Gates of Hazeron

1. Download the game

The client is free. Pick one:

  • Installer (recommended): ShoresOfHazeron-Setup-7b2.x.exe. Installs for your user only (no admin password needed), adds Start menu and desktop shortcuts, and can be removed from Windows' "Installed apps".
  • Zip: ShoresOfHazeron-player.zip. Unzip it anywhere and run Shores of Hazeron.exe. Good for the itch.io app or a USB stick.

Download from itch.io Or from GitHub

The download is about 310–330 MB, and about 450 MB once installed.

2. Get past the Windows warning

The first time you run the installer or the game, Windows may show a blue "Windows protected your PC" box. This happens because the game isn't code-signed. Signing certificates cost hundreds of dollars a year, and this is a free community project.

  1. Click More info.
  2. Click Run anyway.

You only need to do this once. Every update is checked against a published SHA-256 fingerprint before it installs.

3. Make your account

  1. Start Shores of Hazeron. Tick the box confirming you are 17 or older, then click Play.
  2. On the login screen, click Register.
  3. Choose an account name and password, and enter your e-mail. Then click OK.
  4. Log in with your new account. Press Enter in the password box or click Login.
Your account name is for logging in. In game you'll create an avatar, your character, which can have a different name. Pick your avatar name carefully: other players will see it.

4. Your first hour

  • Create your avatar and pick a starting world. The first load of a new solar system can take a moment.
  • Blueprints load by themselves. Building and spacecraft designs download shortly after you log in. If the construction list is empty, give it a minute.
  • Read the wiki. The Hazeron wiki covers almost everything: resources, cities, production, ship design. The ? button on most game windows opens the matching wiki page.
  • Watch out for pirates. Ogar and Seledon raiders roam the galaxies. Defend your early colonies.
  • Ask for help. Other players are usually happy to help. Ask on Discord.

Updates

The game updates itself. When a new client is released, starting the game shows "Updating Shores of Hazeron…" with a progress bar. It then installs the update and starts again. You don't need to download anything yourself.

If an update can't be downloaded (offline, firewall), the game starts normally and tries again next time.