Lightyear Frontier is a peaceful open-world farming adventure on a planet at the far edge of the galaxy. Climb into your versatile mech and start your new home on a distant planet with up to 3 friends as you farm alien crops, build your own homestead, and explore the untamed wilderness of the world.
Players can collect seeds from the environment, plant them, and care for their crops by watering and fertilizing them. The harvested crops can then be traded for credits or used as materials for building and upgrading structures. The game encourages a sustainable approach, where players must replace harvested trees and mitigate the effects of hazards to maintain the health of the ecosystem.
The game's unique mechanic is the player's ability to pilot a customizable mech suit, which serves as the primary means of traversal and interaction with the environment. The mech is equipped with a vacuum, hose, seed-shooters, and a mining/cutting tool. Players can unlock new upgrades for their mech and personalize its appearance, such as choosing from an array of paint choices and mech parts.
The procedurally generated world encourages players to explore the varied environments and uncover the planet's ancient secrets. By teaming up with a friendly scanner satellite, players can decipher clues spread across the landscape and uncover lost knowledge about the previous inhabitants of the world.
The game supports up to 4-player co-op, allowing friends to pool their resources and work together to create the perfect exofarm. Sharing the rewards of a successful harvest and tackling the exploration and resource gathering as a team adds to the overall enjoyment and sense of community.
Beyond the mech customization, players can also personalize their homestead by choosing from a variety of color palettes and decorations. This allows them to create a unique and personal space, adding to the feeling of ownership and investment in the game world.