space travel pc games

The 20 best space games on PC

Be pilots, pirates and space truckers

Video games are great at transporting us to different worlds, but none capture that feeling quite so perfectly as intergalactic space games - and 2023 looks set to be one of the biggest years for space games yet, with the launch of Starfield , Homeworld 3 and more all on the horizon. But what games have gone before them and staked their claim already on the dusty planet surface known as 'Best Space Games'? We reveal all below, with our carefully curated list of all the best space games you can play on PC right now. Whether you're a budding space cruiser captain, a wannabe space conqueror or an intrepid space-faring explorer, there's a space game for you.

Best space games

We've kept our definition of "space game" fairly traditional here. There are still plenty of hybrid games in our best space games list, from RPGs and space-themed strategy games , but almost all of them are about being in space, whether that's hurtling across the universe in a ship of some kind, or wafting around in zero gravity. Games about settling down on the surface of a new planet such as Surviving Mars and Astroneer, or those set in space-like locations such as Alien: Isolation aren't present in this list, as you never actually get to go to space while you're playing them.

Plus, while there are still plenty of classics here, we've mainly focused on games we'd recommend you play today, rather than a 'greatest space games of all time' affair. Disagree? Tell us about your favourite space game in the comments below, and maybe you'll convince others to give it a try.

• Everspace 2
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
• Hardspace: Shipbreaker
• Star Wars: TIE Fighter
• Rebel Galaxy Outlaw
• Star Traders: Frontiers
• Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2
• Sins Of A Solar Empire
• X3: Albion Prelude
• Homeworld Remastered
• Distant Worlds Universe
• Outer Wilds
• FTL: Faster Than Light
• No Man's Sky
• Elite Dangerous
• Kerbal Space Program
• Freespace 2

20. Everspace 2

Everspace 2 is a classic arcade space shooter that feels like it's flown in through a wormhole from the early 00s. While the first game was more of a roguelike, Everspace 2 ditches that structure for a more traditional action RPG that sees you gradually upgrading your ship with bigger and better parts and weapons grabbed from ships you've just obliterated with some well-executed laser beams.

Battles are spectacular and frantic, but beneath the space fighting veneer, these ships are essentially behaving like your favourite RPG classes. Each has their own special and passive abilities, and if it weren't for the flying around in space aspect, you could almost swear you're actually playing something like Diablo. Just, you know, without the endless grind cycle. It's enormously entertaining, and its hand-crafted locations are some of the glossiest and most spectacular pockets of galaxy this side of No Man's Sky.

19. Mass Effect Legendary Edition

The Mass Effects are Captain Kirk simulators. You're not Sulu, blowing Klingons out of space, or Chekov, piloting a ship; you're the boss. And being the boss largely means telling people what to do - and snogging.

Commander Shepard's second mission remains their best - it's a planet-hopping Argonautica and suicide mission with some of BioWare's best-realised characters - but now the entire trilogy has been remastered as part of the Legendary Edition, there's really no reason not to play the whole lot from start to finish. After all, no Mass Effect is an island. The middle game might be the best, but the first lays all the groundwork. And don't listen to the naysayers, the final game drops the ball a bit during the closing act, but otherwise it's a cracking end to the trilogy.

18. Descent

Having been lumped in with run-and-gun first-person shooters since the time of its release (CGW magazine called it "Doom on Benzedrine in a vacuum"), Descent's numerous innovations have often been serially overlooked. True, it didn't have many rock star developers working on it, there were no demons from hell rampaging through it's claustrophobic corridors and there was not one smear of blood to enrage or delight its audience. What it did have was speed, maze-like 3D levels and a range of movement in all directions that was at beautiful odds with the limited space in which to manoeuvre.

Disorientation was a constant companion - for some players so, too, was motion sickness - but in rescuing trapped colonists otherwise doomed to die and escaping each quaking level before it was engulfed in a nuclear fireball the game paid out in full. After more than 20 years, does Descent remain an essential game in the same way as Doom? Given that it would morph into Freespace and remain to some degree in Red Faction's DNA, yes, yes it is. More importantly, it's still enjoyable, more so in many ways than the game that inspired it.

17. Hardspace: Shipbreaker

Hardspace: Shipbreaker is one of those working sims that utterly transports you into the mind and soul of one of its titular shipbreakers the moment you fire your very first laser cutter. You're a nameless employee of the Lynx Corporation with an enormous debt to pay, and you'll gradually chip away at this impossible sum of cash by stripping derelict spaceships for parts and materials. Not from the comfort of a nice space hanger, though. Oh no. You've got to do this in zero gravity, and carefully punt each individual component into their respective recycling bins, or face the wrath of your corporate overlords. It's a tough gig, but oh so fulfiling.

Played correctly, Hardspace: Shipbreaker is wonderfully mundane. And we mean that in the best possible sense. Yes, there's the occasional explosion when you accidentally slam a laser through volatile fuel pumps, and yes, you'll need to manage your fuel and oxygen levels as you go about your work. But there is a zen-like loop of cutting, grabbing and punting that lets you revel in your own sense of growing expertise, and stripping a ship clean in record time like some giant, indentured space vulture is intensely satisfying.

16. Star Wars: TIE Fighter

Contrary to popular belief, the X-Wing series wasn't a direct assault on Wing Commander. It was an attempt to transpose the systems and success of Totally Games' first series onto what would be its second. Indeed, you don't need to play much of either to see that there's more of Wing Commander in Battlehawks 1942 and Their Finest Hour than there is of X-Wing or TIE Fighter in Wing Commander. Just as Star Wars' space battles are inspired by WWII combat footage, the X-Wing series are informed almost entirely by Totally's WWII fight games. That they all featured a mission builder, combat recorder and historical missions only serves to underline that fact.

In any case, had X-Wing been intended as Star Wars' answer to WingCo, X-Wing 2 would surely have followed it. Instead Totally and Lucasarts opted to flip the story to the Dark Side, in so doing allowing players the opportunity to fight for the Empire for the first time while avoiding the mistake of painting everyone in it as wholly and irredeemably evil. Even though we knew we were on the wrong side, the game had us believing our hearts were in the right place, even if our guns were pointing at the good guys.

Plus, if you want to see what TIE Fighter might look like with modern day graphics, be sure to check out the recently released TIE Fighter: Total Conversion mod for X-Wing Alliance, too, which pretty much recreates TIE Fighter from the ground-up, and adds in VR support.

15. Rebel Galaxy Outlaw

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is that rare space sim that manages to capture the thrill and wonder of exploring a star system without wildly over-promising on what to expect. It may only be set in a single region of space with 40-odd star systems to peruse, but within those limited confines is a game packed with dogfights, bounty hunts, underhand deals and fraught delivery runs. Action is the name of the game here, and Double Damage Games makes you get you're able to get your hands dirty at every possible opportunity.

Thanks to Outlaw's clever targeting system and auto-pursuit system, dogfights are brilliant fun. You can turn off auto-pursuit if you prefer to go old-school with your space fights, but leaving it on makes every skirmish feel like a nail-biting battle of wits rather than chance pot-shots into the void. Rebel Galaxy Outlaw also manages that rare feat of giving us a character we actually care about, and a story that gives them a place and purpose in this vast region of the unknown. A lot of it covers familiar ground, but it makes a refreshing change from your No Man's Sky and Elite Dangerous types. Lovingly crafted and always stunningly pretty to look at, Rebel Galaxy Outlaw always has us coming back for more.

14. Star Traders: Frontiers

Space captains are better served than ever for 2D Elite-ish games, but Star Traders: Frontiers is by far the best out there. Create your captain, pick a ship, and fill it with a crew of pilots, navigators, swordsmen, and whatever niche experts suit your needs. Getting on your feet can be hard, but once you've got a little money and the favour of some political figures, the galaxy is yours to adventure in.

Your ship and crew define you more than in any space RPG, as you can refit and reorganise them as you see fit. Almost everything you do in Frontiers can affect the economy, status, and political relations of local characters, planets, and factions, whether you want to dig into its multi-threaded story jobs or not. And you'll inevitably end up doing more than you planned for when opportunity knocks. Your unarmed spy ship might make a great smuggler. Your ship-disabling pirates might create perfect opportunities to start taking on bounty hunter jobs. Or you might just stumble across some exotic goods, and find yourself waylaid in a chain of unexpected events on your way to find a black market to sell them at. Plus, you can hire a sniper who wears pink thigh high boots in space. What's not to love?

13. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2

If you're happy to trade off realism for sheer spectacle when it comes to space battles, then Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 (the definitive Warhammer 40,000 navy 'em up) is going to be your happy place. Despite all the cinematic 3D camera work, its battles play out on a resolutely 2D playing field. It's essentially a sea battle game with bombastic, giga-scale space stylings, and it pushes a lot of the same buttons as Total War games in terms of play feel - you build up fleets on a campaign layer, then position them on a tactical map and shove them into the enemy to start knocking lumps out of each other.

Conflict in BFGA2 feels huge: hundreds of individual turrets batter away at each other, while fighters zip around like clouds of dust, and massive ships explode gloriously with a groaning sound like a whale reading its credit card bill. You can play as 12 of the major 40k factions in BFGA2's skirmish mode, while four get their own campaigns. The strategic game sometimes feels a little light, but not so much that it feels stripped down, and there's an impressive level of storytelling and lore involved, when it didn't necessarily have to be. The big draw, however you choose to play, and whatever you choose to play as, is that you're guaranteed one hell of a light show.

12. Sins Of A Solar Empire

Ironclad Games' RTS pinches the scale of a 4X game and pits massive armadas against each other in orbital laser light shows. All the diplomatic, trade and research systems borrowed from 4Xs prop up the constant war, funding and upgrading increasingly diverse fleets. At first you'll just be throwing light attack ships at planets you want to gobble up, but eventually you'll be surrounding worlds and enemy fleets with capital ships the size of small moons and a whole host of support vessels, carriers, tiny fighters and bombers.

Sins' smartest trick is the use of restrictive lanes to connect worlds. It forces fleets to travel down predetermined paths, appearing in specific places. Even in space, then, there's terrain, with the lanes' entrances and exits acting as choke points around which weapons platforms can be constructed and fleets positioned. The Rebellion standalone adds the additional wrinkle of new playable rebel factions and their accompanying victory conditions, but also powerful Titan-class ships and overhauled vanilla factions. Oh, and it's quite a bit prettier!

11. X3: Albion Prelude

Although it started out as a rather humourless and unhurried take on Elite, the X series has carved out an impressive niche for itself over the course of 15 years or so, becoming the go-to game for space captains who'd rather explore a capitalist frontier than venture beyond anything physical.

Egosoft would no doubt argue that there's been more to its games than first-person Industry Giant in space, pointing to the series' motto and the prominence of fighting ahead of thinking. The truth is that that it took a few attempts for the German developer to properly nail combat. The X3 games seemed to nail it though; each release offering a more evolved OS-styled control setup that managed to avoid falling into the FPS mouse trap while complimenting the complexities of the trading simulation underpinning the game. Some might protest that the Albion Prelude expansion went a step too far, with too much slow-burning intricacy and not enough explanation, but by setting the X universe at war with itself ahead of the slate-cleaning Rebirth, it offered players the best opportunity in the long-running series to make good profit at the expense of others.

10. EVE Online

For all its infamous high stakes drama and ruthless corporate betrayals, there's room for a lot more in EVE than most people think. The enormously complex player economy is ultimately about loads of random players all doing their own thing, after all.

More so than perhaps any other game, EVE is about interacting with others, but that too can be done as you see fit. The jostling alliances of hundreds-strong players make the headlines, but exist alongside countless small groups of friends, pairs, even the occasional solo player making their space life by trade, manufacture, murder, or just quietly shooting endless disposable NPC ships for an hour or two after work to unwind. It's a demanding game for sure, but getting to know even a small corner of it feels satisfying. Seeing familiar names and knowing what they're up to, who they're friends with, and what things you can achieve together is one of the promises that few MMOs deliver on.

It takes some patience and a lot of initiative, and the ability to sigh and shrug some things off. But if you're not enjoying what you're doing in EVE, you can just do something else. Get talking to someone, for heaven's sake. There are opportunities everywhere if you're willing to make the effort.

9. Homeworld Remastered

The original Homeworld is one of the all-time great space RTS games, but trying to get it running on a modern PC is a bit of a nightmare - if only because it hasn't been available to buy for the better part of a decade. Thankfully, Gearbox's 2015 remaster brought it bang up to date. Bundling remastered editions of both Homeworld and Homeworld 2 and a special Steam multiplayer mode, this is the definitive way to play one of the best space games of all time.

A lot of Homeworld's accomplishments may seem like old-hat now. Moving multiple units in 3D space? Yawn. A choice between total annihilation and desperate survival? Been there, done that. And yet, the thrill of Homeworld's epic space battles remains just as strong as it did back in the olden days of 1999. Add in modern dynamic lighting, hi-res textures and a remastered score, and it really is quite the homecoming.

8. Distant Worlds Universe

Distant Worlds Universe collects Code Force and Matrix Games' complex space 4X game and its DLC in one package, and it was our strategy game of the year back in 2014. The accolade is still well deserved. It's a sprawling behemoth of a game set in a universe that gets along with or without you. Trade companies do business all across the universe, empires rise and fall, sectors transform from tourist traps into warzones.

Rather than presenting empire building as a series of paths, it's a pure sandbox absent all but player-defined goals. If that sounds daunting, it is! But that that's OK because Distant Worlds also boasts an unparalleled automation system that breaks the game up into manageable chunks. If war isn't your cup of Earl Grey, you can leave all martial matters up to the extremely competent AI. The same goes for every system. If you really want to ease into things, or if you just fancy exploring space, you can give up control of everything apart from a single ship. Effectively you take a break from being Emperor to become a simple spaceship captain. From that perspective you can just watch the universe evolve around you. When that gets old, you can start switching off the automation of other systems one by one until you find your limit.

7. Outer Wilds

The solar system of Outer Wilds may only take a few minutes to cross in your rickety old space ship, but the mysteries of its six planets and accompanying moons, comets and satellites will keep you guessing for hours and hours. Our game of the year in 2019 , Outer Wilds is a clever space detective game with a Groundhog Day twist. The sun goes supernova every 22 minutes, but thanks to a strange encounter with an ancient alien artefact, your wide-eyed explorer manages to escape being turned into space dust by getting stuck in an infinite time loop. The only way to break it is to solve the mystery of the space-faring Nomai, whose architecture, technology and discoveries shape each and every planet you'll eventually touch down on.

The planets themselves are marvels of design and engineering. From Brittle Hollow, which has a black hole tearing it apart from the inside, to The Hourglass Twins, which are linked by an epic column of sand that gradually drowns one and reveals the secrets of the other with every passing second, the world that Mobius Digital have created here really captures your imagination. It's exactly the kind of mad science fiction you've always dreamed about in games, and each one feels like a distinct ecosystem with its own rules and systems. You're free to explore them at your own pace, too. Driven by hints and secrets you gather by translating ancient Nomai scrolls and texts they've left behind (but never giant 'go here next' icons), Outer Wilds' greatest achievement is simply letting you follow whatever trail of Nomai-shaped breadcrumbs you please as you work to solve this galaxy-wide mystery. Brilliantly written and beautifully crafted, Outer Wilds is a truly stellar stuff.

6. Stellaris

After years of simulating the politics, economics and wars of history, Paradox decided to head off into the stars with their grand strategy/4X hybrid, Stellaris. Crusader Kings II and Europa Universalis IV had been pumping out weird stories and slices of historical drama for a few years, and more than anything else that's what Stellaris brought to 4X's sector of space.

You can spend hours creating your brand new alien species, right down to their government type and how good they are at making babies, but new technology and special events can transform them into something completely different. Since launch, Stellaris has gone from strength to strength, with Paradox adding a steady stream of new expansions, species and story packs. Its latest expansion, Nemesis, came out in April 2021, too, making it a great time to jump in if you haven't already.

5. FTL: Faster Than Light

Subset Games' roguelike-like darling deconstructs spaceship sims and presents managing a vessel as a series of disasters and crises. Each of FTL's procedural adventure casts you adrift in space with a single goal: outrun the Federation and bring their secret plans to your Rebel allies. In between you are scouts, pirates, people needing help and horrible space parasites. You can't turn back, though, because the Federation is always nipping at your heels.

In real-time fights against other ships, you'll see your crew slain, your ship boarded by droids, hulls ripped open, explosives teleported in and allies psionically controlled. But you'll be able to do all of that to your enemies as well. Along the way, you'll also find or rescue new crew members, get access to the fanciest of future tech, and hopefully get tough enough to take on the final Federation boss.

