Some space games were released years ago and are still standing amongst the best, some are relatively new, and others are still plodding along in development.
In this article, we’ve looked at the current top best space games available for you to play today. If you’re into space exploration, these are the kind of games that are going to take your interest.
EVE Online
EVE Online has been dominating the space game genre for years. It’s still the best space MMO game available and is easily one of the best MMOs ever.
EVE Online is more about interacting with others than it is about space exploration. The game has a central focus on player-created conflict and economy.
In terms of gameplay, EVE Online is more about clicking through menus and micromanaging different things.
If you’re after fast action, EVE won’t be for you. If you’re interested in making your way up the ranks in a faction or fighting it out alone to grow your wealth, you may be interested.
Some of the most interesting elements of EVE happen when members of opposing factions have a conflict. Sometimes, fights between factions can go on for hours. One such fight took 21 hours of real life time to resolve – so many players from each faction were getting involved to help the cause.
Star Citizen
Hopefully, Star Citizen will be the best space exploration game of all time. Currently, though, the game is still very early in development and the developers working on it have a lot of work to do before it’s in line with their initial visions of the game.
Being in early development devs are looking to help fund the game. However they are going massive with the funding options that players have.
Star Citizen is designed to be a player-central MMO game, too. However, this one has a focus on action and players are given complete control to pilot their ship through space and to different planets.
Players can also land their spaceship on planets and then use land vehicles or go out on foot to explore.
A lot of Star Citizen will be about completing trade missions and carrying out tasks to earn income, but during your tasks, there’s a chance you could come across other players in open space and at that point, it’s fair game to open fire.
Kerbal Space Program
Kerbal Space Program is one of the best games ever. At heart, it’s a space flight simulation game that requires you to build a spaceship that can be launched into space without any failures.
Building a spaceship that works takes creativity, engineering, and a general knowledge of physics. Kerbal Space Program has a close-to-life physics system that tries to mimic the physics that apply to orbital mechanics in real life.
Many NASA scientists have praised Kerbal Space Program for its accurate representation and playing it can be a great way to learn more about space whilst having fun.
FTL: Faster Than Light
Faster than Light is a Roguelike space sim game that’s all about finding your own way through a variety of complex situations.
All of the gameplay in Faster Than Light takes part within the spaceship itself. Players are tasked with making their way to different waypoints on their way to Federation headquarters.
Along the way, a number of random events can be triggered as you travel. These events could include anything from stores that offer new items to pirates that try to rob you of your belongings.
Because of the random nature of the game, players must constantly be thinking on their feet, prioritizing different things and making careful decisions.
As players work their way through the game, components in their ship will slowly get damaged. If it’s not repaired, it will eventually lead to the destruction of the ship and the end of the game.
Space Engineers
Space Engineers is an open universe spaceship crafting sandbox game. There aren’t any specific goals in Space Engineers. You’re instead gifted the tools to be able to mine resources and build up your own space ships.
Ships can have various components that can affect their performance in space and their ability to land on nearby planets. At the surface of it, Space Engineers could perhaps be described as Minecraft in space.
However, as you get deeper into the game mechanics, you’ll realize there is a lot more there. There are hundreds of components available for you to use in ship building and players can also use programmable blocks to customize how each of these components react with each other.
Elite: Dangerous
Elite: Dangerous is another massively multiplayer space game that gives you the opportunity to take control of your own spaceship.
There are two key aspects to Elite: Dangerous that will explain how you’ll be spending most of your time in this game. The first is using trade routes to earn resources that can be spent on different upgrades. The second is taking part in dogfights, either against AI or against other players.
Elite: Dangerous still has a long way to go before it’s as expansive and content-filled as most of the other options on this list.
Elite: Dangerous also has a bit of an issue with grinding the same content over and over. Because the game is so expansive and large, once you’ve taken the bounty from one AI, there’s always another bounty to take. Once you’ve traded with one system, there’s always another to trade with.
The game ends up being a grind to do the same activities over and over to slowly grow your resources. It’s fun for the first 10-20 hours but after that, it’d be nice if there was a bit more content.
With that being said, the game still holds out as a great space exploration experience. Elite: Dangerous also has VR support, so if you have an HTC Vive or an Oculus Rift, you can take things to the next level.
Summary – Space games
Do any of these space games take your interest? Hopefully, at least one of the games on this list will be enjoyable for you.
If you want even more space games and gaming action check out this list of Space games that you can make contact with aliens in.