KESTRIONWhat is Kestrion?
A real-time strategy game where you design every ship you command. You build ships block by block on a grid, put them into fleets, and lead those fleets into battle against the AI or your friends.
Does it cost anything?
The beta is free to download. The full game is planned at 10 €.
A campaign expansion is planned for later, at about 5 €. Only the host needs to own it: friends can join the host's campaign without buying it.
Are there microtransactions?
No. Nothing gives a paid advantage, and nothing is sold piece by piece inside the game. Ship part patterns (camo, hex, carbon and more) are unlocked through achievements. The campaign expansion includes faction skins: friends can join your campaign without buying it, but only owners get the skins.
Later there may be an optional supporter pack, with the soundtrack and high-resolution art of your own ships, for players who want to support the developer. Nothing in it is used in play.
Windows says "Windows protected your PC". Is it safe?
Windows shows this because the installer is not signed with a paid Windows certificate yet, not because anything is wrong with it. Click More info, then Run anyway. To be sure a file really is ours, check its hash and signature.
Is there a Linux or Mac version?
Linux: being built now, as a .tar.gz that updates itself like the Windows version, and as a one-file AppImage. Both have been tested on Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE and Arch. If your system is missing something it needs, the game tells you the one command that installs it. See the download page.
On Ubuntu 23.10 and newer, run ./kestrion --setup-sandbox once from the Kestrion folder. Ubuntu blocks the safety sandbox the game uses until it is allowed; this allows it for Kestrion only, and keeps working after updates. If you forget, the game tells you.
Mac: planned for later.
Do I need an account?
No. Your profile (name, ships, fleets, settings) lives on your own computer. To move it to another device, use a link code or a password-protected backup file, both in the game's Profile screen. You can also protect your profile with a PIN.
Can other players see my IP address?
In a direct game, the players you connect to can see your internet address, as in most peer-to-peer games.
Switch on Hide my IP (in Settings > Networking) and your connection goes through our relay instead, so other players only ever see the relay's address. If the relay is not available, the game tells you and does not connect, rather than quietly connecting directly. Games from the public lobby list always go through the relay, for everyone.
Does the AI cheat?
No. Computer opponents only see and do what a player could. Harder levels (Easy, Normal, Hard, Brutal) think better; they don't get extra money or see through fog.
How do updates work?
The game always asks before downloading an update, never interrupts a match, and installs when you close it. The previous version is always kept, so Settings > Updates > Go back to the previous version takes you back at any time. Multiplayer needs everyone on the same version, so update before playing with friends.
How do I join the Beta?
Get the Beta code on our Discord, then type it in Settings > Updates and switch the channel to Beta. The same code also unlocks the Beta download on this site.
How do I report a bug?
On our Discord, tell us what you did, what happened, and your version (shown in Settings). If a multiplayer match falls out of sync, the game saves a small .kdesync report you can send us.
Is Kestrion made with AI?
Yes, openly. The developer directs and decides; Claude, Anthropic's AI, builds. The art is drawn by code, not generated images, and everything is tested and security-reviewed before it ships. The full story.
Will Kestrion come to Steam?
That is the plan, later on. This site and the direct download stay either way.