We just learned about the SimCity-like Star Trek: Outposts Unknown game last month – and have even had the chance to try out a demo – and now the game has a release date and details on how you can play, along with a new trailer.

A release date… and a sortof trailer

The news comes from Gamescom over in Germany today, confirming the game’s October 20 release date on both Windows PC and Mac via Steam. Outpost Unknown‘s release date was detailed during the Future Game Show, specifically, and featured a new, voiceless trailer that briefly showed off the game in action. It’s below, though admittedly light on actual content — a previous trailer is a better example of what to expect if you’re newly discovering this city builder.

Bad news for consoles (for now)

Publisher Playstack has also taken to the comments of the below video, saying that it and developer Magic Fuel Games are “focused on a Steam release, available on PC or Mac” rather than availability on Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch consoles. This is unfortunate news for those wanting to play on consoles; back at its announcement in June, PlayStack and Magic Fuel Games called the title “the first-ever Star Trek colony-builder [for]… PC and console.” We’ve reached out to Playstack for further clarification on the matter.

What to expect from Outposts Unknown

“In Star Trek: Outposts Unknown, players take command of the outpost builder-ship, the U.S.S. Resonant, leading a crew across strange new worlds shaped by iconic Star Trek technology, scientific discovery, and interstellar mystery,” Playstack and Magic Fuel Games said of the title.

“As exploration expands across the system, a mysterious cosmic force threatens a new ally, requiring careful leadership, coordination of crew, and strategic planning.”

Outposts Unknown is set within Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ 23rd century. (Magic Fuel Games/Playstack)

As we’ve previously detailed, Outposts Unknown is set within the timeline of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and will even feature the likeness of Adrian Holmes as former Enterprise captain, Admiral Robert April.

Here are its main selling points, according to Magic Fuel Games and Playstack:

Lead your crew through a wide variety of unique missions, with each completed challenge uncovering more of the mystery behind a growing cosmic threat.

Fuel scientific advancement through exploration while building logistics networks to optimize new resources and discoveries.

Expand operations with manufacturing and advanced systems to unlock complex puzzles essential to understanding this region of space.

Progress through iconic Star Trek technology, using crew, vehicles, transporters, and other familiar tools to move essential resources and solve logistical challenges.

Establish permanent outposts across diverse worlds, each presenting distinct environmental challenges.

Shape a growing scientific network, with every outpost contributing to broader exploration efforts.

The icy planet Kourou is just one of many that you’ll be able to explore and colonize. (Magic Fuel Games/Playstack)

Star Trek: Outposts Unknown PC specifications

If you’re interested in what you see, you’ll need to ensure you’ve got a Windows PC or Mac powerful enough to run Star Trek: Outposts Unknown. Thankfully, we’ve got some specifications for you to evaluate below.

Windows PC recommended specifications

OS: 64-bit processor and operating system
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Intel Core i5-14600K
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
Storage: 10 GB available space

MacOS minimum specifications

OS: Tahoe 26.4.1
Processor: Apple M1
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Metal compatible
Storage: 10 GB available space

Star Trek: Outposts Unknown is planned for an October 20 release on Windows PC and Mac via Steam. A price has not been announced so there is no way to pre-order, but you can add it to your wishlist on Steam.

 

If a SimCity-type game isn’t your style, you could also dip your toes into Star Trek Online, Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown, or other upcoming titles including card-battler Star Trek: Warp, or a horror title starring Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren in Star Trek: Shadow Frontier.

Steve Wright is a longtime Trek fan and an experienced Australian-based games journalist. He’s recently opened up his own personal portfolio, available at SWright.au.

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