Playing the game
      Back to home
      1. Star Atlas Help Center
      2. Getting Started
      3. Playing the game

      Getting Started with Star Atlas

      Dive in through the free UE5 Game or start earning with SAGE

      Star Atlas is a next-gen space metaverse built on the Solana blockchain. Whether you're here to explore, trade, or earn, this guide shows you exactly how to get started—from jumping into the free UE5 game to setting up your fleet in SAGE

      Start with the Free-to-Play UE5 Game

      The fastest way to jump into Star Atlas is through the UE5 Game, available on the Epic Games Store. It's free to play, and you don’t need to own any NFTs to start exploring.

      What You Can Do:

      • Fly demo ships or your own ships

      • Use crew avatars to explore

      • Play solo or multiplayer modes: combat, racing, zone control & more

      • Mine asteroids in the open world

      • Race or explore Volant Station, the MUD faction’s central hub

      How to Join:

      1. Join the Star Atlas Discord
        discord.gg/staratlas

      2. Go to the 🔑┃game-access-key channel (under “Start Here”)

      3. Use the /key command
        A bot will send you your unique Epic Games key.

      4. Redeem the Key on Epic Games Launcher

        • Open Epic Games Launcher

        • Log in or create an account

        • Go to your name → "Redeem Code"

        • Enter your game key

      🔗 Learn more about Star Atlas UE5 Game in our dedicated category: https://support.staratlas.com/star-atlas-unreal-engine-5-game

      Play-to-Earn with SAGE (Browser Game) 


      SAGE is Star Atlas’ browser-based strategy game built entirely on the Solana blockchain. It’s a true play-to-earn experience, where you can generate value by exploring the galaxy, mining resources, crafting items, and managing fleets—all through on-chain actions

      Here’s what makes SAGE unique:

      • Explore space and discover valuable regions of the Galia Expanse

      • Mine and extract resources like Ore, Carbon, Hydrogen, and more

      • Craft materials and components for use in future gameplay

      • Earn ATLAS and resources through efficient fleet and economy management

      • List your fleet for rent and earn passive income from other players

      To get started in SAGE, you’ll need:

      • A Solana wallet (e.g. Phantom)

      • A small amount of SOL for transaction fees

      • ATLAS to buy your first assets on the Star Atlas Marketplace

      • A Ship, a Crew member, and R4 resources (Fuel, Food, Ammo, Toolkits)

      You can also rent a fleet from other players using Fleet Rental if you don’t want to buy ships right away

      🔗 Learn more about SAGE in our dedicated category: support.staratlas.com/sage

      Other Core Features of Star Atlas

      Fleet Rental

      • Create a fleet in SAGE and rent it to other players on the Fleet Rental platform for passive income

      🔗 Learn more about Fleet Rental

      Galactic Marketplace

      • Buy and sell ships, crew, resources, claim stakes, collectibles, and more

      • Use ATLAS or USDC to transact

      🔗 Learn more about Galactic Marketplace

      Faction Claim

      Stake Claim Stakes to extract R4 resources (Fuel, Food, Ammo, Toolkits) over time. Great for passive income and resource accumulation

      🔗 Learn more about Faction Claim

      DACs (Guilds)

      Join or create a Decentralized Autonomous Corporation (DAC) to play with others, form alliances, and take on big challenges
      play.staratlas.com/dac

      🔗 Learn more about DACs

      Star Atlas DAO

      • Lock POLIS to gain voting power (PVP) and participate in decentralized proposals that shape the metaverse

      • Lock POLIS or ATLAS to earn daily POLIS rewards (higher with POLIS)

      • Lock ATLAS to reduce fees when trading on the Galactic Marketplace and SAGE’s Local Marketplace

      🔗 Learn more about DAO