PCGame

Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition

Top-down exploration RPG about surviving aboard a spacefaring steam locomotive

Failbetter Games · Released Jan 31, 2019

AdventureIndieRPG

Reviews
Very Positive
83% of 2,772
Recent reviews
Very Positive
100% of 10 in 30 days
Players
27
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Playable
Last update on Steam
1 year ago
Oct 20, 2025
Minimum PC
DX9 (shader model 3.0)
4 GB RAM · 4.4 GB disk
Full requirements

Metacritic: 87/100 (critic reviews)

What is Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition?

In this top-down exploration RPG, you captain a steam locomotive as a Victorian empire expands into the stars. You travel between ports, make story choices, trade goods, fight enemies, and manage fuel, supplies, and crew morale. When a captain dies, their successor receives an inheritance.

For you if...

  • +you enjoy strange, text-heavy stories with consequential choices
  • +you like discovering new places despite survival risks
  • +you want progress to carry across successive captains

Not for you if...

  • −you want short trips between familiar destinations
  • −you prefer combat over long stretches of reading
  • −you dislike juggling several survival resources at once

What players say

83% of 2,772 reviews are positive · 100% of 10 in the last 30 days

Players praise the writing, atmosphere, and art. Their most common complaint is slow travel between ports, often paired with repetitive errands.

Players over time

▼ -6% vs a month ago

Players online on Steam, one sample a day.

Highest since Sep 2026: 42 players on Sep 22, 2026.

Show the data
DayPlayers
Nov 7, 202627
Nov 6, 202622
Nov 5, 202626
Nov 4, 202631
Nov 3, 202627
Nov 2, 202626
Nov 1, 202620
Oct 31, 202613
Oct 30, 202615
Oct 29, 202621
Oct 28, 202622
Oct 27, 202629
Oct 26, 202624
Oct 25, 202628
Oct 24, 202628
Oct 23, 202628
Oct 22, 202635
Oct 21, 202622
Oct 20, 202631
Oct 19, 202633
Oct 18, 202638
Oct 17, 202634
Oct 16, 202624
Oct 15, 202620
Oct 14, 202629
Oct 13, 202627
Oct 12, 202623
Oct 11, 202642
Oct 10, 202624
Oct 9, 202623
Oct 8, 202622
Oct 7, 202626
Oct 6, 202636
Oct 5, 202631
Oct 4, 202628
Oct 3, 202622
Oct 2, 202629
Oct 1, 202618
Sep 30, 202621
Sep 29, 202624
Sep 28, 202622
Sep 27, 202624
Sep 26, 202632
Sep 25, 202623
Sep 24, 202633
Sep 23, 202622
Sep 23, 202632
Sep 22, 202642
Sep 21, 202639

How many players finish Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition?

4.7% of Steam players have unlocked «Writ Upon the Sky», the achievement for finishing the main story.

Share of everyone who owns the game on Steam, including those who barely played it. Updated weekly.

Screenshots and trailer

Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition screenshot 1

Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition system requirements

Minimum: DX9 (shader model 3.0), 4 GB RAM, 4.4 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition?

Tell us your graphics card once and every game page will answer this for you.

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Minimum

OS
Windows 7
Processor
Intel Pentium 2Ghz or AMD equivalent
Graphics
DX9 (shader model 3.0) or DX11 with feature level 9.3 capabilities
Memory
4 GB RAM
Storage
4500 MB available space

Does Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Does Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition run on Steam Deck?

Playable Playable: it runs on Steam Deck with some adjustments.

  • Default controller config not fully functional
  • Shows Steam Deck controller icons
  • In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck
  • External controllers are not supported for the primary player

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Full controller support
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux
Achievements
31
Steam features
Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Languages
Text only: English.

Does Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 25, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

1 DLC available.

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