How to play Star Citizen: your first hour
The first hour, kept simple: get up, find your ship, earn, and gear up.
By Domux. Updated 2026-10-03.
For balances and resets, read RSI’s currency explanation. Package UEC, account UEC and temporary alpha aUEC are different balances.
You bought a package, installed the game, and now you are awake in an apartment with no idea what to do. That is normal, Star Citizen throws you in cold. Here is the very first hour, kept simple.
Your first steps
- Create your character and pick a city
On first load you customise a character and choose a starting city in the Stanton system: Area18, New Babbage, Lorville, or Orison. Any is fine to start.
- Get out of bed and learn three keys
Press Y to get up. Move with W A S D. F is the universal interact key for doors, items, and entering your ship. Hold it for the contextual interaction menu.
- Find your ship at the spaceport
Take the transit or elevators from your hab to the spaceport, then use the ASOP terminal to retrieve your ship. Now you can fly.
- Try easy jobs
Start with simple delivery and hauling runs, then light bounty missions. They teach flying, landing, and the basics of earning without throwing you into the deep end.
Spend your starting money wisely
New characters start with some UEC, and if you signed up with STAR-JTV7-FXLR your account has 50,000 UEC on top. Spend it at in-game shops on a full armour set, a primary weapon and a sidearm, medical pens, and food and drink. That turns you from a vulnerable rookie into someone who can actually take on missions. Exactly what 50,000 UEC buys.
Did not sign up with a code yet? You have 24 hours after creating your account to add one. Paste STAR-JTV7-FXLR in your account's Referral Rewards section for 50,000 UEC. How to do it. RSI referral conditions
What to do after the first hour
Once delivery and bounty runs feel easy, branch into whatever looks fun: cargo hauling, mining, salvage, or exploration. Rent or buy bigger ships in-game with UEC as you earn. There is no wrong path, the game is a sandbox. And during a Free Fly you can test ships you do not own yet.
Sources and updates
By Domux. Public RSI profile, enlisted 3 January 2016.
Edited 3 October 2026. Prices are USD before tax. Check RSI for current offers and event dates.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Star Citizen as a beginner?
Create a character, pick a starting city (Area18, New Babbage, Lorville, or Orison), press Y to get up, move with WASD, and use F to interact. Take the elevator to the spaceport, retrieve your ship from the ASOP terminal, and start with simple delivery and bounty missions.
What should a new player spend UEC on?
A full armour set, a primary weapon and sidearm, medical pens, and food and drink. If you signed up with STAR-JTV7-FXLR, your 50,000 UEC bonus covers all of that with room to spare. See the UEC guide.
What are the basic Star Citizen controls?
Y to get out of bed, WASD to move, and F as the universal interact key for doors, items, and entering ships. Holding F opens the contextual interaction menu.
Ready to claim the 50,000 UEC?
The signup link pre-fills STAR-JTV7-FXLR. RSI advertises the bonus after buying a Game Package. The $40 fresh-money threshold determines the referrer's Recruitment Point.
Enlist with code STAR-JTV7-FXLR ✓ Verified referral code · Today: 3 October 2026