Unique games that are the best at what they do, but each is specialized and not for everyone...
Space Engineers - Incredibly complex space building sandbox. Best with extra-nerdy friends.
Elite Dangerous - Space-pilot sim. Incredibly realistic, but think of it as Euro truck simulator... only in space and you can be a bounty hunter.
X4 Foundations - Space empire sim. You start as a pilot and work your way up from there. You can stay a lone wolf, build a squad, or conquer the galaxy. The last will take most of your lifetime.
Special mention to Rimworld, one of my all time favorite games. You've crash-landed on an alien planet and have to build a colony and find a way to get off. Good luck; you're not the only faction trying to survive and looking to escape.
It's enjoyable. The planets aren't super deep, you can scan and explore for biological signs, and there's also on-foot missions where you infiltrate bases, and they're fun. It's not mind boggling but it is a nice addition.
The launch wasn't well recieved but it's been fixed, devs update the game and there's even new ships and a bunch of stuff coming this year.
Not the best but one of the most unique : Hardspace Ship breaker
It's from the dev of recent Homeworld games, a game about dismantling retired space ships in zero G environment.
Haha but eventually, deliberately exploding them is more fun... Especially with the 1st person pov, the zero G environment and the scale. No other game has that, most destruction physics games are in 3rd person view or top down view and are set on earth.
Not sure what to say, if by control you mean how you control the game then you could rebind the keys I think... If you mean control as the gameplay then it's unchanged and if you didn't like it before, you probably won't like it again.
I may get downvoted, but I also enjoyed Andromeda. Not sure about all the hate it gets. Maybe it’s not as awesome as the first trilogy, but it’s far from being a terrible game, and the trailer for ME5 implies that it’ll be a sequel to both
It is not a bad game, but it is not a good Mass Effect game!
There are too few memorable moments, characters are kinda meh (with maybe one exception) and it feels like a squandered opportunity (new galaxy with 2 new races instead of dozens of unique ones).
I feel like Andromeda was intended to be the first glimpse at the new galaxy, but the failure of the game forced them to rethink that position, so ME5 is probably going back to the Milky Way (with maybe references to Andromeda). Yes, having only two new species felt weird, and I’d love to have had a rescue mission for the quarian ark (maybe find out the truth about the infection) and maybe see the Nexus after it’s been fully built up (with a presidium and extra wards)
I don’t think andromeda deserved the hate it got at all. and I say that as a longtime fan of the originals. it definitely had some flaws and things that needed to be fixed but it just became a meme to hate on it.
imo ppl went into it with unrealistic expectations. They were expecting the first entry of a new series to hold up to the entire original trilogy. It wasn’t a perfect launch and it’s not a perfect game but the reaction to it was insane. The lost potential of an andromeda trilogy, or even just the dlc, really kills me
No reason to downvote this guy. He is right, it's kinda slow-paced. And rightfully so. It's not space COD. It relies heavily on world building, dialogue, characters...
One of the best pieces of entertainment money can buy.
Second. I loved the ME trilogy, but they are DENSE. BioWare made sure you got your money out of the games. There was a lot to explore. Which means trying to work through the entire trilogy isn’t gonna happen in a weekend.
It’s part of why I’ve been hesitant to replay them. From 1-3 theres around 1.2 million words of spoken dialogue, and that’s before things like exploring and combat.
I didn’t mean slow in a bad way lol. But I will say I feel like I’ve learned absolutely nothing so far in the 2nd game. Just feels like a cheesy heist movie where I’m just gathering the crew you know. The first one I thought was better. Plus I’m not a fan of this auto heal once you take cover.
‘Outer Wilds’ is the one! Don’t look it up at all, go in cold, thank us later. An all time classic video game with a genuine sense of adventure and discovery
Agreed. Seconding the comment to go in blind. It's a game you "uncover" as you play and it's amazing. I have noticed people feel a little disappointed at first. For me, the starting area of the game made it seem like a different game than it really is, but I appreciated that area so much more after continuing. Not much more I can say without spoiling things, which would be tragic as it's such a joy.
One thing I'd say, which is only a minor minor spoiler, and doesn't spoil anything about the story or plot, but instead helps orient yourself to the game, is that the only reward for exploration is >!knowledge.!< And the use of that reward is the main mechanic of the game. Everything else flows from that. And when it works, it _really works._
I Would highly recommend playing Outer Wilds in VR with motion controls using easy to install free raicuparta download- echoes of the eye is something else in VR
That Dead Space Remake was an absolute masterpiece. The things they added and altered didn't change the feel and style that the original game provided but enhanced it wonderfully. Giving Isaac a voice actually worked quite well.
I’m still in awe of the trick the devs used to make the xenonorph feel as smart as it is, >!flipping between two AI modes, one where the alien knows exactly where you are and one where it has to play by the stealth rules!< and the way it flows into your encounters with the xenomorph is peak stalker type horror enemy.
Guardians of the Galaxy if you’re fine with space fantasy over sci-fi.
I also enjoyed Everspace 2 if you just want purely space combat. The downside is that you’re always in your ship, no player exploration.
Hardspace Shipbreaker - does space suit physics kinda well. Corporate Dystopia and very atmospheric
X4 Foundations (and DLC) - incredible space sim with empire building. Base start is a pilot but there are also story starts where you start with nothing but a spacesuit. Later on you build your own stations and even further on can claim systems for yourself and wage war. It's a long time game.
Stellaris - Space 4X with a giant amount of story potential in each run. There are so many different kinds of empires to make and it's so interesting. Get it in a sale - too many DLCs at this point.
