About Us

alighted.xyz was founded in 2021 by a team of retro gaming enthusiasts and space lore fans who wanted to revive the magic of classic 80s and 90s space adventures with modern quality-of-life updates. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico—a city with a rich history in space exploration (home to the Sandia National Laboratories)—our team of 10 developers, designers, and musicians is passionate about crafting games that blend nostalgic pixel art, chiptune soundtracks, and open-world exploration with intuitive controls and engaging storytelling. Our story began when our co-founders, Elena Voss and Kael Thorn, met while collecting vintage space games. They dreamed of a game that captured the wonder and adventure of classics like Elite and Star Control but with smoother gameplay, deeper lore, and more customization options. They left their jobs in tech, recruited a team of like-minded creators, and set out to build alighted.xyz as a platform for their love of retro space adventures. At alighted.xyz, our flagship game, Stellar Quest: Cosmic Wanderer, puts players in the role of a rookie starship pilot tasked with exploring the galaxy, trading with alien civilizations, completing missions (e.g., cargo delivery, bounty hunting, planetary surveying), and uncovering the secrets of a long-lost alien race. What sets us apart is our commitment to retro authenticity: our visuals are rendered in vibrant 16-bit pixel art, our soundtrack features original chiptune compositions, and our gameplay emphasizes open-world freedom—players can choose their own path, whether they want to be a peaceful trader, a fearsome bounty hunter, or a curious explorer. We also add modern touches like intuitive controls, auto-save, and a quest log to make the game accessible to new players while retaining the charm of classics. Our team brings diverse expertise to the table. Our lead game designer, Leo Chen, specializes in creating open-world systems that feel vast but manageable, with meaningful choices that impact the galaxy. Our art director, Sofia Garcia, crafts retro-inspired pixel art that evokes classic space games while feeling fresh and vibrant. Our sound designer, Jake Wilson, is a renowned chiptune musician who composes soundtracks using vintage hardware, capturing the nostalgic sound of 80s space adventures. Our community manager, Zoe Patel, fosters a community of retro gaming fans, hosting "Retro Space Nights" where players can stream classic games and our own titles, and soliciting feedback that shapes our updates. Since launching Stellar Quest in 2022, we’ve grown to over 250,000 users worldwide, with fans of all ages embracing the game’s nostalgia and adventure. We’ve released three major expansions, adding new galaxies (e.g., the dangerous Gamma Quadrant, the alien-inhabited Andromeda Sector), new starship types, and new mission types based on player requests. We’re proud that our game has attracted both veteran retro gamers and new players who appreciate the charm of pixel art and open-world exploration. We also prioritize accessibility, with adjustable difficulty settings and a "retro mode" that disables modern features for purists. We value our community deeply. Every update is shaped by player input: for example, we added a "cargo escort" mission type after users requested more cooperative content, and we expanded the alien dialogue options based on demand for deeper role-playing. Our forums and Discord server are spaces for players to share starship builds, trade tips, and discuss classic space games. We also partner with retro gaming conventions to showcase our titles and connect with fans, and we donate a portion of our proceeds to space education organizations (e.g., NASA’s Education Program) to inspire the next generation of explorers. Looking to the future, we plan to expand Stellar Quest with a multiplayer trading system where players can buy and sell goods with each other, a planet colonization feature that lets players build outposts on uncharted worlds, and a mobile app optimized for on-the-go exploration. We also aim to develop a sequel set in the same galaxy, with a more linear story that delves deeper into the alien race’s secrets. Our goal is to become the leading name in retro space adventure games, known for our nostalgic charm, open-world freedom, and player-centric design. Whether you’re a fan of classic space games, a retro gaming enthusiast, or just someone who dreams of exploring the stars, alighted.xyz invites you to fire up your starship and embark on a cosmic adventure. Plot your course, jump to light speed, and discover the wonders of the galaxy—your journey awaits. Contact us to share feedback or learn more:alighted.xyz345 Starfall Drive, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USAEmail: [email protected]