Wondering what the best space games are to play on PC or console? We've rounded up our favorites right here. Our selection of 10 of the best space games let you explore the galaxy in thrilling and fascinating ways. Maybe you're on a quest of discovery, out to fight against hostile life forces, or simply trying to hide from a murderous alien. It's all here.
Of course, you'll find well-known franchises in our round-up — Star Wars and Alien both feature below. Some of the games on this list might be less well-known to you: indie offerings like Outer Wilds and Kerbal Space Program might have flown under your radar but are very much worth your time.
Keep up with what's coming up later in the year with our guide to upcoming space games. And if you want more games you can jump into right now, we've rounded up the best space exploration games and the best space horror games.
The Quick List
Outer Wilds puts you in a 22-minute loop with the hope of discovering the secrets of an alien race.
Create your own space program operated by a cute little species known as Kerbals. Build your own rockets and hope they'll successfully take off...
Explore a universe filled with thousands of planets, encounter new species and set your own path in this fascinating world.
It has a harsh learning curve, but questing in the huge universe of this MMO is a great deal of fun once you get the hang of it.
A combination of exploration, combat and strategy, Stellaris is a must-play for fans of 4X/grand strategy.
This box set of the Mass Effect original trilogy is the best way to play, introducing players to Shepard and their epic adventures.
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This absolutely massive game is best played on PC, but there's no other journey through the universe quite like it.
Play as Jedi Cal Kestis in this epic adventure through the familiar Star Wars galaxy.
If you're a horror fan, this tense and action-packed shooter through a terrifying space ship is for you.
For fans of the Alien universe, there isn't a better game than Alien: Isolation. It's only for the brave, though.
The best space games 2025
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Outer Wilds
✅ You want something a little different: There's nothing else quite like Outer Wilds.
❌ You want sprawling exploration: It's not the biggest game in the world in terms of exploration.
🔎 Outer Wilds: One of the most original games you're likely to play, Outer Wilds is an excellent game of discovery and mystery. ★★★★★
Even though it doesn't present the biggest, most sprawling video game world we've ever seen, Outer Wilds is still open-world gaming at its best. This indie gem developed by Mobius Digital and published by Annapurna Interactive creates a non-linear playing experience that allows you to crisscross the solar system.
What sets Outer Wilds apart from the crowd is its unique time mechanic that's at the center of the game. Its a timed adventure; you're going to find yourself in a 22-minute loop that finishes with the sun dying. Your goal is to explore the planets in front of you in hopes that some alien race has a secret to show you how to stop the sun from its supernova explosion. Every 22 minutes, you'll need to start over, adding what you found to everything you've discovered before.
Besides the overall arch of the gameplay, which is fun enough on its own, Outer Wilds comes with compelling characters, gorgeous puzzles, and mysterious situations that will require some creativity to solve. It's simply beautiful, and a must-play if you want something a little different from the norm.
Kerbal Space Program
✅ You're creative: You'll be building your own space program here, so you'll need to use your noggin.
❌ You want something easy-going: There's a steep learning curve to overcome when playing Kerbal Space Program.
🔎 Kerbal Space Program: It has a sequel now, but we still think the original is the best. It's clever and challenging, but takes some time to learn. ★★★★
While the sequel to Kerbal Space Program is already out, we think the original game remains superior. This romp through physics encourages players to create their space program and operate it using Kerbals, who are little humanoid astronauts.
You'll be tasking your army of Kerbals to create vehicles, starships and more, which will then be used to explore the universe. Getting them off the ground is easier said than done, though: Figuring out the ins-and-outs of how Kerbal Space Program works is difficult, and being successful can be tricky. It's worth the work though, as there's a lot of fun to be had here.
The original game is packed with mods and forums to get you going through the steep learning curve, and Kerbal has a loyal community that includes real-life space engineers and space agencies. This is a real fan favorite among space geeks, so make sure to join the program now.
No Man's Sky
✅ You like player-led exploration: There are thousands of planets for you to explore however you want.
❌ You like your hand held: This isn't a story-driven game that's going to guide you through.