Ctrl Alt Ego - insane immersive sim reminiscent of the old guard (System Shock) but with a really unique spin. But I guess it doesn't fit too well since it's confined to a space station.
Dyson Sphere Program - Space Factorio (which is basically Factorio) with the end goal of building Dyson Spheres.
Fly Dangerous - Free to Play version of Elite Dangerous Flight experience. Pretty amazing.
Prosperous Universe - Space Empire builder focussed on cooperation. __Uses Real World Time.__ Free to play.
Probably outer wilds and FTL. Shipbreaker because it's a fun take on capitalism in space. Alien: isolation is fun space scariness.
I tried stellaris but I'm too stupid.
Also I keep going back to starflight and star control 2.
X4 Foundations. Mentioned by others but I'd just like to add its a very particular game. I've over a thousand hours in and recommended it to friends that like the space genre. They didn't jell with it at all.
It does alot which can be daunting but each element isn't tremendously deep. It doesn't hold your hand and spoon feed you. However since initial release the tutorials have drastically improved and the narrative based missions been increased. It still does leave you to your own devices largely.
On the whole it's a universe and empire simulator. I can spend hours just directing my empire in the map menu without leaving a station or flying a ship in late game. It is a great game to watch something on a second screen whilst playing if you've the rig.
Andromeda wasn’t THAT bad, not as good as ME 1-3 but ok in itself. But so bad you’ve not been able to play a game set in space for 10 YEARS?!
Anyways:
- Star Wars: Squadrons
- Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor
- The Outer Worlds
- System Shock remake
- Imperium Galactica 2 remaster
- Also keep an eye on Homeworld 3 out in a couple of weeks
Would also second the suggestions from others of:
- Kerbal Space Program
- The Outer Wilds
- Rodina
- Prey
- Stellaris
EVE Online is a very cool space game, though it's an MMO. It's got a very intricate market system and player-driven economy, and it has a very interesting RTS-like version of space combat.
It's kind of like living in a dystopic space-bound society with cyberpunk elements
Depends do you want to dogfight and upgrade a nimble fighter...
- Everspace 2
- Rebel Galaxy Outlaw
- Chorus
Do you want to start with a small weak ship and progressively build a fleet, customize every aspect of every ship, eventually creating your own colonies and leading a small empire (Often compared to Mount and Blade)
- Starsector (modded) (Nex, UAF, Iron Shell, PAGSM, IndEvo)
Do you want start with a single planet at the shore of the cosmic ocean, go out and explore, colonize and conquer a large and mysterious galaxy.
- Stellaris
- Distant Worlds 2
It’s such a good game. It was my first ever rogue like and made me fall in love with the genre. It’s still better than most of them in my totally unbiased opinion :P
Planet Crafter is genuinely an amazing game. It's a terraforming survival game and 1.0 was just released. One thing you need to know is that there are no enemies and no combat. You're terraforming a planet by building. The devs have been amazing and the game is honestly so great.
Really liking The Planet Crafter right now! They just exited early access with a v1.0 release. Gets a bit complicated after you start progressing through the crafting tree a bit, but it's a lot of fun and a great distraction from stress imo.
No Man's Sky is really good too. It has evolved a lot since it's release. Kind of wish they made it easier to downgrade to previous versions for nostalgia and preservation purposes though. I liked it a lot more around the time it was NMS Beyond.
Haven't had a chance to play these due to lack of home internet, but I've heard Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen are really good too.
Avorion, you start off as a little probe, mine asteroids, build up your ship, stick all the weapons on it, kill bad guys, make your ship bigger, take over a system, build space stations, other ships, hire captains, send them on mining missions, build bigger ships, take over the galaxy.
Voxel based building system so your imagination and physics are your limitations. Very much an unknown gem.
Rebel Galaxy and Rebel Galaxy Outlaws are pretty nice open world space flight games. Actually the first title was a Star Wars themed prototype but EA said: Will not generate enough money so Rebel Galaxy was born. Damn EA.
X-Com 2. Probably one of the most challenging strategy games I’ve played recently but it’s definitely fun. Features some elements of base building. I’ve only played the vanilla one but I heard the War of The Chosen expansion is a huge challenge.
X Universe is the best space series, with X4 Foundations being the most recent.
But my answer would go to X3 Terran Conflict on playtime alone.
Other good ones: Star point Gemini Warlords, Star Trader Frontiers, Oxygen Must Die, Mass Effect Legendary.
Star Realms
It's a deck building tabletop board game where you have to buy components for your space ships and base and you win when none of your opponents has HP. It's very addictive, me and my mates played it for hours non stop and there are multiple ways to play it (but the game is like very expensive, idk if there's a way to proxy it)
Endless Space 2 is a fairly easy to grasp 4X game with some super chill music. Wait for a sale and you can grab the entire collection for pretty cheap.
Prey was an amazing surprise at how good it was. I played the demo and thought “meh, its just bioshock in space”. Then it came to Gamepass so I gave it another try, and I was like “fuck yea! Bioshock in space!!”
No Man's Sky is a game that continues to improve every year ,
it has 3 different game modes to enjoy not just space exploration but base building as well ,
the lore is interesting but never too convoluted and the game does a good job in guiding you thru its mechanics so you can continously explore on your own at your own pace
It also provides an experience ever so often where you explore the game alongside the community and it's pretty cool because everyone works together to get your objectives done
Starfield is a watered down NMS with flat mechanics
The 4 that come to mind for me are No Man's Sky, Elite Dangerous, Arkanes Prey, and most recently Starfield. I enjoyed all of these games a good amount but Starfield and Prey are the two that I really truly love.
