- Improved Space Trucking and other fun stuff - 10 September 2026
Hello merchants! The playtest has been going on for almost a week now and already I have received some good feedback. This update is based on that feedback.Improved Space TruckingYou can now see exactly when the demand for a commodity will end, so you can now better plan your trucking routes.Changes to Asteroid Mining Asteroid Mining has received some minor rebalancing. Also, you can now see your drones flying in formation during transit. Ongoing playtestThe playtest is still active until the end of the month. So give it a shot to get a taste of what the full game will be like and drop me some feedback so I can keep on improving the game! More to come!Happy trucking!
- Join the Playtest! - 4 September 2026
Hi everyone!You can now join the Starport Merchants Playtest. This playtest opens up the first 150 weeks of the game so you can get a better taste of the gameplay beyond the demo.Visit the Steam page to join!The goal is to gather as much feedback as possible, so don't forget to use the in-game feedback button or even better, join us on Discord:https://discord.gg/XKQrbwdwuC
- NEW: Personal Records and other cool stuff - 28 August 2026
Hi there, new update!Rival MerchantsRival merchants will now not only call you to say hello, but they'll now also give you a call to propose a Trade Agreement or to play a game of cards.Personal RecordsThe main menu will now have a new button called 'Personal Records'. Here you can find some of your global high scores you have achieved over multiple games. This list will keep expanding with new items so check back often!Work-Life Balance changesLast week's update brought some big changes to the work-life balance mechanic. This week's update will expand on it even further.You can expect to see bigger earnings for both sides, depending on your role.And as usual, a bunch of other smaller stuff. Feel free to visit us on Discord if you want to know more about these or planned changes!https://discord.gg/XKQrbwdwuCOr there is also the in-game feedback form if you prefer to let me know your tho…
- Wealth beyond measure - 21 August 2026
Hey everyone! Big thanks to everyone who has played the demo and provided me with feedback! This week's update mostly brings balance changes and more ways to RICH!Become the BankFor those players that are too rich for their own good and that don't know what to do with all their money, you can now start your own bank and use your cash reserves to lend out money to NPC's. These loans are intended for people who can't get loans via the official channels because of 'reasons'. So they're willing to pay you hefty weekly interest fees. Keep in mind that this feature can be found in the Temple District, which is not available in the demo.Enhanced Work-Life Balance playYou'll also notice bigger bonuses attached to your work-life balance. There are now more ways to increase your income on both sides of the balance.Lots of other cool changesYou'll also find fixes and changes here and there.If you…
- Buy small businesses - 14 August 2026
Hey there, fellow merchants!Buy Commercial PropertiesYou've probably always wanted to own your own bakery or mid-sized regional bank office, well now you finally can!The Real Estate feature will now make a distinction between Residential and Commercial properties.You won't be forced to handle the day-to-day happenings, but at times the property manager might contact you to make a decision for the business:You can also upgrade all your businesses depending on its type. A bakery might need better ovens, a bank might need better software for their trading terminals, and so on...More narrative eventsAround 50 more random events have also been added, including a bunch that tie in with your owned residences.I hope you'll enjoy this update! Let me know what you think!
- Even higher earnings and work-life balance changes - 7 August 2026
Hey there, freelancers. Welcome to the latest update!This week is mostly focused on more balance changes and higher earnings from the various income sources. Work-Life BalanceThere has also been an overhaul on the Work-Life Balance mechanic. You'll notice that the effects on your earnings will be much more pronounced now, so it will be worth it to keep an eye on your balance. Check out the updated numbers:Space Truckers will find their happy place in the work zone, while Star Shuttlers will find their biggest profits on the other side. It all adds up! Or you can just keep it all balanced and receive some smaller bonuses for lots of income sources. It's your call! There are no bad decisions here to take. Hope you enjoy this update. Let me know what you think of the game so far and what you like to see more of. Happy trading!