Even seemingly blessed runs can end in catastrophe, but each failure becomes another brilliant sci-fi story. The journey of the Ham Sandwich, for instance, ended particularly tragically. After a run in with a pirate, the ship looked to be done for, with a fires and breaches in multiple rooms and just about every system offline. The engine fire was the worst of the problems and if it wasn't taken care of, the whole ship would be doomed. Our engineer tirelessly fought the fire, even as the oxygen was sucked out of the room through a tear in the hull. With his final breath he managed to put out the fire, the doors could be unsealed, and the rest of the crew repaired the hole. Unfortunately, an encounter with a solar flare one jump later finished the Ham Sandwich off.

4. No Man's Sky

It's been a bumpy old ride for No Man's Sky since it launched in 2016, but after a steady stream of free updates, patches and a lot of jiggery-pokery behind the scenes, Hello Games' epic, procedurally-generated space exploration game has finally become everything we hoped and dreamed it would be. No Man's Sky has gone from strength to strength in recent years, adding a proper multiplayer experience, full VR support, aquatic biomes, and even more beasts, flora, fauna and customisation options. Heck, you can even fly around in sentient, living, breathing space ships now, and if that doesn't shout 'best space game' material, we don't know what does.

It is, without doubt, one of the greatest comeback stories of the last decade. At its heart, No Man's Sky is still a crafting-based survival 'em up that sees you journeying toward the centre of the universe and gradually upgrading your ship so you can jump farther and farther distances, but it's also about flying to and from stunning looking planets and staring slack-jawed at all the mad creatures you'll find therein. You no longer have to make the journey alone, either, as up to 32 players can now join a single server, and you'll see other players appear onscreen when they're nearby. Its VR support is also first rate, making it one of the best VR games you can play on PC right now, and it's also one of the best games to play in ultrawide mode, too.

3. Elite Dangerous

What makes Elite Dangerous so compelling isn't so much about the game as the experience. It's the tinkering with and the taking out of a performance car for a Sunday drive, not to rack up more miles, nor to break any speed limits, but to just feel the growl of the engine and the wind comb through what's left of your hair. To remember those carefree days arched over a BBC Micro or blinking angrily into a Lenslok and to forget for a short while that you have to make 357 people redundant in the morning. Elite is a hermetically-sealed escape capsule and it's the best there is. Hell, you could fire the game up and just sit there on a launch pad and the sounds are enough to carry you away, so strong is your ship's presence and so absorbing are the station surroundings.

Taking off, tearing through the station entrance a little too fast and just missing a Python, angling for the next jump, scooping fuel from a blazing sun, spinning the camera around your ship to catch its best profile, starting a fight just for the hell of it, seeing smoke rise from the command console, hearing the screen crack and precious oxygen escaping into space and landing back at base with seconds to spare - these are the moments that make Elite essential. Trading, missions, mining - not so much. But it's all right, we're not going anywhere.

2. Kerbal Space Program

It could be argued that Kerbal Space Program doesn't belong on this list, because it's a game about trying but (mostly) failing to get into space. Sometimes it's a game about smashing into the ground. Botched attempts and hopeless failures litter the path to success, but it's those disastrous experiments that often prove to be the most fun.

That might not be the Kerbal Space Program everybody recognises, though. We're sure it feels great to successfully get the Kerbals on and off the Mun without breaking a sweat, but we're just happy to see them drifting around in space. We don't even see our many misadventures as failures anymore because that implies that we haven't done what we set out to do, which is to draw a blank on everything we know about physics and just muck around with some cool rockets.

1. Freespace 2

Was it Freespace 2 that almost killed the space combat genre? Some like to think it was the game's commercial failure that did the damage; that there was no interest in space combat games any more and that if anyone persisted in making one, their sales would suffer the same fate. If it ever was a wreck, we now know that Freespace 2 wasn't left empty for very long, and that the message in the static was soon changed to offer a place of refuge, a rallying point for gamers uninterested in a New World Order of terrorist take-downs.

It's not simply that Freespace 2 is a highly accomplished sequel to what was arguably the finest game in its genre, but that it has become the source of so much creativity over the years. For space genre fans, Diaspora, The Babylon Project, Blue Planet and Wing Commander Saga have been some of the brightest releases in what has, until the last couple of years, been a veritable dark age.

The thing is, standard issue Freespace 2 remains largely unchallenged. Considering it was barely a year in development and many of Volition's ideas for ground attacks and super weapons went unrealised, it offers a number of improvements on the original game. Prior to Freespace 2, capital ships were largely treated as static backgrounds, but now they were part of the foreground, one that fizzed and crackled with explosive energy like never before. Of course Freespace wasn't perfect. But what the Freespace games did better than anything else was put the player in the midst of a series of epic battles, fighting against the odds versus a relentless and unknowable foe. The spectacular weapons, the frenetic and desperate movement that remains a perfect marriage of UI and controller and graphics that were so in advance of everything all those years ago that, even un-modded today, the game can maintain the fantasy. Even in this new space age, one of procedurally-generated universes and forceless feedback joysticks, Freespace 2 stands as a titan of the genre. The Galactica among Battlestars. The game that has lead the genre home.

Off the list

Alas, as with every update, there are inevitably some games we end up saying goodbye to. In this version of the list, we swapped Slipways and Galactic Civilizations II for Hardspace: Shipbreaker and Everspace 2. Everything else has stayed in the same position. It doesn't mean we love those games any less, or that they won't be featured here again in the future, but right now they just fall short of that top 20 cut-off.

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To Boldly Go: Best Space Exploration Games

For anyone who has ever wanted to explore the vast reaches of space, these games are absolutely essential!

Exploring space in a video game is generally one of two things: the most mind-numbing experience ever or a jaw-dropping adventure. It partly depends on you as to which kind of experience you receive, too; some people just aren't wired to enjoy these kinds of games.

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They're (generally) chill, time-consuming journeys that require the right mindset and the right expectations. But when these games hit just right, they're some of the most rewarding gaming experiences out there. Here are the best space games out there with a heavy emphasis on space exploration.

Updated February 17, 2024 by William Quick: New efforts are being made to get us further into space and make it more accessible to the average person. Since we still have such a long way to go, we should look towards sci-fi games about exploring the stars and visiting alien worlds. Sometimes it's peaceful and other times it's all about danger and conflict like you'll face in the recently released Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. The space exploration area of gaming has something for everyone and here are some of the best and most entertaining games that we've found about reaching the final frontier.

Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader

Travel through the void to explore deadly space.

If you don't understand Warhammer 40K, here's the gist: It's the far, far, far future where everything is dark, power armor is standard issue, and everything is trying to kill everything else. However, some choose to distance themselves from the conflict and seek their own adventure, like in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader .

You and a crew of rogues, for lack of a better term, have gotten your hands on a pretty sweet ride known as a Voidship that is built to traverse the darkest parts of space. The destination you're heading for is the Koronus Expanse, a place so dangerous that the Empire won't even send grunts to check it out. This makes it prime unexplored territory full of discovery and hopefully lots of valuable loot and tech to plunder. Maintain your ship, explore the different worlds, and keep your crew in fighting shape for whatever awaits them when they touch down.

Offworld Trading Company

Set up capitalism across the universe.

What's the first thing people are going to do once space starts to be colonized? Well, they're going to set up businesses, of course. Unfortunately, the companies and individuals with the biggest pockets will have a head start in the game, but you can catch up to them with ambition in Offworld Trading Company.

This is a game all about setting up a business that becomes so successful and profitable that it simply can't be confined to one planet. Once you make enough money, you can send off ships and rockets to other worlds to touch down and set up your business wherever you can squeeze it in. As you can guess, maintaining such an empire across multiple planets isn't cheap, but there's no reward without risk in the space market. Go big or go home... to your home planet.

Bethesda Makes A Big Splash In The Sci-Fi Pool

After all the waiting, Starfield launched onto the gaming stage to a very large and warm reception. In this sci-fi RPG, your character evolves as you play and can be any number of personalities, professions, and roles. You've also got your ship to pilot and a loyal crew to travel with you.

This is a game that you could spend the whole year playing and make a small dent in it. The story follows a mystery involving strange artifacts scattered across space that, when brought together, may reveal some unknown truths about the universe. Of course, this means you'll need to travel to different planets, moons, and other celestial bodies. You'll fight other space travelers with a variety of futuristic weapons and even alien life-forms. When you're not fighting, you can explore and talk to the various people of this universe.

A Long Return Journey Across The Stars

Home is where the heart is, and sometimes your heart is on a planet. You get a sense of this from the Homeworld series, which has you leading a race of exiled people on a journey across space to reclaim their home world. It'll be quite a long trip with losses likely, but it's all for the sake of getting home.

Even though you're in new waters, the people are very resourceful and technologically advanced. With the right decisions, you can put together a huge fleet of ships capable of traveling, transporting, and, of course, combat. Space is a dangerous place full of hostile fleets that are just waiting to shoot you down and steal anything of value. Strategic thinking and quick decisions are paramount to survival and success in battle, management, and continuing your journey.

Telltale's The Expanse

Experience the emotions of floating through space and more.

Telltale Games is known for making some of the most narrative-rich games out there, but sadly, had to close its doors to address several issues. The studio has since returned invigorated with new ideas like the episodic sci-fi epic known as The Expanse.

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This original story puts you in the shoes of Camina Drummer, an adventurous astronaut who has been sent on a mission to an unexplored but infamous part of space. As part of a salvage crew, the opportunity to scavenge through the numerous ships that have disappeared in that space is too great to pass up. However, you'll experience tension and fear as things start to go wrong and that there's more to this mysterious Belt than you could have bargained for and that may claim lives in the process.

Land On New Planets And Set Up Society

Since almost all the major areas and places on Earth have already been discovered, all that is left is the rest of space. This is what drives you to the stars in the astronaut boots of an Astroneer working for discovery and exploration for the people and yourself.

This is a very bubbly and colorful space experience that gives you the option to travel to numerous uncharted planets and play around. You'll have a bunch of tools to navigate, study, and gather numerous materials and resources to use. The more you collect, the more you can build to further explore the planet's surface and travel even farther than you could when you first arrived. It also supports future trips into space to visit new planets and have new experiences alone or with others.

All That Matters Is Your Ship And Your Next Job

The work culture has changed in recent years with most people trying to make careers out of self-employment and freelancing. Years before this was the case, there was a game about trying to make a living your way in space called Freelancer.

You're put into the shoes of a spaceship pilot living in a dog-eat-dog universe. You can fly from planet to planet, visiting points of interest to get leads on well-paying gigs. Whether it's delivery, salvaging, or bounty hunting, you'll be able to make your way as long as you keep your ship in shape.

Ratchet & Clank

A furry alien and pint-size robot walk into an adventure....

Duos are popular in all forms because a partnership always has the potential for hijinks, whether they be comedic or action-packed. Both of these can be found in the stylistic sci-fi series Ratchet & Clank , going back to the first installment.

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The story follows the cat-like Ratchet and his little robot buddy Clank as they adventure across different galaxies, helping where they can. Their exploits allow them to get their hands on several useful gadgets and weird weapons that prove to be surprisingly effective. You'll also fly many ships to get to all the strange new worlds you need to visit.

Kerbal Space Program

Help the adorable kerbals take off.

Space is the final frontier, and it's not an easy or cheap one to explore. Even if you're just going to the moon, you're going to need tons of backing as well as a trained and willing crew like in Kerbal Space Program .

As the head of this program, you'll be leading an adorable organization of creatures in their dream of traveling to the stars. This means you'll need a lot of management and financial savvy to finance interstellar expeditions. Once you get to that point, you'll be rewarded with a chance to see other parts of the ever-expanding universe.

Star Conflict

Don't fight the stars, fight the ships among them.

Despite how much space there is in space, it's still not big enough for sci-fi stories to avoid arranging conflicts between sentient species. In addition to space exploration, there's also the excitement of space combat, which is captured by games like Star Conflict.

Take whatever money and resources you have to put towards a ship that can stand the pressures of space and those of other spaceships. If you want to get ahead, you'll need to fly into battle to shoot down other pilots, taking their parts, and looting for yourself. Space is cold, dark, and crowded, which means you'll have no shortage of spaceship fights.

Endless Space

A moniker taken from our own universe.

Some games stand out for having titles that make an obvious statement but still cause people to think. If the universe is constantly expanding, then it may be infinite and that's the idea behind Endless Space.

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This vast and complex sci-fi strategy game is about expanding among the stars. You'll start by setting up one base on a planet, so you can grow and build up resources to reach out beyond it. Do the best for your planet and people so that they have as much as possible when they set out for new worlds. Just be prepared to defend each of your planets with everything you've got.

High On Life

Become a bounty hunter and rescue talking guns.

High on Life is an interstellar FPS that has you wielding talking guns. As a nameless human-turned-bounty-hunter, your mission is to stop an intergalactic drug cartel from turning all humans into drugs.

This means you'll need to use warp technology to travel to various alien worlds seeking out high-ranking cartel members. You'll also gain the ability to warp in structures and facilities while visiting these worlds and appreciating the endemic wildlife... assuming it's not trying to kill you.

Starship Troopers: Terran Command

Lead the troopers to fight a galactic infestation.

Watching bad movies has become something of a pastime, with one of the most entertaining being Starship Troopers, which came out in the late '90s. Despite this, it has inspired many games, including the recent and well-received Starship Troopers: Terran Command, which challenges people to do better than the heroes.

Following a plot similar to the film, you are leading an organized force of humans against an overwhelming number of all-consuming alien bugs. You'll travel to different locations, raise armies, and build the necessary facilities you'll need to exterminate the extraterrestrial vermin once and for all.

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters

Chaos is sending in forces and you've got to send them back.

Among tabletop titles is an expansive series taking place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe which is set in the far future full of new technology and endless warfare between various races, hostile monsters, and the forces of chaos. Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters has you leading a specialized team to hunt down some of the biggest threats.

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One of the strongest and most established factions is the Space Marines and a special group called the Daemonhunters has been assembled. This RPG has you gathering a squad of specialized space warriors and chaos slayers as you travel the star rooting out any forces of chaos, such as powerful Daemons and their followers.

NEBULOUS: Fleet Command

A fleet of spaceships awaits your orders.

When you have everything competing to explore the stars, warfare seems inevitable. You never know who or what you're going to encounter among the stars, so your ships must be designed for resilience and firepower. You'll get to command such ships in the Early Access game NEBULOUS: Fleet Command.

This game takes place almost exclusively among the stars as you lead your fleet across the galaxy. As such, you'll need to contend with enemy ships using radar to track them and advanced tech to identify your weaknesses. Use whatever resources you can find to build the most unstoppable fleet and claim galactic superiority.

Spaceships And Laser Shows Light Up The Dark

Voxel graphics are simple and solid, which allows them to support grand-scale projects like Avorion. This is a pure sandbox game that's centered around building your very own with some colorful blocks. You can build by yourself or jump into the co-op mode to build together.

Customize your ship down to the last block and then take it for a cosmic spin. The more you travel, the more opportunities you'll find to fight, harvest, and build an empire to take on the mysterious force that threatens to destroy the whole galaxy.

Halcyon 6: Lightspeed Edition

Turn-based fleet battles and crew missions.

One of the coolest parts of space exploration is spaceships. From fighters to freighters, every single type has the potential to be an amazing vehicle that you'd be tempted to fly across the universe. Thankfully, you'll get command over a fleet of powerful ships in Halcyon 6: Lightspeed Edition to take on the ever-changing vastness of space.

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While the game is focused primarily on space combat and looting, there are many times when you'll need to risk visiting unknown and hostile planets. You'll need to send an able-bodied crew to the surface to handle any dangerous species while hoping that the risk will be worth it to find anything that can improve your fleet or crew.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Become a jedi on the lam.

The Star Wars universe is arguably the biggest sci-fi franchise that is still generating unbelievable amounts of revenue. Despite this, the name hasn't had the most stellar track record when it comes to video games, but this has changed recently. Thanks to Respawn Entertainment, players can experience a quality adventure in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order .

Set just after Order 66 eliminated a majority of the Jedi, you play as a surviving Jedi who is on the run while still trying to fight back. To improve your chances, you'll need to take to the stars while stopping by as many planets as you can to train, improve your equipment, and hopefully find some allies. It's a huge galaxy out there, but don't let the Empire have all of it.

Spaceflight Simulator

One way to learn spaceflight.

Although humanity has been to space in several capacities, this is a feat that eludes the average person. That's why there are games like Spaceflight Simulator to help people play out their space-faring fantasies in a fun way that incorporates realistic elements. You're tasked with building an efficient and reliable ship to reach beyond the stars.

It lives up to its sim name with all of its management elements, physics, and all the details that go into every aspect of building your ships and more. While still in Early Access, this game has been a big hit with casual players and space enthusiasts all across the board.

