Stars Reach Homesteading: How to Claim Land
The rules as of build 8.4.6
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| No skill gate | 8.4.0 removed the skill requirement for owning a homestead. You no longer have to build toward a building profession before you can place one. | Early Access Update 8.4.0 (2026-08-21) |
| Prices doubled | In the same patch, the cost of homesteads and zoning lots was doubled, explicitly because the skill gate was gone. | Early Access Update 8.4.0 (2026-08-21) |
| Property Pass | Starting a homestead, or being a long-term landowner in general, requires a Property Pass. Kickstarter supporters at the $30 tier and above hold this through testing and Early Access; the studio's stated plan is a monthly paid pass after full launch. | Official FAQ (starsreach.com/faq), last revised 2025-03-07 |
| Group claims | You and your friends can claim a large plot together, cluster your homesteads, build a community and govern it — settlements are not just a bigger house. | Official Overview page |
| Creatures avoid your build | Since 8.4.0 creatures tend to steer clear of player structures and NPC buildings, which changes where it is worth putting a base. | Official Overview page |
The 8.4.0 trade is worth understanding before you save up. Removing the skill gate means a brand-new character can own land on day one instead of building toward a building profession first — but the doubled price moves the wall from skills to currency. If you were budgeting off a pre-8.4.0 guide, your number is half of what you now need.
The six tools you build with
| Tool | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Homesteader Tool | Claims the land itself — the first step before anything can be placed. |
| Instaformer | Lays foundations and works with the terrain physics. |
| Fabricator | Places props and handles decorating. |
| Terraformer | Reshapes the landscape around the plot. |
| Trowel | Fine landscaping work. |
| Paver | Surfacing and paths. |
Homesteading deep-dive chapter markers, community guide video (August 2026), cross-checked against the building changes in Update 8.1.5 and 8.4.0.
Picking a spot
Three things decide whether a plot ages well. Creature behaviour: since 8.4.0 creatures avoid player structures and NPC buildings, so a base changes the local wildlife pattern rather than just sitting in it. Terrain permanence: what you reshape stays reshaped, and so does what your neighbours reshape — read our planets page on how the simulation persists. Resource depletion: a planet can be mined out, and a homestead next to an exhausted vein is a long walk from anywhere useful.
Governance: who actually owns the world
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Elected office | There is a leadership skill tree. You can be elected mayor of a town, governor of a world, or head of several types of guild. |
| You set the laws | A world's ruler decides whether it is a PvP-enabled den of pirates or a safe-zone roleplay haven, and sets tax rates and policies. |
| There are consequences | Strip a world to bare rock for profit and you risk the wrath of the Servitors who tend the galactic Garden. |
A warning about permanence
Server wipes were routine through the closed playtests, and Playable Worlds has said they will still happen occasionally during Early Access, with a final wipe when Early Access ends. Build because building is the game, not because the building will still be standing at 1.0. Our roadmap page tracks what has been stated on that.
Homestead rules checked against patch notes: