20 Best Space Games That LET YOU EXPLORE & BUILD
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Date: 2024-08-10
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Comments and reviews: 20
vexistentialist
Just wanted to give further kudos to No Man's Sky, which absolutely deserves the #1 spot.
I am a pre-ordered, Day 1 player who was definitely very disappointed upon release.
But over the last 8 years, Hello Games has stepped up beyond what most game companies could even hope to provide, (especially the bigger ones.
They have released massive, literal entire game-changing updates for FREE, consistently adding new content that pleases all types of players.
Whether you're primarily a base-builder. an explorer. a unique loot hound. a ship collector. an angsty, combat-focused wildling who wants to go around killing everything. there is something that is going to be interesting to you in NMS.
It's the kind of game you can do a deep dive for a few days, a week, a month, whatever. then leave and come back 6 months later and a whole new list of things is there to do.
All devs should look to these guys as an example.
Outer Wilds also gets a huge thumbs up, from me.
Very different than other space-based games and difficult in a way that doesn't seem to want to punish you.
Pure enjoyment, playing through this title.
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Just wanted to give further kudos to No Man's Sky, which absolutely deserves the #1 spot.
I am a pre-ordered, Day 1 player who was definitely very disappointed upon release.
But over the last 8 years, Hello Games has stepped up beyond what most game companies could even hope to provide, (especially the bigger ones.
They have released massive, literal entire game-changing updates for FREE, consistently adding new content that pleases all types of players.
Whether you're primarily a base-builder. an explorer. a unique loot hound. a ship collector. an angsty, combat-focused wildling who wants to go around killing everything. there is something that is going to be interesting to you in NMS.
It's the kind of game you can do a deep dive for a few days, a week, a month, whatever. then leave and come back 6 months later and a whole new list of things is there to do.
All devs should look to these guys as an example.
Outer Wilds also gets a huge thumbs up, from me.
Very different than other space-based games and difficult in a way that doesn't seem to want to punish you.
Pure enjoyment, playing through this title.
reply
Lenariet
I couldn't get into Elite Dangerous, but not sure why. Maybe a bit more handholding in the beginning would have helped. I was like in these newbie systems but accidently went outside of them and got cut off from things I was planning to do there. Next I was trying to figure out where to start anew, but like I felt overwhelmed by the many solar systems and all these political overlays and such. iI flew around a bit, made a little bit of money, tried s few different methods of money making, but none of them clicked with me. i upgraded to one or two slightly better ships but still felt lost in a sense. The way you could (or rather not) modify your ship also felt sort of needlessly restrictive. Not sure if it had to do with the game being F2P and heavy on mulitplayer maybe deliberately putting a strong leash on you I actually played one or some of the original Elite games back in the day but don't remember anymore how they worked (except for those iconic manual space station docking procedures, so maybe the issue was me
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I couldn't get into Elite Dangerous, but not sure why. Maybe a bit more handholding in the beginning would have helped. I was like in these newbie systems but accidently went outside of them and got cut off from things I was planning to do there. Next I was trying to figure out where to start anew, but like I felt overwhelmed by the many solar systems and all these political overlays and such. iI flew around a bit, made a little bit of money, tried s few different methods of money making, but none of them clicked with me. i upgraded to one or two slightly better ships but still felt lost in a sense. The way you could (or rather not) modify your ship also felt sort of needlessly restrictive. Not sure if it had to do with the game being F2P and heavy on mulitplayer maybe deliberately putting a strong leash on you I actually played one or some of the original Elite games back in the day but don't remember anymore how they worked (except for those iconic manual space station docking procedures, so maybe the issue was me
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tyranavalon
I think Star Citizen should have at least had an honorable mention. It is a space game, one of the only games where you can go from one planet to another without cut-scenes or loading screens. Admittedly, it is still in alpha and is buggy, but it is a playable alpha, and although it is $45 to get a starter game pack, they have Free-Fly events where no purchase is necessary to try out the various gameplay options. Gameplay loops include: ship based combat, FPS combat, bounty hunting of both NPCs and players, salvage including ship-breaking, mining by hand and ship, mission style delivery, cargo trading, and exploration. Because of the way CIG has implemented these, there are also emergent gameplay options that have arisen. There is now an Org (Guild) that runs an EMT service going in and rescuing players and reviving them. There has even been an uptick in piracy as groups of players use the in-built systems to steal cargo or demand ransoms from people that they capture.
