Among the list of amazing early access games Steam has to offer this year, “Starbound” is one of the best. This pixel game offers everything from a literal universe of possibilities to tiny individual planets with their own species, terrain, and gravity. Because it's still in beta, I noticed some faults in the game, such as mouse speed, key assignments, and strange glitches from time to time. But it shouldn't be judged as a fully developed program yet; it's still progressing and improving.

Besides small, organizational, and precise gaming, “Starbound” also offers exhilarating combat. The creatures – some friendly, others hostile – are all unique to their individual planets. Randomly generated for each terrain, these monsters attack if you come within range, making for an exciting game.

I enjoy the idea of having to learn, when you first land on a planet, which creatures are aggressive and which are harmless. Approaching a new and sometimes comical animal is always entertaining. Each weapon you use to fight these animals has a unique strike damage. Weapons can be assigned to appear in R and L areas on the hot bar. These hot keys, while good in theory, are horrid when used for quick weapon changes in battle.

The pinnacle of this game, for me, is the amazingly unique randomization for each planet. Biomes include desert, jungle, forested, arid, and snowy terrain, along with individual cave systems, sets of species, different kinds of trees, rocks, and water, and items for you to collect. These items can be found hidden in chests deep inside caves, acquired if you kill an animal, or simply crafted by you, the player. Even with a sizable inventory, holding and sorting all these items can be difficult.

One of the only frustrating features of this game is the strange and random disappearance of items. You may have just collected a large amount of rare material, but after you placed it in a chest, it somehow disappears. These strange occurrences can be utterly infuriating, because, for the most part, resources are not renewable.

Besides a few minor glitches, “Starbound” is an amazing beta. Great and unlimited possibilities await this game. With just a few touch-ups and additions, its potential can be realized. It's one of my favorite pixel games of all time, and I would recommend “Starbound” to anyone who loves creative and intricate games.