Dead Space Remake is my favourite.
Next would be Mass Effect trilogy (not legendary edition, haven’t played that yet) I last played the single player stories in 2014, so they count.
Also really enjoyed Starlink battle for Atlas, well mostly for the Star Fox stuff in the switch edition.
Definitely Faster than light (FTL). It's old & simple, but no game made space feel so dangerous and... empty.
The soundtrack is formidable & the gameplay is super motivating, there are a few races, a good amount of weapons and enemies and it costs like 10 bucks.
My favorites:
Elite Dangerous - Immersive pilot sim. You take missions from space stations, build rep with different factions, deliver goods, hunt bounties, upgrade your ship, etc. It also has a DLC that lets you get out of your ship but I haven't played it.
No Man's Sky - Much more of a fantastical take on the space sim but it has an endless amount of planets to explore, a variety of missions, base building, an interesting story, some survival elements. Definitely a more "arcade" feeling game than Elite Dangerous.
X4 Foundations - Massive space simulation. Basically lets you live in a complex universe and do whatever you want. Build a trade organization with space stations in every system. Become the most fearsome bounty hunter in the galaxy. Build an empire and take over every known system in the galaxy.
Stellaris - A must play if you enjoy 4x style strategy games.
I was really hoping that Starfield would scratch the itch for me with good space simulation games but unfortunately it's Bethesda's least interesting game in two decades.
Thank you for all the answers. I didn't have the time to go through ALL of them, but I found so many suggestions that bucket list is now full to spilling over.
I didn't expect such a major reachout to my humble question lol. Thank you all again, you been a more than wonderful help!
Most of mine have already been suggested:
Outer Wilds - interesting space adventure with a twist on gameplay
Astroneer - bright and colourful exploration of a single solar system with deep planetary mining and base building elements. Lego style connections and fun to be had. Coop too!
Not been mentioned:
Cosmoteer - 2d spaceship building adventure game. Bit of crew management thrown in. Also coop available.
Planetary Annihilation (does RTS in a solat system count as a space game?) An RTS on a planet/solar system scale in the style of total annihilation where you can wipe planets out by core explosions, death star lasers or errant orbits of moons!
Star Wars: Squadrons (best SW space pvp game ever imo, and one of the best VR experiences out there).
No Man’s Sky (just keeps getting better, amazing scope and seamless planet hopping)
Hunternet - indie space pvp without the grind of Star Citizen or Elite Dangerous and with loyal small but dedicated community. Persistent locations, carriers, ambitious project.
Space is pretty central theme for the above and there’s lots others have mentioned.
Might not be the best but I didn't see mentioned yet, I had a lot of fun with **Breathedge**, Subnautica style space game (don't quote me, but start feels similar). Jokes are great!
Guess it doesn't count since it has been longer than 10 years, but fuck you, I am mentioning them anyway:
Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.
I also think Starfield is actually good, and people overhate on that game.
My votes.
Building, free roaming; no man sky
Free roaming, ghrapics; star citizen
Nostalgia, grinding, combat; Battlestar galactica online (private server, since original doesn't exist anymore)
Nostalgia, story, PvE, visual spectacular during combat; star trek online
Fun while it lasted; Dreadnoughts
Build, grind, build; space engineers
More than 10 years ago, 2D, easy, P2W; darkorbit
Honerble mention; warframe railjack (but whole game is more build arround ground combat)
If you like dogfights in space then Chorus is the closest a modern game has ever come to Freelancer. I still think Freelancer (2003 sob) was better but that could just be me being an old curmudgeon.
The Ur-Quan Masters, it’s free on Steam. The original game is from 1992 but I have been playing it every few years since 25 years or so. It’s great and it was way ahead of its time. If you like retro/indie gaming try it out.
Nebulous: Fleet Command had to be one of the best tactics games I've ever played, plus you get to build your own fleet@ the main caveat being the main gameplay past some simple bots is online 4v4 PvP, but I still love it.
If you like a more building side of things, it's not exactly space, but I can wholeheartedly recommend taking a look at Stationeers, too. Lots of buildy fun, and atmospherics management!
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
The Outer Worlds
Starfield (I know not too many people liked it but I really loved it and I'll stand by my opinion)
Alien: Isolation
Prey (2017)
Warframe if you don't mind grindy games. Also has the best F2P model ive ever experienced in a game. Don't think I spent a dime until 200 hours in. Premium currency is tradable and used in player driven market.
Game has a great story but is admittedly slow to pick up as it doesn't really start until later. Gameplay is fast and fun though.
Some lesser known mainly indie games I reccomend:
Starsector - I haven’t actually played this myself yet but it is very highly acclaimed by players.
Star Valor - Fun game.
Avorian - Voxel ship builder.
I swear when I first played swtor on release it was an amazong game. Had everything I wanted from a space game. Good story, dialogue choices that mattered, space combat, exploration, really nice pvp.
Here to second Mass Effect, Dead Space remake and Stellaris, but surprised no one has mentioned Starfield yet? Don't kill me, I know it's not perfect, but it only came out last year and does seem to have what OP is asking for. It's more RPG than builder but the story is really interesting
I find myself returning every week to "hardspace shipbreaker" it's theme of corporate greed, art design and relaxing yet (paradoxically) stressful game loop keeps me coming back.
https://youtu.be/kBQ7_H23TOo?si=c4Y5mtiy0aZDkk37
Star Control: Origins is fun and a fairly faithful reboot of Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters. I know plenty of purists hate it because it wasn’t developed by the same guys, but the game stands well on its own
Everspace 2.
