One of the most interesting systems in the early-access colony survival sim Stranded: Alien Dawn (opens in new tab) is that you can eventually rescue all the survivors who started the game by crashing their spaceships on a hostile alien planet eventually rescue all the survivors. If you unlock the technology to contact passing spaceships, escape pods can descend from orbit and deliver the colonists to safety one by one.

While I really enjoyed this escape pod system, it was also interesting to learn that many players did not want to rescue survivors. They wanted to keep the survivors on the alien planet as long as possible, even decades in the game. Once you build a huge base with all the comforts like a full kitchen and air conditioning, and set up automated defense systems to hold off the alien hordes, you might want to just stay put.

Good news for those who play Stranded: for those who have been playing Alien Dawn for a long time: the new update coming out next week is the perfect way to make the dream of a permanent base a reality.

In the new "Sow and Sell" scenario (opens in a new tab), which will be available on March 28, the colonists have not crash-landed on an alien planet, but have come intentionally in search of fortune. Their goal is to set up an outpost on the planet, farm it, generate resources, and begin trading with the orbiting colony ships using space pods. In other words, there is a new economic layer in Stranded: there is a new economic layer in Alien Dawn, and the colonists may finally have enough "Galactic Ones" to do more than just live comfortably. They will be able to buy entire planets.

"Buy a planet" If this is not a reason to stay on a hostile alien planet for years, I don't know what is. There is another interesting way to make money, literally, that is even more attractive to those who don't want to follow the rules. They study counterfeiting and print their own counterfeit galactic coins. As the famous saying goes, sometimes crime really does pay.

The "Sow and Sell" update added many new crops that can be discovered and grown, including plants that produce antibiotics (not only useful for selling, but also for treating settlers' diseases), synthetic fibers for clothing, and energy crystals for power generation. The raw materials can be traded or used to create items such as clothing and food, which can then be sold for higher profits.

Managing all those transactions sounds like a lot of work when you're building a base, foraging for food, defending against alien hordes, and keeping your colonists healthy and sane. But you have a little help. The colonists didn't crash, they came to this planet voluntarily, and they are ready to carve out a life on this planet. They start the game with more supplies, and the new survivors are already skilled farmers and merchants when you land.

You can also trade with the factions in orbit for missing resources and items, or buy technology to save time sitting on the research table. There are four different factions in orbit, each with different needs and goods to shop around for the best prices. You can even put out job offers to hire contract workers to come down from space and join your colony.

The Sow and Sell update will be available on March 28. And with the update comes the 1.0 release date for Stranded: Alien Dawn. The colony survival sim will exit Steam Early Access on April 25. Check out the trailer above and see more info on the Sow and Sell update below.

Trading Outpost Scenario:

New Survivors: [21]