In Stellaris, cheats are entered through the command console — a text box you type commands into during a game. Unlike some Paradox titles, Stellaris does not require a special debug or launch mode: the console is available in any single-player game. This guide covers the keys that open it and what to do if the default doesn't work.
Open the console
While in a game, press the tilde key ~ — usually located just below Esc (escape) in the top-left of the keyboard — to open the console.
If your keyboard doesn't have that key, or pressing ~ does nothing, try one of these instead:
~`Shift + 2Shift + 3§Alt + 2 + 1
Type a command into the console and press Enter to run it. Press the console key again to close it.
A note on achievements and Ironman
The console is disabled in Ironman games, and using console commands in a normal game disables Steam achievements for that session. Start a non-Ironman game if you want to use cheats freely.
What's next
With the console open, browse the full list of Stellaris console commands for syntax and working examples, or jump to the technology, event, and ship ID lists that the commands use.