Ostranauts Character Stats Guide — Complete Build & Trait Walkthrough

What This Guide Helps You Do#

This guide walks you through Ostranauts character creation so you start your salvage career with the right skills, traits, and ship. You’ll learn how to spend your limited years (age 18–47) wisely, which traits to dump, which skills you can’t live without, and how to pick a starter ship that won’t cripple you. It’s essential for new players who find the resume center confusing and for returning players who want to optimize their build.

Requirements & Prep#

You only need to have completed the initial character visual design (name and appearance) in Ostranauts. Once you confirm your character, you’ll enter the Kle Labor Department Resume Center, where all the decisions in this guide apply. No external items, quests, or unlocks are required—this is the character creation phase before the game proper begins.

Route Overview#

Character creation in Ostranauts is a resource-management puzzle. You start at age 18 with a pool of years to spend (until age 47). Each action costs time: removing traits costs 1–2 years, gaining skills through Seek Adventure costs 1 year per adventure, saving money costs 1 year per $450 earned, and picking a ship costs 1 year. The goal is to reach age 30 or younger with at least $5,000 net worth, two critical skills (Hacking and EVA Suit Maintenance), zero negative traits, and a viable starter ship. The younger you finish, the fewer negative traits you’ll accumulate as age penalties. Most players spend 7–8 years on Seek Adventure to gather skills and cash, 2 years removing bad traits, and 1 year on the final ship selection.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough#

Understand the Age and Year System#

You begin at age 18. Every action you take in the resume center costs years. The key constraint is that you can’t perform any actions after age 47. More importantly, the older you are when you start your career in-game, the more negative traits you’ll accumulate as “age penalties.” The sweet spot is finishing your build at age 30 or younger. If you’re 35+, you’ll start with multiple unwanted negative traits that’ll hinder your work performance. This is why age management is your first priority—don’t waste years on low-value actions.

Remove Fragile and Micro G Hypothalamic Traits#

Click on “Work on Traits” and spend your first 2 years removing two specific negative traits that all new characters start with. Fragile makes you physically easier to harm than normal (1 year to remove). Micro G Hypothalamic permanently lowers your circulating blood, reducing your physical activity capacity and making you tire faster and recover slower from injuries (1 year to remove). Both are day-to-day liabilities in salvage work. If you only have time to remove one, prioritize Micro G Hypothalamic—it’s the more crippling of the two. You might see other negative traits like Feeble; you can remove those too if you’ve spare years, but these two are mandatory.

Use Seek Adventure to Gain Hacking and EVA Suit Maintenance#

Click “Seek Adventure” and you’ll be offered one of eight randomly generated adventure scenarios. Each adventure costs 1 year and presents multiple choices, some of which grant skills or traits. Your two non-negotiable skills are Hacking and EVA Suit Maintenance. Hacking is critical for opening locked containers and doors in wrecks; EVA Suit Maintenance is essential because you’ll spend extensive time in a pressure suit, and without this skill, suit degradation becomes a nightmare to manage. Plan to spend at least 2 years (2 separate Seek Adventure rolls) targeting these two skills. See the Adventure Breakdown section below for which adventures offer them.

Gather Secondary Skills and Money Through Seek Adventure#

After securing Hacking and EVA Suit Maintenance, use your remaining Seek Adventure rolls (typically 5–6 more) to pick up useful secondary skills like Armed Melee, Unarmed Melee, Piloting, and Spaceship Engineering. These improve your combat effectiveness and ship operation. At the same time, choose adventure options that pay cash: most adventures offer at least one choice that grants $200–$900. Aim to accumulate additional income this way rather than using “Save Some Money” (which yields only $450 per year and is inefficient).

Save Money Only If You Fall Short#

Click “Save Some Money” only if you end your Seek Adventure phase below $5,000 net worth. Each year spent saving earns approximately $450. If you need $2,000 more, spend 4–5 years saving. However, this is inefficient compared to picking adventure options that pay; prioritize adventure money first.

