Beyond These Stars jumps into Cozy Quest with updated demo and 2026 release window

November 17, 2025 - Hooded Horse and Balancing Monkey Games are pleased to share that their upcoming sci-fi city builder Beyond These Stars dropped a new trailer as part of the Cozy Quest 2025 showcase. With an updated demo to tide everyone over, excited Peeps can embark on a journey upon Kewa’s back in 2026.

Beyond These Stars has come a long way since first releasing its demo during June Next Fest in 2024, and managed to showcase some exciting late-game content during Gamescom earlier this year. Given how much has changed this year, the team felt a refreshed demo would tide people over until the full release is ready.

Key changes include:

• New Pollution mechanics with “toxic tiles” if players don’t keep on top of the trash
• Completely overhauled UI, with extra overlays and ways to track resource flow
• A new Tech tree, with a perk system
• The tutorial has been enhanced, as has the story overall
• Peeps now work in shifts and have a new “exhaustion” mechanic - if they get too tired, mistakes happen
• Lots of changes to how buildings work, from changed-up adjacent effects, to work radius on accommodation, and more!

The game has amassed over 170,000 wishlists on Steam since its announcement.

Beyond These Stars will release in 2026 via early access for PC on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store. A press kit is available.

Press inquiries: press@hoodedhorse.com

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About Hooded Horse™
Hooded Horse is a publisher of deep strategic and tactical games, including Manor Lords, Against the Storm, ENDLESS™ Legend 2, Old World, Norland, Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era, and 9 Kings. With people and partners around the world, our goal is to empower and support developers in doing what they do best: creating world-class experiences for their audiences.

You can find out more about us on our Steam publisher page or website, as well as our social channels: Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, YouTube, and Discord.

About Balancing Monkey Games™
Balancing Monkey Games is an independent game developer based in New Zealand (Aotearoa), that specializes in non-violent games that aim to relax and entertain players. It is the studio’s mission to build a positive and thoughtful community, as well as create peaceful, accessible, and culturally relevant experiences that enable the team to support their local community in Dunedin (Ōtepoti).

You can find out more via the studio’s official website and social channels, such as Discord, Twitter, and YouTube.