The 8 Best Random Space Encounters in Starfield

The game starts with a mission called "One Small Step," but Starfield is a big leap for Bethesda Game Studios, a game whose universe alone surpasses the previous open worlds of the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series due to its immense size. While it has many differences from the studio's previous games, Starfield is still filled with the beloved quirks that Bethesda is known for.

Among them are the numerous characters and scenarios you will randomly encounter as you venture through space. They help fill the emptiness of space and occasionally earn you some extra credits. Some may lead to opportunities, while others are nothing more than Easter eggs, but here are the ones that are worth experiencing.

8 Grandma

Venturing through the settled systems can be hungry work, and after plundering a Crimson Fleet base or capturing an Ecliptic ship, you might find yourself in need of some relaxation. So, when you receive a radio call from a ship named Grandma offering you a hot home-cooked meal, how could you possibly refuse?

Given past experiences with Bethesda, one might be inclined to expect a trick. Could Grandma be a cannibal or a monster? Surprisingly, the answer is no; the encounter is, for once, exactly what it seems. When you dock with Grandma's ship, you can not only enjoy the meal but also freely take any item from her cargo hold, including 2000 credits.

7 Directions To Uranus

Upon entering a new system, you might be approached by a random spaceship that, quite seriously, asks for directions to Uranus, as you might suspect. This encounter offers nothing of real value, aside from the experience of the comedic genius of the pilot involved. However, this toilet humor joke serves as a reminder that you are playing a Bethesda game, where their shameless and often unfunny sense of humor is part of their irresistible charm.

If you answer yes, your seriousness will backfire, as the pilot in question informs you that he hopes you do, because Uranus is right behind you. Before he takes off with a "Smell you later!" and escapes your anger, this encounter will teach players who are not yet familiar with Bethesda's mischief a tough but necessary lesson: never offer someone directions to Uranus.

6 Dr. Sohla Banglawala

A geologist, whose assignment leaves her alone on a ship for extended periods of time, will present Dr. Banglawala with a trade request for any lithium, platinum, or vanadium in your inventory, for a survey she is conducting for MAST. If you don't have the required samples, she will let you know that she will try her luck in a new system, although her grav-drive is not functioning properly and will take a while to work.

This leads to some awkward small talk while both of you wait for it to work. In the process, the doctor makes a geology joke. However, just before the punchline, her grav-drive finally starts working, and she warps away, leaving you cruelly in the dark about what the music store employee said to the geologist.

5 Ship’s Extended Warranty

Starfield takes place in the year 2330 in an imagined future where humanity has left the dying Earth and spread among the stars, leading to new factions, governments, and nations. Many things were lost during the escape to the stars, but the fundamental aspects of humanity have survived. Apparently, this includes fraudulent calls for extended warranty contracts.

This meta-joke from Bethesda's developers can occur at any time when your ship is suddenly contacted by an "Unknown Ship" that informs you that your warranty has expired. Given the political instability of the inhabited systems, it would be wise to renew it or start a new plan. The lengthy and convoluted speech corresponds to reality, as do the ridiculous amounts you have to pay to restore your warranty, which, as you can imagine, does absolutely nothing.

4 Narcissus Race

If you lean towards gambling or enjoy space traversals in Starfield, it might be a good idea to visit the ship Narcissus. This daring ship sends out an outgoing transmission and is looking for an opponent for a race around a local station. With a small and agile ship, the Narcissus can prove to be a worthy opponent if your ship is larger and less maneuverable.

Based on the initial wager placed, you can make up for some credits by winning the race, but it might be a good idea to create a quick save before starting to ensure a return. If that fails, the option remains to board the ship and claim it as your own, although indiscriminate murder for the purpose of stealing a spacecraft is likely to be disapproved by your companions.

3 Faraday’s Budget Tours

In the distant future of Starfield, not all space travelers can afford their own spacecraft, and some will be forced to seek passage in other ways. An example of this is Faraday's Budget Tours, a company that brings tourist groups into space, similar to a future version of travel buses in the real world. If the ship contacts you, you will be asked by a seemingly exhausted captain to answer some questions from the group who requested to speak with "a real ship captain."

If you accept this request, it quickly becomes clear where their irritation comes from, as the passengers on the ship immediately bombard you with ridiculous, barely space-related questions. However, perseverance is rewarded, as by answering all the tourists' questions, you earn credits from the ship's captain.

2 The Valentine's Shanty

Somewhere in the vastness of space, you might come across a ship called The Valentine, and through its communication system, you will hear a moving space shanty sung by its captain. Although it lasts only half a minute, it's worth listening to because it is a unique shanty specifically written for the game, and it's also catchy.

After hearing the captain's song, which speaks of the capital of the United Colonies, New Atlantis, and a ragged ship, as well as the classic theme of returning from distant journeys to a home and a waiting loved one, you may not gain any tangible reward (unless you decide to board and take over the ship in a pirate-like manner), but this unique encounter is among the most discussed by fans.

1 Just One More Turn...

A rare encounter that involves no direct contact with anyone, the abandoned Mule of the United Colonies offers a kind of narrative environment for which Bethesda is either regarded as a master or a repeat offender, depending on who you ask. The ship drifts abandoned in space and is in a state of complete destruction. Upon entering, it becomes apparent that the entire crew has perished.

Upon investigation, it is revealed that the ship's oxygen systems failed due to long-term neglect by an engineer who was obsessed with video games and incapable of focusing on anything other than his game. As a result, the entire ship, including himself, was left to perish. Aside from world-building, it's hard not to see this as a playful jab from the game developers towards you, the player. Is it time to take a small break? Perhaps after just one more round...