The top 10 must-visit planets in Starfield

The planets you have to drop by before you finish the game.

Pilot in Starfield staring at a distant planet with snowy terrain beneath them.
Image via Bethesda

With around 1,000 planets spread across dozens of star systems in Starfield, it can be pretty overwhelming for new players to know where to get started. After the tutorial mission finishes and you gain access to your ship, the Frontier, you can begin exploring the systems at your leisure. A lot of these systems contain interesting planets that are a must-visit early in the game.

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Every star system has certain level requirements, however, so if you start grav jumping to far-off systems, you might meet an untimely demise. To make it easier, we have listed 10 of the best planets across the explored star systems that you can visit. Each planet listed provides something different.

Top 10 planets to visit in Starfield

The planets mentioned here will be listed in order of their usefulness in terms of resources as well as importance to the storyline. Most of these planets will have quests of their own, granting you even more experience and credits as you complete them on your way to level 100.

One last thing to note is that this list is subjective and based on our personal experience with these planets, so we understand if your experience may vary from ours.

10) Anselon

An image depicting the moon Kreet in Starfield.
The moon of Anselon is your destination. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

Anselon is one of the planets that you would probably want to visit early into your space exploration journey. While the planet itself is great, the main reason we are here is for its moon, Kreet. Anselon is located in the nearby Narion system and is just a few grav jumps away, which is convenient because this is probably where you will want to build your first outpost.

The reason behind this is the abundance of early game resources that are found on Kreet. Iron, lead, water, helium, and argon are among the best resources to acquire early while silver and neon can be sold for profit. You could save the rarer resources for later when you will need them, but by the time that happens, you should have a fully thriving automated outpost doing the job for you.

9) Leviathan IV

An image depicting the planet Leviathan IV in Starfield.
A great mid-game location to settle down. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

While the Leviathan system is beautiful in its own right, none of the planets in it live up to Leviathan IV. This planet is basically what Earth used to be before humanity took over and, as such, is perfect to colonize. Setting up outposts here will ensure a steady supply of exotic resources such as Ytterbium along with the more common iron and water resources.

The fauna here are no joke either but taking them down can net you some useful mid-game upgrades for your weapons and suits. Just make sure to set up a functioning cargo link between Leviathan IV and any nearby outposts you might have to ensure a smooth supply chain. If you’re ever tired from all the exploration, this planet is not a bad choice to wind down and relax either.

Just make sure to come here when you are of a sufficient level since the recommended level for this system is level 55.

8) Nesoi

An image depicting the planet Nesoi in Starfield.
A great setup for an early outpost. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

There is one major reason for Nesoi to be on this list. While it is a perfectly great outpost planet in its own right, the main reason why it is so essential to set one up here is because of ease of access. Since Nesoi is located in the Olympus system, it is perfectly set up in between most of the important systems you will be frequently visiting for main missions and supply quests.

In terms of resources, Nesoi offers plenty of iridium, uranium, and benzene for all of your crafting and upgrading needs. Make sure you enlist a few Outpost Management specialists like Lin (from the first mission) to ensure your outpost runs smoothly. The placement of Nesoi also ensures the smooth running of cargo links from different outposts thanks to its close proximity to most systems.

7) Sumati

An image depicting the moon Andraphon in Starfield.
The place you want to be on Sumati. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

Sumati is a great planet to stop by if you are in the star system and are looking for resources. However, just like with Anselon, our main landing point here isn’t the planet itself, but its moon. Andraphon has no atmosphere or life, but what it does have is an abundance of much-needed resources. The lack of hostile life makes it so that being attacked here is a rarity if it ever happens.

Because of the resources found here, Andraphon is undoubtedly one of the best places to build a starting outpost. Automating the mining process and assigning a few outpost specialists to this planet will ensure a steady supply of resources, especially if you create nearby cargo links to maintain the supply chain. The earlier you start here, the faster you will get rich in the long run.

6) Mars

The Cydonia mining colony on Starfield. A dark and dusty area with guards standing in front of one of the gates.
The red planet is now a major mining colony. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

The first planet that humanity successfully colonized, Mars is the home of Cydonia, a great place to stop by if you want to explore the Sol system in its entirety. Seeing humanity’s vision for the colonization of Mars come to fruition is one of the main reasons why this is a must-visit spot for any explorer looking for sights and resources.