🔎 No Man's Sky: After a rough development, No Man's Sky has come out on top, and is one of the best space games you can play. ★★★★½
No Man's Sky has been through quite a lot in the nine years since it launched. Its released back in 2016 was difficult to say the least, with the game falling short of what people expected at the time. But since then, developer Hello Games has been committed to its vision of making No Man's Sky one of the best space games available — and we think it's succeeded.
Numerous patches and major updates (all for free) have landed in the game since launch, all reshaping it to make it user-friendly and full of new things to do. There's a lot of content to enjoy and every player will find a unique experience within the universe, as everything is automatically generated. Multiplayer options are also available to share the fun with friends or other players.
The universe Hello Games aims to present is supposed to be optimistic, full of opportunity and perhaps, a little bit of danger. You'll never quite know what to expect when landing upon a planet, but that's what makes No Man's Sky so much fun. Give yourself the time to explore and you will greatly enjoy the opportunity.
Eve Online
✅ You want something to last forever: EVE Online launched in 2003 and much of the userbase has been there since day one.
❌ You want to play alone: This is a MMO game, so it's designed to be played with others.
🔎 EVE Online: Still going strong after more than two decades, EVE Online is huge, still frequently updated and has a dedicated playerbase. ★★★★
Don't be fooled by the 2003 release date for Eve Online; it's been accruing updates like barnacles in the decades since, including tons of new ships, quests, and campaigns. However, it's the MMO's dedicated community which is the main reason why it's an experience worth checking out at least once.
It's been around for more than 20 years, and we'd take a safe bet that many of its players have been around since the beginning. This is a seriously huge game with an incredible amount of depth, so it's not something to take on lightly.
In fact, it's been criticized in the past, with people saying it's not all that accessible to newcomers — but developer CCP Games has pushed back against that by creating a user-friendly beginner's guide along with a host of content designed especially for new players.
It all helps make EVE Online more welcoming to new players, of course, but it's safe to say it's a game that still requires a lot of commitment. If you have the time to invest, though, it's absolutely well worth it.
Stellaris
✅ You're a 4X strategy fan: Stellaris is essentially grand strategy in space.
❌ You're a casual player: Grand strategy games are not known for being accessible to newcomers.
🔎 Stellaris: Developer Paradox is the king of 4X strategy, and we think Stellaris is one of the best. A perfect mixture of exploration and strategy. ★★★★
Coming from Paradox, one of the biggest names in grand strategy games, Stellaris expertly combines exploration with enemy strategy. If you want the thrill of a 4X game set in space, this is the one for you.
In Stellaris, you'll spend your time moving across a set of planets while trying to keep ahead of your opponents. The goal is to grow your empire as much as possible, but others are out there to stop it before it can even get off the ground.
Manage to outwit them and you'll be able to level up your empire, making use of different mechanics that let you choose a specialism for your vassals. If you prefer megastructures, there are a bunch of new ones there to get where you want to go a little faster.
To this day, Stellaris' huge player base remains excited about new content and updates. Paradox is doing a fantastic job of supporting it, with plenty of new updates and expansions arriving — and more still to come.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
✅ You like story: There's plenty of player agency here, but Mass Effect has an excellent narrative.
❌ You want something brand new: The Mass Effect trilogy is a little long in the tooth now.
🔎 Mass Effect: Legendary Edition: Packing in three unforgettable games in one, this is undoubtedly the best way to play the Mass Effect trilogy. ★★★★★
This exemplary remaster of Mass Effect brings the iconic space exploration trilogy to a fresh generation of consoles. The Mass Effect series is a modern classic that you won't want to miss, mixing incredible storytelling with player-led gameplay, exhilarating combat and a whole lot more.
And now's the perfect time to jump into Mass Effect if you haven't already: not only is there a new game in development ,there's a live-action TV adaptation coming our way.
The trilogy follows you, Commander Shepard, captain of the Normandy spacecraft, as you assemble a ragtag crew to save the galaxy. Along the way, you'll meet alien races, explore planets and space stations, take part in more than a few space battles, and probably find yourself getting very familiar with the NPCs making up your team.