Space Is Hauntingly Poetic

There are many scary things about space, but there's also a lot of beauty in it. Beyond that, what's most intriguing is the mystery of space and the possibility that absolutely anything could be out there, which is both alluring and terrifying. It's poetic in a way which is what comes through in the spaceship adventure RymdResa.

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This pixel rogue-type game puts you in command of a ship of your choosing in a universe that's never the same and constantly growing. Fly around getting into battles, collecting materials from celestial bodies, and interacting with strange sentient beings. It's up to you to find meaning in your journey and see if others share your thoughts.

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25 Best Space Exploration Games (on Consoles & PC)

Humans are hardwired to dream of discovery and exploration. We wish to understand what surrounds us, from the bottom of the seas to the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

That’s where video games come in.

Few of us will ever stand on the Moon or approach the surface of Mars. Still, developers worldwide are putting in the work to bring us the most exhilarating space-exploration experiences possible.

Whether you’re passionate about setting up a colony on Mars, designing the ship to get us there, or just cruising through the stars, you’ll find something in our ranking of the absolute coolest space exploration video games ever released.

25. Star Conflict (2012)

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Steam

A favorite space fantasy of many is just piloting their spaceship around shooting down space pirates for cash like Boba Fett.

Developed by Star Gem Inc., Star Conflict focuses on small-scale dogfights in PvE or PvP, where skill determines who lives and who dies.

There’s a wide array of ships to acquire, ranging from agile corvettes to massive destroyers.

Regardless of what you pick, you can be sure you’ll be flying in style. Star Conflict features some of the most bad-ass spaceship designs I’ve ever seen hands-down.

24. Metroid Prime Series (since 2002)

Platforms: All major platforms, too many to list!

Metroid Prime series doesn’t let you cruise around space at your leisure.

But few other games present such well-designed and intriguing planets to explore on foot.

It’s a vicious universe full of ancient races and dangerous lifeforms, and it’s up to Samus Aran to lend a hand whenever something gets out of control.

The game will take you to fuming magma worlds, humid jungle-like biomes, and many abandoned ancient ruins from precursor races like the mysterious Chozo. Not to mention it’s been running on dozens of consoles for years so there’s a lot of variety out there.

23. Mass Effect Trilogy (2007-2012)

Platforms: PC, Mobile, All Major Consoles

BioWare’s Mass Effect Trilogy offers a similar experience.

Commander Shepard visits all kinds of alien worlds while chasing Space Pirates, stopping inter-species wars, and looking for ways to stop the ancient Reapers from ending all life in the galaxy.

Where Metroid Prime presents an isolating exploration experience, half of Shepard’s exploration comes down to meeting and negotiating with local intelligent species.

It’s a story set in a living, breathing galactic community. And it sheds some life on what it could be like to live as a member of a spacefaring civilization.

22. Distant Worlds: Universe (2014)

Platforms: PC

In Code Force’s Distant Worlds: Universe, you’ll have to micromanage trading, colonizing, and waging war for a budding empire. All in a stupidly vast custom-made galaxy.

This colossal scale is what sets Distant Worlds apart from some mainstream titles.

One of its best features is how many elements you can modify whenever you create a new galaxy to play in.

Any small tweak to the variables, which go from the geological to the demographic, can give you an entirely different experience . So yes, lots of replay value here.

21. Eve Valkyrie (2016)

Platforms: PC, PS4

The Eve franchise has been spawning spacefaring games for decades. And while CCP’s main project continues to be Eve Online, they’ve also made some other excellent titles – like Eve Valkyrie.

This space dogfighting simulator puts you directly inside the cockpit of your battleship thanks to VR technology.

Immersion is the top priority, which is why this cockpit is such a work of art.

But immersion means nothing without good gameplay. And this game has fun gameplay in spades.

After some introductory single-player missions to teach you the ropes, you’ll go right into frantic 8-player shootouts that perfectly capture the chaos of space battles.

20. Destiny 2 (2017)

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One

Bungie’s space-fantasy IP isn’t so much about exploring the universe, as it is about defending your homeworld from other spacefaring races.

Still, you’ll experience plenty of alien-world charm while exploring the colossal spaceships of the Red Legion, the corrupted nests of the Hive, or the advanced simulations of the Vex.

Most importantly you’ll get a lot of loot, which you’ll need to overcome the narrative-guided PvE missions or survive in the fast-paced PvP.

19. FTL: Faster Than Light (2012)

Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux, iOS

While most space-exploration games focus on lush graphics and beautiful vistas, Subset Games’ FTL presents you with a basic GUI representing your ship and calls it a day.

Its unique gameplay is mostly text-based, having you captain your ship towards your destination. All the while doing your best to avoid space pirates and hopefully escaping with your life.

Unless you’re a total master of strategy, there’s a lot of death and failure in your future.

But each time you’ll come back stronger and more prepared for the journey ahead.

18. Observation (2019)

Developed by No Code, Observation plays like a puzzle game and reads like a suspenseful horror story.

You’ll play as Sam, a space station AI charged with helping Dr. Emma Fisher survive a disaster after everyone else in her crew disappears.

That means going around solving puzzles to fix diverse systems and guiding Dr. Fisher through the facilities.

I know that doesn’t sound too exciting, but the thrilling narrative full of plot twists is sure to keep you hooked until the end. Not to mention the voice acting here is just fantastic.

17. Surviving Mars (2018)

Platforms: PC, MacOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One

Haemimont Games’ Surviving Mars gives you a more specific challenge than most open-ended city-builders do: You must survive the ruthless environment of the red planet.

To do this you’ll need to manage energy, oxygen, and many other scarce resources to keep your society going.

This hardcore survival city-builder is among the best I’ve ever played. And the biosphere colony aesthetic is just out of this world.

We’ve even collected some really cool mods for this game well worth checking out. You know, once you’ve played it enough that you want some customization.

16. Star Trek Online (2010)

Platforms: PC, MacOS, PS4, Xbox One

Star Trek is one of the most popular sci-fi franchises to date. And since its inception, it has been all about exploring space and charting the stars.

Fittingly, the free-to-play Star Trek Online MMORPG is among the best options for anyone looking to cruise the sea of stars.

It’s set in a politically unstable universe where massive co-op battles against NPC super-ships are frequent, and everyone is fighting for their place in the galaxy.

Just create your captain, jump into your ship, and start the grind towards greatness.

15. The Outer Worlds (2019)

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

The Outer Worlds, made by Obsidian Entertainment, was hyped by fans as Fallout: New Vegas IN SPACE… all the way up to its release.

While it failed to recreate the same thrilling storylines and detailed open-world experience of New Vegas, this action-RPG is really fun to play.

It remains an exciting, colorful voyage into a world run by ruthless spacefaring mega-corporations.

If putting together a crew of misfits and visiting colorful alien locales in an unforgiving universe sounds like fun, well then for sure try it out.

14. Civilization: Beyond Earth (2014)

Platforms: PC, MacOS, Linux

If rather than an unfortunate pawn, you’d rather play as the factions doing the colonizing, consider Firaxis Games’ Civilization: Beyond Earth.

Although long-time fans of the franchise prefer the classic Civ V over this sci-fi experiment, I do think Beyond Earth does a great job of selling the fantasy of little-by-little carving a place for humanity on an unknown alien world.

Considering most sci-fi turn-based strategy games focus on conquering entire galaxies, Beyond Earth is a nice change of pace with unique challenges that’ll keep you hooked for hours at a time.

13. Homeworld Remastered Collection (2015)

If you’re a sci-fi enthusiast, perhaps you’ve played the 1999 classic Homeworld .

It’s the game that follows the story of a nigh-extinct civilization fighting for their right to exist.

Gearbox’s remaster brings you the emotional story of the Kushan in a visually-upgraded form, with some mild tweaks to gameplay mechanics that make this remastered version the best way to play Homeworld.

The 3D space combat is a bit hard to grasp at first. But the excellent narrative makes it worthwhile to learn the ropes. You’ll get sucked in soon afterwards.

12. Space Engineers (2019)

While not everyone has the time and smarts to get a degree in Aerospace Engineering, just about anyone can have fun in Keen Software House’s Space Engineers.

The game features a sophisticated physics engine that serves as the basis for your space engineering projects.

You’ll also have to worry about finding resources on planets and asteroids if you choose to play in Survival Mode. These resources let you make bases and ships able to withstand the dangers of the void, helping you further explore locales such as the Earth, the Moon, Titan, and Europa.

11. SpaceEngine (2019)

As its name suggests, SpaceEngine isn’t so much a game as it is a 3D astronomy program.

This bad boy endeavors to simulate the entire known universe with scientifically-accurate mass, volume, orbits, and other such data. It’s a big undertaking.

While this program, created by developer Vladimir Romanyuk, started its life as a purely educational product, users have access to game-like additions nowadays.

These include things like HD textures that make asteroids, stars, and planets look gorgeous.

Few games in this list come close to the level of detail and realism of SpaceEngine. And with the right settings, it offers some breathtaking vistas.

Check out the main site to learn more.

10. Universe Sandbox (2019)

Universe Sandbox is a physics-based space simulator aimed at making education fun by turning users into all-powerful galactic gods.

What makes this simulation unique is how easily you can tweak values such as gravity and mass.

You can also move anything you want, which becomes an exciting way to see how even the slightest changes can completely transform the Earth and our Milky Way.

Among its best features are the realistic simulated collisions, which will probably happen a lot considering how destructive we all get after being given so much power.

9. Outer Wilds (2019)

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Not to be confused with The Outer Worlds, Mobius Digital’s Outer Wilds presents a simple problem: The nearest star is 22 minutes from going supernova, and it’s up to you to figure out what’s going on.

Easy right?

You’re highly unlikely to find the answers you’re looking for in the first 22 minutes, but this roguelike action-adventure game expects you to keep trying.

Every time you play you’ll find something new. Slowly piecing together the puzzle as you explore the system, one time-loop at a time.

8. Everspace (2019)

Platforms: PC, MacOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Also on the roguelike side of gaming lies Everspace, Rockfish Games’ ruthless space shooter.

Death will happen often here. But both your credits and your knowledge carry over from one run to the next, which is nice.

As you hone your piloting skills and improve your ship, you’ll start making real progress through the game’s fantastic story. And really, it’s fantastic.

If you’re looking for a straightforward game taking place in a beautifully-rendered outer space, you can’t go wrong with Everspace.

7. No Man’s Sky (2016)

Hello Games’ procedurally-generated space adventure promised much and delivered little back when it was launched.

But don’t let that initial scandal keep you from giving it a go.

Over the course of 3+ years with real focus and hard work, we’ve seen developers tremendously improve the game . Basically breathing new life into its previously barren universe.

No Man’s Sky is all about chance encounters. Whether that means finding a cool planet with bizarre lifeforms or just bumping into space pirates when you exit hyperspeed, it’s all here.

Unlike most other space-exploration game, it’s fast-paced. Having you jump from rock to rock in search of fuel and materials to continue your journey towards the center of the universe.

Sound fun? Well give it a go!

And once you get bored maybe try out some mods to bring back the freshness.

6. Stellaris (2016)

If you’re into world-building and sci-fi stories full of bizarre alien races, you won’t find a better game than Paradox Interactive’s grand-strategy space epic.

Stellaris manages to find the middle ground between complex strategy gameplay and custom-made storytelling.

Every anomaly you research has the potential to turn into a multi-episodic story that changes your society forever.

Slowly they add up, weaving a multi-generational epic right before your eyes.

5. Endless Space 2 (2017)

Platforms: PC, MacOS

Developed by Amplitude Studios, Endless Space 2 offers a more focused grand-strategy experience.

Instead of creating a faction from zero, you’ll have to choose a pre-made one.

This may sound like it limits your freedom. But it also let developers craft more cohesive storylines and events, which you’ll slowly uncover as you explore the sea of stars.

It’s filled to the brim with sci-fi tropes like living crystals, space dragons, and ancient superweapons just waiting for you to find them.

If you’re a lore-junkie like me, you have to give this one a try.

4. Kerbal Space Program (2015)

Among the most well-known games on our list is Kerbal Space Program, a physics-based space exploration simulator with an educational focus.

Developed by Squad, this quirky game lets you design, build, and launch spaceships operated by little green men.

It’s full of slapstick humor and ridiculous situations. But it’s all just a ruse to keep you distracted from the fact that you’re learning physics in the process of playing.

It’ll take a while to grasp how to make a space-worthy vessel.

But stuff like calculating the right angle your ship needs to breach the atmosphere will slowly become second nature. Well, if you keep at it.

3. Star Citizen (2015)

Star Citizen isn’t a complete game. Far from it!

And yet, Cloud Imperium Games’ work-in-progress has more content than most AAA titles.

This ambitious MMORPG seeks to give players a complete simulation of what living in a galactic empire would be like, together with some more fantastical elements to keep things interesting.

Whether you want to become a trader, a bounty hunter, or a military operative – it’s all in your hands after creating your character.

While the game doesn’t seem to be anywhere near completion, it already features several unique planets and moons to visit. All of these are littered with resources to obtain, NPCs to meet, and challenges to overcome.

2. Eve Online (2003)

The reason Eve Online remains relevant after all these years is how this MMORPG’s community ultimately determines the course of the game’s story.

Empires rise and fall due to player interactions, whether that be amassing a fleet to conquer their corner of the stars, spying on each other and selling the information to the highest bidder, or forming massive alliances to overthrow a player that’s become too powerful.

It may feel a bit daunting as a new player, trust me.

But CCP Games has been focusing on streamlining the new player experience as much as possible for the last couple of years. Give this a try if you never have before.

1. Elite Dangerous (2014)

On the surface, Elite Dangerous’ title and marketing may lead you to believe that it’s a game about intense dogfights and smuggling resources through vicious enemy territory.

It certainly is all that. But it’s also a game that places a heavy focus on exploration – which is why it takes place on a colossal 1-to-1 representation of our very own Milky Way.

You can get on your ship and travel to the Moon, fly around in Saturn’s rings, or even make a trip to each of the stars making up your zodiac sign’s constellation.

And on the way you’re sure to run into many breathtaking vistas that make the journey 100% worth it.

Whenever you’re tired of exploring you can always engage in the game’s many missions, develop your character, improve your ship, or fight for your faction.

There’s always something to do in Elite Dangerous.

Nelson Chitty

Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.

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Best space games which will let you explore the unknown

From Elite Dangerous to Outer Wilds, here's the 10 best space games which will let you journey through the stars

The best space games capture a sense of wonder and make the most of the setting to deliver adventures of all shapes and sizes. From sprawling RPGs to MMORPGs and creative roguelikes, there's no shortage of fantastic games out there that bring to life interesting and memorable experiences among the stars. Many games set in space are often counted among the best sci-fi games out there, but the wealth of possibilities the setting presents has also set the scene for some of the best game stories . 

Happily, we have plenty of new adventures that take place in space to look forward to, with upcoming Star Wars games such as Star Wars Outlaws .  But while we wait for what lies ahead, why not join us as celebrate all of experiences you try out right now. So whether you enjoy the setting, love getting lost in exploration, or you want to live out a space-faring fantasy, get ready for lift off as we take you through our pick of the best space games you can play right now. 

Recent updates

This list of best space games was updated on October 23, 2023 to add Starfield to the ranking. 

Platform(s) : PC Developer: CCP

Eve Online is bigger and better than ever before, as the community continues to expand their horizons. In Eve Online, everything is player-directed: From the structure of entire alliances to the whole in-game economy. With so many different factors at play – thousands of players online at any one time, each with their own goals – you find that cool stuff just constantly happens, from the collapse of superpowers to huge PvP fights with thousands of ships spewing lasers across the sky. Eve Online remains among the best MMORPG s to play in 2023. 

9. Elite Dangerous

Platform(s) : PC Developer : Frontier Developments  

Elite: Dangerous feels a bit like Space: The Game. It hands you a ship, boots up the engine and asks you to make your living however you like in a galaxy full of other players, be that via trading, smuggling, mining, exploring or dogfighting. It’s not a full-on flying sim, but it really sells the fantasy of space travel. Your cockpit is alive with blinking lights that let you adjust the balance of power to your ship’s systems, and the sheer scale of the world means flying between two planets can take ages, even with a hyperspace jump. Sit back and enjoy the gorgeous views.