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I think Star Citizen should have at least had an honorable mention. It is a space game, one of the only games where you can go from one planet to another without cut-scenes or loading screens. Admittedly, it is still in alpha and is buggy, but it is a playable alpha, and although it is $45 to get a starter game pack, they have Free-Fly events where no purchase is necessary to try out the various gameplay options. Gameplay loops include: ship based combat, FPS combat, bounty hunting of both NPCs and players, salvage including ship-breaking, mining by hand and ship, mission style delivery, cargo trading, and exploration. Because of the way CIG has implemented these, there are also emergent gameplay options that have arisen. There is now an Org (Guild) that runs an EMT service going in and rescuing players and reviving them. There has even been an uptick in piracy as groups of players use the in-built systems to steal cargo or demand ransoms from people that they capture.
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TheNerogarden
The perfect game for me is still nowhere in sight: (
I've been dreaming of a game that combines the best of different worlds. Imagine a title that blends the planet exploration and digging mechanics of Astroneer, that you can even dig to the core of the planet, with the intricate resource management and production lines of Factorio or Satisfactory. Throw in vehicle building akin to Space Engineers and the ability to score points based on efficiency in resource production, speed, and space optimization of said production lines.
Once you've mastered a planet, construct ships to explore the cosmos like in No Man's Sky. Discover new worlds, gather new unique resources, and establish new production lines, incorporating advanced technologies unlocked on previous planets. As you progress, introduce combat and military elements to expand your galactic empire.
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The perfect game for me is still nowhere in sight: (
I've been dreaming of a game that combines the best of different worlds. Imagine a title that blends the planet exploration and digging mechanics of Astroneer, that you can even dig to the core of the planet, with the intricate resource management and production lines of Factorio or Satisfactory. Throw in vehicle building akin to Space Engineers and the ability to score points based on efficiency in resource production, speed, and space optimization of said production lines.
Once you've mastered a planet, construct ships to explore the cosmos like in No Man's Sky. Discover new worlds, gather new unique resources, and establish new production lines, incorporating advanced technologies unlocked on previous planets. As you progress, introduce combat and military elements to expand your galactic empire.
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danielschmaderer
Out There was a really cool, but absolutely punishing space game.
Mass Effect was a classic. So much fun. To this day, Garrus is still my favorite side character of any game. He was always a must for my crew.
As for No Man’s Sky, day 1 was disappointing. I felt so sad about how underbaked it felt. Fast forward to today and I absolutely love the game. Been enjoying the newest update and completed expedition 14 last night.
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Out There was a really cool, but absolutely punishing space game.
Mass Effect was a classic. So much fun. To this day, Garrus is still my favorite side character of any game. He was always a must for my crew.
As for No Man’s Sky, day 1 was disappointing. I felt so sad about how underbaked it felt. Fast forward to today and I absolutely love the game. Been enjoying the newest update and completed expedition 14 last night.
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deebugger
Shout out for including FTL!
It was originally created for the PC, but the port to iPad has made it even better - it’s like the iPad was built for FTL (and not vice versa. I’ve been playing it on and off for the past decade, and it’s still as thrilling and engaging as it has been when I first started playing it.
Highly recommended -and I’m an Elden Ring / Baldur’s Gate / Elite Dangerous player.
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Shout out for including FTL!
It was originally created for the PC, but the port to iPad has made it even better - it’s like the iPad was built for FTL (and not vice versa. I’ve been playing it on and off for the past decade, and it’s still as thrilling and engaging as it has been when I first started playing it.
Highly recommended -and I’m an Elden Ring / Baldur’s Gate / Elite Dangerous player.
