules can help make bugs much easier to identify and fix!

  1. See if you can trigger the bug again by repeating what you did.
  2. (Forums only) Submit each bug in its own thread. Only reply to an existing thread if you are absolutely certain that you have the same bug.
  3. Give your email/thread a descriptive and specific title. “Crash” is not specific, whereas (for example) “Game crashes when the load game menu opens” is.
  4. Include as much relevant information in the body of your post as you can (see below).

What to include in your report
When reporting bugs to us, including a few bits of extra information can help a lot. Try to include:

  • What happened? Did the game crash, freeze / lock up, or just do something wrong (e.g. monster dropped unexpected item)? What did you expect to happen here?
  • What were you doing in the game at the time? (e.g. killing a Poptop, accepting a quest from a colonist)
  • Whether you were able to trigger the bug again by repeating what you did.
  • Your operating system name and version.
  • Are you using any mods? If so, which ones?
  • Whether you’re in full screen or windowed mode.
  • If the game crashed, attach your error logs (see below)!
Finding your error log
  • Windows – Steam/SteamApps/common/Starbound/storage/starbound.log
  • Mac – /Users/USER/Library/Application Support/Steam/*/Starbound.app/Contents/MacOS/starbound/storage/
  • Linux – ~/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/common/Starbound/storage/starbound.log

Please attach that file to your email along with any other information that may help us (like your computer’s specs, what you were doing at the time, etc).

The game won’t launch!
  • API-MS-WIN-CRT-RUNTIME-L1-1-0.DLL is missing! – Your PC may have failed to install Visual C++ 2015. You can download it here! If you’re unable to install it, please ensure that you’ve installed the latest service packs for your version of Windows.
  • ‘OpenGL 2.0 is not available!’ – Please try updating your graphics drivers! Here’s a guide.
  • JSON Errors – If you’re using mods, that’s almost certainly why! Your mods may have unresolved bugs or may simply be out of date. You will need to contact the mod author as the author is responsible for the tech support of the issue. If you have tons of mods installed, you will need to remove all of them and install them one at a time and find out which mod is causing the error.
  • Mac OS X “The application has quit unexpectedly”
My characters have disappeared!

Oh no! Check this guide for steps on how to retrieve your lost character.

Other Troubleshooting Tips
  • Disable the Steam Overlay
    • Click the “Settings” button in your Steam window, then click on “In-Game Settings”.
    • Uncheck the box next to “Enable Steam Community In-Game” and click OK.
    • Disable the Steam Overlay on specific games only by right-clicking on the game title, click on “Properties” and uncheck “Enable Steam Community In-Game” in the “General” tab.