Prospector is a roguelike game set in a science fiction universe. The general goal of the game is to amass a large amount of money and retire. In an unexplored sector of space, humanity seeks to establish a permanent presence. Megacorporations have set up starbases in the region, where they employ freelance prospectors to find exploitable resources and map unknown planets. The player commands a team of these prospectors. Their goal is to explore the unknown systems and bring back valuable minerals, alien artifacts, and biodata... without being killed by hostile lifeforms, space pirates, harsh planet conditions, interstellar gas clouds, running out of oxygen, and the many other dangers of the sector. Can the captain make enough money to retire in luxury, or does a brutal TPK await the team?