UPDATE: We interviewed Balancing Monkey Games about Beyond These Stars at PAX Aus 2024:
Where do I even begin? I LOVE Balancing Monkeys. Before We Leave is my favourite cozy game. I can spend hours building, researching, upgrading, re-organising islands and settling new colonies on the planets in my solar system. The universe they have created for the Peeps to exist in, and for me to control just hits all those neuro-spicy feels. Its fun, engaging and so re-playable. I have made about a million different save files trying new strategies or play styles, just to see if I like it more.
Both Before We Leave (BWL) and Beyond These Stars (BTS) are hexagonal tile-based world-building sims. You start BWL with a few Peeps, your little friends you have to protect from space whales, keep happy and make sure they don't get sick from pollution. Peeps came out of their underground bunker ready to build and collect resources from your starting island.
To progress in the game you need build a Library to research green technology that you find and collect on your island home. You will unlock more research as you progress, being able to build elevators to get up the mountains and mines to mine for more resources like iron and stone. You learn how to repair the broken powerplant and wrecked ship you find on your island as you load in, giving you access to more islands on your home planet. Once you unlock the school, the Peeps will start having children, growing your Peep society! There is so much that goes into BWL, I could write a book on all the ins and outs of the gameplay and the best way of using your time, resources and Peeps, but I'm going to let you discover that for yourselves. Plus, there is like a million YouTube video playthroughs and top tips.
We spoke to Anna at PAXAus 2023 about Beyond These Stars. Sadly, I was unable to conduct the interview as I'd lost my voice over the weekend, so Liam stepped in for me and I was behind the camera losing it over all the new juicy info Anna was telling us. Beyond These Stars has MULTI TILE BRIDGES! Oh man, I know it sounds like a strange thing to be excited about but once you get your hands on them you'll understand. With so many upgrades to the design not only the landscape, but the buildings and how they interact with the hexagonal tiles, I feel like this is a huge improvement over the way the system worked in BWL. With the addition of terraforming it brings a whole new strategic element to your city planning. It forces you to think how best to adapt the land for better crops and access to water, moving land to get better access to resources... Just so many possibilities!
I was lucky enough to be involved with the playtest, and believe me when I say, I will lose WEEKS to this game. Coming from Before We Leave where you start on your own island, Beyond These Stars begins when we land upon the Space Whale 'Kewa' to make a home on their back as you travel through space together discovering new technologies and new entities, enriching the game in new fun ways I cannot wait to explore. I can't get into too much from the play test for Beyond These Stars because them's the rules, but as soon as I can go into a deep dive for you all, I will.
Do I recommend getting Before We Leave and spending copious amounts of hours in it? Yes, 100%. Do it. Also: Wishlist Beyond These Stars! I can't wait until its full release! Before We Leave | https://store.steampowered.com/app/1073910/Before_We_Leave/ Wishlist Now | https://store.steampowered.com/app/2295060/Beyond_These_Stars/
I wanted to thank all who have any part in the work of Balancing Monkey and the games they make. You have no idea how much they mean to me and how much they have helped me through some really pressing times. I will be playing these games for years to come. Over and over, tweaking "this" technique and "that" strategy. You have brought me peace when I needed it, and I am forever grateful. Much love, mOB
I am keeping this article in a tab on my browser so whenever I'm feeling down or stuck I can read it and feel better