This Upcoming Sci-Fi RPG Should Be On Your Radar If You Loved Expedition 33 or Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are very different games in many ways. However, their Game of the Year status and use of turn-based RPG mechanics mean they’re often brought up together. And for good reason. If you liked one, odds are good that you’ll like the other just as well. But what if you’ve already played both of these breakout hit turn-based RPGs? Well, I’ve got another game that you just might want to put on your radar.

Starfinder: Afterlight began its journey on Kickstarter, with a successful campaign in late 2025. Like Baldur’s Gate 3, this upcoming CRPG gets its roots from an existing tabletop RPG system. In this case, we’re talking about Starfinder, Paizo’s intergalactic sci-fi companion to fantasy RPG Pathfinder. Whether or not you’ve had the pleasure of playing the sci-fi TTRPG, you should definitely keep an eye out for Starfinder: Afterlight if you love a good turn-based RPG. Here’s why.

This Will Be the First CRPG Inspired by the Starfinder System, And It Shouldn’t Be The Last

Following the success of its fantasy TTRPG, Pathfinder, Paizo released Starfinder back in 2017. This sci-fi/fantasy hybrid TTRPG is an extension of the Pathfinder universe, using similar systems and lore, but with a more futuristic setting. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of playing Starfinder, think Star Wars or Warhammer 40K, but in TTRPG form. It’s a popular TTRPG system, especially for fans of science fiction and Pathfinder‘s world of Golarion. And yet, it hasn’t had a video game adaptation… until now.

Pathfinder itself has seen a few video games, including Owlcat’s Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. But Starfinder: Afterlight will be the first CRPG to use the sci-fi TTRPG’s world and system. Given how great CRPG translations of Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder have proved themselves to be, this could well be the next big sci-fi RPG release. And hopefully, it could spawn a whole series of Starfinder CRPGs in the vein of the Pathfinder and Dungeons & Dragons gaming universes we already have.

Starfinder: Afterlight billed itself as “Divinity: Original Sin meets Guardians of the Galaxy” in its successful Kickstarter campaign. It aspires to bring players into a world where “magic and lasers collide.” The game will adapt the Starfinder system, letting players craft their character using 2nd edition ancestries and classes. Combat will be turn-based and follow the 3-turn action economy used in the TTRPG. In this way, it will likely satisfy that Baldur’s Gate 3 itch while introducing players to the futuristic world of Golarion. If you couldn’t tell, I’m a pretty big Paizo fan, and even if sci-fi isn’t my top genre for an RPG, this one has my vote of interest. And clearly, I’m not alone.

Starfinder: Afterlight Flew Past Its Kickstarter Goal at Warp Speed

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Another reason to keep Starfinder: Afterlight on your radar? It just might be the next big sci-fi RPG. The game had a massively successful Kickstarter campaign back in November 2025, hitting more than 10x its original funding goal. Clearly, sci-fi and Starfinder fans are eager to see the first-ever Starfinder CRPG brought to life. And now, we will… eventually.

Why is everyone so excited for Starfinder: Afterlight? Well, for starters, it’s always nice to get a new sci-fi RPG, a genre that tends to get less love than its fantasy counterparts. And like Baldur’s Gate 3, this turn-based RPG will feature a choice-driven narrative. Players will be able to impact the story directly through their choices, offering over 100 different branching stories to explore. It also features full voice acting, directed by none other than Neil Newbon (Astarion) himself. So, there’s good reason to look forward to what this game might well be poised to deliver.

At this time, Starfinder: Afterlight is gearing up for its PC release. The game is now available to wishlist on Steam, but its release date is still to be announced. Early Access is expected to arrive on Steam in Q2 2026, which means we should get to step into Epictellers Entertainment’s version of Golarion sometime this year. The Steam page shows off some pre-alpha footage from the game, giving a sense of its colorful comicbook-inspired vibes. And honestly? It’s looking pretty good already. If you want to stay in the loop when the official release date gets announced, you can wishlist Starfinder: Afterlight on Steam. The Kickstarter is also still open to late pledges if you want a shot at earlier Beta access, as well.

Are you excited to see the first-ever Starfinder CRPG? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!