StarExplorer - Space Exploration Game

About StarExplorer

About Me

I am Bryan Schmidt, a senior full-stack software engineer with over two decades of experience building production systems, tools, and platforms across web, cloud, and game-adjacent domains. My background is heavily rooted in backend architecture, infrastructure, and long-lived systems that need to scale, evolve, and remain maintainable over time. Alongside professional work, I regularly build personal and experimental projects as a way to explore ideas, test assumptions, and stay creatively sharp.

The Project

This project is a game-driven exploration of systems, progression, and discovery, framed as a space exploration experience. At its core, it combines procedural generation, layered resources, exploration mechanics, and long-term progression into a cohesive universe that can grow over time. While it is a game on the surface, it is also a platform for experimenting with mechanics such as economies, factions, emergent behavior, and player-driven discovery, all backed by a modern web-based architecture.

What this Project is Not

This is not a project focused on award-winning graphics, cinematic storytelling, or cutting-edge visual fidelity. It is also not a promise of a massive, polished AAA production with a large team and marketing budget behind it. While sustainability and monetization are considerations, this project is not being built primarily as a way to make a large amount of money. The focus is on systems, depth, and long-term exploration rather than spectacle or commercial optimization.

Inspiration

The inspiration comes from a mix of classic exploration games, idle and incremental mechanics, and a long-standing interest in systems design. Games that reward curiosity, patience, and optimization have always stood out to me, especially those where simple rules lead to complex outcomes. Large-scale space games like EVE Online and Elite Dangerous were also major influences, particularly in how they approach scale, freedom, and player-driven exploration. Beyond games, years of building real-world software systems have shaped how I think about structure, balance, and long-term evolution, and I wanted to apply that same rigor to something more creative.

an image of a planet and a few moons orbiting

Why I'm Doing It

I am doing this project because it reflects a vision I have had since I was a kid: a game set in a vast universe with seemingly endless resources, discovery, and room to explore. Many games have captured parts of that idea, but none have aligned exactly with what I imagine. This project gives me the space to pursue that vision directly, experiment without external constraints, and iterate toward something that feels genuinely aligned with how I think such a universe should work. It is also a way to merge technical problem-solving with creativity, rather than treating them as separate pursuits.

a space station with many ships docked att it and other ships leaving and arriving

What I Hope to Accomplish

I hope to build a game that I genuinely enjoy playing and that resonates with other like-minded players who enjoy discovery, depth, and long-term progression. Beyond that, I want the project to grow through community interaction, where player feedback and ideas help shape new mechanics, systems, and directions. My goal is for this to evolve into something larger than my original vision, driven by shared curiosity and experimentation, and to become a living project that continues to innovate in ways I cannot fully predict yet.

Pilot Your Ship

You control a ship and explore the galaxy. Start small: mine asteroids and salvage to gather resources, upgrade your ship's systems and cargo capacity, and gradually push farther out into the stars. Flight, combat, and mining are at the heart of the experience—you decide where to go and how to make your way.

a lone ship mining resources from an asteroid. many asteroids linger nearby, but the mining lasers are targeting one asteroid

Mining & Progression

Resources come primarily from mining. Extract ore, refine it, and use it to upgrade your ship—better engines, stronger hulls, improved weapons, and larger holds. As you grow stronger and more capable, you can venture into riskier systems and take on bigger opportunities.

Pirates, Missions & Trade

Fend off pirates, run missions for corporations and governments, and establish trade routes for profit. The galaxy offers combat, diplomacy, and commerce—you can focus on one path or mix them as you build your reputation and fortune.