8. Starfield

Platform(s): PC, Xbox Series X/S Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

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Starfield allows you step into an expansive universe and explore any one of its many planets as you join up as a member of the Constellation. If you've ever wanted to bring your own ship to life that you can pilot among the stars,  there's all kinds of parts and options to do just that. The ambitious RPG puts you behind the pilot seat of your very own spacecraft, with an extensive level of freedom when it comes to Starfield ship customization . There's plenty to discover as you venture through the cosmos, with companions who can join your crew and help you fight against any enemies that might cross your path. With a variety of Starfield traits and backgrounds to choose from, Bethesda's latest RPG is also home to different skills that can enhance spaceflight and exploration planet-side. 

Read our Starfield review

7. Kerbal Space Program

Platform(s) : PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X Developer: Squad

Half toybox, half science project, Kerbal Space Program is the most fun you can have while learning about space. On the surface, it’s a game about building ridiculous rockets and launching tiny green men into space – and then watching the whole thing literally fall apart before your eyes while you giggle. But the more you play, the more you want to understand it. Before long, you’re agonizing over the correct entry angle for a moon landing, or the right configuration of engines to achieve maximum thrust. The proper rules of physics apply, and the most satisfying achievements require careful planning and attention to detail. It’s a sandbox, but you’ll always have a goal to aim for. 

6. Stellaris

Platform(s) : PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 Developer: Paradox Development Studio

Stellaris is a deep, gripping strategy game about building up a space-faring empire and squashing any foe in sight. Or, if you prefer, it’s about establishing a race of friendly technocrat turtles that help other species expand. That’s the beauty of it: you set your own goals, assign your own traits to your species, and play it however you like. It has all the exploration of a traditional strategy sim, but your relationships with other factions take on more weight than usual. You’ll steer your civilisation through war and peace, watch alliances form and betray each other, and band together with foes to fight extra-dimensional invaders. Dive in, and prepare to lose all track of time.

5. Outer Wilds

Platform(s) : PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch Developer: Mobius Digital

The cutesy presentation Outer Wilds belies just how clever this game is: as a first-time astronaut, you explore a miniaturized galaxy over the course of 22 minutes, zooming between planets in your ship and picking at story threads. When the clock runs out, you respawn and do it all over again – this time armed with everything you learned in your previous life. A truly dynamic and unique experience, The Outer Wilds is one of the most imaginative and creative space games out there. 

4. FTL: Faster Than Light

Platform(s) : PC, iOS Developer: Subset Games

One of the best indie games ever made still has plenty of fuel in the tank. As the captain of a top-down ship, your goal is to reach friendly territory by jumping between randomly-generated segments of space, each full of nasty enemies, traders, and the odd friendly face. Combat somehow feels both urgent and thoughtful: you can pause at any time to assess your options, and yet we’re always in a constant panic, re-routing precious power from our weapons to our shields to absorb damage, or even purposefully bombing our own ship to neutralise boarding parties. Every decision is tortuous, and every victory has a cost. Over a decade later, and FTL is still one of the best roguelike games on the market. 

3. Destiny 2

Platform(s) : PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5 Developer: Bungie

If you only have room in your life for one online FPS, make it Destiny 2 . It’s got it all: challenging PvP modes, big co-op boss fights, long story arcs, and, most importantly, tons of loot to collect on alien planets. When it comes to the actual shooting, Destiny 2 remains one of the best FPS games out there. Guns feel weighty but not cumbersome, and headshots reward you with showers of special effects. We’d advise playing with a group, especially for the toughest raids, but it’s still a fun time if you’re solo. Best of all, the base game is free-to-play, and you could easily dump 100 hours into it before being tempted to spend any cash on expansions.

2. Mass Effect 2 

Platform(s) : PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X Developer: BioWare

Mass Effect is among the best RPGs – the space RPG by which we measure all others. The original trilogy, and particularly the second game, remain masterpieces. And thanks to the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition , it's even easier to relive the excellent series all over again. The overall plot of the series – space hero tries to unite and save the galaxy against a deadly force – sounds generic, but doesn’t feel it moment-to-moment. That’s largely down to the crew you assemble, each with distinct personalities, goals, and senses of humor. As they gradually open up, you’ll look forward to every trip back to the Normandy between missions, just so you can see what they have to say next. 

1. No Man's Sky

Platform(s) : PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch Developer : Hello Games

No Man's Sky has so much to offer when it comes to space exploration. With a wealth of big updates recently added to make the experience even more in-depth, Hello Games presents you with infinite galaxies to discover, as well as more than 30 hours of story. The massive and ambitious Beyond update brought with it even more features and improvements, and along with the Origins , Prisms , Expeditions , and Echoes updates, there's never been a better time to jump right in. 

If you don't feel like exploring on your own, you can also play the space-faring adventure with your pals. The No Man's Sky multiplayer aspect offers you the chance to build up colonies together, try to survive the expanses of the galaxies, and even dogfight and race in your ships. The ever-growing community of players that continues to go from strength to strength just goes to show how much love there is for No Man's Sky, and it really has become of the best sim games for space-curious players around. 

Look ahead to future releases with our roundup of new games for 2023 and beyond. 

• Joe Donnelly Features Editor, GamesRadar+
• Heather Wald Senior staff writer
• Josh West UK Managing Editor, GamesRadar+

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11 best space games on PC that are out of this world

Looking to the stars

Introduction

There's a whole lot of space out there. An infinity of it. And there are a whole lot of space games to fill it. (Well, not really, as it's infinity and they're comprised of indefinitely-large data, and even if they were physical they're finite - but it's a metaphor, y'know?)

And they've been around for ever. Elite, one of the first and best space exploration games, was released in 1984. For a generation, games like X-Wing versus Tie-Fighter, Starcraft and the Mark Hamill vehicle Wing Commander carried fans along happily.

They slumped - heavily - in the 2000s and there were questions back then whether space games would ever be big again - but the indie revolution has shot them back into orbit. We've picked out our favourite ten of the current class - tell us what we've missed in the comments.

Check out our Linux vs Windows vs Mac - OS comparison video below.

1. Kerbal Space Program

Like your headteacher dressed up as Kanye, the Kerbal Space Program is the most subtly educational game around. Despite its cutesy, Rabbid-like characters, the Kerbal Space Program is a hardcore physics simulator where you get to explore the galaxy - if you can even get a single rocket ship off the ground. (I've never managed it).

You have to build that rocket from parts supplied by a sort-of-NASA, so that it can keep a Kerbal alive for the stressful voyage up into space. It's okay, because you get multiple goes and there are lots of willing Kerbals.

Once up in orbit, you need to take account of gravity, other obstacles and your craft's speed if you want to get any of your lovable Kerbals back to their planet safely - or even worse if you want to land them on the Mun.

2. Eve Online

I remember my first trip into the space MMO Eve, way back in its public beta in 2003. I remember skipping the tutorial and getting lost amongst the stars, spending three days in a starter spaceship chasing down a friend who was mining stars nearby. Even then it was beautiful, complex and weird.

It's changed a lot since those days. The universe of Eve has been through high-pressure evolution with developer CCP barely keeping control of it as powerful factions run by smart people conquered sections of its space, betrayed each other and regularly sparked wars that destroyed thousands of dollars worth of in-game spaceships.

Despite its age, Eve still manages to look stunning. Regular upgrades by CCP and a loyal community have managed to keep player numbers at around 25-35,000 players logged in on any given day. And if you're looking for a social, intelligent game that might absorb 90% of your free time for the next ten years, you should look no further.

(Oh, and if you have a VR headset, you should probably try Eve: Valkyrie, the VR-only fighter pilot spin-off.)

3. Fractured Space

Choosing between Born Ready's space games is a hard call. Strike Suit Zero is widely acknowledged to be a solid space action adventure, where you play - but then pseudo-MOBA Fractured Space is like playing Battlestar: Galactica with your mates.

In Fractured Space you take control of a single capital ship fighting in true 3D space that's packed full of asteroids. Despite its 3D setting, it's nearest to World of Tanks or World of Warships in its small 5v5 teams and objective-based combat. Taking one of the specialized ships out results in small DOTA-style skirmishes which results in intense shooter-style combat.

However, we've more included Fractured Space in this list because it's so damn shiny. Flying between the stars you see gorgeous drifting nebula and giant space stations. This is what all space games should look like,

4. Homeworld Remastered

The 15-year old Homeworld series has a fair claim to be the best real-time strategy games set in space (though see Battlefleet Gothic: Armada below for a modern 2D alternative) and it was a joy when Gearbox Software bought the rights and re-released it early last year.

Your mothership, the Pride of Higara, contains not only the capability to build all sorts of other ships, but also the remnants of your nearly-extinct race. Most missions in its long campaign have you attempting to mine resources and use them to build ships to defend your mothership. As the campaign goes on, you gather a fleet around your flagship.

The best point is that true 3D combat though, allowing you to utilise bomber squadrons to target frigate's weak top armour or hide your craft behind gas clouds. Superb music, unparalleled visuals and a revamped UI make Homeworld Remastered a joy to experience.

5. Galactic Civilizations III

Master of Orion was the first game to move Civilizations 4X empire-building gameplay to the space stage - but it was Galactic Civilizations that perfected it. The first two games were ecstatically received and, whilst the third one launched much more anonymously it has quietly picked up plaudits for its moreish, horribly varied gameplay.

In the campaign, humanity has cowered on Earth for ten years, watching the Drengin Empire exterminate or subjugate the free races of the galaxy. Now an errant Terran fleet has returned from a pocket universe and hopes to liberate humanity first and the galaxy second.

In the much-more played skirmish and multiplayer modes, you start with a single planet and a handful of spacecraft. The alien races you fight and treat with are charming and quirky, and their empires fit their personalities. The amount of tech to research, the types of structures you can build in space and on the ground, the variety of stars and anomalies to explore… this is a mammoth game designed to last you for a long time.

6. Mass Effect 2

Commander Shepard's last foray into space might have had a poorly-received ending, but Bioware's twisty space trilogy certainly made for a compelling five year arc. Taking the part of humanity's military representative on the galactic stage, players fought, talked and plotted their way through the galaxy's last days, travelling between the stars in their spaceship the SSV Normandy.

Mass Effect 2 followed a resurrected Commander Shepard as he or she sought to find more information on the insectoid Collectors. Soon, you realise that you need to destroy the enemy's base, but that you need a specialised team to take it down. The entire game is like the Dirty Dozen, as you recruit a bunch of psychopaths, murderers, and technological wizards, then win their loyalty to weld them into a team that can do this impossible suicide mission.

Another edition, Mass Effect: Andromeda is due out in 2017.

7. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada

We couldn't talk about space without shoehorning in a bit of the grim darkness of the far future. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is a fleet management game set in the 41st Millenium.

In the long singleplayer campaign, you take the side of the Empire, who are the 'goodies', as far as an ethnic cleansing empire run by an army of fascist supermen can be good. You've got to defend several areas of space against the fleets of Chaos (a sadistic, demon-worshipping version of said fascist supermen), the Orks (space Orcs with a British yob attitude to enjoying a punch-up) and the Eldar (uptight space Elves who always think they're right.)

The battles (both single- and multi-player) are tough and tactically-rich where you have to manage your special abilities and your fleet, whilst keeping them alive for later battles. The campaign lets you slowly upgrade and expand your fleet as you start dealing with more and more enemies. And there are some horrible twists in the storyline.

You can read the PC Gamer review over here .

8. Elite: Dangerous

It's hard to believe that the long-awaited sequel to the first open universe space game (1984's Elite) has actually been out since 2014. In Elite Dangerous you explore a huge persistent galaxy, trading between space stations, taking out space bandits, mining asteroids, and finding new star systems as you travel. You can also land on planets, and explore them in ground vehicles.

Though it never produces battles on the scale of Eve Online, Elite features first-person combat, where you fly a range of 30+ ships ranging from the tiny Sidewinder fighter to the giant Imperial Cutter and Federal Corvette. And, again, it's a beautiful universe to explore, especially in VR.

9. FTL: Faster Than Light

2012's FTL was one of the most influential and strange space games released. Essentially, a rogue-like Star Trek simulator, you take the role of a starship captain attempting to reach your fleet and take down the enemy's flagship.

En route though, you have to jump through different areas and sectors. In each of these, you might face a battle or a choose-your-own-adventure style dialogue. Battles are complex things, with guns and missiles going off, robots attacking, assault parties teleporting across, fires spreading and hulls being breached.

On top of that it features some great miniature quests written by Tom Jubert, which can unlock a whole raft of hidden spaceships and crew layouts for you to use your next run.

10. Freespace 2

By putting this in, we have ensured that there will be at least one comment asking 'Where's Freelancer.' Much as we'd love to put Chris Taylor's last great space game in, it's simply not available for sale anywhere, so we're going for the older (and arguably superior) Freespace 2 instead.

In the campaign, players take the role of a human pilot fighting against a mysterious alien race, the Shivans. You perform reconnaissance, escort transports, and battle other starfighters from inside your fighter's cockpit, in huge pitched battles involving capital ships, fighters, and missiles galore. Unlike Kerbals, it's not 100% accurate space physics, so it feels more like a dogfighting simulator.

It's notable that because Volition released the source code for the game way back in 2002, players have created the FreeSpace 2 Source Code Project , which has added features, upgrades, mods and graphical updates for the past 14 years.

11. No Man's Sky

We know, we know — No Man's Sky has been widely criticized since its release, but that's mainly because most people thought they would be getting a different kind of title to what emerged from Hello Games' labs. If you're wanting an all-out shooter fest in the style of Destiny then don't go there.

However, if a heavy sense of atmosphere, the feeling of being lost in the depths of space and discovering new plants rank high on your agenda, then No Man's Sky delivers in spades. Its procedurally generated planets mean you never know what you're going to encounter as you dock your spacecraft on a new planet for the first time.

Curious, mis-shapen (and highly dangerous) creatures threaten and fascinate in equal measure, but a need to constantly hunt down resources to replenish health and fuel supplies means you can never linger for too long. Park Star Trek, part Interstellar , No Man's Sky still offers a fantastic space travel experience — just not an action-packed one.

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Best Space Games 2023

Can't get enough space? We're right there with you! Check out this list of the best space games you can play right now on PC and console.

There’s nothing like journeying across the stars, staring out of a spaceship cockpit, and marveling over the magestic beast that is outer space.

From 4X strategy to open-world RPGs and everything in between, space-themed video games seem to never go out of style among gamers.

To celebrate our love for the milky way galaxy, we’re highlighting the best space games to play in 2024 along with the best new space PC games to check out.

We’ll be updating this list with new titles in the future, so make sure to check back and let us know if we missed any of your favorite games set in space!

Related: Best Sandbox PC Games 2023 Best First-Person Adventure Games 2023 Best Games With Aliens 2023

Table of Contents Show

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy offers a fresh take on the now-iconic band of misfit heroes as they travel across the cosmos stirring up trouble.

Players control Star-Lord as he leads his oddball crew through a series of catastrophic events and makes decisions that will shape the galaxy’s fate.

Armed with a pair of elemental blasters and rocket boots, Star-Lord is able to get around environments with ease and issue commands to his comrades to pull off powerful “tag-team beatdown” attacks.

Throughout the campaign, players will get to enhance Star-Lord and the rest of the Guardians’ abilities using RPG-driven progression.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One

Revered for both its RPG mechanics third-person combat, the  Mass Effect series  has a rich and quite controversial history of releases, spin-offs, and most recently, rereleases.

In it, players take on the role of Commander Shepard as they fight to save the universe from a race of powerful machines called Reapers.

Shepard is joined by a squad of diverse companions with backgrounds in military, medicine, and engineering that are willing to lend a hand in battle and weigh in on important decisions.

Considering the series started in the early 2000s, the best way to play the original trilogy is through the remastered  Mass Effect Legendary Edition , which adds visual, technical, and gameplay refinements.

Heavenly Bodies

Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5

Next up, Heavenly Bodies is a space-physics sim that focuses on replicating realistic movement while floating in zero gravity.

Designed with co-op in mind, it sees players working together to control 1970s-era cosmonauts as they navigate space stations and carry out various tasks.

This includes simple functions like opening doors and pressing buttons in addition to assembling and maintaining space telescopes, solar arrays, and gardens.

The way the game handles physics can be frustrating at times but there is an assist mode that reduces the level of realism for a more casual experience.

Outer Wilds

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

No unfamiliar to top games lists, Outer Wilds casts you as a recruit for a space program looking to expand its knowledge of the galaxy and its ancestors’ enigmatic disappearance.

The story tackles numerous sci-fi adventure tropes such as black holes, antimatter, and most notably time travel, with your character trapped in a perpetual 22-minute time loop.

This is further complemented by a densely packed open world consisting of hand-crafted, explorable planets belonging to different alien races with interesting backstories and unique puzzle mechanics.

It may not be as scaled up as big AAA games but if you enjoy the sci-fi genre and solving mysteries, you should give Outer Wilds a try.

