May 26, 2026 — Berlin, Germany — Berlin-based indie studio Toukana Interactive and animation studio kurzgesagt have released the “Lava & Logistics” Update for their asteroid-mining game Star Birds. This marks the game’s final major content update before its full release.
The update takes players to a new star system where lava pools and high temperatures make production facility construction more challenging. It also introduces several highly requested additions, including a Mac port, full controller support, and an expanded Free Play Mode for sandbox-style factory building outside of the story-campaign.
The Star Birds “Lava & Logistics” Update is available on Steam from May 26, 2026.
Key Features “Lava & Logistics” Update
• New star system with lava levels
• Mac port and controller support for Steam Deck compatibility
• Improved Free Play Mode and leaderboards for sandbox-style gameplay beyond the campaign
New Star System
The newly introduced star system is named Cinnakeet. It adds three additional levels set around a hypergiant star. The system brings tougher challenges for factory construction, with lava pools on the asteroid surfaces requiring smarter and more efficient use of surface area. Production networks now require cooling systems to not overheat and keep running smoothly.
The update also introduces eight new buildings, including a Geothermal Reactor which uses the Lava’s heat as an energy source and a new Filter Building, one of the community’s most requested features. It gives players more precise control over resource flow as they scale up their factories into larger and more complex system-wide networks.
In addition, players can discover seven new resources and eight hidden resources with secret crafting recipes. The update comes with new animated kurzgesagt cutscenes and surprising encounters. Players will meet an Alien Trader who appears on the Star Map and speaks in a mysterious language designed specifically for the game.
Mac Port & Controller Support
With “Lava & Logistics”, Star Birds is now available on Mac (M1 and newer). As an Early Access title, the game has so far only been playable on Windows PC.
The update also adds full controller support, making the game accessible from the couch and now officially on Steam Deck.
Beyond the Campaign
For players looking beyond the bird crew’s story campaign, the update expands Free Play Mode. Letting them switch to a more flexible sandbox experience. In Free Play Mode, players can build space factories in individually generated levels tailored to their chosen difficulty and environmental settings.
New in-game leaderboards add another layer of competition, making it easy to compare results from the main menu and challenge the best Star Birds players worldwide.
The update is available now for all Star Birds players. New players can get the base game at a 25% discount until June 9.
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About Star Birds
Star Birds is a chill factory-building and resource management game. Mine asteroids and create brain-twisting production networks. Level by level, you guide your feathered crew to new interstellar horizons.
Star Birds launched into Early Access in September 2025. “Lava & Logistics” is the last major content update before full release. The game is a collaborative project between Berlin indie studio Toukana Interactive, creators of Dorfromantik, and the YouTube channel and animation studio kurzgesagt – in a nutshell.
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