one dataset · paper, tables, graph, wiki
simgrammar the grammar of simulation

parts

12 mechanics, as Stationeers does them

core · 4

physics & materials

Fluid and gas simulation

Rooms and pipe networks hold mixtures of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, volatiles, pollutants, and water with pressure and temperature; gases mix, and combustion consumes fuel and oxygen and releases heat.

logistics & networks

Fluid pipe networks

Pipes, pumps, filtration units, mixers, and regulators route gases between devices; pipes and tanks fail when pressure exceeds their rating.

physics & materials

Heat transfer

Gas temperature changes pressure and habitability; radiators, heat exchangers, heaters, and coolers move heat between pipes, rooms, and the planet's atmosphere.

biology & health

Survival meters

Early survival requires breathable gas, food, water, and suit temperature; suits carry tanks and filters until a habitat is sealed.

supporting · 8

space & construction

Building placement

Frames, walls, pipes, and devices are placed on a grid piece by piece, and placement decides airtightness.

resources & production

Crop cultivation

Hydroponic plants need light, water, and suitable gases, and exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen.

control & automation

Player programming

IC10 chips run player-written assembly that reads and writes device logic values such as pressure and temperature.

resources & production

Power grid

Solar panels, generators, and batteries feed cable networks; overloaded cables burn out.

resources & production

Production chains

Furnaces and arc furnaces smelt ore into ingots, and autolathes and other fabricators turn ingots into kits.

resources & production

Resource extraction

Ore is mined from deformable voxel terrain.

control & automation

Signal circuits

Logic readers, writers, memory, and sensors chain devices without code.

space & construction

Structural integrity

Walls hold limited pressure differences; exceeding them causes fatigue and explosive decompression.

core loop

land with a starter kit -> mine and smelt ore -> build an airtight frame -> pipe, filter, and heat a breathable atmosphere -> power and automate with logic chips -> expand while fixing pressure, fire, and temperature failures

design notes

The atmosphere is the main simulated system: each sealed volume and pipe network carries a mix of gases with temperature and pressure, so heating a room raises its pressure, mixing fuel and oxygen can burn or explode, and a pressure difference across a wall can blow it out. Survival needs are deliberately front-loaded; later play is building plant that keeps the atmosphere stable, then automating it with IC10 chips programmed in an assembly language. The game has been in early access since 2017.

appears in

the paper, 2 sections
paper

5. The structure of the design space

linked in this section of the paper

paper
paper

Appendix A. Game catalog

linked in this section of the paper

paper
catalog

The catalog

listed with its year, developer, subgenre, and number of mechanics

book

sources

1
(2026). Stationeers on Steam. Steam

provenance

runs in log/runs
2026-10-24
created2026-10-24-catalog-ggcatalog