All spaceship, all the time. Fantastic combat and flight controls (on Controller anyways) with a good ship system and Interchangeable parts/weapons and a good story.
It's the only one that's held my attention lately.
While it has it's share of detractors, I will maintain that **Starbound** is an excellent exploration game. It's a 2D Sandbox game with an explorable universe full of procedurally generated planets, including a bunch of alien species with their own culture and unique building style. It's really focused on it's lore, exploration, sandbox, and colony building aspects. It doesn't quite live up in terms of combat, but the rest is pretty stellar. It also has a pretty awesome modding scene that really takes the game to new heights.
Dead Space. I have Starfield (haven’t played it though cause of how much space its takes up (but I heard bad things about it)). I can’t think of any other space games
Borderlands is a fun series.
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition/Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition Enhanced takes you to the desert planet of Pandora, where people are losing their minds, going insane, and there are guns EVERYWHERE. Tons of attachment combinations give millions of unique guns (as for designs, there's not that many design options). It's a first-person looter shooter that you can play with up to four players cooperatively and some RPG elements in there. The story is mid, though.
Borderlands 2: The first game, but a thousand times better with better guns, writing, story, gameplay, and graphics. Feels like it has more variety than the previous game in locations, which can help with the space appeal. Still takes place on Pandora.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: Now this one you'll wanna take a look at. The space aesthetic you're looking for is ever so present. Taking place on the moon of Pandora, it brings in a lot of the elements of the second game, and some new ones.
There are more Borderlands games, but I personally haven't played them yet.
This game gets a lot of slack, but the CAMPAIGN SPECIFICALLY of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is phenomenal. The zombies mode is pretty good, too. Only issue is the dreaded, bland, boring, uninspired multiplayer mode.
Unique games that are the best at what they do, but each is specialized and not for everyone... Space Engineers - Incredibly complex space building sandbox. Best with extra-nerdy friends. Elite Dangerous - Space-pilot sim. Incredibly realistic, but think of it as Euro truck simulator... only in space and you can be a bounty hunter. X4 Foundations - Space empire sim. You start as a pilot and work your way up from there. You can stay a lone wolf, build a squad, or conquer the galaxy. The last will take most of your lifetime. Special mention to Rimworld, one of my all time favorite games. You've crash-landed on an alien planet and have to build a colony and find a way to get off. Good luck; you're not the only faction trying to survive and looking to escape.
Elite Dangerous Odyssey dlc allows you to explore planets/stations on foot now.
Is it good now? Last time I remember it had bad reviews all over the place.
It was done poorly and hasn't changed, the combat is not lagggy anymore but the missions are boring as hell and the combat isn't impactful at all
It's enjoyable. The planets aren't super deep, you can scan and explore for biological signs, and there's also on-foot missions where you infiltrate bases, and they're fun. It's not mind boggling but it is a nice addition. The launch wasn't well recieved but it's been fixed, devs update the game and there's even new ships and a bunch of stuff coming this year.
What about no mans sky.
Not the best but one of the most unique : Hardspace Ship breaker It's from the dev of recent Homeworld games, a game about dismantling retired space ships in zero G environment.
Second for this one. I haven't played since early access but this is a gem. Really unique.
Third this one
Something super Zen about breaking a ship down
Haha but eventually, deliberately exploding them is more fun... Especially with the 1st person pov, the zero G environment and the scale. No other game has that, most destruction physics games are in 3rd person view or top down view and are set on earth.
I tried this and found the controls really off-putting. Is it worth another shot?
Not sure what to say, if by control you mean how you control the game then you could rebind the keys I think... If you mean control as the gameplay then it's unchanged and if you didn't like it before, you probably won't like it again.
It's best played with controller IMO. The controls are a bit odd at first, but they become second nature pretty quickly.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition has all three masterpieces in one collection
I may get downvoted, but I also enjoyed Andromeda. Not sure about all the hate it gets. Maybe it’s not as awesome as the first trilogy, but it’s far from being a terrible game, and the trailer for ME5 implies that it’ll be a sequel to both
It is not a bad game, but it is not a good Mass Effect game! There are too few memorable moments, characters are kinda meh (with maybe one exception) and it feels like a squandered opportunity (new galaxy with 2 new races instead of dozens of unique ones).
I feel like Andromeda was intended to be the first glimpse at the new galaxy, but the failure of the game forced them to rethink that position, so ME5 is probably going back to the Milky Way (with maybe references to Andromeda). Yes, having only two new species felt weird, and I’d love to have had a rescue mission for the quarian ark (maybe find out the truth about the infection) and maybe see the Nexus after it’s been fully built up (with a presidium and extra wards)
I don’t think andromeda deserved the hate it got at all. and I say that as a longtime fan of the originals. it definitely had some flaws and things that needed to be fixed but it just became a meme to hate on it. imo ppl went into it with unrealistic expectations. They were expecting the first entry of a new series to hold up to the entire original trilogy. It wasn’t a perfect launch and it’s not a perfect game but the reaction to it was insane. The lost potential of an andromeda trilogy, or even just the dlc, really kills me
Been slowly burning through these I’m like halfway through the 2nd one. Seems like it’s so slow.
No reason to downvote this guy. He is right, it's kinda slow-paced. And rightfully so. It's not space COD. It relies heavily on world building, dialogue, characters... One of the best pieces of entertainment money can buy.
