Stellaris Console Commands: The Stellaris cheats you’ll need
Fancy using cheats to conquer the galaxy? You've come to the right place!
- By Craig Robinson
- July 13, 2021
Gaming Verdict is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Stellaris is Paradox Interactive’s space-themed 4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) title. The game sees players assume the government of an alien (or human) race as they make their first steps into the stars. As the game progresses, you’ll eventually scout distant solar systems, mine asteroids, and settle on various planets in the name of your galactic empire. Though, if you’re not playing the game in Ironman mode, you can open up the console and input Stellaris console commands to your heart’s content.
Firstly, you’ll need to know how to open the Stellaris console. While you are in-game, press the tilde key, aka the “`” key (typically found under the escape on most keyboards). Alternatively, SHIFT-ALT-C works if your keyboard is from another planet. If you have played any other Paradox Interactive title, such as Hearts of Iron IV, then you’ll already know how this works.
Once the Stellaris console command window is open, you can begin typing any of the cheats below into the input box. There are hundreds of them, with many requiring specific event IDs or empire IDs to work. These though are for more meta event stuff and not entirely useful to the everyday player.
Stellaris Cheats
The major Stellaris console commands that you’ll be using are the ones that are the easiest to use and will give you the most immediate benefits. Be aware that some of the console commands require you to pull specific trait, event, or other item names to work. In most scenarios, you can press the TAB key to find a list of names of the variables you’ll want to input while in the console. If you need more advanced IDs check out the extensive list over on the Stellaris Wiki page.
General Console Commands
Name | Effect | Example |
alloys | Adds a number of Alloy units. (Note that resource adding defaults to 5000 units). | alloys 150 |
cash | Adds Energy Credits to spend. | cash 350 |
colonize | Begins to colonize a planet using the traits of another planet’s population. | colonize 1 |
communications | Establishes communications with every empire in your galaxy. | communications |
create_megastructure | Creates a Megastructure in the star system your camera is focused on. Press tab to reveal mega structure names. | create_megastructure gateway_final |
damage | All ships in the selected fleet take damage equal to the value given. | Damage 1500 |
election | Starts a ruler election (if your government type supports elections). | election |
end_senate_session | Passes / fails the currently voted resolution. | end_senate-session |
engineering | Adds Engineering tech points based on an input value. (This defaults to 5000 if no value is entered.) | engineering 300 |
finish _research | Finishes all active research | finish _research |
finish_special_projects | Finishes all special projects | finish_special_projects |
food | Add Food units to your empire. (Defaults to 5000.) | food 1200 |
force_integrate | Integrates [target] empire into the player’s empire | force_integrate 2 |
force_senate_vote | Ends the current senate recess | end_senate_session |
free_government | Toggles the allowing of government change without time limit. | free_government |
free_policies | Toggles allowing player to change policies without restriction, including policies previously disabled. | free_policies |
grow_pops | Adds growing pops to the selected planet. If no value is selected then the Stellaris cheat defaults to 1 | grow_pops 10 |
influence | Adds a desired amount of Influence. 5000 is the default value. | influence 500 |
instant_build | Toggles the ability to instantly finish build projects – for ALL players. (Toggle while paused to avoid AIs instantly constructing projects.) | instant_build |
intel | Gives sight of the entire galaxy. | intel |
invincible | Player ships will stop taking damage. | invincible |
max_resources | Fills all resource storage units based on current storage capacity. | max_resources |
minerals | Adds Minerals to your galactic empire. (Defaults to 5000.) | minerals 500 |
observe | Switches to observer mode. The AI will take control of your empire if you remain in observer mode. Use the play command to revert control. | observe |
physics | Adds Physics tech points(default 5000 value). | physics 240 |
play | Returns control of your empire from observer mode | play |
Add
Name | Effect | Example |
add_anomaly | Adds an anomaly id to the selected celestial body | add_anomaly life_asteroid_category |
add_intel | Adds an amount of intel on the selected target. This Stellaris cheat defaults at 10. See Stellaris IDs for targeting specific external characters | add_intel 3 150 |
add_opinion | Increases the empire’s Opinion of a targeted empire by a chosen amount. The cheat defaults to 40. | add_opinion 2 5 500 |
add_relic | Assigns a relic to your empire. Note: writing all instead of an ID grants all relics in one go. The same relic can be added multiple times. | add_relic r_unbidden_warlock |
add_ship | Creates a fleet with one ship of the selected ship’s design ID. Remember to press TAB for ship ID names.
Spawned Juggernauts are not able to build, upgrade or repair other vessels. That would be too easy. |
add_ship Avatar |
add_spynetwork_value | Adds a specified amount of Infiltration to the target. Work out how much is in progress by checking the interaction. | add_spynetwork_value 4 200 |
add_trait_leader | Adds a Trait to a leader. Entering only the leader ID reveals all trait IDs for that class. | add_trait_leader 1 leader_trait_gale_speed |
add_trait_species | Adds a Trait to a species. See trait IDs on the Stellaris console commands web page | add_trait_species 5 intelligent |
effect _add_building | Adds a building to the targeted planet. Planet unique buildings will eventually despawn. | effect add_building = building_fe_dome |
effect add_deposit = | Adds a resource deposit or planetary feature to the selected celestial body | effect add_deposit = d_arid_highlands |
effect add_district = | Adds a district to the targeted planet | effect add_district = district_city |
effect add_planet_devastation = | Adds a Devastation value to the selected celestial body. Note: negative values will lower it. | effect add_planet_devastation = 10 |
effect country_add_ethic = | Adds an ethic trait to the player empire. Note: using more than 3 ethic points will remove the lowest attraction ethics | effect country_add_ethic = ethic_spiritualist |
effect country_remove_ethic = | Removes an Ethic from the player empire | effect country_remove_ethic = ethic_militarist |
effect create_archaeological_site = | Adds an archaeological site to the selected planet. Use create_archaeological_site, enter “random” to create a random archeological site. | effect create_archaeological_site = lithoids_digsite |
effect force_add_civic = | Adds a civic trait to the player empire. | effect force_add_civic = civic_corporate_dominion |
effect force_remove_civic = | Removes a civic trait from the player empire. | effect force_remove_civic = civic_meritocracy |
effect remove_modifier = | Removes a modifier from the selected planet, or an empire. | effect remove_modifier = holy_planet |
effect shift_ethic = | Shifts the player empire’s ethics to the selected trait | effect shift_ethic = ethic_fanatic_spiritualist |
Conclusion
The above Stellaris console commands should be enough to be getting along with. Remember to press the TAB key for a quick reference specific to your selected in-game command (if available). If you want to facilitate a much deeper or more compelling story for your star empire, focusing on in-game events, remember to check the Paradox Wiki for the relevant IDs to activate them.
This concludes all the major Stellaris console commands you need to know. If there are any more Stellaris cheats worth sharing, let us know in the comments below.