Avoid the “Work on Skills” Menu#

The “Work on Skills” option allows you to gain skills directly, but once you click into this menu, there’s no way to go back without selecting a skill. Since Seek Adventure offers better value (you gain skills AND traits or money), avoid this menu entirely. If you somehow find yourself forced to pick from this menu, you’ll lose a year with no additional benefit, so plan ahead to never enter it.

Review Your Build Before Seeking a Ship#

Before clicking “Seek Ship,” review your character sheet. Confirm you’ve got Hacking and EVA Suit Maintenance. Confirm you’ve removed Fragile and Micro G Hypothalamic. Check your net worth (aim for $5,000+). Note your age—you should be 30 or younger. If you’re above 30 and still have years left, consider spending them on additional money or secondary skills you want. Once you’re satisfied, proceed to ship selection.

Choose Your Starter Ship#

Click “Seek Ship” and you’ll be offered a random ship from the available pool. Each ship has a mortgage and a per-shift payment. Don’t overthink the cost—most starting ships are affordable. Instead, prioritize cargo space and life support. The Testudo Dream is the best choice if offered (large cargo bay, four removable seats = instant extra storage, full life support). The TU-76A Salvage Tug and Testudo Melody are solid backups (moderate size, basic life support, air lock). Avoid the Box Sled (tiny, poor life support, exposed components) and the Coffin (no life support, you’ll asphyxiate). If you get a poor ship on your first roll, you can click “Seek Ship” again (costs 1 year) to reroll. Most players take the first acceptable ship rather than spend extra years rerolling.

Submit Your Character#

Once you’ve selected your ship, you’ll see a final review screen showing all your traits, skills, net worth, and ship. This is your last chance to verify everything—but you can’t change anything from this screen. If you spot a mistake, you must restart character creation. If everything looks correct, click Submit and your game begins.

The Eight Seek Adventure Scenarios & Optimal Choices#

Crackdown#

Overview: You’re caught in a police crackdown. Four safe options plus one risky option (requires Unarmed skill).

Optimal Choice: Fake a Pressure Alarm. This grants Hacking (one of your two must-haves) and the Genius trait. Take this the first time you see Crackdown.

Other Options: Hide in Air Vent (Stealth + Intrusion, Craven trait, $246, Shipbreaker friend). Bluff (Forgery + Acting, $500). Nothing to Hide (Street Etiquette, Honest + Arrogant traits, law enforcement friend). The Risk “Be a Hero” (requires Unarmed) grants Archery, Brave trait, $1,750, and a law enforcement enemy—high reward but the enemy contact is a liability.

Labor Barge Locker#

Overview: You find a locked container on a labor barge. Multiple ways to open it.

Optimal Choice: Hack the Lock (if you don’t already have Hacking). Grants Hacking, Leader skill, Shipbreaker contact. If you already have Hacking, choose Mislabel Crate (Street Etiquette, Leader trait, two Shipbreaker friends, free tote bag) or Report Poor Security (Business Admin, Loyal trait, manager contact, free tote).

Why Not Others: Force the Lock (requires Strong trait) costs $200 but grants a laser torch worth $330,000 in-game—valuable but requires you to already have the Strong trait. Cut a Hole in Crate grants $700 but inflicts Severe Burns (cripples work speed, costs $250,000 to cure). Skip it.

Shady Deal#

Overview: You’re approached to deal with a stolen item. Moral choices with different payoffs.

Optimal Choice: Instigate Violence. Grants Armed skill, Unarmed Melee, Tough trait, $900, and a criminal enemy. The Tough trait is valuable in fights, and the melee skills are nearly must-haves. You’ll get a minor injury chance, but it’s worth it.

Other Options: Gather Intel (Street Etiquette, Honest trait, law officer friend). Backstab (Treacherous trait, $900, criminal enemy). Report to Corporate (Selfish trait, $900, manager contact, law officer friend). The Risk “Join the Scheme” (requires Street Smarts trait or skill) grants $4,500 if you succeed but sends you to the brig if you fail—too risky unless you already have Street Smarts.