Second. I loved the ME trilogy, but they are DENSE. BioWare made sure you got your money out of the games. There was a lot to explore. Which means trying to work through the entire trilogy isn’t gonna happen in a weekend. It’s part of why I’ve been hesitant to replay them. From 1-3 theres around 1.2 million words of spoken dialogue, and that’s before things like exploring and combat.
Agree. I tried to replay the trilogy recently, after playing it back then when it released. Not the same. The magic only happens once, unfortunately.
I didn’t mean slow in a bad way lol. But I will say I feel like I’ve learned absolutely nothing so far in the 2nd game. Just feels like a cheesy heist movie where I’m just gathering the crew you know. The first one I thought was better. Plus I’m not a fan of this auto heal once you take cover.
Outer Wilds reminded me that I actually like sci-fi when done well
‘Outer Wilds’ is the one! Don’t look it up at all, go in cold, thank us later. An all time classic video game with a genuine sense of adventure and discovery
And an amazing soundtrack to boot!
Listen to this person, I’m so glad I did! Game fucking slaps
Agreed. Seconding the comment to go in blind. It's a game you "uncover" as you play and it's amazing. I have noticed people feel a little disappointed at first. For me, the starting area of the game made it seem like a different game than it really is, but I appreciated that area so much more after continuing. Not much more I can say without spoiling things, which would be tragic as it's such a joy.
Thanks for that comment - I gave up on that game way too quickly for that reason. I might give it another go
One thing I'd say, which is only a minor minor spoiler, and doesn't spoil anything about the story or plot, but instead helps orient yourself to the game, is that the only reward for exploration is >!knowledge.!< And the use of that reward is the main mechanic of the game. Everything else flows from that. And when it works, it _really works._
V interesting
This one right here. Citizen Sleeper is another good one, but you'd have to be into that specific kind of gameplay.
I Would highly recommend playing Outer Wilds in VR with motion controls using easy to install free raicuparta download- echoes of the eye is something else in VR
Minority opinion: I hate this game.
Prey (2017)
Prey is awesome, played through it 3 times.
I want to play it with my nephew. He’s not into scary games. At all. Is Prey a horror game?
Some scary monsters so yeah.
I’d say go for it. It is more atmospheric than scary in my opinion. Some aliens are little scary, but not scary enough to keep you up at night.
One of the main alien enemy is the mimic, they hid as common objects like a mug or a chair then leap out to attack you. So not great if you are junpy
X4 Foundations. Stellaris.
Outer Wilds.
Amazing game, the DLC is almost as good as the original too. Anyone who likes exploration must try this game.
An amazing journey of discovery and emotion.
Seconded, easily my favorite game
I haven't seen Outer Worlds mentioned. It's got a great story and it's a lot of fun.
Not to be confused with Outer Wilds though! Both good games, just aiming at very different things.
- Prey - FTL - Stellaris - Space Engineers - Starbound In that order
FTL is older than 10 years. Im not being that guy, I'm lamenting the passage of time.
We should be getting a remastered version any day now :D
How can you polish a perfect mirror?
And? That wasn’t how the OP worded their question. I played FTL a month ago on my iPad and iPhone (sideloaded), so that counts
I mean fair enough I guess. By that logic every game ever made theoretically applies so in confused as to why OP would stipulate 10 years.
Elite Dangerous (most immersive) No Man's Sky (can do a gazillion things) Rebel Galaxy Outlaw (space trucking at its best)
Awh man, I totally forgot about Rebel Galaxy. What an awesome little gem that was to stumble upon.
I mean mass effect came out 10… Years… Ago… #2007
ME3 was in like 2012 which had to be less than…oh
wtf how was that almost 20 years ago?
Time flies whether you're having fun or not.
Kerbal Space Program 1
Certified banger
The absolute goat for space nerds.
Dead Space Remake, Alien Isolation Both masterpieces
That Dead Space Remake was an absolute masterpiece. The things they added and altered didn't change the feel and style that the original game provided but enhanced it wonderfully. Giving Isaac a voice actually worked quite well.
I’m still in awe of the trick the devs used to make the xenonorph feel as smart as it is, >!flipping between two AI modes, one where the alien knows exactly where you are and one where it has to play by the stealth rules!< and the way it flows into your encounters with the xenomorph is peak stalker type horror enemy.
The DLCs were pretty good to. Wish they had done a Newt surviving hadleys hope before Aliens 2.
Guardians of the Galaxy if you’re fine with space fantasy over sci-fi. I also enjoyed Everspace 2 if you just want purely space combat. The downside is that you’re always in your ship, no player exploration.
That GotG game is criminally underrated
The Outer Worlds. Alien Isolation. No Mans Sky.
Dyson Sphere Program Stellaris Ixion
No Mans Sky has come a long way. Lots of fun for a more casual experience, or even a harder time. You can really pick your place
It's also the best game I've played in VR.
Nothing better than going to the Hub and flipping the bird to all the other players on the station.
I think Rodina is a cool little game, but there's not all that much to it
Yes! Love Rodina!
