Exploring The New Additions In Star Birds

When I first played the factory management sim Star Birds, I expected a chill, cozy experience from the developers of Dorfromantik. What I discovered was a game of serious puzzling depth, where the cutesy visuals and gentle onboarding hid an exponentially tricky challenge. Each asteroid or planet houses only a small number of resources, making effective shipping between them vital. It felt like trying to fit all the components of a circuit board into a functioning layout on the surface of a potato. Until now, the game’s puzzles focused on synthetic resource production, but the new Flora & Fauna update introduces organic production chains that significantly expand the gameplay. Things are about to get more involved with the addition of alien plants, food production, and a surprising number of tentacles.

Much of this new content revolves around the Paradeira star system, a green and pleasant sector of space bustling with organic life. This life can be harnessed to produce food for the avian astronauts. I was able to plant seeds, harvest the resulting plants, and then cook dishes in new buildings like the bakery and the Bird Restaurant. It adds a completely new layer to the resource management, moving beyond simple mineral extraction and processing. The new system requires planning for agriculture and supply chains for consumables, not just industrial components. This shift fundamentally alters the approach to solving the game's logistical puzzles and expands the strategic possibilities on each map.

Some of the new plants and animals serve other purposes beyond simple food production. Volt Shrooms, which I found growing on asteroids, can be used as an alternative power source, offering new solutions for energizing my expanding network. On the other hand, the tentacular creatures mentioned earlier lurk in asteroid craters, denying valuable construction space. These creatures present a new kind of obstacle that can't simply be removed. They must be coaxed back into their holes with a spot of dinner.

"Ever fed an alien pizza? Now's the moment!"

— Toukana Interactive

I explored these new mechanics across three additional levels, which are noticeably longer and more complex than the introductory levels from the earlier star systems. The puzzles require more intricate planning and foresight to solve efficiently. For players who want to continue playing beyond the handcrafted scenarios, Star Birds now allows for the generation of custom levels, providing endless replayability. Toukana Interactive is already working on the next update, with an additional level introducing more aliens and mechanics currently being tested in the game's beta branch. The game is currently available with a 25% discount at $15 (£12.50), with the sale ending on February 5.

Star Birds is available to play on PC (Steam).