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throwaway3024
The outer Worlds. One heck of a fun RPG that doesn’t get enough love. I enjoyed exploring the many different worlds and society’s the game has built. Along with that you’re managing relationships with factions and followers. It has lots of unique loot and humor. As well as having really solid gunplay and powers, all the while you’re diving into some awesome stories, questing, and battling aliens
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The outer Worlds. One heck of a fun RPG that doesn’t get enough love. I enjoyed exploring the many different worlds and society’s the game has built. Along with that you’re managing relationships with factions and followers. It has lots of unique loot and humor. As well as having really solid gunplay and powers, all the while you’re diving into some awesome stories, questing, and battling aliens
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renegadecrew3740
The final straw for me with Starfield as a collector player was when I saw that you could have a maximum of 6 mannequins in your base.
Is 6 really the extent of the engine
Also the fact that NPCs walking close to a table would make the items on the table fly across the room. I spent so long setting up my base only for one NPC walking across the room making it look like a hurricane aftermath
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The final straw for me with Starfield as a collector player was when I saw that you could have a maximum of 6 mannequins in your base.
Is 6 really the extent of the engine
Also the fact that NPCs walking close to a table would make the items on the table fly across the room. I spent so long setting up my base only for one NPC walking across the room making it look like a hurricane aftermath
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Lenariet
I've been holding off on Outer Wilds because I'm not a huge fan of time travel/repetition shenanigans. Maybe I'll pull it up higher on my wishlist. If only I had more time to play. I find space fairly fascinating. Not a huge RTS fan though. I could really do with something scratching that Freelancer itch, so maybe Everspace 2 will take the cake soon. I did play KSP briefly and yeah it's a tough game.
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I've been holding off on Outer Wilds because I'm not a huge fan of time travel/repetition shenanigans. Maybe I'll pull it up higher on my wishlist. If only I had more time to play. I find space fairly fascinating. Not a huge RTS fan though. I could really do with something scratching that Freelancer itch, so maybe Everspace 2 will take the cake soon. I did play KSP briefly and yeah it's a tough game.
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thepapajuju
Starfield is not for everyone. It's not perfect but it's getting there with updates and mods. I've spent 200 hours playing it and I'm still discovering and encountering new things. The ship building is fantastic from what I've heard (yes, I have over 200 hours and still haven't even built a ship lol. The combat/shooting feels good and sounds great as well. It's a 8. 5/10 overall.
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Starfield is not for everyone. It's not perfect but it's getting there with updates and mods. I've spent 200 hours playing it and I'm still discovering and encountering new things. The ship building is fantastic from what I've heard (yes, I have over 200 hours and still haven't even built a ship lol. The combat/shooting feels good and sounds great as well. It's a 8. 5/10 overall.
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slowerthinker
There is nothing as satisfying in gaming as that first time you manage to successfully land softy on the surface of The Mun in Kerbal Space Program.
Also. There is nothing quite as frustrating as then realising that you didn't put a ladder on the side of your spaceship so your little green Kerbals can't get back in the rocket to go home again.
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There is nothing as satisfying in gaming as that first time you manage to successfully land softy on the surface of The Mun in Kerbal Space Program.
Also. There is nothing quite as frustrating as then realising that you didn't put a ladder on the side of your spaceship so your little green Kerbals can't get back in the rocket to go home again.
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stuartmorley6894
Outer Wilds really is fantastic. I can appreciate its not for everyone but it really sells you on the setting, the mechanics are cool and the payoff from figuring everything out is great. The only problem is that there's no point in a second play through. Which obviously isn't really a problem, i just wish i could mind wipe and start again.
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Outer Wilds really is fantastic. I can appreciate its not for everyone but it really sells you on the setting, the mechanics are cool and the payoff from figuring everything out is great. The only problem is that there's no point in a second play through. Which obviously isn't really a problem, i just wish i could mind wipe and start again.
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dallaynavokan5513
I Astroneer!
Seriously, it's like a cozy version of No Man's Sky.
I still pull it up once in awhile to see what else they've put into the game since the last time.
The controls take some getting used to if you're on a controller but it's a really nice game to boot up when you're listening to podcasts and just vibe to.
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I Astroneer!