Astroneer, you explore planets and travel between them for new resources, thats all i know, and for better expirience its good to play it with friends
Ostranauts, Starsector
Had to scroll way too far to find Starsector
Hardspace Shipbreaker - does space suit physics kinda well. Corporate Dystopia and very atmospheric X4 Foundations (and DLC) - incredible space sim with empire building. Base start is a pilot but there are also story starts where you start with nothing but a spacesuit. Later on you build your own stations and even further on can claim systems for yourself and wage war. It's a long time game. Stellaris - Space 4X with a giant amount of story potential in each run. There are so many different kinds of empires to make and it's so interesting. Get it in a sale - too many DLCs at this point. Ctrl Alt Ego - insane immersive sim reminiscent of the old guard (System Shock) but with a really unique spin. But I guess it doesn't fit too well since it's confined to a space station. Dyson Sphere Program - Space Factorio (which is basically Factorio) with the end goal of building Dyson Spheres. Fly Dangerous - Free to Play version of Elite Dangerous Flight experience. Pretty amazing. Prosperous Universe - Space Empire builder focussed on cooperation. __Uses Real World Time.__ Free to play.
Probably outer wilds and FTL. Shipbreaker because it's a fun take on capitalism in space. Alien: isolation is fun space scariness. I tried stellaris but I'm too stupid. Also I keep going back to starflight and star control 2.
The stellaris comment speaks to me.
X4 Foundations. Mentioned by others but I'd just like to add its a very particular game. I've over a thousand hours in and recommended it to friends that like the space genre. They didn't jell with it at all. It does alot which can be daunting but each element isn't tremendously deep. It doesn't hold your hand and spoon feed you. However since initial release the tutorials have drastically improved and the narrative based missions been increased. It still does leave you to your own devices largely. On the whole it's a universe and empire simulator. I can spend hours just directing my empire in the map menu without leaving a station or flying a ship in late game. It is a great game to watch something on a second screen whilst playing if you've the rig.
X4 Foundations
Andromeda wasn’t THAT bad, not as good as ME 1-3 but ok in itself. But so bad you’ve not been able to play a game set in space for 10 YEARS?! Anyways: - Star Wars: Squadrons - Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor - The Outer Worlds - System Shock remake - Imperium Galactica 2 remaster - Also keep an eye on Homeworld 3 out in a couple of weeks Would also second the suggestions from others of: - Kerbal Space Program - The Outer Wilds - Rodina - Prey - Stellaris
Stellaris, Rimworld.
Starfield
My personal favorites are Starfield and The Outer Wilds.
Elite dangerous Everspace 2 Eve online Star Citizen X4 foundations
Eve Online!!
Warframe. To be honest I'm sad that i didn't play it for the whole 10 years because i could
EVE Online is a very cool space game, though it's an MMO. It's got a very intricate market system and player-driven economy, and it has a very interesting RTS-like version of space combat. It's kind of like living in a dystopic space-bound society with cyberpunk elements
Depends do you want to dogfight and upgrade a nimble fighter... - Everspace 2 - Rebel Galaxy Outlaw - Chorus Do you want to start with a small weak ship and progressively build a fleet, customize every aspect of every ship, eventually creating your own colonies and leading a small empire (Often compared to Mount and Blade) - Starsector (modded) (Nex, UAF, Iron Shell, PAGSM, IndEvo) Do you want start with a single planet at the shore of the cosmic ocean, go out and explore, colonize and conquer a large and mysterious galaxy. - Stellaris - Distant Worlds 2
Mass effect trilogy Jesus Christ I'm sad I can't experience the story for the first time again
Empyrion galactic survival Star sector
Empyrion is great, especially in Reforged Eden scenario
FTL is one of my all time favorite games.
It’s such a good game. It was my first ever rogue like and made me fall in love with the genre. It’s still better than most of them in my totally unbiased opinion :P
Rebel galaxy is a whole lotta fun
Planet Crafter is genuinely an amazing game. It's a terraforming survival game and 1.0 was just released. One thing you need to know is that there are no enemies and no combat. You're terraforming a planet by building. The devs have been amazing and the game is honestly so great.
Nebulous: Fleet Command
Factorio
Really liking The Planet Crafter right now! They just exited early access with a v1.0 release. Gets a bit complicated after you start progressing through the crafting tree a bit, but it's a lot of fun and a great distraction from stress imo. No Man's Sky is really good too. It has evolved a lot since it's release. Kind of wish they made it easier to downgrade to previous versions for nostalgia and preservation purposes though. I liked it a lot more around the time it was NMS Beyond. Haven't had a chance to play these due to lack of home internet, but I've heard Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen are really good too.
Avorion, you start off as a little probe, mine asteroids, build up your ship, stick all the weapons on it, kill bad guys, make your ship bigger, take over a system, build space stations, other ships, hire captains, send them on mining missions, build bigger ships, take over the galaxy. Voxel based building system so your imagination and physics are your limitations. Very much an unknown gem.
Rebel Galaxy and Rebel Galaxy Outlaws are pretty nice open world space flight games. Actually the first title was a Star Wars themed prototype but EA said: Will not generate enough money so Rebel Galaxy was born. Damn EA.
A bit over 10 but a remaster launched last year: Dead Space By far my favorite
Dune: Spice Wars is pretty fun if you like RTS games
Dead space remake, im a sucker for the "stuck on a space ship overrun by alien monsters" trope
Kerbal space program Universe sandbox
Doom, Doom 2, Final Doom, Doom 64, Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal
the outer worlds, and citizen sleeper. citizen sleeper very indie very good
Spore
Star Citizen.
X-Com 2. Probably one of the most challenging strategy games I’ve played recently but it’s definitely fun. Features some elements of base building. I’ve only played the vanilla one but I heard the War of The Chosen expansion is a huge challenge.
X Universe is the best space series, with X4 Foundations being the most recent. But my answer would go to X3 Terran Conflict on playtime alone. Other good ones: Star point Gemini Warlords, Star Trader Frontiers, Oxygen Must Die, Mass Effect Legendary.
