u/KatastrophalKlang

My 10yo son and I built this open-source voxel game entirely with AI (Claude generated the Code, and models - ChatGPT / Gemini helped with the story - Music by Suno, Soundeffects by Elevenlabs, I managed the Client/Server architecture). Read the full backstory and find the links to the free Beta & GitHub down in the comments! ⬇️

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a small milestone with you. For a while now, I've been building a game with my 10-year-old son (he's the "lead designer", I'm the code architect). It's a multiplayer space voxel sandbox - think Minecraft in space with custom ships, procedural planets, and base building.

To get this done alongside my day job, I leaned heavily on AI to write the boilerplate C# syntax, while I strictly enforced a clean architecture.

Up until a few days ago, the game was Windows-only (though people told me it ran fine via Proton). Literally a day later, our very first open-source contributor jumped in and submitted a PR to add proper native Linux support.

I just finished a major shader refactoring, merged their PR, and uploaded the first native Linux builds to our itch page.

Since Linux isn't my daily driver, I’d be incredibly grateful if some of you could give the native build a quick spin. I just want to know if it launches properly, how the performance feels on different distros, and if the dedicated server connects without issues. The game is in Early Beta, so expect some jank, but the core loop is fully playable.

Also: We are looking for contributors. Since we are fully open source now, we'd love to get more people on board. If you're into C#/Unity, networking, or just want to help fix Linux-specific quirks, you are more than welcome to join us. No pressure, no deadlines, just a chill hobby project.

• Website: (Linux AppImage): https://www.blocksbeyondthestars.com/en
• Source Code and Releases (GitHub): https://github.com/marceld23/BlocksBeyondTheStars

If you run into weird bugs, you can just hit F1 in-game to send a quick report, or drop a comment here.

Cheers,

Marcel (and Justus)

Hey r/playmygame!

My 10-year-old son recently pitched me his absolute dream game: Minecraft in space, with custom spaceships, procedural planets, and base building. I’m a software architect by trade, so we made it a family project.

To get past the boilerplate code, I used AI (Claude) to generate the syntax while I strictly enforced a proper Client/Server architecture in Unity. Now, the game is in an Early Beta state, and we need your fresh eyes!

What makes it special:

• You can build your own ships block by block and actually fly them seamlessly between planets.
• Fully working multiplayer (you can host your own dedicated server).
• A brand new post-processing and water shader we just added (my son's favorite part).

What to expect & What we need from you: This is an early build. There are bugs, the UI might be clunky, and onboarding is still a work in progress. But since we are a tiny family team, your feedback goes straight to the source!

We would just love to hear your general thoughts and first impressions. Jump in, explore a bit, and let us know:

• How does the overall gameplay and movement feel to you?
• Did you get stuck anywhere in the beginning?
• What was your favorite (or least favorite) moment?

Playable Links (Free Demo):

• itch.io (Windows Setup/Portable): https://jumavegames.itch.io/blocks-beyond-the-stars
• Website (Windows Setup & Linux AppImage): https://www.blocksbeyondthestars.com/en

Feedback: If you find a bug, just press F1 in-game to send a quick report, or drop your thoughts right here in the comments. I'll read and reply to everything!

P.S. - We are looking for contributors! 🤝 Since this is an open-source (AGPL) passion project, we are always happy to welcome new people to our little universe. Whether you code in C#/Unity, create 3D voxel models, or just want to help with playtesting—everyone is welcome!

Check out our GitHub if you want to join:
https://github.com/marceld23/BlocksBeyondTheStars

Thanks for helping us shape this game. 🚀

Hey everyone!

I’m Marcel. A while ago, my 10-year-old son Justus told me about his absolute dream game: Minecraft in space, with custom spaceships, procedurally generated planets, base building, and multiplayer.

I am a software architect by trade, but I didn't want to spend my nights typing boilerplate code. So, we started a crazy experiment: We built the entire foundation of this game using AI. I didn't write the syntax, but I rigidly enforced a clean Client/Server architecture. Justus brings the vision (he is the "Productmanager") and the brutal honesty of a 10-year-old playtester; I guide the AI and manage the Unity/C# architecture.

The crazy part? It actually works. We now have a fully playable, open-source (AGPL) multiplayer game with working space flight, arcade minigames, and a brand-new water shader that finally made Justus say: "This looks cool!" ;)

Now, we want to open the doors and invite you to join our little universe.

AI is great for heavy lifting, but games need a human soul, quirky ideas, and real developers to tackle the complex stuff (like network interpolation or satisfying game loops).

We are looking for absolutely anyone who wants to contribute to a low-pressure, passion-driven community project:

💻 C# / Unity Devs: Want to optimize UDP traffic or build a cool new laser weapon? The codebase just got a massive refactoring and is ready for you.

🎨 3D & Voxel Artists: Design weird space plants, new blocks, or ship parts.

📜 Game Designers & Writers: Help us make the crafting loop satisfying or write lore for the in-game Codex.

🕹️ Playtesters: Just download the game, try to break our server, and tell us how you did it!

The Vibe:

We are all busy people. There are no deadlines here, and we intentionally don't even have a noisy Discord server. We coordinate entirely async via GitHub Discussions and PRs. Whether you want to contribute a single bug fix or stick around to build a whole planetary biome – you are welcome, and you'll get full credits in the game.

Come check it out and help a kid build his universe:

Playable Demo: https://jumavegames.itch.io/blocks-beyond-the-stars

GitHub (Source & Discussions): https://github.com/marceld23/BlocksBeyondTheStars

Website: https://www.blocksbeyondthestars.com/

Let me know what you think, or just drop by our GitHub Discussions to say hi!