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StarMade

Review · Action · PC · macOS · Linux

StarMade

Reviewed: 23 May 2026

PC · macOS · Linux

schine · 2014

Ludograph rating

A

Recommended

76 /100

Automated review
06010030Benefit →Low risk →B 63 · R 6
The Ludograph reading, plotted from the published benefit and risk sub-scores.

Growth (BDS)

63

Risk (RIS)

6

Daily limit

120min

Age guidance

7+

Developmental benefits

B1Cognitive
0.84
B2Social-emotional
0.40
B3Motor
0.45

StarMade offers a rich sandbox experience that heavily promotes creativity through its advanced building tools and modular systems. Players engage in complex problem-solving, strategic thinking, and spatial awareness while designing ships, stations, and intricate logic systems. The game also fosters learning transfer by requiring players to understand and apply logical principles. Multiplayer options allow for social interaction and teamwork.

Design risks

R1Compulsion-loop pressure
0.03
R2Monetization
0.00
R3Social risk
0.17

The open-ended nature of StarMade, combined with its vast procedural universe and deep building mechanics, can lead to extended play sessions as there are no inherent natural stopping points. While multiplayer is available, the game explicitly states no stranger chat, mitigating some social risks. Monetization and compulsion-loop design risks are very low due to the absence of microtransactions, loot boxes, and manipulative design mechanics.

Content (not in risk score)

R4.1Violence Level
0.33
R4.2Sexual Content
0.00
R4.3Language
0.00
R4.4Substance References
0.00
R4.5Fear / Horror
0.00

Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.

Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria

  • DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
  • GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
  • ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.

These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.

Avg playtime~1 hReviewedMay 2026Report a data error →How scores are calculated →

Parents ask…

Is StarMade safe for kids?

Ludograph gives StarMade a rating of 76/100, recommended for ages 7 and up. It scores well on developmental benefits with manageable risks.

What age is StarMade appropriate for?

Ludograph's rubric recommends a minimum age of 7+ for StarMade, based on benefits, risks, and content review.

How long should kids play StarMade?

Our session recommendation for StarMade is up to 120 minutes per day. It is derived from the game's own structure (natural stopping points, compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social dynamics), not from a universal screen-time dose.

Session recommendations are design-based heuristics. Evidence linking specific daily durations to child outcomes is limited, and context matters as much as time; treat this as a starting point for household rules, not a clinical threshold.

What are the main risks of StarMade?

The open-ended nature of StarMade, combined with its vast procedural universe and deep building mechanics, can lead to extended play sessions as there are no inherent natural stopping points. While multiplayer is available, the game explicitly states no stranger chat, mitigating some social risks. Monetization and compulsion-loop design risks are very low due to the absence of microtransactions, l