Game Guide

Learn to Play Age of Space - Complete beginner's guide to Age of Space. Learn how to build, attack, spy, colonize, and dominate the galaxy!

Colonizing New Worlds

One planet will never be enough to dominate the universe. Colonization is the key to exponential growth — each new planet means more mines, more shipyards, more research capacity, and more strategic presence across the galaxy. This chapter teaches you everything about expanding your empire: from the technology requirements to choosing the perfect planet position, and from managing multiple colonies to advanced specialization strategies.

Prerequisites for Colonization

Before you can establish your first colony, you need to unlock the right technology and build the right ship. Colonization is a mid-game milestone that requires some investment, but the payoff is enormous.

Here is what you need before sending your first Colony Ship:

Requirement: Astrophysics Level 1 Colony Ship Level 1

Colony Ship cost: 10,000 Titanium, 20,000 Graphene, 10,000 Deuterium. It requires Shipyard level 4 and Impulse Drive level 3.

Warning!

The Colony Ship is one of the most expensive early-game ships. Make sure your economy can sustain the cost before building one. Remember that the ship is destroyed upon colonization — you do not get it back.

How Many Planets Can You Have?

The number of planets you can own is directly determined by your Astrophysics technology level. The formula is:

Max Planets = 1 + floor(Astrophysics Level / 2)

Your home planet always counts as 1. Each 2 levels of Astrophysics gives you one additional colony slot.

Example: With Astrophysics level 6: 1 + floor(6/2) = 1 + 3 = 4 planets total (home planet + 3 colonies).

In most universes, the maximum number of planets is capped at 9-12 depending on server settings. Plan your Astrophysics research accordingly — every 2 levels is a new planet.

Choosing Where to Colonize

Location matters enormously. The position of a planet within its solar system determines two critical properties: the number of fields (building slots) and the temperature (which affects Deuterium production and solar energy).

Here are the position ranges and their typical characteristics:


1-3	Positions 1-3: Fewest fields (40-120). Very high temperature. Maximum solar energy but minimal Deuterium production. Rarely recommended for colonies.
4-6	Positions 4-6: Most fields (200-320). Moderate temperature. Good balance of solar energy and Deuterium. These are the BEST positions for general-purpose colonies.
7-9	Positions 7-9: Good fields (150-250). Cool temperature. Solid Deuterium production with adequate solar energy. Good alternative positions.
10-12	Positions 10-12: Moderate fields (120-200). Cold temperature. High Deuterium production but requires more Solar Plants. Good for Deuterium-focused planets.
13-15	Positions 13-15: Fewest fields (40-150). Extreme cold. Best Deuterium production but lowest solar energy. Only useful as dedicated Deuterium farms.

Pro Tip

If you are unsure, always aim for positions 4 through 6 or 8 through 10. These offer the best combination of fields and temperature for new players.

Step-by-Step Colonization

Follow these steps to establish your first colony:

Research Astrophysics to at least level 1 (you need level 1 for your first colony). Each pair of levels unlocks one more colony.
Build a Colony Ship in your Shipyard. This requires Shipyard level 4 and Impulse Drive level 3. The ship costs 10,000 Titanium, 20,000 Graphene, and 10,000 Deuterium.
Open the Galaxy Map and scout for empty positions. Look for positions 4-6 or 8-10 in systems near your home planet (same galaxy is ideal for easy transport).
Go to the Fleet page, select your Colony Ship, and enter the coordinates of your target empty slot.
Select the "Colonize" mission type. You can also load resources onto the Colony Ship to give your new colony a head start.
Wait for the Colony Ship to arrive. If the position is still empty, colonization succeeds and you have a new planet! If another player colonized it first, your Colony Ship is lost.

Managing Multiple Planets

Once you have multiple planets, you need to manage them efficiently. Here are the key concepts:

Planet Switching — Use the planet list in the sidebar to switch between your planets. Each planet has its own resources, buildings, and production.
Priority Development — Focus on building mines first on new colonies. A planet without mines is a planet without income. Get Titanium Mine, Graphene Mine, and Solar Plant to at least level 10 before investing in other buildings.
Resource Transport — Use cargo ships to send resources from your main planet to new colonies. This accelerates their development significantly.
Specialization — As you gain experience, you can specialize planets: some for mining, some for fleet production, some for research. Specialization is more efficient than building everything everywhere.

Colonization Tips

Same Galaxy, Different Systems

Colonize within the same galaxy as your home planet. Transport between planets in the same galaxy is much faster and cheaper than cross-galaxy flights. Aim for planets 20-50 systems apart for a good balance of proximity and strategic spread.

Aim for 200+ Fields

Always target positions that tend to give 200 or more building fields. A planet with too few fields will eventually become a bottleneck you cannot fix. Positions 4-6 and 8-10 are your best bet. If you get a planet with fewer than 150 fields, consider deleting it and trying again.

Do Not Rush Colonization

A common beginner mistake is colonizing too early when your home planet is still underdeveloped. Make sure your home planet has solid mines (level 15+ each) before investing in a Colony Ship. A strong home planet can bootstrap new colonies much faster.

Send Resources with the Colony Ship

Load the Colony Ship with as many resources as it can carry. Your new colony starts with nothing, and even a small resource boost makes the first few upgrades much faster.

Experienced players use advanced strategies to maximize colony value:

Planet Deletion and Recolonization — If you get a planet with too few fields (under 180), you can delete it from the Settings page and colonize the same position again. Field count is randomized within a range, so you might get more fields on the second try. However, this costs time and a Colony Ship.

Planet Specialization

Mine Planets: Maximize resource production. Build all three mines as high as possible, with matching solar plants and storage. Best in positions 4-6 for balanced production.
Fleet Planets: Focus on Shipyard, Nanite Factory, and Barracks. Keep mines at a basic level for income but invest heavily in production infrastructure. Place near strategic locations.
Deuterium Farms: Colonize in positions 13-15 for maximum Deuterium production. Build only Deuterium Synthesizer, Solar Plant, and storage. Transport Deuterium to your main planet.

The optimal strategy depends on your play style. Miners benefit from many well-developed mine planets. Fleeters need a few strong fleet-production planets and several Deuterium farms to fuel their fleets.

Frequently Asked Questions

If the position is already occupied by another player, your Colony Ship will simply return home. It is not destroyed in this case. However, if you send it to an empty position and another player colonizes it before your ship arrives, you lose the Colony Ship. Always double-check that your target position is still empty before sending.

Yes, you can colonize any empty position in any galaxy. However, cross-galaxy flights consume enormous amounts of Deuterium and take a very long time. For your first few colonies, stay within your own galaxy to save fuel and enable easy resource transport.

It depends on how few. Anything below 150 fields will feel very cramped in the late game. If it is below 180, consider deleting it and trying again at the same position — field count is randomized, so you might get better luck. Positions 4-6 consistently give the most fields.

Go to the Settings page while viewing the planet you want to delete, then look for the "Abandon Colony" option. You will need to confirm the deletion. Note that you cannot delete your home planet, only colonies. The deletion is irreversible — all buildings, resources, and defenses on that planet are permanently lost.

The Galaxy Map Next Chapter: Espionage & Intelligence