Getting started

SpaceTraders is a programmable fleet-management game played through a headless API.

Build your own UI, automate your trade routes, or just enjoy the game from the comfort of your terminal.

Overview

SpaceTraders is an open-universe game and learning platform that offers a set of HTTP endpoints to control a fleet of ships and explore a multiplayer universe.

The API is fully documented using OpenAPI and Stoplight Studio. You can send your first request right here in your browser to check the status of the game server, or try our Quickstart Guide to learn the basics in under five minutes.

curl 'https://api.spacetraders.io/v2/'

Unlike a traditional game, SpaceTraders is headless and does not have a first-party client to play the game.

Instead, you as the player are responsible for building your own client to interact with the API. This allows you to build your own UI, automate your trade routes, or just play the game from the comfort of your terminal.

We have a Discord channel where you can share your projects, ask questions, or give feedback on what others are building.

Gameplay

The goal of the game is to manage a fleet of ships as you explore the universe and try to turn a profit. You can trade goods across systems, mine asteroids for valuable ores, or take on faction contracts to earn credits and reputation.

All players operate in the same universe, so you can compete with others to earn the most credits or chart the most systems. The game is currently in alpha, and we plan to add player-vs-player combat, bounty hunting, and more.

Roadmap

We plan to work toward the following features and capabilities. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please share them in our Discord channel.

• scavenge derelict ships for valuable cargo and spare parts
• create webhooks to receive notifications when events occur in the game
• search for ancient artifacts on distant planets to sell for profit
• send envoys to meet new factions and generate contracts or unique trade deals
• private game worlds deployed on a separate server for testing or playing with friends
• take on bounties to earn credits or pirate other players trade routes
• a GraphQL API for querying systems and waypoints
• deploy envoys to track rumors and generate contracts

Funding

We are a small self-funded team dedicated to keeping the SpaceTraders platform alive and accessible for everyone, and free for as long as we can support it.

You can donate to the project using the link below. Contributions will go directly towards maintaining server costs for the community. As we fund everything out of pocket, every donation, no matter the size, makes a big difference.

We’re grateful for your support and excited to see what you build with the SpaceTraders API!

Donate to SpaceTraders ->

Next steps

The SpaceTraders API is an excellent platform to learn a new programming language, test a new framework, or stretch your skills in a fun and meaningful way.

If you are new to SpaceTraders, you should try our interactive quickstart guide which will walk you through basic API requests in just a few minutes.

If you're looking for some project inspiration, here are some ideas to get you started:

• create a script to mine asteroids and automate trade routes
• build a web or mobile app to manage your fleet of ships
• track and share market price data with other players
• generate an SDK from the OpenAPI spec and publish it
• create a Discord bot for others players to use

And finally, if you find an issue and want to report it, please open an issue on our GitHub repository or share it in our Discord channel.