Honkai: Star Rail
Released 26 April 2023 Developer miHoYo (HoYoverse) Publisher HoYoverse
A free-to-play, turn-based RPG in which you travel between planets aboard a space train, collecting a party of characters and fighting in menu-driven battles where timing and team make-up matter. It is story-heavy, with regular updates that add new worlds and characters.
Money health
HarmfulChance, compulsion or exploitation
Addictive design
Very high5 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
Freefree to download
Spending ceiling
No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
Australian rating
Chance-based in-game purchases, online interactivity and chat
How it makes money
Harmful: chance, compulsion or exploitation
The game is free. The main purchase is the 'Warp', a random draw for new characters and Light Cones (weapons) that costs Star Rail Passes, which are bought with Oneiric Shards or earned slowly through play. On the Australian App Store, Oneiric Shards run from A$1.99 for 60 up to A$149.99 for 6,480. The top rarity of limited characters is guaranteed by pull 90, but the limited banner has a 50/50 that can hand you a standard character first, so a guaranteed featured character can take up to 180 pulls (roughly A$650 to A$750 at app-store prices by our arithmetic). There is also a monthly pass (Express Supply Pass, A$7.99) and a paid battle pass (Nameless Glory A$14.99, or A$29.99 for the bigger version).
How you pay
- Gacha
Characters and Light Cones come from 'Warps' on limited and standard banners, paid for with Star Rail Passes bought with Oneiric Shards. ESRB lists 'In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)' and a 'Simulated Gambling' descriptor.
- Free-to-play
Free on mobile, PC and PS5. Oneiric Shard packs on the Australian App Store run from A$1.99 (60) to A$149.99 (6,480).
- Battle pass
The 'Nameless Glory' battle pass is A$14.99 on the App Store, with 'The Nameless Medal' version at A$29.99, alongside free rewards.
minor part of the game
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- Wait or pay
Trailblaze Power is a refilling energy bar spent on many reward-giving activities, which limits how much you can farm each day.
- FOMO timers
Featured characters and Light Cones are on limited-time banners that rotate away after a few weeks.
- Pity timer
A top-rarity character is guaranteed within 90 pulls on the character banner, but a limited banner has a 50/50 so the featured one can take up to 180 pulls.
- Game currency
Real money buys Oneiric Shards, which convert into Stellar Jade and Star Rail Passes before they can be spent on pulls, so the real price of a pull is never shown.
- Daily pressure
The Express Supply Pass (A$7.99) gives Stellar Jade for each day you log in while it is active, and PEGI notes that a Monthly Card also grants currency. Daily tasks also pay out.
minor part of the game - Collect all
New characters arrive with each version and each is a separate chase, so a complete roster is never finished.
minor part of the game
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Free to start, then A$1.99–A$149.99 a purchase
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oneiric Shard x60 Smallest currency pack |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$1.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Oneiric Shard x6480 Largest currency pack |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$149.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Express Supply Pass Monthly pass: 300 Oneiric Shards on purchase plus 90 Stellar Jade a day for 30 days when you log in |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$7.99 | Oct 2026 |
| The Nameless Glory Battle pass |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$14.99 | Oct 2026 |
| The Nameless Medal Larger battle pass version |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$29.99 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
9/ 10
IGN
Praised the storytelling and the satisfying sense of progression.
-
90/ 100
PC Gamer
Rated it very highly as a polished turn-based RPG.
-
Recommended
Eurogamer
Recommended it, arguing it is more than just a Genshin Impact reskinned for space.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
Content labels
- Violencemoderate
Fighting, weapons, injury and death, from cartoon bonks to realistic killing.
From ESRB and PEGI descriptors - Languagemoderate
Swearing and crude language, from the odd 'damn' to frequent strong profanity.
From PEGI descriptors - Sim. gamblingmoderate
Casino games and gambling imagery, played without real money.
From ESRB descriptors - Sex & nuditymild
Sexual references, innuendo, sexualised imagery, nudity and sex scenes.
From ESRB descriptors
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes), summed up in the content labels above. They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the money badges are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Text chat
- Players can interact with strangers
- No user-made content
- Needs an online account
There is no real-time co-op, but players can add each other by player ID and message through the in-game friends list (Apple lists 'messaging and chat'). In 2025 the US FTC reached a settlement with the Genshin Impact publisher that included blocking loot-box sales to under-16s without parental consent; we found no source confirming a matching under-16 purchase block in Honkai: Star Rail or in Australia, so set spending limits in the App Store, Google Play or console settings.
Who makes it
The company behind it, and its track record
- Child safety
Child-safety enforcement
US FTC and Justice Department, January 2025: HoYoverse agreed to a $20 million civil penalty to settle allegations that Genshin Impact collected under-13s' data without parental consent (COPPA); proposed order filed for court approval. HoYoverse said many of the allegations were inaccurate. - Loot-box action
Loot-box enforcement
US FTC, January 2025: the proposed settlement order bars selling Genshin Impact loot boxes to under-16s without parental consent and requires odds and exchange-rate disclosure; the FTC alleged the multi-tier virtual currency obscured real costs. - Misleading ads
Misleading-marketing action
US FTC, January 2025: alleged that Genshin Impact's event banners and influencer campaigns misled players about loot-box odds and costs; settled as part of the same proposed order, with HoYoverse disputing many of the allegations.
Latest on the record
- Regulator action
Agreed $20 million FTC settlement over Genshin Impact loot boxes and children's data
US Federal Trade Commission
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | 11 October 2023 | Store page |
| Windows PC | 26 April 2023 | — |
| iPhone and iPad | 26 April 2023 | Store page |
| Android phones and tablets | 26 April 2023 | — |
Further reading
- Official website
- FTC: Genshin Impact developer (also the Honkai: Star Rail publisher) to pay US$20 million over loot boxes (January 2025)
- Honkai: Star Rail on Wikipedia
- Honkai: Star Rail official site
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, apps.apple.com, store.playstation.com, www.esrb.org, pegi.info, www.metacritic.com, opencritic.com, opencritic.com, store.epicgames.com, www.ftc.gov. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.