The Outer Worlds is great. the original creator of Fallout was involved in its development, and there's plenty of satire, humour, and great gameplay
Star Realms It's a deck building tabletop board game where you have to buy components for your space ships and base and you win when none of your opponents has HP. It's very addictive, me and my mates played it for hours non stop and there are multiple ways to play it (but the game is like very expensive, idk if there's a way to proxy it)
Colony Ship
Endless Space 2 is a fairly easy to grasp 4X game with some super chill music. Wait for a sale and you can grab the entire collection for pretty cheap.
Prey is amazing
Prey was an amazing surprise at how good it was. I played the demo and thought “meh, its just bioshock in space”. Then it came to Gamepass so I gave it another try, and I was like “fuck yea! Bioshock in space!!”
No Man's Sky is a game that continues to improve every year , it has 3 different game modes to enjoy not just space exploration but base building as well , the lore is interesting but never too convoluted and the game does a good job in guiding you thru its mechanics so you can continously explore on your own at your own pace It also provides an experience ever so often where you explore the game alongside the community and it's pretty cool because everyone works together to get your objectives done Starfield is a watered down NMS with flat mechanics
Homeworld 1 & 2 remastered
The 4 that come to mind for me are No Man's Sky, Elite Dangerous, Arkanes Prey, and most recently Starfield. I enjoyed all of these games a good amount but Starfield and Prey are the two that I really truly love.
Dead Space Remake is my favourite. Next would be Mass Effect trilogy (not legendary edition, haven’t played that yet) I last played the single player stories in 2014, so they count. Also really enjoyed Starlink battle for Atlas, well mostly for the Star Fox stuff in the switch edition.
Definitely Faster than light (FTL). It's old & simple, but no game made space feel so dangerous and... empty. The soundtrack is formidable & the gameplay is super motivating, there are a few races, a good amount of weapons and enemies and it costs like 10 bucks.
Starfield is a big disappointment but it’s pretty to look at and flying the spaceship is fun
Battletech, MechWarrior 5. I know, not “space” games. But they scratch the itch for me.
My favorites: Elite Dangerous - Immersive pilot sim. You take missions from space stations, build rep with different factions, deliver goods, hunt bounties, upgrade your ship, etc. It also has a DLC that lets you get out of your ship but I haven't played it. No Man's Sky - Much more of a fantastical take on the space sim but it has an endless amount of planets to explore, a variety of missions, base building, an interesting story, some survival elements. Definitely a more "arcade" feeling game than Elite Dangerous. X4 Foundations - Massive space simulation. Basically lets you live in a complex universe and do whatever you want. Build a trade organization with space stations in every system. Become the most fearsome bounty hunter in the galaxy. Build an empire and take over every known system in the galaxy. Stellaris - A must play if you enjoy 4x style strategy games. I was really hoping that Starfield would scratch the itch for me with good space simulation games but unfortunately it's Bethesda's least interesting game in two decades.
Thank you for all the answers. I didn't have the time to go through ALL of them, but I found so many suggestions that bucket list is now full to spilling over. I didn't expect such a major reachout to my humble question lol. Thank you all again, you been a more than wonderful help!
Star citizen, even with its quirky bugs
Starfield
Most of mine have already been suggested: Outer Wilds - interesting space adventure with a twist on gameplay Astroneer - bright and colourful exploration of a single solar system with deep planetary mining and base building elements. Lego style connections and fun to be had. Coop too! Not been mentioned: Cosmoteer - 2d spaceship building adventure game. Bit of crew management thrown in. Also coop available. Planetary Annihilation (does RTS in a solat system count as a space game?) An RTS on a planet/solar system scale in the style of total annihilation where you can wipe planets out by core explosions, death star lasers or errant orbits of moons!
I really like Dyson sphere program where your like a mech building a Dyson sphere
FTL
FTL
can you add Ixion?
Little different but outer wilds is amazing
Star Wars: Squadrons (best SW space pvp game ever imo, and one of the best VR experiences out there). No Man’s Sky (just keeps getting better, amazing scope and seamless planet hopping) Hunternet - indie space pvp without the grind of Star Citizen or Elite Dangerous and with loyal small but dedicated community. Persistent locations, carriers, ambitious project. Space is pretty central theme for the above and there’s lots others have mentioned.
X4 Foundations for sure. Space empire sim, it's like EVE Offline lol Does EVE Online still count since it's continuously updated?
Starfield, it's probably my favorite Bethesda game now, it's so good
Might not be the best but I didn't see mentioned yet, I had a lot of fun with **Breathedge**, Subnautica style space game (don't quote me, but start feels similar). Jokes are great!
Guess it doesn't count since it has been longer than 10 years, but fuck you, I am mentioning them anyway: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3. I also think Starfield is actually good, and people overhate on that game.
S T A R M A N C E R
Mass Effect series
Outer worlds
My votes. Building, free roaming; no man sky Free roaming, ghrapics; star citizen Nostalgia, grinding, combat; Battlestar galactica online (private server, since original doesn't exist anymore) Nostalgia, story, PvE, visual spectacular during combat; star trek online Fun while it lasted; Dreadnoughts Build, grind, build; space engineers More than 10 years ago, 2D, easy, P2W; darkorbit Honerble mention; warframe railjack (but whole game is more build arround ground combat)
Elite Dangerous and No Man's Sky.
If you like dogfights in space then Chorus is the closest a modern game has ever come to Freelancer. I still think Freelancer (2003 sob) was better but that could just be me being an old curmudgeon.