Cydonia also comes with its own set of questlines that will take you all over the star systems. You can find valuable crewmates with starship operating skills that will come in handy once you start acquiring bigger and more powerful ships. You can also find the extremely valuable Heart of Mars resource here which will net you a hefty amount of credits very quickly.

5) Volii Alpha

The entrance to Neon in Starfield
Volii Alpha’s magnum opus. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

The first planet in the Volii system has a lot of interesting aspects to it. Not only is it home to the city of Neon, but it is also the base of Ryujin Industries and Xenofresh Corporation that runs this place. Known far and wide as a major entertainment hotspot, Neon is also the only city in the settled systems with the rights to distribute Aurora, a popular psychedelic hallucinogen only found here.

You should first stumble across Volii Alpha during the main quest “All That Money Can Buy”. However, if you are curious explorers like us, we bet you found this place sooner in your playthrough, probably through a certain mission board. Any planet with a major city is also a good choice to build an outpost on, so feel free to harvest your resources here.

4) Akila

The welcoming sign to Akila City
Akila is the home of the Freestar Rangers. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

The home base of the Freestar Rangers is one of the best planets to visit and build an outpost on. While the close proximity to Akila City helps a lot, the resources found on this planet are quite abundant should you choose to set up an outpost here. Beware of the local fauna since most of them tend to be quite aggressive, however, especially the Ashta.

Make sure your outpost is well-defended with turrets and crew members with levels in the Outpost Management skill. You should not run out of resources here since you can find several sources of water, aluminum, and argon among others. If you still feel like you’re short on resources or weaponry, feel free to hit up Akila City nearby to get everything else you need.

3) Jemison

Starfield character standing in The Lodge
The headquarters of the Constellation is a place you will keep coming back to. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

The first major planet you land on is the location of New Atlantis, the home of the UC Vanguard, and the base of Constellation. If those aren’t enough reasons to highly value the planet of Jemison in the Alpha Centauri system, maybe the abundance of resources outside is. With all of the raw resources, including flora and fauna, you can flex your creative mind on this planet.

And by that, we mean Jemison can be used as a focal point for building your first outpost. This especially holds true if it is your first playthrough and you aren’t familiar with the building process since you can build the outpost in close proximity to New Atlantis. Hauling resources back and forth shouldn’t be too much trouble either so get to exploring.

2) Porrima II

The Paradiso hotel on the Porrima II planet in Starfield
A famous hotspot and the main reason to visit. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

There is a reason this planet is way up on this spot. While the resources you can find on Porrima II aren’t exactly unique, they are quite useful when it comes to outpost building or as components for your industrial workbench. However, the main attraction of this planet is undoubtedly Paradiso, the luxury resort that is touted as one of the must-visit hotspots in the game.

Porrima II is located in the Porrima system which lies a few grav jumps away from Alpha Centauri. The Frontier may not have the fuel required to jump all the way here, so make sure to stop at a system like Olympus before you make your way there. If you choose to build an outpost here, make it close to Paradiso so that you can easily gain access to a safe haven in this system.

1) Earth

An image of a sunrise over a planet in Starfield
The planet isn’t what it used to be anymore. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

The place where it all began. Planet Earth in the Sol system was the home for humanity since the dawn of time, that is, until the collapse of its magnetic field in the 22nd century. If you have read the lore of Starfield from the UC Vanguard introductory mission, you will know that the survivors of humanity were evacuated from Earth in 2199 before the magnetosphere collapsed in 2203.

Cut to 2330 (present-day Starfield) and the planet is now a barren wasteland bearing no signs of life or an atmosphere. Landing here will lead to some interesting discoveries from the past as well as some easter eggs if you look around long enough. Earth is definitely at the top of our list of must-visit planets for a dose of sweet nostalgia and a quiet place to reflect upon the nuances of life.

Author
Image of Anish Nair
Anish Nair
Freelance gaming writer for Dot Esports. An avid gamer of 25 years with a soft spot for RPGs and strategy games. Esports writer for 2 years and a watcher for 12 years. Aspiring author. Dad to a host of animals. Usually found trying to climb ranks in Dota 2, plundering the seas in Sea of Thieves, hunting large monsters in Monster Hunter World, or mining rare minerals in Deep Rock Galactic.