- Higher earnings and balance changes - 31 July 2026
Hi everyone!Just released another update with following changes:decreased the cost of cargo hold upgradesdecreased the cost of passenger cabin upgradesincreased the available cargo to buyincreased the prices of fish for the fish marketdecreased the cost and level requirement of incorporationdecreased the cost of registering with the Industrialists' Guildand lots and lots of balance passesYou'll also see a lot of new characters throughout the game.Hope you like this update, let me know what you think!
- NPC Services Update - 24 July 2026
Good day merchants! Service personnelThis week's update brings more than 20 new characters to the game.Every service now has a dedicated character. Bouncers, hotel staff, art curator and many more! Discover them all and let me know what you think of them!Federal ContractsPreviously called 'Corporate Contracts', these now have a lower barrier of entry. Instead of having to have formed a corporation, you can now get these contracts as soon as your Federal Reputation is at least 5. Performance improvementsYou'll also notice there's been a lot of performance improvements all over the board.Happy trading!
- Planetary Defense - 17 July 2026
Calling all traders for Planetary Defense!Caelux needs you! Only trusted merchants can apply for Planetary Defense.This new income source can be found on the Administrative Center. Earn money for every destroyed ship.Happy hunting!
- The Fish Market is now open for business - 30 June 2026
Exciting news! Thalassa now has a fish market, for those who have too many fish in their seas.The grand opening is planned on week 30, so make sure you come visit!
- A visual update and 300 wishlists! - 27 June 2026
Hey everyone!Happy to announce that Starport Merchants just received its 300th wishlist! Thanks everyone for wishlisting and playing the demo so far!The game has also been updated with visual upgrades in various places, hopefully this will increase immersion a bit.Passenger TransportYou can now see what kind of passengers you pick up and what they look like:Priority OffersSpecial Buyers and Special Offers have been renamed to Private Buyers and Priority Offers.The buyers now also have a texture assigned to them:FishingThe fish have received a big visual upgrade as well:I've also added about a dozen extra narrative events for the space taxi role.And then the usual balance changes, UI updates and general improvements.Thanks for playing!
- Expanded Rivals - 19 June 2026
Hello, Starport Merchants! This week's update is mostly focused on the rival merchants.Rival Trade RoutesYou'll now be able to see where your rivals are, and where they are headed next.Warehouse DealsA new deal can be made with a rival called a Warehouse Deal.You can pay a rival to have their surplus commodities automatically delivered to one of your warehouses. It's a one-time payment and the deal lasts for 5 weeks. The Space Trucker starting role will now also receive a free warehouse at the start of the game to accommodate this new feature. Challenge a rival to a card gameYou can challenge a rival to a quick and simple game of cards. But you both have to be on the same planet to start one, can't play cards over the phone.And many other changes...Bug fixes, UI improvements, balance changes, added more SFX here and there, grammar fixes, ... the usuals!Have fun and let me know your comm…
- More narrative events, music and fixes - 12 June 2026
Hello!New update is in, here's what's changed:More narrative eventsA whopping 30 new events have been added in various places around the game, this brings the total amount of narrative events to just under 200!Narrative events will keep getting added every update from now on, with the goal of having every new game feel distinct enough from the previous one.Let me know which ones you liked!New music tracks10 new tracks have been added to the Pocket Jazz playlist, composed by Magnality.Magnality - itch.ioMinor changesAnd lastly there have been numerous smaller changes added to the entire game. From bugfixes, to new art and UI changes.Hope you'll like it.Take care!
