Valheim Lead Engineer Reveals Solo Space Survival Game Starpath at BitSummit
Jonathan Smårs, the lead engineer and designer on Iron Gate's Valheim, showed a playable demo of his solo-developed space survival sandbox Starpath at BitSummit PUNCH, held May 22-24, 2026. Smårs, who also has five children, works on Valheim full-time and develops Starpath at night and on weekends. The game emphasizes a cozy, relaxing experience in zero gravity, where players build colonies, maintain spaceships, and explore abandoned structures. Combat is not a focus. Movement in zero gravity allows 360-degree orientation and propulsion-based gliding, with an optional automated braking setting for accessibility. The demo included repairing oxygen leaks by snapping replacement parts onto outer walls, though the building system is still early in development. Smårs cited influences from classic sci-fi like Interstellar and Cowboy Bebop, and said the game's central mystery is whether other life exists in the universe. He plans to release a polished demo at a future event before launching on Steam, likely in early access. Smårs also expressed interest in building a Japanese community on Discord and holding test events in Japan.