explaingit

space-wizards/space-station-14

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

3,614C#Audience · developerComplexity · 4/5LicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

Space Station 14 is a multiplayer space station roleplay game, a modern remake of the classic Space Station 13, with its own custom engine and content pack.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Space Station 14))
    What it does
      Multiplayer station game
      Remake of SS13
      Crew roles and chaos
    Tech stack
      C#
      Robust Toolbox engine
      .NET build
    Use cases
      Run your own server
      Build new content
      Contribute to engine
    Audience
      Game developers
      Modders
      SS13 fans

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Run your own Space Station 14 server with custom rules and maps

USE CASE 2

Build new gameplay content like items, roles, or station layouts

USE CASE 3

Contribute engine improvements to the shared Robust Toolbox codebase

USE CASE 4

Study a large open-source multiplayer game built in C#

What is it built with?

C#.NETRobust ToolboxPython

How does it compare?

space-wizards/space-station-14sanakan8472/copy-dialog-lunar-landerfacepunch/facepunch.steamworks
Stars3,6143,6133,622
LanguageC#C#C#
Setup difficultymoderatemoderatemoderate
Complexity4/52/53/5
Audiencedevelopergeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 1h+

Requires cloning submodules with a Python init script, then building with .NET.

Code is free to use and modify under MIT, but most art assets require attribution and some carry a non-commercial restriction.

In plain English

Space Station 14 is a multiplayer game set aboard a space station, built as a modern remake of a cult-classic game called Space Station 13. Players take on various crew roles aboard the station while dealing with chaos, paranoia, and the constant threat of things going very wrong. The original SS13 has been running since the early 2000s and developed a devoted following despite its notoriously rough interface, so this project set out to rebuild it from scratch with a cleaner foundation. The game runs on a custom engine called Robust Toolbox, which the same team wrote in C#. This repository holds both the engine and the content pack, which is the collection of all the gameplay rules, items, roles, and maps that make up the actual game experience. If you want to run your own server or create new content for the game, this is the repository you need to work with. The project is available to play right now on Steam or as a standalone download from the official website. There is an active community on Discord and a forum for longer discussions. The project is supported through Patreon. Contributions from new developers are welcome, and the documentation site covers how to set up a local build, understand the codebase, and submit changes. The build process involves cloning the repository, running a Python initialization script to pull in submodules, and then compiling with the standard .NET build tool. The project does not accept AI-generated code or assets. Code is released under the MIT license. Most artwork and other assets use a Creative Commons license that requires attribution and sharing under the same terms, though some assets carry a non-commercial restriction that would need to be addressed before any commercial use of the project.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through setting up a local build of Space Station 14 using the Python submodule init script.
Prompt 2
Explain how Robust Toolbox differs from a typical game engine like Unity or Godot.
Prompt 3
Help me create a new item or role for the Space Station 14 content pack.
Prompt 4
What are the licensing rules I need to follow if I want to reuse Space Station 14 assets?

Frequently asked questions

What is space-station-14?

Space Station 14 is a multiplayer space station roleplay game, a modern remake of the classic Space Station 13, with its own custom engine and content pack.

What language is space-station-14 written in?

Mainly C#. The stack also includes C#, .NET, Robust Toolbox.

What license does space-station-14 use?

Code is free to use and modify under MIT, but most art assets require attribution and some carry a non-commercial restriction.

How hard is space-station-14 to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is space-station-14 for?

Mainly developer.

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