- Stay at a hotel or perform a hostile takeover - 3 June 2026
Hello, fellow merchants!It's been a week since last update, so it was time to add new features.Book a room at the Thalassa ResortYou can now book a room in a hotel at the Thalassa Vacation Resort.This was suggested by a player via the in game anonymous feedback form and I liked it so much I've now added it to the game. So, thank you, anonymous user! Feel free to drop by and say hello!Perform a Hostile TakeoverPreviously, there was no real limit or goal to buying stocks. Except it made you richer.From now on, every company listed on the Stock Market has a number of outstanding shares. You can work on becoming a majority shareholder for 1 or more companies.When you become the majority shareholder of a company, you can start the Hostile Takeover event. After a successful takeover, you unlock Corporate Actions for that company. I won't spoil yet what this does, but I hope you enjoy this new…
- The Underlane, Salvaging and Paint Your Ship - 25 May 2026
Hello everyone! A hefty update this week, filled with new features.The Underlane Introducing The Underlane, an underground passenger transport network similar to how the Black Market works. But instead of transporting contraband, you can now transport shady passengers. Previously, those that invested in the Space Trucker role were already on a fast track towards growing into illegal commodity transport. The Underlane is an equivalent for players that prefer growing their Passenger Transport business. Beware of the Space Police though... Salvaging on Fundus The Federal Authority has now opened Fundus for business, in cooperation with the Explorer's Guild.You can now open up a side business as a salvage operator. Get in touch with your representative at the Explorer's Guild for more info!The Paint Shop You can now paint your ship. Inquire at the Shipyard on Structor!Scenarios You'll notic…
- Starport Merchants gained 200 wishlists! - 17 May 2026
Hey everyone!I just wanted to give you all a BIG thanks for wishlisting the game as we have now reached the milestone of 200 wishlists!As a solo dev, this means a lot to me and it's very motivating. In the meantime, I'm always working to improve the game. This week's update will see a lot of balance changes. Passenger transport was a tad overpowered and unbalanced compared to the other starter income streams. To compensate, I've now added some visual feedback to let you know if you have optimized your cabins:If you see this stamp appearing, then this means you have reached the maximum earnings potential for this specific cabin configuration.Sadly, the Federal Authority has also decided to increase taxes (sorry). The base tax rate has now been increased from 5% to 6%.You may also notice some visual changes here and there. Let me know what you think!Thanks for playing, and as always, don'…
- Passenger Narrative Events - 12 May 2026
Hello there!Passenger Narrative EventsThis week's update makes passenger transport a bit more lively.Whenever you are transporting passengers, you can now receive special narrative events concerning any of your passengers.Perhaps you'll find yourself having to solve a dispute between passengers, or maybe someone needs special help from their captain.Let me know what events you have discovered!You'll also see some more visual changes here and there, and some general balance fixes.Send me your feedback!I've also added an in-game feedback form which you can use to send any feedback privately and to me directly. Or you can just hop on to the Discord and publicly give it to me straight. You might find some other players there to discuss the game with. Find the link at the bottom of this post!Safe travels!
- New feature: Miner Rating and Freelancer Rating - 9 May 2026
Hey everyone,This week brings another cool new feature and more to Starport Merchants.Miner RatingAfter adding the Merchant Rating and Carrier Rating, it felt like Mining should also receive something extra. Upgrade your Miner Rating by mining asteroids. A higher Miner Rating unlocks new Asteroid Fields with higher earnings potential.A new screen called Freelancer Ratings has been created in the Dashboard where you can check your progress in all these new ratings:Apart from these, you'll also notice some big visual changes throughout the game.As usual, let me know what you think!
- New feature: Merchant Rating - 3 May 2026
How do you do, fellow merchants!This week's update adds the Merchant Rating, which is a rating that can be leveled up by moving commodities.Upgrade your Merchant Rating to get access to better offers and contracts.Other minor changes include:Increased the cargo hold size from 5 to 10 for both the Shuttle and Mining starting rolesIncreased minimum passenger ticket pricesIncreased the ticket price spread for the different kinds of passenger group sizeand general fixes and improvementsHope you enjoy this new feature! Let me know in the comments or hop on the Discord and join the conversation!
- Enhancing the Space Taxi role - 1 May 2026
Hey everyone,Another big update this week, this time focused on passenger transport. Special RequestsInstead of taking regular passengers every week, you can now pick up special request passengers.These can be VIP's, faction reps or just random travelers who can't always pay in cash.These travelers usually have certain requirements that need to be fulfilled before they're willing to board your ship.Passenger Carrier RatingThis goes hand-in-hand with the new reputation system called Passenger Carrier Rating.Every time you transport passengers, this rating increases. This rating is an abstraction for customer service, efficiency and reputation. The higher you get this rating, the more valuable your potential customers can become.Steam Cloud Saves Steam Cloud saves are now also supported for the demo.Enjoy!