Rare Salvage#

Overview: You find a rare component. How do you handle it?

Optimal Choice: Bribe the Boss (if you need money). Grants Oligarch Etiquette, $750, law enforcement enemy. You can repeat this choice multiple times for $750 each time, though you gain no additional skills. If you’ve already taken this, choose Black Market (Street Etiquette, $200, criminal contact, law enforcement enemy).

Other Options: Notify Corporate (Follower trait, Business Admin, manager contact). Smash and Feel Alive (Strong trait, Serious Scar injury, Armed Melee, Cruel + Pessimist traits—too many negatives). The Risk “Take It for Yourself” (requires Patience trait) grants a Mira High Ra intake regulator (worth several thousand) or sends you to the brig. Only attempt if you’ve got Patience.

Daily Grind#

Overview: A safe, low-risk adventure with no major downsides. Good for building up secondary skills.

Optimal Choice: Suit Maintenance (if you don’t already have EVA Suit Maintenance). Grants EVA Suit Maintenance or EVA Suit Use, Patient trait (chance), Physics skill, Finicky trait (chance). This is your second must-have skill, so prioritize it here if you haven’t gotten it elsewhere.

Other Options: Hacking (if you haven’t secured it yet elsewhere, though this is a backup). Watch Old Movies (Observant trait, Acting, manager friend). Fight Club (Unarmed Melee, Brave + Masochist traits, Strained Back injury, law enforcement friend). Ship Spotting (Complacent trait, Sensor Ops, Shy trait chance, $650). Electrician (Electrical Engineering, Patient trait, $200). If you get Daily Grind multiple times, take Suit Maintenance first, then Electrician for Electrical Engineering (useful for disassembling electrical components), then Hacking as a backup.

Occupational Hazard#

Overview: An emergency aboard a ship. How you respond determines your reward.

Optimal Choice: Hack the Engine (if you don’t have Hacking yet). Grants Hacking, Genius trait, criminal contact. This is another source for Hacking if you missed it elsewhere.

Other Options: Troubleshoot Engine (Spaceship Piloting, $850, or if you’ve EVA Suit Ops, a risky option to Abandon Ship for $1,050 loss and Severe Burns or an EVA suit worth $115,000 on success—only attempt if you’re confident). Jury Rig Engine (Mechanical Engineering, Brave + Coordinated traits, $150 loss—Mechanical Engineering is nice-to-have for disassembling mechanical parts but not essential). Ski (Spaceship Piloting, EVA skill, injury, Shipbreaker friend).

Poker Game#

Overview: Your only chance to win a free ship in character creation, but it’s risky.

Optimal Choice for Money: Fold. Safe, grants $900, no negatives.

Optimal Choice for Ship: Call Him on a Technicality (if you want to gamble). Grants Gambling skill, $300. If you’ve got Gambling already, you unlock a Risk “Call His Bluff”: succeed and you get the Volatile ship legally; fail and you lose $9,000. Only attempt if you’re willing to risk $9,000 for a free ship.

Other Options: Cheat ($1,500, Aberrant Wound injury, law enforcement enemy—not worth it). Grab the Key and Run (Volatile ship, but it’s stolen, costs $6,500, three random enemies, ends character creation immediately—avoid unless you want to end early).

King Incognito#

Overview: You encounter a wealthy patron. Multiple ways to interact.

Optimal Choice if you’ve got Hacking: Hack Them. Grants Observant trait (chance), Brave (chance), Diligent (chance), Software Engineering, Street Etiquette, Stealth, $2,850, manager enemy. High payout and skills, but it’s a risk option.

Optimal Choice if You Don’t Have Hacking: Get Them Drunk. Grants Song skill, Liar + Slovenly traits, $850, manager contact. Safe, decent money, no major downsides.

