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

Warhammer 40K Rogue Trader Cover Art The Crew Battle Together

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

Offworld Trading Company Steam Facility Launching A Rocket

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.

Starfield

Bethesda Makes A Big Splash In The Sci-Fi Pool

Starfield Title Art Showing A Ship Looking Out On A Planet Surface

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.

Homeworld

A Long Return Journey Across The Stars

Homeworld Title Art Showing A Ship Flying Over A Planet

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

The Expanse Title Art Showing Camina Wearing A Spacesuit

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.

Astroneer

Land On New Planets And Set Up Society

Astroneer Title Art Showing The Astronaut Descending On A World With Nature And Structures

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.

Freelancer

All That Matters Is Your Ship And Your Next Job

Freelancer Title Art

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...

Ratchet And Clank Posing Together

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

Kerbals In Space Look Out In Wonder With Equipment Floating

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

Star Conflict Spaceships Flying Into Battle

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

Endless Space Ships Arrive From The Clouds

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 Kenny Fires

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

Starship Troopers

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

Daemonhunters

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

Nebulous Battle

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.

Avorion

Spaceships And Laser Shows Light Up The Dark

A Custom Avorion Ship Battling Other Ships

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

Halcyon 6 Spaceship Battle

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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Sometimes it's not about the journey, just the vessel you're traveling with.

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

STARS WARS Jedi Fallen Order Looking Out

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

Part Of A Ship In Spaceship Simulator

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.

RymdResa

Space Is Hauntingly Poetic

RymdResa Part Of Space

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.