Star Harvester Box Art Mockup

Star Harvester is an unfair, fast-paced arcade competition set in a dystopian satire about the far-future asteroid mining gig economy.

You and your opponents pilot resource-hungry ships in an asteroid field, vying to outmine—and outmaneuver—each other while remaining loyal to APES corporation’s “no direct harm” policy. Of course, the best Star Harvesters know that real success comes from sneaky sabotage: skillfully bait your rival into paying for property damage so you can rake in credits scot-free. Race to 1,000 credits—or push your opponent into bankruptcy—by exploiting the hidden value of resources and pinning any collateral damage on them.

Star Harvester blends cunning strategy with lightning-fast gameplay, delivering the thrill of face-to-face competition in a universe where hustle and treachery rule the day.

Follow on Discord, X, or Insta for early access. Beta opens in 2026.

Game Director: Nick Charney Kaye

Blockbusters Prototype

Blockbusters is a prototype fast‑paced “unfair sport” where contestants sabotage each other to mine and capture gems, specifically for the Noisebridge 1v1 Coffee Table community. The project is free and open source on GitHub.

Community Feedback & Early Playtesting

Opening up Blockbusters allowed players and developers alike to dive in early—testing mechanics, iterating on gameplay, and giving feedback. That organic loop of iteration drives sharper design and smoother systems.

Transparency in Development

The Unlicense means anyone can use, modify, or build upon the project without constraints. It’s empowering: not just for players testing the dabbling in features, but for fellow creators eager to tinker or contribute.

Showcasing the Engine Behind the Scenes

Blockbusters serves as a preview—a tangible taste of the mechanical DNA of what’s heading to Star Harvester. Players get hands‑on experience with core dynamics before the main game launches.

What Blockbusters Teaches Us

Blockbusters acts as a “gameplay nutrients” sandbox—it lets players internalize mechanics while offering direct feedback that can shape Star Harvester’s final form.

  • Fast, tense competitive mechanics: Grab gems, strategize sabotage, outmaneuver opponents.
  • Sabotage as a tool: True to the Star Harvester ethos, gameplay rewards baiting your rival into doing the dirty work.

Star Harvester Board Game Prototype

The Star Harvester Board Game prototype is a digital board game crafted to explore core game theory mechanics—strategy, resource scarcity, risk, and asymmetric advantage—that will ultimately shape the gameplay and overarching design philosophy of starharvester.com. Available across multiple platforms, it’s your first look at a future multiplayer universe where cunning meets competition.

Available now on Web, Android, iOS, and macOS.

Core Gameplay Mechanics

The game centers around planetary resource harvesting, with gameplay driven by these interlaced systems:

Resource Scarcity & Collection

Players scour randomly scattered asteroids, dynamically competing to breach and seize precious resources. Successfully transporting these assets back to a designated “exit zone” is the key to earning points and claiming victory.

Time Pressure & Spatial Strategy

With competitors breathing down your neck—and a ticking clock—each move is imbued with urgency. Efficiency in decision-making, adapting to on-the-fly scenarios, and anticipating opponents’ next moves are essential.

Asymmetrical, Skill-Based Competition

Victory isn’t guaranteed by luck: even when faced with a disadvantage, players can leverage sharp thinking, creative exploitation of rules, and psychological manipulation to turn the odds in their favor.

Rule Manipulation & Bureaucracy Exploits

The game’s world features a satirical regulatory system—bureaucratic constraints like fees, taxes, and equipment costs—which create opportunities to both cheat the system and sabotage rivals. Clever players can slip through loopholes or trick opponents into costly mistakes.

Multiple Paths to Victory

Players can succeed by sheer volume of resource extraction, by undermining competitors through sabotage and trickery, or by manipulating game mechanics to avoid penalties and taxes—or gain unexpected advantages.