Other Options: Start a Riot (Folk Etiquette, Unarmed Melee, Persuasion, Charismatic + Leader traits, $246, enemy in bartender + manager community, Armed Melee chance—high risk, multiple enemies). Pick Their Pocket (Stealth, $250, Observant/Patient/Selfish/Tracking trait chances). Mug Them (Strong trait, but you go to the brig for years—never worth it). Seduce Them (Cooking + Dance, Beautiful trait, X-lover contact).

Trait & Skill Priority Breakdown#

Must-Have Skills (Get These Every Run)#

• Hacking: Opens locked containers and doors in wrecks. Available from Crackdown (Fake Pressure Alarm), Labor Barge Locker (Hack Lock), Daily Grind (Watch Old Movies or Hacking option), or Occupational Hazard (Hack Engine). Prioritize getting this in your first two Seek Adventure rolls.
• EVA Suit Maintenance: Prevents suit degradation from becoming unmanageable. Available from Daily Grind (Suit Maintenance). Get this early—without it, your suit upkeep becomes a nightmare in-game.

Highly Valuable Skills (Get If Possible)#

• Armed Melee: Improves combat effectiveness. Available from Shady Deal (Instigate Violence), Rare Salvage (Smash and Feel Alive), King Incognito (Start a Riot or Mug). Combat is common in salvage, so this is worth prioritizing.
• Unarmed Melee: Backup combat skill. Available from Daily Grind (Fight Club), Shady Deal (Instigate Violence), King Incognito (Start a Riot). Less critical than Armed Melee but still useful.
• Spaceship Piloting: Improves ship handling. Available from Occupational Hazard (Troubleshoot Engine or Ski). Nice-to-have but not essential if you’re comfortable with basic piloting.

Nice-to-Have Skills#

• Mechanical Engineering: Helps disassemble mechanical parts. Available from Occupational Hazard (Jury Rig Engine). Useful but optional.
• Electrical Engineering: Helps disassemble electrical parts. Available from Daily Grind (Electrician). Useful but optional.
• Software Engineering: Bonus from King Incognito (Hack Them). Situational.
• Gambling: Only useful if you want to attempt the Poker Game risk for a free ship. Available from Poker Game (Call Him on Technicality).

Valuable Traits (Prioritize Gaining These)#

• Tough: Reduces damage taken in combat. Available from Shady Deal (Instigate Violence). Highly valuable.
• Genius: Granted alongside Hacking from Crackdown (Fake Pressure Alarm) or Occupational Hazard (Hack Engine). Bonus trait, keep it.
• Brave: Useful in dangerous situations. Available from multiple adventures (Crackdown risk, Occupational Hazard, King Incognito). Nice to have.
• Strong: Improves physical tasks. Available from Rare Salvage (Smash and Feel Alive) or King Incognito (Mug Them). Valuable but requires commitment.
• Leader: Granted from Labor Barge Locker (Hack Lock or Mislabel Crate). Bonus trait, keep it.
• Charismatic: Improves social interactions. Available from King Incognito (Start a Riot). Nice to have.
• Patient: Reduces impatience. Available from Daily Grind (Suit Maintenance or Fight Club) or King Incognito (Pick Pocket). Useful.

Traits to Avoid or Remove#

• Fragile: Makes you easier to harm. Remove immediately (1 year). Mandatory.
• Micro G Hypothalamic: Lowers blood, reduces stamina, slows recovery. Remove immediately (1 year). Mandatory.
• Feeble: Reduces physical capacity. Remove if you’ve spare years (2 years). Optional but recommended.
• Severe Burns: Cripples work speed. Avoid actions that grant this (e.g., Labor Barge Locker: Cut Hole). Costs $250,000 to cure in-game.
• Serious Scar: Granted from Rare Salvage (Smash and Feel Alive). Avoid.
• Aberrant Wound: Granted from Poker Game (Cheat). Avoid.
• Complacent, Slovenly, Pessimist, Cruel, Liar: Minor negatives. Remove if you’ve spare years.

