Starflight

Starflight is a space exploration title where players manage a starship and its multi-species crew to uncover a galactic mystery. The setting involves a forgotten empire of Humans, Velox, Thrynn, and Elowan, whose collapse a millennium ago is now being investigated by their descendants from the colony world Arth.

Gameplay is non-linear, centered on freely exploring star systems and landing on diverse planets to gather resources and data. These materials can be sold for currency, which is also used to train crew skills and upgrade the ship's equipment. Interaction with the various alien races inhabing the galaxy is a key component, requiring diplomatic communication that can, if negotiations fail, transition into arcade-style ship combat.

Progression is driven by piecing together clues about the ancient empire's fate, information gained from alien communications or transmissions received at the starport. Before embarking, players must assemble and assign roles to a crew, choosing from different races, each with affinities for specific professions like science officer or engineer. Planetary exploration uses a top-down lander to navigate often hazardous environments.

Technical differences exist between versions. The Genesis release features enhanced graphics and sound, manual landing sequences, and more detailed planetary terrain that affects the lander's movement. It also includes new equipment not found in other editions, while the Amiga version offers an automated mining function.