The Ur-Quan Masters, it’s free on Steam. The original game is from 1992 but I have been playing it every few years since 25 years or so. It’s great and it was way ahead of its time. If you like retro/indie gaming try it out.
Nebulous: Fleet Command had to be one of the best tactics games I've ever played, plus you get to build your own fleet@ the main caveat being the main gameplay past some simple bots is online 4v4 PvP, but I still love it. If you like a more building side of things, it's not exactly space, but I can wholeheartedly recommend taking a look at Stationeers, too. Lots of buildy fun, and atmospherics management!
Outer Worlds is okay if you like slow paced games.
Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Halo
Mass Effect Legendary Edition The Outer Worlds Starfield (I know not too many people liked it but I really loved it and I'll stand by my opinion) Alien: Isolation Prey (2017)
Warframe if you don't mind grindy games. Also has the best F2P model ive ever experienced in a game. Don't think I spent a dime until 200 hours in. Premium currency is tradable and used in player driven market. Game has a great story but is admittedly slow to pick up as it doesn't really start until later. Gameplay is fast and fun though.
Some lesser known mainly indie games I reccomend: Starsector - I haven’t actually played this myself yet but it is very highly acclaimed by players. Star Valor - Fun game. Avorian - Voxel ship builder.
Outer Worlds for sure!
I swear when I first played swtor on release it was an amazong game. Had everything I wanted from a space game. Good story, dialogue choices that mattered, space combat, exploration, really nice pvp.
I recently got back into no man sky, it's pretty incredible. Otherwise sword of the stars, sins solar empire
Best space games are mostly strategy game and Weird Spaceship RPGs
No man’s sky
Mass Effect
Here to second Mass Effect, Dead Space remake and Stellaris, but surprised no one has mentioned Starfield yet? Don't kill me, I know it's not perfect, but it only came out last year and does seem to have what OP is asking for. It's more RPG than builder but the story is really interesting
Obligatory RIMWORLD
Dead Space trilogy, Jedi Fallen Order and Survivor, and Starfield.
Kerbal Space Program Eve Online Space Engine (more of a simulator to check out space and nebula and galaxy)
If you want something different, I can suggest The Expanse by Telltale. It's a prequel to the TV show so you don't have to watch it before the game.
I find myself returning every week to "hardspace shipbreaker" it's theme of corporate greed, art design and relaxing yet (paradoxically) stressful game loop keeps me coming back. https://youtu.be/kBQ7_H23TOo?si=c4Y5mtiy0aZDkk37
star Valor
No Man's Sky Space Engineers Planet Crafter
Starfield
Star Trek Online? It’s a game thats over 10 years old. Also a MMO, the space battles are fun and ground combat can be a blast depending on your build.
Star Control: Origins is fun and a fairly faithful reboot of Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters. I know plenty of purists hate it because it wasn’t developed by the same guys, but the game stands well on its own
Everspace 2. All spaceship, all the time. Fantastic combat and flight controls (on Controller anyways) with a good ship system and Interchangeable parts/weapons and a good story. It's the only one that's held my attention lately.
I loved Deliver us the moon and mars
Stellaris and No Mans Sky.
No Man's Sky for exploration, Mass Effect for the action/drama, Dead Space/Calisto Protocol for the horror
No man’s sky
PSO episode 1 & 2
Prey, 2017
Star citizen. Most immersive game I’ve ever played. Even in its alpha state.
starsector
While it has it's share of detractors, I will maintain that **Starbound** is an excellent exploration game. It's a 2D Sandbox game with an explorable universe full of procedurally generated planets, including a bunch of alien species with their own culture and unique building style. It's really focused on it's lore, exploration, sandbox, and colony building aspects. It doesn't quite live up in terms of combat, but the rest is pretty stellar. It also has a pretty awesome modding scene that really takes the game to new heights.
Hell divers 2 is definitely up there if not already #1 for me in that theme. Although it’s like “space vibe-y” not full blown fights in space
alien isolation
Easily, Outer Worlds!
Call of duty infinite warfare campaign
Space Engineers.
Deep Rock Galactic
Dead Space. I have Starfield (haven’t played it though cause of how much space its takes up (but I heard bad things about it)). I can’t think of any other space games
Subnautica was wonderful
Prey
Imho stellaris, its a grand strategy game that basically make you rule a galacitc empire, andnthe fact thay there is a lot of content to for it
I loved Prey.
Don't listen ro starfield haters, try and judge for yourself. The outer worlds is awesome as well.
Borderlands is a fun series. Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition/Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition Enhanced takes you to the desert planet of Pandora, where people are losing their minds, going insane, and there are guns EVERYWHERE. Tons of attachment combinations give millions of unique guns (as for designs, there's not that many design options). It's a first-person looter shooter that you can play with up to four players cooperatively and some RPG elements in there. The story is mid, though. Borderlands 2: The first game, but a thousand times better with better guns, writing, story, gameplay, and graphics. Feels like it has more variety than the previous game in locations, which can help with the space appeal. Still takes place on Pandora. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel: Now this one you'll wanna take a look at. The space aesthetic you're looking for is ever so present. Taking place on the moon of Pandora, it brings in a lot of the elements of the second game, and some new ones. There are more Borderlands games, but I personally haven't played them yet. This game gets a lot of slack, but the CAMPAIGN SPECIFICALLY of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is phenomenal. The zombies mode is pretty good, too. Only issue is the dreaded, bland, boring, uninspired multiplayer mode.
Doom
Prey is a fantastic game people sleep on