Law Enforcement Enemies & On-Station Consequences#

Several adventures offer the chance to gain a law enforcement enemy contact. Examples include Crackdown (Be a Hero risk), Labor Barge Locker (no direct enemy, but Hack Lock grants Shipbreaker contact), Shady Deal (multiple options grant law officer friends or enemies), Rare Salvage (Bribe Boss or Black Market), and King Incognito (Hack Them grants manager enemy). If you gain a law enforcement enemy on Kle (the starting station), they’ll attempt to arrest you on sight when your game begins. When they spot you, you’ll have to run, fight, or surrender and pay a $115,000 fine. That’s a significant financial penalty early in your game, so try to avoid law enforcement enemies if possible. If you accidentally gain one, be aware of the consequence and plan your early gameplay accordingly.

Starter Ship Comparison & Selection#

Testudo Dream (Best Choice)#

Size: Large. Life Support: Full. Storage: Massive cargo bay with four removable seats (instant extra storage). Cost: High mortgage but worth it. Why Choose: Maximum cargo space means you can haul more salvage per run, earning more profit faster. This accelerates your ability to upgrade or buy a better ship later. If offered this ship, take it immediately.

TU-76A Salvage Tug (Solid Backup)#

Size: Moderate. Life Support: Basic. Storage: Limited but usable; you can rearrange internal components to gain extra space. Cost: Moderate mortgage. Why Choose: Decent balance of affordability and functionality. Has an air lock to prevent atmosphere venting when docking. A reliable starter ship.

Testudo Melody (Solid Backup)#

Size: Moderate. Life Support: Basic. Storage: Limited. Cost: High mortgage. Why Choose: Similar to TU-76A but with a slightly different layout. Acceptable if TU-76A isn’t offered, but not ideal.

TU-77A (Acceptable Backup)#

Size: Moderate (smaller than TU-76A). Life Support: Basic. Storage: Limited but has an air lock. Cost: Moderate. Why Choose: Very similar to TU-76A, just slightly smaller. Acceptable if TU-76A is unavailable.

Liliput (Avoid If Possible)#

Size: Tiny. Life Support: Full. Storage: Almost none. Cost: Low mortgage. Why Choose: Only if you want a challenge. Without cargo space, you’ll need to upgrade your ship very soon, which gets tedious. Doable but frustrating for new players.

Box Sled (Avoid)#

Size: Tiny. Life Support: Minimal. Storage: None. Cost: Low mortgage. Why Avoid: All critical components are exposed on the exterior, making them vulnerable to damage during travel. Not worth the headache.

Coffin (Never Choose)#

Size: Tiny. Life Support: None. Storage: None. Cost: Extremely cheap. Why Avoid: This is a retrofitted shipping container with RCS thrusters. Without life support, you’ll asphyxiate if you venture far from the station in your pressure suit. It’s a death trap. The community calls it “the Coffin” for a reason. If you get this on your first roll, click “Seek Ship” again to reroll (costs 1 year).

Troubleshooting & Common Mistakes#

• Mistake: Spending years on “Work on Skills.” Once you click into this menu, you can’t exit without choosing a skill. You’ll waste a year with no additional benefit. Fix: Use Seek Adventure exclusively to gain skills; it offers better value (skills + traits or money).
• Mistake: Finishing character creation at age 35+. You’ll start your career with multiple unwanted negative traits that tank your work performance. Fix: Prioritize finishing by age 30. If you’re above 30, consider restarting.
• Mistake: Accepting a law enforcement enemy without understanding the consequence. They’ll pursue you on-station at game start, forcing you to pay $115,000 to avoid arrest. Fix: Review your final build before submitting. If you’ve got a law enforcement enemy you didn’t intend, restart.
• Mistake: Not securing Hacking or EVA Suit Maintenance. Hacking is essential for opening wrecks efficiently; EVA Suit Maintenance prevents suit degradation from becoming unmanageable. Fix: Use your first two Seek Adventure rolls to target these skills. If you miss them, spend years on secondary Seek Adventure rolls or (as a last resort) the Work on Skills menu.
• Mistake: Choosing a tiny ship like the Liliput or Box Sled. You’ll spend your early game upgrading your ship instead of salvaging for profit. Fix: Seek Ship multiple times if needed (costs 1 year per reroll). Wait for a moderate or large ship like the TU-76A or Testudo Dream.
• Mistake: Starting with less than $5,000 net worth. You won’t be able to afford a salvage license immediately, which means cops’ll harass you and you’ll get worse prices for salvage. Fix: Use Seek Adventure money options or spend final years on “Save Some Money” to reach $5,000+.
• Mistake: Not removing Fragile and Micro G Hypothalamic traits. Both severely hamper your physical performance in-game. Fix: Spend your first 2 years removing these. It’s mandatory.
• Mistake: Rerolling the Poker Game too many times. The Poker Game is optional; most players just take Fold for $900 and move on. Fix: Only attempt the gambling risk if you’re comfortable losing $9,000 or already have the Gambling skill.