Seriously, it's like a cozy version of No Man's Sky.
I still pull it up once in awhile to see what else they've put into the game since the last time.
The controls take some getting used to if you're on a controller but it's a really nice game to boot up when you're listening to podcasts and just vibe to.
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Steel-101
Dude I love the Spaceship & outpost building in Starfield. So far I built a cool base on Earth and I can see the ruins of the old NASA spaceship from my bedroom window. It’s perfect. Now I’m gonna work on the Frontier Mark 2 spaceship. Only downside is that all the spaceship parts are so expensive. Gotta save up credits.
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Dude I love the Spaceship & outpost building in Starfield. So far I built a cool base on Earth and I can see the ruins of the old NASA spaceship from my bedroom window. It’s perfect. Now I’m gonna work on the Frontier Mark 2 spaceship. Only downside is that all the spaceship parts are so expensive. Gotta save up credits.
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Kinovski1
gameranx i love your contet but you miss some space games. The Number 1 game for this list need to be X games like the last X4 from Egosoft. That is the best of the best solo space game. And you miss some other games like Star Trek online, Star Conflict and Space Engineers and some other games. But im a Star Citizen man: D
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gameranx i love your contet but you miss some space games. The Number 1 game for this list need to be X games like the last X4 from Egosoft. That is the best of the best solo space game. And you miss some other games like Star Trek online, Star Conflict and Space Engineers and some other games. But im a Star Citizen man: D
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timothyjames7359
For those that want a more chilled experience that is not quite in space but set on another planet then I recommend The Planet Crafter. Basically you are terraforming a planet and the only real threat is oxygen and hunger/thirst. Also Factrorio and Stranded: Alien Dawn if you want more action with base building.
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For those that want a more chilled experience that is not quite in space but set on another planet then I recommend The Planet Crafter. Basically you are terraforming a planet and the only real threat is oxygen and hunger/thirst. Also Factrorio and Stranded: Alien Dawn if you want more action with base building.
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markf9138
Edit: never mind me, E: D was actually included - it's just missing from the chapter list. Teaches me to jump from chapter to chapter
Originally posted: Elite: Dangerous deserved to be on this list. The Elite franchise is the daddy of all space sims. Does not have any building, but, then again, neither did Chorvs.
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Edit: never mind me, E: D was actually included - it's just missing from the chapter list. Teaches me to jump from chapter to chapter
Originally posted: Elite: Dangerous deserved to be on this list. The Elite franchise is the daddy of all space sims. Does not have any building, but, then again, neither did Chorvs.
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ironman77ish
Prey 2016 really got me into the space genre, and it’s not really a space game. But the suit mechanics, zero gravity and spooky aliens. Chef’s kiss.
I know you guys have talked a ton about it already. Wanted to shout it out though. Who knows if the group that made it will get to make another game like it.
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Prey 2016 really got me into the space genre, and it’s not really a space game. But the suit mechanics, zero gravity and spooky aliens. Chef’s kiss.
I know you guys have talked a ton about it already. Wanted to shout it out though. Who knows if the group that made it will get to make another game like it.
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jackalovski1
Like subnautica but in space I mean technically your spaceship crashed on an alien planet also, should have mentioned kerbal space program has a big modding community, it’s a big selling point for a lot of people. Also, speaking of subnautica likes, planet crafter should have been in the honourable mentions.
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Like subnautica but in space I mean technically your spaceship crashed on an alien planet also, should have mentioned kerbal space program has a big modding community, it’s a big selling point for a lot of people. Also, speaking of subnautica likes, planet crafter should have been in the honourable mentions.
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krundug2848
top 20 best space games you can exsplore and build. and not a single mention of space engineers realy REALY you can build whatever you want. exsplore everything. all terrain is destructable. ALL OF IT and you have an entire solar system to exsplore. but nooooo not good enough for gameranx aparently.
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top 20 best space games you can exsplore and build. and not a single mention of space engineers realy REALY you can build whatever you want. exsplore everything. all terrain is destructable. ALL OF IT and you have an entire solar system to exsplore. but nooooo not good enough for gameranx aparently.
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