The Outer Worlds

For more planet-hopping alien adventures, check out Obsidian’s comedic  Fallout-adjacent  action-RPG,  The Outer Worlds .

In it, you take on the role of The Stranger, a blank slate of a character destined to decide the fate of the Halcyon Space Colony and its starving citizens.

Your journey sees you trekking across a solar system comprised of eight planets with unique settings, alien creatures, and challenges that can be tackled in a variety of ways.

During your adventures, you’ll get to meet, battle, and befriend diverse characters with interesting stories and a quest or two to offer.

Hardspace: Shipbreaker

Hardspace: Shipbreaker is a physics simulation game set in space where you salvage various cargo ships for materials and other resources.

As a member of LYNX tech, you’ll have to take on different contracts from wrecked spaceships in order to pay an outstanding debt before you can turn a profit.

Every ship you explore introduces its own set of challenges and hazards which must be avoided by strategically dismantling each of its components.

This relies on using your character’s unique toolkit to make precise cuts in hulls, maneuver fragile cargo, and trigger controlled explosions.

No Man’s Sky

Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

From panned by critics to critically acclaimed,  No Man’s Sky  is one of the best video game redemption stories we have and a great example for developers on how to make good on a less-than-stellar product.

Over the years, developer Hello Games has added several player-requested features such as base-building, crossplay, and  mod support , resulting in an uptick of players and a greater sense of community.

Other refinements such as improved procedural generation and broader mission selection allow for more varied gameplay and alien encounters.

If you liked the first idea but felt disappointed, now is a great time to return to NMS and see how it is in 2024.

Like No Man’s Sky, Astroneer provides a lively celestial playground to explore while embarking on the mission to settle an extraterrestrial world.

The game features a unique crafting system that sees you creating a network of stations and power plants that can tether your character to provide oxygen as you explore the world.

What sets Astroneer apart from other sandbox games is its Terrain Tool, which allows the wielder to bend the environment to their will.

This has many applications that can benefit traversal, production, and creativity; lastly, Astroneer is continually updated with new explorable planets, cosmetics, hazards, vehicles, and craftable items.

Endless Space 2

Platforms: Windows, Mac

Developed by Amplitude Studios, Endless Space 2 is often touted as the best-looking 4X space game on the market.

It sees you carving out your own galactic empire across a plethora of RPG-inspired quests and random events that force you to adapt to survive.

This affords a great deal of freedom in exploring different paths and strategies by the time you reach the Endless Space 2’s endgame.

It also happens to include some of the best in-game tutorials and UI elements compared to more obtuse 4X games, making it perfect for beginners.

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Linux, Mac

Stellaris  is another space-faring game that comes highly recommended and offers an enticing blend of grand strategy and 4X-inspired gameplay.

In it, players pick from one of several intergalactic races with the option to create their own before setting out to conquer an entire solar system.

While its scope may not be as large as some of the other games on this list, it does an excellent job at letting players use precision to determine the kind of empire they’ll be.

Much like the Civilization series, Paradox has released countless expansions and add-ons that introduce new mechanics and content to keep players coming back.

X4: Foundations

Platforms: Windows, Linux

Part of the X series of space sandbox games, X4: Foundations has you starting with an original character with unique attributes that will shape their path.

After getting started, the game unleashes you on a living sandbox where you’re free to carve out a name for yourself in any area of your choosing.

This can mean dedicating your life to exploring the known galaxy and mining for goods, building your own empire, or becoming an intergalactic criminal.

It also places a big emphasis on acquiring and upgrading different spaceships, stations using the resources you gather from odd jobs.

Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac

Avorion is another space sandbox game that similar to other games previously highlighted on this list.

In it, you’re dropped into a vast and empty galaxy ripe for the picking where you’ll grow your own empire and build up space stations.

Most of the gameplay is centered around your spaceship, which can be used for exploration, mining materials, and gathering different resources.

Over time, developer/publisher Boxelware has put out consistent updates to keep improving the game’s already solid foundation.

Admittingly long in the tooth,  Destiny 2  has had its fair share of ups and downs throughout its many seasons, with the recent Witch Queen among one of the better expansions.

In it, players pick from Titan, Warlock, and Hunter classes before setting out into the world to explore and save the universe from multiple alien factions vying for power.

The game features an assortment of planets to visit, each with distinct biomes, enemies, and activities to grind for experience, crafting materials, and loot.

Outside of the main storyline, Destiny 2 offers free-roaming exploration, public events, PvP modes, six-player raids, and more.

Deep Rock Galactic

Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One

Deep Rock Galactic  is an online co-op shooter in which teams of up to 4-players control foul-mouthed dwarves tasked with completing contracts for an intergalactic mining company.

Missions are focused on exploring diverse underground biomes filled with hostile creatures while collecting valuable resources that can be used for upgrading equipment and acquiring new skills.

The game features four character classes—Driller, Engineer, Gunner, and Scout, with each specializing in a different field.

Indie developer Ghost Ship Games has been supporting the game ever since its release, frequently adding new maps, enemy types, and timed events for players to check out.

Originally launching on Steam back in 2013,  Warframe  has been running ever since and only gotten better with every update.

In this sci-fi space MMO, you play as a deadly space ninja traveling to different planets and waging war with different alien races.

The game is revered for its fluid character movement and open-ended combat that allows you to wield a wide range of abilities depending on your class, or warframe.

While it definitely falls under the category of grindy live service games, pretty everything can be obtained for free with enough time and patience.

Dual Universe

Platform: Windows

Dual Universe  is a new subscription-based MMO set in outer space that shows a great deal of promise.

In it, players are free to create vehicles, ships, buildings, and even full-sized cities that remain as permanent structures in an ever-evolving universe.

Additionally, the game boasts its own player-driven economy, politics, trade, and warfare systems for a truly immersive experience.

While games of this magnitude typically fall victim to technical trappings such as server issues, so far Dual Universe has managed to provide a seamless experience that connects players in real-time.

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Easily the most slept-on  immersive sim  to come out of Arkane Studios,  Prey  sees you taking on the role of a science researcher aboard a space station overrun with hostile aliens.

The game posits an alternate future where President John F. Kennedy was never assassinated, leading to more technological advancements in space exploration.

Throughout its branching story, you’ll encounter various species of Typhon, ranging from shape-shifting Mimics to warping Phantoms and more.

Learning how to deal with each one is crucial for unlocking new areas, saving other survivors, and making it out of the Talos I station alive.

Surviving Mars

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Linux, Mac

Surviving Mars  is a space city builder that incorporates  survival game  elements in order to raise the stakes and add some weight to every decision.

In it, you take on the role of overseer for a Mars colonization project, providing both current and future inhabitants with proper housing, factories to produce goods, and buildings for researching new tech.

However, since this is Mars we’re talking about, things aren’t as easy as just picking up a shovel and digging, as the red planet loves to throw new environmental challenges your way.

Additionally, your colonists can fall ill and even perish if certain needs aren’t met, with the most basic ones being steady oxygen and clean flowing water.

Oxygen Not Included

Oxygen Not Included  is a challenging space survival sim that sees you commanding a space crew living beneath an alien planet’s surface.

Gameplay entails assigning crew members to different stations to keep things running, gathering resources to keep your colonists alive, and researching new technologies to improve your base.

With oxygen extremely scarce, the stakes are considerably high, and one lousy call can easily result in a large portion of your colony getting wiped from existence for good.

Temperatures can also rapidly rise or fall, pollution will start to build up quickly, and the mental states of your colonists are constantly in flux.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Linux, Mac

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime  is a fantastic couch co-op game about teamwork that offers a unique blend of  shoot ‘em up combat  and management sim gameplay.

Supporting up to four-player local co-op, it sees your ragtag team of astronauts piloting a ship across the deep reaches of outer space.

The spaceship is comprised of various stations dedicated to tasks like piloting, firing cannons, triggering shields, and more, that can only be manned by one player at a time.

This forces you to divvy up the work with your partner and decide who’s assigned to which station at any given time.

Kerbal Space Program

Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Linux, Mac

Space flight sim  Kerbal Space Program  sees you building and piloting an array of aircraft, rockets, rovers, and more with help from little green aliens known as Kerbals.

Anything you build can be test-driven in the game’s open sandbox, which extends past Earth and into outer space.

Since the goal is to get the Kerbals into space successfully, you’ll find yourself taking to the skies again and again only to run out of fuel or make a wrong turn and end up plummeting to Earth.

Since the KSP engine can replicate real-life orbital maneuvers, you can even use it to train yourself to be a NASA pilot…or just chain together as many rockets as you can. 

Spaceflight Simulator

Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android

Anyone who enjoys Kerbal Space Program might also have fun building rockets in Spaceflight Simulator .

True to its name, the game sees you constructing a wide selection of customizable spacecraft before launching them into space.

The goal is to successfully build, launch, and land your creations on various planets without having the entire thing blow up in your face.

Much like Kerbal, the game has a steep learning curve surrounding its controls, mechanics, and techniques but once it all clicks together you’ll feel like a genius.

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The 25+ Best PC Space Games on Steam

If you desire to explore the stars but don't have time to waste training with NASA, then these PC space games for Steam are the next best thing. There are plenty of cool PC space games available on Steam, but instead of wasting time in the Steam store, check out these recommendations which have been ranked by gamers like you. All of these PC games take place in space, whether it's a space station, foreign planets, or even the moon.

Want to stay on earth, but help someone else get to the moon? Try the rocket building space game,  Kerbal Space Program . Is destruction on unimaginable scale more your speed? There's the physics based sandbox space game,  Universe Sandbox ², which lets you smash galaxies together just to see what would happen. If those don't sound good, then xxplore an infinite number of galaxies in a procedurally generated space game like No Man's Sky or Starbound .

There's a never ending expanse of space games on Steam. Vote on the games below to find out which PC space game is the best in the galaxy.  If there are any that are not on this list, go ahead and add your favorite Steam space video games at the bottom.

Mass Effect 2

Alien: Isolation

No Man's Sky

Mass Effect 3

Space Engineers

Elite: Dangerous

Kerbal Space Program

FTL: Faster Than Light

Universe Sandbox ²

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Civilization: Beyond Earth

Star Wars: Battlefront II

Osiris: New Dawn

Dead Space 2

System Shock 2

AI War: Fleet Command

Space Pirate Trainer

Stationeers

Hardspace: Shipbreaker

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Bit Blaster XL

• Button Mash
• Video Games

Forget about browsing the Steam Store- we've got the best PC games on Steam for every genre, including horror, strategy, indie, and more.

The best space games to play on PC Game Pass ahead of Starfield's arrival

Our August Game Pass showcase shoots for the stars.

It feels like a long while since I strapped in for an adventure to the stars (last time it was with Elite Dangerous, and it turned out to be less of an adventure and more of a 'getting lost in the endless void of deep space'). When it comes to exploring the galaxy and beyond, I need an at least somewhat curated experience: pamphlets, visual indicators, an irascible ship's computer that will tell me what planet I'm looking at. Y'know, the basic stuff.

With Starfield hitting PC Game Pass next month like an extermination event asteroid, now feels like a great time to wet our collective whistle by spending time with a bunch of the best interstellar games available on the service. So I threw on the ol' pressure suit, topped up the shuttle's windscreen wiper fluid, and got ready to blast off. Here's what I discovered. 

Game of the Month: Everspace 2

The big new supernova space game on Game Pass right now is unquestionably Everspace 2. Rocking an excellent '85' score here on PC Gamer, it builds on the space-trading-and-combat spirit of the classic Freelancer, but gravitates more towards a bountiful lootfest ("Diablo in space," our Ian Evenden called it). Get in dogfights against space pirates and roaming elites, accrue XP, then use that to upgrade your vessel with all manner of shields, guns, and other space tech. 

This is a gorgeous game on a pretty tight scale; you'll see planets haloed in shimmering atmospheres, minefields ominously glowing red in the darkness, and debris floating around ruined transport vessels, inviting you to plunder them. Those wary of being overwhelmed by intricate space sim controls will be pleased to hear that Everspace 2 is accessible and arcadey too.

It's a whole lot of action with a hint of exploration, perfect for those whose idea of fun in space is Star Wars rather than Stellaris.

The Outer Worlds 

This is probably the closest game to the ballpark of 'Bethesda-style RPG in space.' Made by one of the most treasured devs in the business, Obsidian, The Outer Worlds is a bright and quirky jaunt around a corporate-owned solar system. It's full of gags, fun characters, and vibrant planetary biomes to hop between. 

Don't expect rich, dark questing or factional politics like in Obsidian's other gem, Fallout: New Vegas (also available on Game Pass, by the way), but if you're looking for a refreshingly short and sharply written RPG that'll give you a sugary trip to space before Starfield, The Outer Worlds will slot in perfectly.

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Citizen Sleeper

It'd be remiss of me not to pick a representative from Game Pass' vast library of indie games, and last year's soothing, synthy RPG Citizen Sleeper has earned that spot . Shelve your dreams of interplanetary exploration for a moment, and settle in for an intimate story aboard a space station that's been taken over by a host of interesting factions and characters.

You play as a 'sleeper', a synthetic being in a human body, who's escaped from corporate control and made a home in this station run by blue-collar workers, revolutionaries, and renegades. In the spirit of tabletop RPGs, everything you do is based around dice rolls, which will propel you through a branching narrative where you try to make a living in a tough environment, evade your corporate captors, and uncover tons of intimate little side-stories on the way.

No Man's Sky

If your space fantasies revolve around exploring an endless cosmos, then No Man's Sky's promise of a billion (or something) planets is a seductive one. The game had an infamously bad landing back in 2016, but its journey towards fulfilling its initial promise since then has been pretty sensational .

The game's neon-coloured procedurally generated cosmos, which lets you seamlessly fly into the atmosphere of and touch down on any planet you see, still looks great today, and over the years the game's added things like base-building, multiplayer, vehicles, underwater exploration, better space combat, and cohesive questing and stories.

For all these layers, No Man's Sky is an exploration game at heart, and at the very least it's great for dipping into for a few weeks, planting your flag on some cool-looking planets, photographing some weird creatures, then moving on.

Those are my picks, but of course there's plenty more on Microsoft's subscription service. So, in the spirit of the great space explorers, head out to those far reaches of the Game Pass galaxy and see what you uncover.

PC Game Pass is available via xbox.com .

Robert is a freelance writer and chronic game tinkerer who spends many hours modding games then not playing them, and hiding behind doors with a shotgun in Hunt: Showdown. Wishes to spend his dying moments on Earth scrolling through his games library on a TV-friendly frontend that unifies all PC game launchers.

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The 20 Best Space Games on Steam

The niche of space games can be hard to define. It includes everything from flight simulators to role-playing titles to survival horror games that take place in deep space.

Space games make you feel like you’re exploring the final frontier in deep space. To help you find the best games in this genre, I have decided to compile this list of my favorites in no particular order.

The sheer variety of space games available on Steam makes it impossible to list them all. Still, there are quite a few titles that stand out from the crowd. Here’s my list of the 20 best space games on Steam.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Mass Effect is a science fiction video game series published by Electronic Arts and developed by BioWare. It is one of the most successful franchises in the history of video games, with over 40 million copies sold.

The first three games in the series were released between 2007 and 2012, with the final installment released in 2017. While it’s not as stunning graphically as more recent triple-A games, it is a classic that teaches a lot about storytelling and immersion.

The Mass Effect trilogy is a legendary sci-fi RPG set in a galaxy far, far away. It tells an intense story that has you fighting to save your home world.

The trilogy follows Commander Shepard on a journey through a galactic conflict involving an ancient machine race known as Reapers and their agent, Sovereign.

This series of games has been praised for its storytelling, characters, art design, voice acting, combat mechanics, and soundtrack. It has received numerous awards from various gaming publications and has been nominated for several prestigious game industry awards.

Eve Online is an MMORPG that takes place in a science fiction universe. It is one of the most popular space games and is well known for its player-driven economy.

Players can participate in mining, piracy, manufacturing, trading, and other economic activities.

Eve Online has been released for more than 15 years now and has a special place in Video Game history. This game lets you experience space exploration like no other. It has vast PvP and PvE confrontations in an ever-expanding sandbox.

Participate in a variety of in-game activities. Such things include war, politics, piracy, trading, and exploration. You do that alongside hundreds of thousands of other players who, like you, shape the game with each decision they make.

The game’s creators, CCP Games, have gone to great lengths to create an immersive experience with the game, which is why it has been so popular for many years.

There’s something about player choice and freedom in this game that is addictive. If you like sci-fi and MMORPG games and can face the learning curve of Eve Online, just go for it.

No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky is a video game about exploring and surviving in an endless procedurally generated cosmos.