Advanced Tips & Time Saves#

Stacking Money from Repeated Adventures: If you encounter the same adventure twice (e.g., Rare Salvage), you can repeat profitable choices (e.g., Bribe the Boss for $750 each time) to accumulate cash without gaining new skills. It’s slower than seeking new adventures but useful if you’re below $5,000 and short on years.

Minimizing Age Penalties: Every year you spend is one year older. If you finish at age 28 instead of 32, you avoid 4 years of age-penalty traits. Prioritize must-haves (Hacking, EVA Suit Maintenance, trait removal) and skip nice-to-haves to stay young. You can always gain secondary skills in-game if needed.

The Genius Trait Synergy: Both Crackdown (Fake Pressure Alarm) and Occupational Hazard (Hack Engine) grant Hacking + Genius. If you get either of these early, take it—Genius is a free bonus trait that stacks with Hacking.

Avoiding the Brig: Several adventures have risky options that send you to the brig for 1–4 years if you fail. Examples include Crackdown (Be a Hero), Shady Deal (Join the Scheme), Poker Game (Call His Bluff), and King Incognito (Hack Them). Unless you’re certain you’ve got the required skill or trait, avoid these risks. The penalty is severe and usually not worth the potential reward. If you do go to the brig, most players restart character creation rather than waste years in jail.

FAQ#

What are the two must-have skills in Ostranauts character creation?#

Hacking and EVA Suit Maintenance are the two must-have skills. Hacking lets you open locked containers and doors in wrecks efficiently, which is essential for profitable salvaging. EVA Suit Maintenance prevents your pressure suit from degrading rapidly, which would otherwise become a nightmare to manage during gameplay. Prioritize securing both of these skills within your first two Seek Adventure rolls.

What traits should I always remove during character creation?#

Always remove Fragile (costs 1 year) and Micro G Hypothalamic (costs 1 year). Fragile makes you physically easier to harm, and Micro G Hypothalamic permanently lowers your circulating blood, reducing stamina, increasing fatigue, and slowing recovery from injuries. Both are severe day-to-day liabilities. If you’ve spare years, also remove Feeble (costs 2 years), though it’s lower priority than the first two.

What is the ideal age to finish character creation?#

You should aim to finish character creation at age 30 or younger. The older you are when you start your career, the more negative traits you’ll accumulate as age penalties. Finishing at 30 lets you avoid significant trait penalties. If you find yourself at age 35+, consider restarting character creation to ensure a cleaner build. You can go over 30 if you want, but be aware of the cost.

How much net worth should I have at the end of character creation?#

Target at least $5,000 net worth. This lets you buy a salvage license immediately in-game, which improves your prices and reduces law enforcement harassment. If you start below $5,000, you’ll struggle financially early on and won’t be able to afford the license right away.

Which starter ship should I choose?#

The Testudo Dream is the best choice if offered—it

Source & credit#

This guide draws on the excellent video walkthrough by Darthvegan — watch it for the full visual run-through, and give the creator your view:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhV8M7pSGPI