Space Engineers is Keen Software House's block and voxel sandbox, on Steam Early Access from 23 October 2013 and fully released on 28 February 2019. You build ships, stations and rovers from large grid blocks 2.5 metres per edge or small grid blocks at 0.5 metres, and anything you build can be ground down, shot apart or flown into a mountain. The vanilla Star System holds eight bodies, and their ore rules set the whole progression: platinum appears only on moons and asteroids, uranium only on asteroids.
Space Engineers features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.
Area Progression Order
| Order | Location | Difficulty | Key Rewards | Recommended Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EarthLike | Starting world | Iron, silicon, cobalt, lake ice, breathable atmosphere | Hydrogen launch vehicle |
| 2 | Moon | First trip off world | Platinum for Thruster Components and Jump Drives | Hydrogen launch vehicle |
| 3 | Mars | Mid game colony | 4.1 percent ore coverage, the richest planetary surface in the game | Atmospheric mining ship |
| 4 | Pertam | Advanced | Iron and nickel in bulk, and a genuine test of a lifter design | Atmospheric mining ship |
| 5 | Triton | Mid to late game | The most complete single planet ore spread, plus easy surface ice | Atmospheric mining ship |
EarthLike: Starting Area
120 km across at 1.0 g, with breathable air at 1 atm reaching 14.4 km up and 3.5 percent ore coverage. Silicon, magnesium, iron, cobalt, nickel, gold, silver and ice are all here; platinum and uranium are not.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Starting world |
| Key Rewards | Iron, silicon, cobalt, lake ice, breathable atmosphere |
| Recommended Build | Hydrogen launch vehicle |
| Key Equipment | Grinder |
What to Do Here
- Learn the basics of Large and small grid building. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
- Collect starting resources and your first equipment upgrade.
- Clear all main content before moving to Moon.
- If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.
Moon: Early Game
19 km across at 0.25 g with no atmosphere whatsoever, so atmospheric thrusters and wind turbines are dead weight. Ore coverage is only 1.4 percent, but it carries platinum, which no planet does.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | First trip off world |
| Key Rewards | Platinum for Thruster Components and Jump Drives |
| Recommended Build | Hydrogen launch vehicle |
| Key Equipment | Grinder |
What to Do Here
- Focus on mastering Ore refining and assembly. It's critical from this point on.
- Farm for Grinder if you don't have it yet.
- Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
- Prepare for the difficulty spike in Mars.
Mars: Mid Game
120 km at 0.9 g with a full 1 atm atmosphere 14.4 km deep that contains no oxygen. Atmospheric thrusters and wind turbines work there; your lungs do not, and the wiki steers you toward solar rather than wind.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Mid game colony |
| Key Rewards | 4.1 percent ore coverage, the richest planetary surface in the game |
| Recommended Build | Atmospheric mining ship |
| Key Equipment | Grinder |
What to Do Here
- This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
- Hand Drill becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
- Master Thruster and gravity flight for the boss encounters.
- Check our boss guide if you get stuck.
Pertam: Late Game
60 km across at 1.2 g with an atmosphere only 1.6 km thick, which makes it the hardest launch in the game. Ore coverage is 0.3 percent and ice sits underground beneath oases and discoloured sand.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Key Rewards | Iron and nickel in bulk, and a genuine test of a lifter design |
| Recommended Build | Atmospheric mining ship |
| Key Equipment | Hand Drill |
What to Do Here
- Full build optimization is expected by this point.
- Hand Drill should be your primary, fully upgraded.
- Block damage and repair mastery starts mattering here.
- Farm resources for the push into Triton.
Triton: Endgame
80 km at 1.0 g with breathable air in the valleys, surface ice lakes and 3.5 percent ore coverage. It holds every ore except platinum and uranium, which no planet has anyway.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Mid to late game |
| Key Rewards | The most complete single planet ore spread, plus easy surface ice |
| Recommended Build | Atmospheric mining ship |
| Key Equipment | Hand Drill |
What to Do Here
- This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
- See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
- The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
- Experiment with Combat gunship for variety once you've mastered the meta.
Exploration Tips
- Clear areas in order: EarthLike → Moon → Mars → Pertam → Triton. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
- Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
- Match your equipment: Some areas favor different equipment types.
- Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
- Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.
More Space Engineers Guides
- Space Engineers Space Engineers Overview
- Space Engineers Best Builds
- Space Engineers Tier List
- Space Engineers Walkthrough
- Space Engineers Beginner's Guide
- Space Engineers Tips & Tricks
- Space Engineers Weapons Guide
- Space Engineers Combat Guide
- Space Engineers Boss Guide
- Space Engineers Crafting Guide
- Space Engineers Classes & Characters
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