Astroneer is a brilliant little base-building space exploration game with literal hidden depths, as you explore the network of procedurally-generated caves beneath your base, and harvest minerals with your handy terraforming gun.

Once you've managed to settle your home planet, it's time to build a rocket and blast off to new planets, with more dangerous flora, harsher climates, and — to make it all worth it — rare new elements to harvest.

The game was announced for Switch back in August with a release date of January 2022, and developers System Era Softworks have finally nailed down a date: The 13th January, 2022. Don't worry, it's not a Friday.

Alongside the Switch launch, all versions of the game will also get the latest update, 'Xenobiology' which adds animals to the game — something that people have been hoping for since it first came out in Early Access five years ago. We've only seen a small glimpse of these new creatures, with a little alien snail appearing for the briefest moment in the trailer — but we can't wait to find out how they impact the game.

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Astroneer on Switch
Image: System Era Softworks
Astroneer on Switch
Image: System Era Softworks

Pre-orders for the game are live now, with early purchasers getting the "Power" palette and visor bundle as a bonus, which appears to reference a certain other space-faring character. A physical version will also be available to pre-order soon, with a "Tunic" palette and visor bundle, which we can't help but notice looks a little bit like someone else we know with a green tunic...

Are you hype for Astroneer? Let us know in the comments!