Think carefully about all the choices you make as they will influence every major story arc, right up to the very end.
Elite Dangerous
✅ You want to play with friends: Teaming up with others is the best way to play.
❌ You play on console: While it is available on PlayStation and Xbox, it's not supported to the same degree as the PC version.
🔎 Elite Dangerous: Frontier has done a fantastic job of recreating our Milky Way; you won't find realism like this anywhere else. ★★★★½
While Elite Dangerous is available on consoles and PC, developer Frontier Developments has pulled much of the support from the PS4 and Xbox One versions to focus elsewhere. If you are going to jump in to Elite Dangerous, then, PC is the best way to play.
But even with that caveat, this massive game presents an incredible, unforgettable journey through the universe. We think it boasts one of the highest levels of realism of any space game, too: Frontier Developments has done a valiant attempt of trying to recreate the Milky Way and its planets at scale.
Joining up with other players, you'll find yourself making some tough choices that will influence how the gameplay goes on. You'll start with a small spaceship and attempt to grow your commercial enterprise through activities like bounties, piracy, mining and even assassination.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
✅ You're a Star Wars fan: Being a living part of the Star Wars galaxy is incredible.
❌ You don't want to fight with lightsabers: Who even are you?
🔎 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor: It had a rocky launch but this original Star Wars story, filled with exciting gameplay, is absolutely worth your time. ★★★★
Continuing the adventure of Jedi Cal Kestis and his friends, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor takes place five years after Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Their struggles and battles against the cruel Galactic Empire wage on, upping the personal stakes for everyone.
Survivor reworked what didn't fully click in 2019's Fallen Order, adding tons of new features without losing sight of what makes the Imperial era of the Star Wars timeline so enchanting. It's a wonderfully bold expansion of the Star Wars universe and mythos, effortlessly bridging several eras of the galaxy's history.
Long story short: This video game sequel is modern Star Wars at its very best, and with a threequel already lined up at Respawn, you shouldn't skip it (or its predecessor, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order).
In terms of gameplay, the platforming in Survivor has been taken up to the next level, and the combat is even flashier and more flexible – who doesn't love more lightsaber types and special stances?
Dead Space (remake)
✅ You like tense gameplay: They rarely come more atmospheric than Dead Space.
❌ You're not a horror fan: Dead Space is scary, so if you're easily startled, look elsewhere.
🔎 Dead Space (remake): Every bit as good as the original, this space horror is not to be missed. ★★★★½
Definitely not for the faint of heart, Dead Space is one of the finest space horror games of all time.
The original 2008 release of Dead Space is well worth checking out, but Motive's fantastic 2023 remake took everything that worked and elevated it by adding new sections and mechanics. This is a modern must-play and an awesome riff on John Carpenter's The Thing.
Taking on the role of engineer Isaac Clarke, you and your team respond to a distress call from a ship which your wife is stationed on. Unfortunately, your vessel crashes into their docking bay and you end up separated from the others. Now you must find your wife, reunite with your group, and get outta there… but of course things aren't quite that straightforward.
As you make your way through the spaceship, there's no sign of the crew and you are instead greeted by the horrific and deadly Necromorphs.
Alien: Isolation
✅ You're an Alien fan: This is a faithful and fantastic addition to the Alien universe.
❌ You don't like stealth: You're going to be spending a lot of time hiding from the Xenomorph.
🔎 Alien: Isolation With a sequel coming, now's the perfect time to play this excellent example of space horror. ★★★★½
Your mission in this space horror game is to help Amanda Ripley (daughter of the famous Ellen Ripley from the Alien movie series) to escape the Sevastopol station. We don't want to reveal too much, except to include a line from the game's synopsis: "Unprepared and underequipped, you will need all your wits and daring to get out alive." Gulp.
This decade-old game is widely considered one of the best Alien games of all time, and rightly so! As you play this game, you'll find yourself holding your breath as you attempt to navigate your way to safety.
With fantastic and gripping gameplay, this is an experience not to be missed. Plus, now that we know there's going to be an Alien: Isolation sequel happening, it's the best time to get into the Alien franchise.
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