The game occurs in a large, randomly created cosmos with innumerable planets. Players are able to visit worlds, interact with alien lifeforms, and trade with other players.

The exploration aspect of No Man’s Sky really makes it stand out from other games. The player can explore any planet they want and find different resources, animals, plants, and landscapes.

The exploration also provides an opportunity for the player to discover new technologies and lifeforms that are not found on their home planet.

This game had a troubling launch and didn’t deliver all its promised features. However, the game ended up overdelivering over time as a sincere apology from the developers for the game’s launch state.

This title has only improved over time and has become one of the best space games on the market.

No Man’s Sky is an excellent example of how games can evolve and grow. The developers have not just been content with releasing a game. They have constantly been pushing out updates and fixes to improve the experience for the players.

This is an entirely different game with way too many things you can do in it. There are space fights, mechas, bases to build, trading, and so much more.

Warframe is a fantastic action game, but it is also an MMORPG in a way. It’s a free-to-play third-person shooter that mixes horror, guns, melee combat, sci-fi, and ninjas. If that doesn’t sound awesome, I don’t know what awesome is.

The game is set in the distant future. Players control one of the Tenno, dormant warriors who need to rise in order to stop the Grineer Empire.

Tenno can use various weapons and Warframes, which are the special armors that determine the unique abilities you can use in a mission. 

Warframe’s core loop is relatively simple. Go on a mission, shoot and slash a bunch of enemies, then go back to the ship and hopefully craft better gear to be better at taking down the enemies of the next mission. Although it sounds simplistic, this game is far from it.

This game features various missions with objectives ranging from combat to stealth and exploration. You can do many assignments on your own.

Still, the game has a social aspect since you might need help tackling more challenging stages in cooperation with other Tanno. For a free-to-play game, graphics are impressive.

Not only that, the overall design of game mechanics and visuals is clearly made by people who actually care.

I don’t know who was the first genius who combined science fiction with Lovecraftian horror for the first time.

However, this is the kind of thing that gave us the first Alien movie. Consequently, those ideas would be seen again in the future, eventually causing the existence of a masterpiece like Dead Space.

Dead Space is a survival horror video game where the player assumes the role of engineer Isaac Clarke and fights for survival during encounters with creatures that defy human science.

This game has been praised for its graphics, sound, and atmosphere. There’s no way to argue with that, to be honest. I was genuinely scared when playing this game.

Everything, from sound design to environmental storytelling, contributed to this immersive and scary experience. There are so many elements that make you scared as you progress through the game.

The fact you don’t know what the enemies are and how exactly they might behave is very unsettling. But as soon as cultists and alien stuff get involved, it only gets weirder and spookier.

When it comes to gameplay, Dead Space borrows a lot from Resident Evil 4 but mixes with a bunch of new elements. Some sections explore the sci-fi setting with the use of artificial gravity and even the lack of it.

This is by far one of the best horror games ever made that takes place in space. If you like horror and space adventures, make sure to give Dead Space a try.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the game I never knew I wanted. This game is very much inspired by Dark Souls and is one of the  best third person games on Steam . In this game, you play as Cal.

He is a young Padwan who doesn’t seem to have mastered all the ways of the Jedi. In this adventure, the main character will face many dangerous enemies and develop his knowledge of the Force.

In this game, Cal has escaped the purge of Order 66, following the events of Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

After a long time of laying low, he is put in a situation where he must master the art of the legendary Lightsaber while outsmarting the Empire and its lethal Inquisitors.

Although you don’t get to cut through everything with your Jedi weapon, the lightsaber duels are something else. A lot of effort was put into making lightsaber fights look cinematic and dangerous.

Fans of the Star Wars world will recognize familiar settings, weapons, equipment, and antagonists while being introduced to new characters, locales, creatures, droids, and antagonists.

This game will immerse you in a galaxy that the Empire has recently captured. Cal will have to battle for his life while learning about the wonders of a long-gone civilization and trying to rebuild the Jedi Order.

Everspace 2

For those who enjoy space dogfights, Everspace 2 is a game that will provide everything you are looking for.

The game is a single-player journey featuring action-packed space shooting, exploration, loot, and traditional RPG components. In a quest for humanity, players get to experience a compelling narrative set in a beautiful open world full of secrets and dangers.

This game is fun and demanding, forcing players to be creative when dealing with swarms of enemy ships. This makes all space combats feel amazing once you overcome the odds.

Even if you are outnumbered, opportunities might allow you to outmaneuver your opponents by utilizing your surroundings.

You will get to use a wide range of weaponry and skills to combat various opponents such as heavy bombers, drones, fighters, and even enormous capital ships.

When piloting, you won’t be able to take a break. The constant firing and the acrobatics that allow you to stay in the fight while dodging enemy fire will deliver the ultimate space battle experience.

Nara was once considered the deadliest warrior in the Circle, an oppressive cult led by the Great Prophet. However, now she is a wanted fugitive piloting a sentient starfighter, Forsaken.

In this game, you will travel the galaxy to fight the cult and free the universe of their oppression.

That premise was enough for me to try Chorus, and the game did not disappoint. Chorus is a beautiful, exciting adventure and one of its generation’s best space video game experiences.

The graphic fidelity is seriously outstanding. There are plenty of exciting action sequences and memorable moments for fans of this subgenre.

There’s a lot of fun to be had in the mysterious, conflict-filled universe of this game. The splendor of space exploration is complemented by the fast-paced, frantic combat in Chorus.

Besides shooting at other ships, you will sometimes be visiting areas and looking for new allies. This process will make you visit fascinating places, including enormous space stations and enigmatic planes of existence.

Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut

The game is set in the year 2299, during which an intergalactic conflict is happening.

The Strike Suit, a spacecraft that can turn into a massive suit of space armor, is the spacecraft that players operate throughout this game. It is pretty much a stylish spaceship that can transform into a deadly robot akin to a Gundam.

If you enjoy anime, try this game out because it occasionally has an anime-like vibe to it. Strike Suit Zero does have your sections of space dogfighting.

However, it also allows you to use the Strike Suit’s true form to unleash mayhem upon your enemies, which truly feels great.

When it comes to gameplay, Strike Suit Zero usually puts you right in the action. This game is about shooting enemy ships to charge up the Strike Suit, destroying as many ships as you can in robot form, then repeating the process.

It might feel a bit like an arcade game at times, but I don’t see it as a bad thing at all.

Alien: Isolation

Back to the survival horror genre, we have Alien Isolation and the tale of Ellen Ripley’s daughter. In this game, you play as Amanda Ripley.

She is looking for information about her mother, who disappeared after the events of the first movie. Her investigations take her far away, and she ends up in a decommissioned space station called Sevastopol.

The Sevastopol is an odd place with very robotic-looking synthetics. Still, it feels a lot like the Nostromo at times. The developers nailed the ambiance and setting, making the space station look like an old sci-fi movie set.

All that being said, this is one of the things that make Alien: Isolation so good. The immersion is unmatched and becomes even better when the Xenomorph is introduced to the game.

Like many other survival horror games, you will be roaming around feeling powerless and trying to escape.

You are the prey here, and your objective is to survive, not to defeat. Amanda will eventually have some weapons at her disposal. However, they are meant to help you stay alive, not to kill the alien.

This game has a lot of crafting, hiding, and slow walking, but it also has some shooting at times. You will always feel tense, especially when using the noisy motion detector.

Each step can lead you closer to the alien on the space station, and this tension is rarely lifted. Fans of horror and space games should not skip this one.

Stellaris is a 4X game that has been developed by Paradox Development Studio. Players manage an advanced civilization on the galactic stage in Stellaris. They’re in charge of exploring, populating, and administering their galaxy’s region.

The idea is to encounter other civilizations with whom they might engage in diplomacy, trade, or combat.

The game throws many adversities to test you. You will have to deal with scripted and emergent events, such as new empires changing the balance of power.

Besides, you might also have to handle significant crises threatening the galaxy or event chains telling the story of forgotten civilizations.

You come across an unlimited variety of races due to customization and procedural generation. Select favorable or adverse characteristics, philosophies, restrictions, evolutions, or anything else you can think of to guide the destiny of your species.

All those interactions, including damage control and resource management, are big aspects of the game. There aren’t many 4X games worth trying, and the ones involving Sci-Fi and space travel are even rarer, making Stellaris a must-play game if you like both genres.

Kerbal Space Program

If you are a science geek or a physics nerd, consider Kerbal Space Program a mandatory experience.

In this game, you spend a lot of time trying to build your ideal rocket and seeing many prototypes blowing up. If it doesn’t sound fun to you, let me clarify that this game is certainly not for everyone.

However, if you can take pleasure out of the scientific method and rocket building sounds fun to you, I don’t see how you won’t have fun with this game.

To be honest, I find it amazing how the developers made an entire game about constructing rockets. The objective is simple: you must build a functioning rocket to get to space.

That said, depending on the mode you are playing, there will be challenges to face. For instance, the program might not have the budget for all the needed parts, or some technology was not developed yet.

Finding a way around those challenges kept me returning to Kerbal Space Program over and over again.

The game also has other modes in which you have much more freedom, but the career mode is where I had the most fun. After finally building rockets that could reliably go out of orbit, you also have to reach a space station.

Then, there’s the need to safely bring your crew back to the planet. Kerbal Space Program is a niche game. Not many people will find pleasure in it, but I’m sure that if you are interested now, chances are you will have a blast.

It blows my mind that this game became free to play because it clearly looks like a triple-A title of the eighth generation. Destiny 2 is a first-person MMO action game with a great story tied to the campaign.

Although it wasn’t that well-received by fans at first for a number of reasons, it is undeniable that the game looks fantastic, sounds fantastic, and is also pretty fun.

The amount of detail put in Destiny 2 is very admirable. The areas of the game are haunting, but it is also beautiful.

Large maps make the quests more of a delight to play, not only for being eye candy but also for beautifully contextualizing the game’s story.

Damage type seems to matter more, and more visual feedback makes this game more enjoyable to look at. For instance, you can even see the soul of a Fallen leaving its body after a well-placed shot.

Besides all that, Destiny 2 is also one of the  best loot games on Steam , and you can try it for free. If the core game doesn’t satisfy you, then you can think about checking the DLC for more content.

Bungie has gone through a bumpy ride with Destiny 2. However, I can’t really complain much about a free-to-play game, so try it out and judge it yourself.

Outer Wilds

In this game, you are the newest recruit of a recently created space program. Outer Wilds Ventures is a space program that looks for answers in a bizarre solar system that is constantly changing.

Since nothing in life is easy, the solutions you seek reside in the most hazardous regions of space. 

Outer Wilds depicts a solar system doomed to a perpetual time loop, which is the game’s main gimmick.

Now, you must find out what lies at the heart of the evil Dark Bramble, the alien ruins on the moon, and whether it is possible to end the infinite time loop. 

The planets of the Outer Wilds are filled with hidden locations that change over time.

Visit an underground city before it’s swallowed by sand, or explore the surface of a planet as it crumbles beneath your feet. All secrets are protected by dangerous environments and natural disasters.

This game is critically acclaimed and was well received by players. There is so much to see and discover that it surprised me, and in a good way. If you enjoy exploration and mystery, you will probably enjoy Outer Wilds.

Elite Dangerous

With a connected galaxy, an unfolding story, and a recreated Milky Way in its full galactic scale, Elite Dangerous is the undisputed MMORPG space epic. Although it carries the name of a classic, this is a new, open-world adventure with a lot to offer.

Players begin with a modest spacecraft and a few credits. They must work their way up to gain expertise, knowledge, fortune, and power. The goal is simple, to survive in a futuristic ruthless galaxy and join the ranks of the legendary Elite.

In this game, player choices can cause governments to collapse, wars to be fought, and the galaxy’s destiny to be altered.

The game happens during an era of galactic superpowers and cosmic conflict. Every single story shapes the uniquely connected gameplay experience and constantly growing narrative of Elite Dangerous.

Star Wars – The Force Unleashed

Ultimate Sith Edition is an extraordinary new version of the Star Wars: Force Unleashed.

It aims to expose Star Wars fans to the darkest, most sinister part of the Force through a plot that pits them against Luke Skywalker.

All of the original missions from the first game are included in the Ultimate Sith Edition, along with content that was previously only accessible through DLC. It also has a unique additional level.

The power and magnitude of the Force are entirely reimagined in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. You play as Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice in this game.

Through the eyes of an enigmatic new character, the game will guide you to discover brand-new revelations about the galaxy.

You don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy Force unleashed. You will lose many references, but the game has a self-contained story, and the action gameplay is ridiculously fun.

That’s why I also consider Star Wars – Force Unleashed to be one of the  best hack and slash games on Steam .

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

Borderlands is a very acclaimed series, and for a good reason. The game merged Diablo looting, comic-like art style, first-person shooters, and Science Fiction to create something truly unique.

It could easily have become a mess with so many elements, but those characteristics make Borderlands an easily recognizable series.

In this game, you learn about the background of Handsome Jack, the antagonist from Borderlands 2, and his rise to power.

The Pre-Sequel, which takes place between Borderlands and Borderlands 2, offers a ton of new gameplay and the same old genre-merging experience that combines shooter and RPG systems. 

You get to utilize laser and ice-based guns to take down adversaries from above as you float through the air with each low gravity jump.

There is a lot to explore in the lunar terrain, and you can use new vehicles that allow for higher degrees of destruction.

The Pre-Sequel is a Borderlands game, just like all the series’ main games. So, if that’s the kind of game you like, there’s a good chance you will also enjoy this one.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is a third-person cooperative survival set in the well-known Alien universe. In this game, you battle hordes of various kinds of xenomorphs.

On top of that, you can alter your character’s appearance and equipment to make them look and play the way you want. 

In this game, you take center stage in the dramatic events that take place 23 years after the original Alien trilogy. Players take on the role of Colonial Marines as they encounter horrific Xenomorph and artificial threats. 

Aliens: Fireteam Elite features breathtaking graphics, recognizable enemies, authentic landscapes, potent firearms, futuristic gear, and a creepy ambiance.

In addition to all that, it also includes new narratives that enrich the plot of the blockbuster movies in many replayable campaigns.

This game is a treat to fans of the franchise and the genre. Aliens: Fireteam Elite has 20 enemy types, five different classes, and over 30 different weapons that will keep you and your friends busy trying to optimize your approach to the Xenomorph threat.

It also has a system that changes the campaign mission to add even more to its replayability.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

After the fiasco that was Marvel’s Avengers, this was a pleasant surprise. Guardians of the Galaxy is a fun adventure game with high-fidelity graphics, a good story, fun gameplay, and charismatic characters.

To be honest, this game has nothing new or innovative, but everything is surprisingly well executed.

In this game, you control Peter Quill, the Star Lord. This is not the one from the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the comic books.

Much like Marvel’s Spider-Man, this Peter Quill is a new version inspired by both the movies and the original version of the character.

When it comes to the gameplay, it’s basically some conversations, a little exploration, and a lot of shooting. Star Lord is very fun to control. He moves quickly, and his rocket boots make repositioning yourself look super cool.

On top of all that, the Guardians of the Galaxy keep the banter going throughout the fights, showing off their personalities and making the whole thing even more entertaining.

Mass Effect Andromeda

The story opens with the arrival of the humans in the Andromeda galaxy. These humans are members of the Andromeda Initiative, a project meant to colonize the closest galaxy.

Unfortunately, things don’t really happen smoothly. The story’s protagonist, Ryder, is immediately obliged to take leadership of the situation and solve the upcoming problems.

The game’s plot addresses some interesting problems. For instance, the crew has to deal with the lack of Mass Relays and how it makes colonization much harder.

In addition to unraveling the wonders of the new galaxy, Ryder is in charge of locating sites for the establishment of the human colony.

Additionally, Andromeda was already home to other species. Therefore, Ryder finds himself having to settle conflicts that naturally arise during first contact between various races.

The game goes through many topics, from ethical questions to social dilemmas, which should be familiar to fans of the franchise.

When it comes to gameplay, Mass Effect Andromeda is a third-person shooter with some RPG elements. The game took all that was used in the original trilogy and improved upon it, providing new abilities and a more fluid experience.

This game got a lot of heat when it first launched, and it was deserved. However, there’s a pretty decent game behind all the criticism, especially now that most issues have been fixed.

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The 18 Best Space Flight Simulation Games (According To Metacritic)

Space flight simulators may be a niche game but Metacritic knows which ones are the best of the genre.

Space: the final frontier. Space often finds itself as the landscape of various media properties. In many ways, space and space flight are equal parts fantastical and realistic in a way. This is especially true in sci-fi games ; some games lean into the fantastical, like Mass Effect , while others like Elite: Dangerous capitalize on the wonders of space travel itself.

