Exploring new worlds and colonizing them is one of the most important mechanics in Stellaris, as planets are the foundation of any empire’s economy. However, the process of colonizing a planet can be daunting, especially for beginners. Fear not, as we provide you with an easy-to-follow guide on how to colonize your first planet in Stellaris.

Step 1: Survey and Construct

The first step in colonizing a planet is having a science ship survey a system that contains a habitable planet. Afterward, construct a Starbase in the system to ensure it is in your borders.

Step 2: Colony Ship

The next step is utilizing a colony ship. You can use one of two methods: the manual option or the automated expansion planner menu. For the manual option, build a colony ship at a shipyard, select the ship, choose what species you’d like to crew it, and then order it to colonize the target planet. Alternatively, the expansion planner menu lists every habitable world you have discovered, and once you select a planet and species, the game will build and send a colony ship to that planet.

Step 3: Patiently Wait

Once the colony ship lands, it will take time to set up the colony. A lot of factors can affect how long this process takes, but the base time is 2 years and 10 months. Once the development period is over, congratulations, you have officially colonized your first planet in Stellaris! Your planet will now have a planetary capital and one pop present, and you can begin constructing buildings, producing pops, and using planetary decisions to grow your new world.

Planetary Habitable Score

Not all planets in Stellaris are the same. Each planet has its own unique climate and type, and every planet has a habitability score. Prioritizing colonizing planets that have a high habitability score mitigates any penalties the game assigns for having less than 100% habitability. To find the best planet to colonize, using the galaxy map is helpful; systems containing a planet with more than 70% habitability will have a green planet icon, 40-69% habitability will have a yellow planet symbol, and 0-39% will have a red symbol.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations on colonizing your first planet in Stellaris! Don’t be afraid to explore and colonize new worlds, and have fun building your new space empire. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know in the comments section below.