How to play VoidRift
You start with a small ship, a little money, and no reputation. This is what the first hour looks like and how to avoid the mistakes most new pilots make.
Before you start
There is nothing to install. Register in a browser and you are flying. The game keeps running when you close the tab, which is the single most important thing to understand about it — flights, repairs and cooldowns all run on real time, so it rewards checking in rather than marathon sessions.
Your first hour
Take the tutorial seriously
A guided sequence walks you through flying, docking, buying and selling. It is worth finishing rather than skipping — it hands you starting equipment and explains systems that are genuinely not obvious.
Run cargo before anything else
Trading is the safest way to build a balance. Buy goods where they are cheap, fly somewhere they are not, sell. The margin is small at first because your hold is small. That is fine — you are learning the map.
Watch your hold, not just your balance
Cargo space is the real constraint early on. A cheap upgrade that lets you carry more will usually earn back faster than a more expensive ship you cannot fill.
Do not fight yet
Combat is committed and losses are real. Until you understand what scouting tells you, and what repairs cost, the maths is against you. Use the practice dummy in the simulator instead — it costs nothing.
Pick a direction
Once you have a working ship, the game opens up: deeper trading and smuggling, combat and bounty work, mining and crafting, or running a company. You do not have to choose permanently, but focus beats spreading thin. The features page lays out the options.
Join a syndicate
This is the step new pilots delay too long. A syndicate gives you people to ask, crew jobs you cannot run alone, and shared resources. It is the difference between playing a trading game and playing a multiplayer one.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Spending everything on a bigger ship. A hull you cannot afford to fill, insure or repair is worse than the one you had.
Running the same smuggling route repeatedly. Customs attention builds with repetition. Vary the route before it becomes expensive.
Attacking without scouting. Scouting exists precisely so you can decline a fight you would lose.
Ignoring cooldowns. They run in real time whether or not you are online. Starting a long flight before you log off is usually better than starting one when you sit down.
Where to look things up
Ready to ship out?
Free to play. No download, no app store, no waiting. Open a browser and burn.