RELATED: Space Case: Things Sci-Fi Games Get Wrong About Space (& Things They Actually Get Right)

Over the years, many companies have created their own takes on space flight simulations. It's risky, considering how easy it is to botch a simulation game . There are many different varieties and all game players have their preferences, but which ones are the best of the best? This list will serve to highlight the best space flight simulation games, according to Metacritic.

Updated March 27, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Despite huge advancements in technology allowing for state-of-the-art graphics and endless sandbox environments, many modern space-based games have struggled to make the same impact as some of the games that came before them. While it's certainly true that it can be difficult to be innovative in a crowded marketplace, there's perhaps an argument to be made that the simplistic graphics of yesteryear were just far better suited to capturing the desolate nature of the great unknown. Whatever the reason, those looking for the best space flight simulation games may be better served looking backward rather than up into the sky.

18 No Man's Sky (2018) - 77

No Man's Sky 's redemption arc is far more satisfying than most, particularly given the circumstances that led to its car-crash release . Such was the hype surrounding the game at launch that it was never going to be able to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon it, but few could have predicted just how badly the game would flop.

It would have been very easy for developer and publisher Hello Games to simply take the money and run, but the studio ended up taking a very different approach. Many years and many more updates and patches later , No Man's Sky finally began to live up to the promise it showed during the early stages of development and is now quite rightfully heralded as one of the best space exploration games around.

17 Star Trek: Bridge Crew (2017) - 78

Just as certain games can be over-hyped , so too can certain tech. This was arguably the case with VR gaming, with the technology experiencing many teething problems when it first became available to the public. Aside from the somewhat sickening issues with inertia, one of the biggest issues was a lack of unique and worthwhile games. After a few years though, things did start to pick up, with Star Trek: Bridge Crew one of many great VR games to be released in 2017.

Though the idea of having players team up to take on the roles of a starship's bridge crew may sound a little dry on paper, the execution was spot on. The co-op gameplay works surprisingly well too, with players having to put their trust in friends or strangers to ensure that their mission ends in success. Granted, the learning curve is steep, and the novelty wears off after a while, but players can expect to have a lot of fun with Star Trek: Bridge Crew nonetheless.

16 Star Wars: Squadrons (2020) - 79

Star Wars: Squadrons is nowhere near as good as some of the fantastic dog-fighting games which preceded it, but it's still a solid title, with responsive controls and a decent community helping to make the experience an awful lot of fun. Better still, despite both Rogue Leader and Starfighter aging fairly gracefully, neither comes close to matching Squadrons in the visual fidelity department.

Of course, a few decades of technological advancement will usually make sure of that, but the fact remains, Squadrons is arguably the best-looking Star Wars game to date. PSN subscribers were even able to pick it up for free back in June of 2021 , while it's also spent time on Xbox Game Pass; both of which helped to breathe some much-needed new life into the game's player base.

15 FTL: Faster Than Light (2012) - 84

FTL: Faster Than Light offers a fairly unique approach to space travel. Rather than placing players at the wheel, they are instead expected to manage every aspect associated with the operation of the ship. It might sound a little dry when compared to weaving between asteroids and the like, but it's actually a lot of fun and can lead to some incredibly tense and exciting moments.

Every decision matters and there are plenty of variables that players will need to take into account. Some things, like crew members getting sick, are out of the player's hands but nearly every other mishap can usually be traced back to a bad decision somewhere throughout the journey. It's a game that can be replayed multiple times and one that really manages to stand out in a crowded sky that's filled with plenty of brightly shining stars.

14 EVERSPACE (2017) - 84

EVERSPACE , like most of the games that are on this list, aren't going to be considered pure "space flight simulations." As it turns out, there aren't too many pure space flight simulations. However, EVERSPACE definitely qualifies. The game is a 3D space shooter with roguelike elements, loaded with gorgeous sights and fun combat.

The Xbox One version holds the 84, while the other versions hold scores close enough that it counts. Many critics praised the game for its fresh take on the roguelike genre, and as a sequel was successfully funded on Kickstarter, the fun won't stop with the first one.

13 Star Wars: Starfighter (2001) - 84

The Star Wars franchise, unsurprisingly, holds many space-flight games under its belt. And unlike most games based on movies , Star Wars is consistently a solid brand. The first on this list is Star Wars: Star Fighter for the PlayStation 2. The game takes place before the Battle of Naboo, and the player will have to navigate a number of harrowing missions with the three fighter pilots to stop the invasion.

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The game jumps between multiple perspectives as the story unfolds. While not as iconic as other Star Wars titles on the PS2, Star Fighter still remains in the top caliber of space flight shooters.

12 Outer Wilds (2019) - 85

Outer Wilds is a game about exploration and discovery and does a fantastic job of capturing the isolation of space. It looks great and slowly uncovering more information about the enigmatic Nomai species provides more than enough reason for players to keep coming back. Each planet is home to its own mysteries and each mystery has an explanation that's just waiting to be uncovered.

Where the game differs from other space sim games (and the vast majority of games in general, for that matter) is through its innovative gameplay loop. Rather than one long slog, players are given twenty minutes to explore before their progress is partially reset. This may sound frustrating, but it actually works incredibly well and really helps with the game's pacing while also encouraging players to really think about how they are going to use their allotted time.

11 Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (1998) - 85

One of the definitive great Star Wars titles according to many fans, Rogue Squadron is also in the top ten of the genre on Metacritic. The game puts players in the shoes of Luke Skywalker as they play through a number of missions based on events from the movie.

Some critics consider this title to be a quintessential Nintendo 64 game , right up there with Nintendo's catalog. It spawned its own series of critically acclaimed space flight games as well. For any game player and Star Wars fan, Rogue Squadron is a classic title that earns its spot near the top.

10 Freelancer (2003) - 85

Freelancer was originally the brainchild of Chris Roberts , creator of the Wing Commander series. However, production problems led the game to be delayed and eventually picked up by a new team. This didn't harm the game's reputation entirely, as it still met critical acclaim from the top gaming websites.

The concept for the game was to create a true virtual galaxy, and that dream is still reflected in the systems of trading and combat within the world. Its ambition may have harmed it in the long run, but it still remains a classic. At the very least, the game can say it released, unlike Roberts's latest project and cash cow Star Citizen .

9 Allegiance (2000) - 86

In terms of the multiplayer space, few space simulator games could compete with Allegiance, released for PC in 2000. The game mixed two popular PC genres: first-person shooter and real-time strategy. Players work in teams to capture the opponent's bases and force them to surrender.

In many ways, the game was incredibly ambitious in terms of gameplay, and it managed to create an incredible multiplayer experience. However, it suffered from low sales despite a dedicated player base. Players are still maintaining the community to this day, which is certainly impressive. It can definitely be said Allegiance deserves the praise it has received.

8 Sins Of A Solar Empire (2008) - 87

Space skirmishes have been around in video games for decades now, but there are few titles that have managed to incorporate all-out war. The sheer size of some of the battles that players will preside over in Sins of a Solar Empire can be a little overwhelming at times, but it can also be quite exhilarating to watch one's master plan unfold on a legion of unsuspecting AI enemies.

Trying to mix together elements from multiple genres doesn't always pay off and some purists will likely be a little disappointed with some of the compromises made to accommodate this merger. For the most part, however, the game does a fantastic job of combining these contrasting ideas and mechanics and is able to provide players with a one-of-a-kind experience as a result.

7 EVE Online: Special Edition (2009) - 88

As far as MMOs go, they don't come much bigger than EVE Online . At least not when it comes to the sheer scale of the game's universe, that is. There are endless planets to explore and plenty of activities in which to partake. It might not be the most accessible game out there (especially for those who are new to the world of MMO gaming) but it shouldn't take too long to get into the swing of things.

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While interacting with other players can be a fun way to spend time, some of the best moments in the game can be found flying around through empty space exploring. One never knows who or what they might encounter. There are also huge record-breaking space battles from time to time which can be a real sight to behold ; not to mention a reminder to always remain alert!

6 Kerbal Space Program (2015) - 88

Kerbal Space Program is certainly one of the most unique titles in the galaxy. This wacky simulation game focuses on crafting the perfect spacecraft. The player is tasked to build a spacecraft that can actually launch into space. It's a long process of trial-and-error with a quirky physics engine and adorable little creatures.

Few things are as satisfying as finally achieving a successful launch. It's no wonder that the game is one of the top space flight simulators, although the "space flight" part is a stretch. Still, it's no surprise that Kerbal Space Program is one of the top space flight simulators.

5 Galaxy On Fire 2 (2010) - 90

It was certainly a shock to see Galaxy On Fire 2 near the top of the list. After all, most mobile titles have low expectations for them. However, according to the critic reviews on Metacritic, it's a game to look out for. Many reviews cite that this is a game that shows that mobile games can be just as good as console or PC titles.

It's a game that pushes the limits of the platform it's on and creates something entirely new. It definitely looks like it stands head and shoulders above other popular mobile titles. For the price it is offered at, Galaxy On Fire 2 might be the perfect mobile game to give a shot.

4 Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II (2001) - 90

The sequel to the N64 classic, Rogue Leader shows Factor5 at its best in terms of game design. It's not just an incredible space flight game, it's an incredible game overall. The game features similar locals to the previous game, along with a whole host of new bits of content to experience. Nintendo Power even gave the game a perfect 100 score back in the day, a significant achievement for a game not from Nintendo themselves.

Its best feature is the strong visuals, which still hold up to some degree in the modern landscape. It's easily one of many incredible GameCube titles . There's a reason fans have been demanding a return to Rogue Squadron for years now.

3 Colony Wars (1997) - 91

This PlayStation 1 classic was both a critical and commercial success back when it was initially released. Critics at the time were amazed by just how detailed the world was, along with how great the game felt to play. It was ranked as one of the best space-combat games on the console.

Additionally, the game was successful enough to receive two sequels, although afterward, the series kind of just fizzled out. Considering the resurgence of space-flight and space-combat games, it's a wonder that Sony hasn't dug back to pick out this game. Perhaps Sony could consider adding it to their future PS5 lineup .

2 FreeSpace 2 (1999) - 91

FreeSpace 2 , like other games on this list, was a huge commercial failure despite its critical success. However, it's appropriate that at the top of this list is a true space-flight simulator.

It received a number of game-of-the-year awards, and it even stays relevant today. The game has a strong modding community, using the source engine to build some incredible recreations of other popular sci-fi franchises. It may be a game that time forgot, but with stellar graphics and gameplay light-years ahead of its time, FreeSpace 2 reigns supreme over any other space-flight game.

1 Homeworld (1999) - 93

The original Homeworld games and their expansions remain some of the best space sim games ever created despite having first released more than two decades ago. Watching the game's countless ships fly around unsuspectingly through the vastness of space is like poetry in motion and the rest of the game's components are equally well-versed.

Its visuals and gameplay are impressive in equal measures, but it's perhaps the game's sound design that really stands out the most. It does a wonderful job of immersing the player and contributes towards the game's status as one of the best RTS games ever made. Anybody looking to experience the game for themselves can do so fairly easily too thanks to the Remastered Collection that was released back in 2015 and with a third Homeworld game expected in 2022 , there's plenty to look forward to.

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Best time travel games

Here's our list of the best time travel games with more timeloops and grandfather paradoxes than you can shake a stick at.

Looking for the best time travel games? These 10 entries mark the highlights of a genre that has been going strong for decades – promising the awe of hurtling forward in time, manipulating the present, or changing what’s happened in the past. Haven’t we all wanted to do that at some point?

Is time travel possible? Well, time travel is a pretty recognizable concept by now and has been around for as long as there have been people, whether in Hindu mythology or Japanese fairy tales. The idea of time travel in pop science fiction was widely popularized by H.G. Wells, who wrote the 1895 novel The Time Machine, as well as other stories that saw protagonists propelled into different eras.

While many modern games utilize some kind of repeating loop, like Hades or Loop Hero, the best time travel games take this a step further – allowing the player to distort time for their own ends, or forcing them to adapt to imprisonment within it.

These games don’t just use time travel as a story hook, but an integral part of how the game works – which is what helps them stand out among the bog-standard shooters, puzzle games, and platformers out there. 

So, if you loved watching the likes of Groundhog Day or Russian Doll , then these are the games for you. Who knows, maybe one of these titles will end up on our (or even your) space video games that should be movies or TV shows list. While you’re at it, make sure to check out our guide to the best time travel movies too, or if you’re after more games then these upcoming space games will interest you. 

10. Deathloop

• Release date: September 14, 2021
• Platform: PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X/S

Possibly the best PS5 exclusive to have released on the console at the time (though it has since released on Xbox too), Deathloop is a thrilling time-travel first-person shooter (FPS) romp from the developers behind Dishonored.

You play as Colt, an assassin, who is on a mission to eliminate eight ultra-powerful individuals. These gifted beings are exploiting a time loop machine on a subarctic island to live the same day over and over, essentially becoming immortal and being able to do whatever they desire every night without consequence.

You must take out all eight to stop the loop from restarting – using what you learn across multiple loops to navigate the island and complete your mission in one perfect run. With slick gunplay, a gripping story, and a fascinating sci-fi premise, we don’t recommend you sleep on this one.

9. Twelve Minutes

• Release date: August 19, 2021
• Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC

It’s a fun, curious mystery game, with plenty of satisfaction to be had from toying with the objects and locations in your compact apartment to see how it’ll affect the outcome.

A curious time loop game, mostly in the star talent brought in to voice its trio of main characters: Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker), James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class, Trance), and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, The Lighthouse).

The action takes place in a small, one-bedroom apartment, where McAvoy’s protagonist comes home to find a number of surprises waiting for him – one of which is an armed assailant claiming to be a police officer pounding on their door. When you’re knocked unconscious, you begin the time loop again and have to figure out what’s really going on in order to escape the loop for good.

8. Titanfall 2

• Release date: October 28, 2016
• Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC

The sequel to Respawn’s futuristic mecha-combat FPS is a thrilling ride. It has a single-player campaign that pivots effortlessly between fascinating game mechanics, never feeling a need to dwell too long on each one.

The time travel mission, ‘Effect and Cause,’ is a real standout. It allows you to shift between the past and present mid-air as you run, shoot, and platform your way across an expansive military facility. Paired with Respawn’s excellent gunplay, this acclaimed shooter offers far more imagination than the average Call of Duty game.

The brisk campaign has plenty of other thrills to recommend it, but its seamless utilization of time travel as an integral game mechanic – even while limited to a single level – makes it well worth inclusion in this list.

7. Outer Wilds

• Release date: May 28, 2019
• Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, PC

Another time loop game, you say? Outer Wilds is a standout indie game, so much so that it’s made our best space games list. It sees you scour a solar system to unpack its mysteries, over a series of 22-minute time loops that reset your progress just as the nearest sun explodes into a supernova. Phew.

As with Deathloop, you’ll have to do more than simply map out the game – needing to learn when certain events occur, or which actions are available in the orbits of the solar system’s planetary bodies. Starting out as a student project, Outer Wilds has gone on to be one of the best indie games in recent years, with a heady mix of environmental exploration, galactic mystery, and survival sim all in one.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

• Release date: November 21, 1998
• Platform: Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo Switch

The best game of all time? It’s hard to argue with this assessment for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (OoT), a landmark 3D action-adventure game that launched on the Nintendo 64 in 1998. In it, the young hero Link finds a magical ocarina which is able to change the weather, transport him across distant lands, and even propel him through time to a post-apocalyptic world.

It’s not a one-way trip, thankfully, and much of the puzzle work in OoT is in traveling back and forth between time periods, using what you learn and obtain to progress in each setting. As ever, you’re fighting a great evil, battling monsters, gathering weapons and tools for your journey, and figuring out troublesome dungeons – but time travel is what elevates Ocarina of Time into a game of truly mythical proportions.

It's an oldie, but a goodie. You can find the game through Nintendo Switch Online, or on Nintendo DS systems.

5. Quantum Break

• Release date: April 5, 2016
• Platform: Xbox One, PC

Back in 2016 when Quantum Break released, it was the best-selling game published by Microsoft on the Xbox One. While it soon ceded that title to Sea of Thieves (who needs time travel when you have sea shanties?) it’s still a landmark game, and a fascinating experiment in interactive storytelling.

The main conceit of Quantum Break is its mix of gameplay with an interactive TV show that breaks up the story’s five acts, allowing you to make key decisions that affect the narrative for the rest of the game.

Originally conceived as a sequel to Alan Wake, before pivoting into a new IP, Quantum Break is set in a world where a failed time travel experiment allows you to halt, freeze, accelerate, and generally manipulate time around you – inevitably used to ramp up combat as you take on hordes of soldiers and try to fix a fracture in time itself. Time ‘stutters’ can also freeze objects in your environment, creating obstacles or platforms that help and hinder your progress along the way.

