ESA SHIELD
Release date: Aug 19, 2025
Developers: Hochschule Darmstadt Games Lab
Publishers: Hochschule Darmstadt Games Lab
Genres: Simulation, Strategy, Free To Play, Early Access
Categories: Single-player
Supported languages: English, German

ESA SHIELD - Earth's Safety Starts with You! Become head of the European Space Agency's Space Safety Department and protect Earth from real cosmic hazards like Asteroids , Space Debris , and Space Weather . This science-based Planetary Protection Simulator combines tower defense, roguelite, and strategy elements to create a unique gameplay experience grounded in reality. Before you can defend Earth, you need to see the threats coming. Build powerful ground-based monitoring systems to scan the skies for incoming danger—from massive solar storms to fast-moving asteroids. But ground systems alone won’t be enough. Built and sent your satellites into orbit to create a global network of satellites. The more eyes you have in space, the better your chances of survival. Early detection is your best defense. With the right data, you can assess each threat, determine its danger level, and launch the right countermeasures—before it’s too late. Every successful mission makes you stronger. Earn resources, unlock new technologies, and upgrade your systems to stay one step ahead of the next big space threat. ESA SHIELD  is more than a game: It’s a space mission! It is developed as an outreach initiative for the European Space Agency to confront one of the most overlooked challenges in spacecraft: Space Safety. Play the game and support ESA in its mission to keep space safe and Earth protected. ☄️  Encounter Real Space Threats  Face the same dangers ESA deals with today. Coronal mass ejections, asteroid impacts, and space debris. Each threat behaves differently, affecting systems in unique ways, and demands its own monitoring and defense approach. Every decision could be the difference between survival and orbital disaster. 🔬 Research Real Technologies Unlock and implement real-world tech from past missions, current prototypes, and near-future plans. Build your strategy using actual science and engineering: from telescopes to deflection rockets. 🛰️ Build and Customize Satellites Design your own space systems: choose components, mission goals, and orbital paths. Balance cost, stability, and lifetime to create your optimal satellite system. 📡 Monitor the Skies Deploy and upgrade detection systems like telescopes and radar arrays. Expand your coverage, improve precision, and catch incoming threats before they hit. 🚀 Defend Earth and Infrastructure Build and operate space-based defense systems to prevent catastrophic impacts. Launch interceptors, trigger system shutdowns, or send clean-up bots into decaying orbits. 🎯 Make Strategic Decisions Under Pressure Every threat comes with uncertainty. React with limited data, weigh the risks, and choose between bold moves or conservative actions. Your judgment matters. Under a programme of, and funded by, the European Space Agency.