Summary

Space games offer freedom and autonomy for players to shape their narrative and progress through the ranks.

X4: Foundations provides a sophisticated galactic experience with ship customization and fleet management.

Star Citizen transcends the traditional video game, offering an expansive universe and realism in ship control.

When it comes to exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy, there is nothing better than flying around in a spaceship customized to the players’ every last wish and controlled entirely by them as the captain. Drifting through galaxies and landing on alien worlds, the exploration that some space games offer is truly breathtaking, and they continue to break the mold on what is considered possible in a single open-world title.

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The freedom that comes with no barriers and a virtually endless environment to discover is incredibly fun. It is made all the better when the game gives the player as much autonomy as possible in shaping their narrative, interacting with the world, and progressing through the ranks, becoming stronger with every single landing on a new planet. These open-world games thrive on that idea, giving players command of their own spaceship and a galaxy’s worth of content to explore at their own pace.
7

X4: Foundations

Fleet Management On Another Level

A true space economy simulator, X4: Foundations is a sophisticated galactic experience that puts the player at the heart of a dynamic universe shaped by every one of their actions. Starting out with a small, simple ship and quickly growing to control an entire empire, players can alter and customize almost every aspect of their ship, from combat styles to mining equipment. Automation plays a big role in governing how players progress, as many simplistic functions can be completed through advanced ship protocols, leaving them to fly around the galaxy in search of their next fight. There is a lot of depth to the strategy, and when piloting a craft among many in a fleet, the player really feels like they are the leader of a ruthless force ready for anything.
6

EVE Online

A Player-Driven MMO That Brings Its Own Universe To Life

EVE Online has been around for decades; throughout that time, it has remained one of the best space MMOs on the market. Players don’t just fly around in spaceships searching for loot; they command one small entity in a vast, dynamic world that revolves around a player-driven economy and political rivalries that span entire galaxies.

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Players need to organize their fleets and coordinate hundreds of pilots at once to succeed in the large-scale engagements that can happen anywhere in the universe. The world places few restrictions on the player, allowing them to fully live out the fantasy of being a spaceship captain, leading the charge in a populated sandbox with seemingly no end.
5

Empyrion – Galactic Survival

Ship Customization And Procedural Generation Bundled Into One

Empyrion – Galactic Survival delivers a comprehensive space survival experience, with ship construction being a big part of the core gameplay loop. Players must collect raw materials to fabricate increasingly complex and sophisticated vessels that allow for a remarkable level of freedom while still being grounded in their physical constraints. Attention is constantly needed for everything from power consumption to weapon systems, demanding a lot of the player and forcing them to make careful decisions when journeying into uncharted areas. The exploration extends beyond mere space travel, letting players land on any planet they choose to discover the potential treasures and threats that lie in wait.
4

Everspace 2

Gorgeous And Responsive Spaceship Combat

Everspace 2 steps up the game when it comes to commanding a ship in space, offering incredibly diverse and complex progression systems and a visually stunning environment that allows the player to really immerse themselves in the world around them. The loot system is very rewarding and encourages a lot of experimentation, giving players plenty of opportunities to use the tools they acquire along the way to great effect. Managing the ship as a captain involves many systems related to hull integrity, weapons, and more, letting the player customize and demand care for each one. The journey is a compelling narrative campaign that keeps the threads of the story intact while the player ventures out to explore the rest of the galaxy in search of battle and glory.
3

Star Citizen

Ambition Like Nothing You’ve Seen Before

Star Citizen is a truly remarkable game that transcends what a video game can be and delivers one of the most expansive and absurd universes ever conceived. Players experience their role as a captain through fully realized ship environments that let them individually allocate crew members and resources wherever and however they choose.

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Open-world doesn’t even begin to describe the environment, as players can fly for hours and never reach an end, and they will always find something new to explore or fight. Players really have to understand the ins and outs of their ship and how it flies, demanding that they perfect the art of flight in order to successfully outmaneuver and outsmart anything or anyone that stands in their way.
2

Elite Dangerous

As Realistic As Sci-fi Can Get

An authentic spaceship experience involving a scientifically accurate depiction of the Milky Way, Elite Dangerous is a gaming achievement in its own right. It gives players all the tools and mechanisms to take on the leading role in an ever-expanding craft that remains as grounded in reality as possible. Players are encouraged to explore all facets of what the game has on offer, including using different ships for different professions and specializing their vessels for specific tasks to best utilize the strengths that each type provides. It’s a uniquely immersive experience that feels incredibly rewarding and realistic despite being set in the far, far future.
1

No Man’s Sky

Endless Exploration That Never Fails To Deliver

After many years and countless updates from its rocky start, No Man’s Sky now stands as the flagship space exploration game that puts an entire universe into the player’s hands. Players are given the opportunity to tailor their craft to their specific desires, from speed to combat, and are sent off into the unknown with nothing but the will to survive guiding them. There are multiple routes to every step of the game’s progression, and the ships become a reminder of how far the player has come across the galaxy and from where they began. If exploring the endless universe isn’t enticing, there are so many interesting worlds to uncover, some with simplistic minerals to harvest and call home, and others posing threats in the form of freak weather storms, uninhabitable atmospheres, and alien entities that are never happy about someone crash-landing on their planet.

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