4. Life is Strange

• Release date: January 20, 2015
• Platform: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android

While more recent Life is Strange games play around with the powers of empathy, or telekinesis, the original game is what started the franchise off with such aplomb – following the fortunes of a young girl who is able to rewind time.

Maxine ‘Max’ Caulfield discovers her time-manipulation ability when a classmate faces an unexpected danger – managing to undo the day’s events and keep them alive. As ever, time travel has unintended consequences, and while Max can aid or even save various people in her life, she finds the outcome isn’t always for the best in the long term. 

With a strikingly impressionistic art style, branching narratives, surprisingly high stakes for a high school story, and a good helping of teen angst, this episodic adventure is well worth a try.

3. Wanderer

• Release date: January 27, 2022
• Platform: PlayStation VR, SteamVR, Oculus

If you’re looking for a time-travel VR game, you’ve come to the right place. Wanderer is a first-person puzzle adventure that has you traveling back through time to prevent an apocalyptic present.

With a talking watch on your wrist, and the ability to jump to different places and periods, Wanderer lives up to its name, seeing you jettison across centuries of history and even to the moon. In each case, action is found in localized puzzles (escape rooms, essentially), some of which take imaginative back-and-forth travel to get the right objects for the right situation. 

You’ll get around 10 hours of play out of this one, along with some brain-bending puzzles that make the most of the VR medium (along with one of the best VR headsets )

• Release date: August 6, 2008
• Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Switch, PC, Mac, Linux

Few games play so successfully with time as Braid, a 2008 indie platformer initially launched on Xbox 360 to great acclaim. The developer went on to create The Witness with the profits from this game.

You play Tim, who is trying to find and rescue a princess from some unspecified monster. So far, so Mario. However, things aren’t quite so simple as running and jumping on Goombas: Braid utilizes a number of different time-based mechanics, from a simple rewind (helpful after jumping and missing a ledge) to whole levels that move forward in time as you move right and backward as you move left.

It’s a mind-melting game in many ways, and you may find the story elusive at first, it being gradually pieced together by jigsaw pieces you collect throughout your journey – and blown open by its subversive conclusion. But a recurring theme is the idea of wanting to redo or undo the past, and you won’t find a game that needles this idea as effectively or imaginatively as Braid.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

• Release date: April 27, 2000
• Platform: Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS

How could we list the best time travel games without Majora’s Mask? This follow-up to Ocarina of Time takes place in the same land of Hyrule as its predecessor just two months later, even re-using many in-game assets. The key difference is that an unhinged-looking moon going to crash into the Earth, obliterating everything – and you find yourself reliving the same three days over and over in an attempt to prevent the cataclysmic event from happening.

Those three days come to around an hour of actual gameplay time, meaning you play through a loop quite swiftly, but the real magic of Majora’s Mask is in how it expands on the time-warping magic of OoT. Here you’ll use the ocarina to jump back to the start of the loop, slow down the passage of time, or jump forward to a later day, navigating time like a puzzle dungeon in need of solving.

Earning widespread acclaim, Majora’s Mask has been rereleased several times throughout the years. For modern gamers, you can find the game through Nintendo Switch Online, or on Nintendo DS systems.

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Henry St Leger is a news writer, commissioning editor and all-round geek for the worlds of technology and entertainment. He has years of experience in gadget reviews, has been interviewed live on both BBC World News and Channel News Asia, and will talk endlessly about Neon Genesis Evangelion to anyone who will listen. Bylines include TechRadar, Edge, Space.com, Digital Camera World, and Little White Lies.

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Universe simulator

SpaceEngine is a realistic virtual Universe you can explore on your computer. You can travel from star to star, from galaxy to galaxy, landing on any planet, moon, or asteroid with the ability to explore its alien landscape. You can alter the speed of time and observe any celestial phenomena you please. All transitions are completely seamless, and this virtual universe has a size of billions of light-years across and contains trillions upon trillions of planetary systems. The procedural generation is based on real scientific knowledge, so SpaceEngine depicts the universe the way it is thought to be by modern science. Real celestial objects are also present if you want to visit them, including the planets and moons of our Solar system, thousands of nearby stars with newly discovered exoplanets, and thousands of galaxies that are currently known.

Update 0.990.47.2015: Catalog Updates, Additions, and Fixes

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All types of celestial objects

represented

Galaxies, nebulae, stars and star clusters, planets and moons, comets and asteroids

Thousands of known

celestial objects

Known galaxies, stars, planets, asteroids, nebulae are represented using catalogs: HIPPARCOS, NGC/IC, Messier, MPC, NASA Exoplanet Archive and many others

procedural generation

for uncharted regions

Uncharted regions of space feature procedurally generated objects: galaxies, stars, star clusters, nebulae and planetary systems

Incredibly huge

and realistic Universe

Trillions of galaxies with billions of star systems in each, everything is realistically scaled

free to move

around the universe

Seamless transition from the surface of a planet to the most distant galaxies, and free game-like movement with the WASD keys

Easy navigation

many useful tools

Click on any visible object with the mouse and hit the 'G' key to fly directly to it. Search for objects by name, search by parameters within a certain radius, browse an interactive map of the surrounding space and view a map of the current planetary system

Save locations

and name objects

Save a favorite point in space and time and share it with friend. Give a name to any discovered planet, star or galaxy, and write a description for it.

Observe the Universe

Accelerate, decelerate, or reverse the flow of time to see the orbital motion of planets and moons, and watch sunsets and eclipses

Tools to learn

how the Universe works

Read detailed physical and astronomical data of any celestial body using the built-in Wiki system. Look at the orbital path lines of planets and moons, and compare their size side-by-side

3D landscapes on planets

volumetric galaxies and nebulae

Solar System bodies have real terrain models obtained by space probes; realistic hi-detail terrain on procedural planets

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Pilot star ships with realistic orbital mechanics, Alcubierre warp drives, and aerodynamics in planetary atmospheres

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Import space ship models, planetary surface textures and terrain, astronomical catalogs, and more

And much more

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Accurate planetary atmosphere models

Controllable space ships

Original music with context-dependent track switching

Localization in many languages, with the ability to add new ones

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Starfield space travel just got way better thanks to this mod

Starfield space travel just got way better thanks to this mod which adds 50 new events to galactic exploration.

Angharad Redden

In Bethesda’s action RPG Starfield, there is plenty to do across the intergalactic open-world. However, with many players criticising the lack of space combat, one modder has them covered.

Released in 2023, Starfield is Bethesda's latest RPG project that has players join a group of space explorers who must venture to various lands across the galaxy to find mysterious artifacts.

Check out our Starfield review below!

With Starfield receiving quite a mixed overall review from critics and players alike, it is by no means comparable to other Bethesda titles such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout : New Vegas. One such gripe players had was the lack of dynamic space combat and encounters.

To help address this, modder kaosnyrb on Nexus Mods has created Dark Universe, a free downloadable mod that adds 50 brand-new space encounters to Starfield.

“I never felt like space only characters were very viable. This attempts to change that”, they wrote . “This massively increases the amount of space POIs, adding more variety to space gameplay.”

As mentioned, Starfield’s ship gameplay and exploration will now include multiple points of interest to discover and interact with. More specifically, the events will focus on skirmishes between factions including one between The First and The Crimson Fleet.

New encounters you will discover include piracy boarding, faction skirmishes, faction strongholds, lone ships, ships under fire, lost shipments, stranded ships, boss fights and more.

As Starfield’s space explorer, you will discover a variety of fellow ships in distress, in the middle of fights, searching for hope and more. Not only that but there is no time to get lenient as some strong enemies may also be lurking among the stars.

Dark Universe is available to download for free on Nexus Mods and is just one of hundreds of mods ready to add brand-new and exciting combat to your game.

Topics:  Starfield , Bethesda , Mods , PC

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Space Survival Sandbox ‘Minicology’ Now Available on PC

Space awaits.

Developer Isaac Denner and publisher Iceberg Interactive have announced that their 2D space survival sandbox title ‘Minicology’ is now available on PC via Steam, the Epic Game Store, and GOG.com. A demo is available on Steam and the will retail for $14.99/€14.79/£12.79.

Use your crafting, combat, and automation skills to survive the many challenges this 2D open world survival crafting game throws at you.

Minicology takes you on an interstellar journey through the mini-verse where your goal is to Explore, Survive, Craft, Automate, and Battle. Reach for the stars and travel through a procedurally-generated universe of tiny planets! Build bases, defend against invaders, terraform worlds, and engineer factories that automatically farm and mine. Minicology encourages creative solutions to everything — from cultivating plants to fighting enemies!

If you’ve always wanted to embark on a thrilling space expedition, where adventure, danger and creativity await you at every corner, now’s your chance. 

Immerse yourself in a world where self-sufficiency is key. Gather valuable resources, grow your own crops, and learn to automate anything. Use item pipes to transfer materials and automate processes  around your base, hunt for food, harness energy, and secure your water source as you navigate the challenges of this miniature universe — but it doesn’t stop there — get creative and construct a fully-fledged base, that can repel invaders and stand as a testament to your survival skills.

• Sandbox-style building & terraforming mechanics. Make your planet your way!
• Survive by hunting, farming, or a mix of the two – just don’t hunt a species into extinction!
• Automate your base: pipe items from chests into furnaces, synthesize new materials, and irrigate your farms.
• Dozens of unique events and objectives, ranging from meteor showers to boss battles
• Massive procedural universe, with an objective system that keeps gameplay fresh
• 8 Challenging boss battles
• Craft accessories, armor and weapons to flesh out your build
• Don’t lose track of time! Immersive day/night cycle, with unique events tied to each!
• And yes, the planets are actually round.
• Your actions have consequences: animals can be driven to extinction, and players can trigger hazardous weather conditions

Check out the trailer and gallery below for more details on Minicology.

Genghis "Solidus Kraken" Husameddin

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Video Game News, Lists & Guides

14 Best NEW Space Games of 2024

GAMES...IN...SPACE!!!!!

#14 Pragmata

#13 star wars: eclipse, #12 routine, #11 level zero, #10 falling frontier, #9 star trucker, #7 outcast: a new beginning, #6 helldivers 2, #5 warhammer 40,000: space marine 2, #4 the outer worlds 2, #3 homeworld 3, #2 star wars: outlaws, #1 mass effect 5.

There are many games that take players to galaxies and universes beyond our own, and these games from 2024 will do just that!

We’ll start off this list with a set of games that we aren’t exactly sure WILL show up in 2024, but that’s not to say there isn’t hope. This is something you’ll hear quite a bit about in this list.

For  Pragmata , the team over at Capcom has been cooking up this game for a while now. They want to take players on a unique adventure to the stars and a messed-up version of Earth. But the context for the game is still missing. We know you’ll play as some kind of astronaut and that there’s a mysterious girl that’s key to something. But outside of that? We don’t know much.

…of the two, we would wager that  Star Wars: Eclipse  is arguably the least likely to arrive in 2024. Why? Well, there have been numerous reports that the developer doesn’t want to get the game out until 2025 at the least, and SOME reports were stating that it might not come out until 2027!

Furthermore, we know precious little about the game outside of some small details about the alien races we’ll meet and the period it’s in. The game had a dramatic trailer at The Game Awards, but since then, it’s been quiet. That could change, but we’re not holding our breath.

It should’ve been a simple mission. You were sent to a lunar base where communications had gone dark, and you needed to find out what happened. But as  Routine  will show you, there’s something much darker going on in this place.

Your job is to search the “abandoned” base and learn the truth while also avoiding something that lurks within. This game isn’t about combat. Fighting is a last resort for you. So be smart, run when you can, and seek out the answers to get you out of there.

But what IS lurking within this base? And why does it see you as the “true danger”?

There aren’t many multiplayer games on this list, so we wanted to throw at least one at you to get your friends involved as you head into virtual space.

Level Zero  is a 4v2 asymmetrical multiplayer title where some of you will be playing humans, and the others will be playing aliens. Good luck with that.

The humans are scientists trying to get things operational so they can get out. But the aliens aren’t making it easy, especially since they can thrive in the dark. Your goal is to light up the place so they can’t get to you.

Or if you’re the aliens, you must kill all the scientists before they can escape!

One of the things that we as humans can’t wait to do is go to a new star system and attempt to colonize it. In  Falling Frontier , that’s exactly what you get to do! The catch is that there are rival factions from a previous Earth war that are also in the system, and they don’t want to play nice with you.

As a result, you’ll need to look over the system, build up your fleet and structures, and attempt to do all you can to beat off any attacks by these rivals.

What will the system look like when you’re done with it? Jump in and find out.

How many of you have wanted to drive a big rig? Okay, now, how many of you would be up for driving that big rig…IN SPACE?!?!?!?

Star Trucker  will give you that opportunity and then some. The game is all about you making life a “space trucker” and trying to make deliveries while also upgrading your truck. You’ll pimp your ride with rocket engines and all sorts of future tech to get the job done.

The better you do, the more you’ll get to interact with the galaxy, which includes an interesting cast of characters. So put on your space trucker hat and get going!

When your world is literally falling apart around you, and it’s your fault, how far will you go to fix it? Or will you attempt to do it all alone to get out alive?

In  Judas,  you’ll play someone onboard a rapidly breaking starship. A plan is in place to get out alive, but you’ll need to work with others who are your enemies to get it done. So, what path will you choose? Will you work with them and hope you can get out safely?

Or will you betray them and ensure your survival above all else? The choice is yours.

Twenty years may be a long time to wait for a sequel, but sometimes, you need to wait so that you get what you want and deserve. In the case of  Outcast: A New Beginning , you’ll return to the world of the genre-defining game and once again take the reins as Cutter Slade.

After being resurrected, he finds that robots, stripped of their resources, have invaded the world he fought so hard for, and its people are in peril!

You must guide him through a new adventure as he tries to understand what happened to his world and how he can fix what has been broken.

Perhaps all you want to do in these games is go into space and blow up anything that isn’t human. If so, get  Helldivers 2 ! The game is a 3rd-person co-op title where you and three squad mates will be thrown into the fire of overwhelmed planets where aliens are everywhere!

The good news is that you’ll be outfitted with plenty of weapons to take on these threats and lay waste to them with extreme prejudice. You can outfit your soldier to wield weapons that fit your playstyle. Plus, the better you do, the more you’ll get access to!

So what are you waiting for? Your people need you!

You all know the never-ending conflict of this universe, and  Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2  will throw you right back into it and dare you to survive it.

In the game, you’ll once again become a Space Marine, the best and most powerful warrior of the Imperium. The galaxy is in chaos as Tyranid forces are working their way from planet to planet and bringing them down with frightening force.

You stand alone against this terrible force, but you have the power to beat them back and showcase how humanity will not fall! So wield your weapons, and do what is right for you, the human race, and the Emperor!

When it comes to taking things to far-off or fantastical worlds, Obsidian Entertainment is easily one of the best in the business. That goes double when the game they’re making is an RPG.

The Outer Worlds 2  is their second entry in their spacefaring saga, and while there isn’t too much known about it, you can bet that there will be plenty to do and many choices to make. We do know that the game will take place in a different star system than before, which means all sorts of new things to interact with.

Plus, you’ll likely be able to build your protagonist however you want! So be who you want to be, then go have fun!

There will be much to enjoy in  Homeworld 3  when it comes out. Plus, just like before, the scale and scope of the title will be far beyond what many other games on this list will give you.

Story-wise, the title will follow up on the events of the previous game. The universe has been enjoying the hyperspace gates that have allowed travel far and wide. But when they start to fail, you must act quickly to save everything!

Beyond that, the game will once again give you command of vast fleets of ships with the ability to command them how you please or craft whatever style of vessel you want to fight with.

Yep, we’re back in the galaxy far, far away, but this time, we KNOW that the game is coming out in 2024. So there’s that to be happy about.

Star Wars: Outlaws  will be set in the time of the original movie trilogy, but with the twist that the game will focus on an “outlaw” named Kay Vess. She’s someone who is part of the seedier part of the galaxy but wants to have a new life. As such, she’ll go to great lengths to get it, even if that means getting on the “bad side” of many dangerous people. Good luck with that, Kay!

When you look at the stars, you have hope for what might await you in the future. But when you look at  Mass Effect 5 , you try to have hope that the mistakes of the past are indeed in the past!

While that may sound incredibly mean, we’re being honest here. Bioware has LONG since fallen off the cliff with its games and its pipelines and quality of titles. They only announced this 5th entry in the RPG series because of the backlash to the 4th entry and how bad it was overall.

So, can we have hope for a game when the company that made it isn’t what it was before? Well, until they reveal they can’t be trusted anymore, why not?

About Todd Black