Space Exploration And Colonization Games

  1. #1Elite Dangerous

    Elite Dangerous is a space simulation game developed by Frontier Developments and first released in 2015. It lets players explore an open-world cutthroat galaxy where players battle it out to freedom and glory.

    Windows, PlayStation 4

    $29.99

    Carl Hayes
    Written on May 21, 2018
    'hat has compelled you to come down to the reviews anyway. Maybe it's morbid curiosity, or maybe the game still intrigues you in some way. Hopefully you're not the type to take a single score as the entire basis for a decision. Either way you're expecting the reviews to clear things up a little. Not really happening, is it? There's a lot of vitriol spewed over this game. A lot of it is entirely valid opinion highlighting genuine flaws. A large amount though is vicious, disproportionate, entitled whining, much of which comes from players with many hundreds of hours in the game. The retort there is they love the game so much and would hate to see it die. The reality is the continuous negativity is damaging Elite more than any perceived missteps by the developers. Let's state the obvious: Elite:Dangerous is not for everyone. It is slow paced, it features repetetive game loops and it can be inaccessible without relying on third-party tools. All that's true. It's also true the game is hugely immersive, massive in scale and at times jaw-droppingly beautiful. The flight mechanics are also some of the best I've ever experienced in any comparable game. Elite is not a game where you are meant to cram in the hours to reach an end goal. There is no end goal, and if you try to do anything intensively you'll get burned out real quick. The game can get grindy, yes, but it is almost always a self-imposed grind, when it's also fine to take things slowly. I've been playing this game for a good couple of years now and I still haven't reached the 'top' of any metric - no Elite ranks, no maxed military ranks, no big ships (lots of smaller ones though) and barely a couple-hundred-million in the bank. I'm totally fine with that. Many others wouldn't be. The game will be appreciated most by those who are happy to set their own goals and take it at their own pace. It's the kind of game you can just get lost in. REA'

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  2. #2Mass Effect 2

    Recruit. Explore. Control. Two years after Commander Shepard repelled invading Reapers bent on the destruction of organic life, a mysterious new enemy has emerged. On the fringes of known space, something is silently abducting entire human colonies.

    Xbox 360, Windows

    Check price

    Douglas Perry
    Written on May 12, 2018
    'This is a really good solution. I really like this game. It's a lot of fun to play. You can explore space and fight aliens. I would recommend it to everyone. '

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  3. #3FTL: Faster Than Light

    FTL: Faster Than Light is a strategy and simulation game for Windows and Mac. This 'spaceship simulation roguelike-like' allows you to take your ship on an adventure through a randomly generated galaxy. It was developed by Subset Games.

    Windows, Mac, iOS

    $9.99

    Ishan Dasgupta
    Written on May 20, 2018
    'The gameplay and mechanics of this game are brilliant. It's a great space exploration game that requires lots of deep thinking and tactical intuition. The graphics are very stylish and the soundtrack is great. I'd recommend this game to anyone as long as they enjoy high difficulties. '

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Other stuff you might like...

Endless space! A 4x space exploration game that came out last year and is more or less an inofficial successor to Master of Orion. Nice graphics, solid gameplay and players can vote for content additions on their homepage.

DID YOU KNOW?

Space Exploration And Colonization Games

Exploration And Colonization Era

Planet and space explorations (Space Sims, for short) have been around for more than 30 years now. One of the first ever space sims that introduced actual flight mechanics was the 1982 game, “Space Shuttle: A Journey Into Space”, simulating landing, takeoff, and stabilizing the ship. Building upon this but taking it a step further was “Elite” in 1984. Elite incorporated resource management and trade in the space exploration genre, allowing players to earn resources through trading, piracy, bounty hunting, and other missions. This pioneered the sub-genre of space trading, setting a legacy that even games of today still follow, like with two of this list’s entries: No Man’s Sky and Kerbal Space Program. But for those who wanted a bit more of a rush in the vast star ocean, there was also the space combat genre, found in games like Mass Effect 2 and Star Citizen. Space combat dates as far back as 1977, when Gene Ball developed a simulation of the Death Star destruction sequence for the Xerox Alto, all while still a student at the University of Rochester! The genre then took a huge leap on March 16, 2000, with the release of Microsoft Allegiance, the first-ever online multiplayer space simulation, combining all three sub-genres of space flight, space trade and exploration, and space combat. This laid the groundwork for arguably the most popular and most successful space MMOs, EVE Online.

Space may be the final frontier, but it is a frontier that is far from its final stage. This list of the best planet and space exploration games can let you experience it from the comfort of your own home. All you need to do is strap in and go where (possibly) no man has gone before!

  1. #4No Man's Sky

    Inspired by the adventure and imagination that we love from classic science-fiction. In No Man's Sky you can explore and survive in a procedurally generated universe with 18.4 quintillion planets.

    Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4

    $59.99

    Gilberto Marín
    Written on May 15, 2018
    'I love sci-fi space games and I'm I like original content games. I came across No Man's Sky and thought this would be a fun play. It was pretty enjoyable at first as I felt like a space explorer. The visuals were really spectacular. I was getting into the game and then realized there were things missing that had drawn me into the game. Who knows what's going on here. The game looks promising but it just feels very incomplete. I would love to play the game as it was intended and not what I have. '

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  2. #5Star Citizen

    Star Citizen is a space trading and combat simulation game with tens of millions in crowdfunding raised so far. The game has been developed by Robert Space industries and takes exploration in a sci fi level to a new level.

    Windows

    $45

    Ajay Jayaraman
    Written on May 17, 2018
    'Start your adventure today and launch into the Persistent Universe with your Mustang Alpha. Snagging this pack also lets you experience a taste of intense dogfighting and FPS action with two distinct multiplayer game modes: Arena Commander and Star Marine.'

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  3. #6Kerbal Space Program

    Kerbal Space Program is a sandbox science and space simulation video game developed by Squad and published by Private Division. It can be played on Microsoft Windows and macOS computers, and on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One gaming consoles.

    Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac

    $39.99

    Nicholas Hoffman
    Written on May 12, 2018
    'Kerbal is agame available on the GOG.com store. In Kerbal Space Program, take charge of the space program for the alien race known as the Kerbals. You have access to an array of parts to assemble fully-functional spacecraft that flies (or doesn’t) based on realistic aerodynamic and orbital physics.'

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  4. #7Galactic Phantasy Prelude

    Galactic Phantasy Prelude is an Action Space RPG in which you have to drive a spaceship and gather a fleet. Plan your strategy and develop tactics to rule the entire galaxy.

    Android, iOS

    Free- with in-app purchases

    Russell Robinson
    Written on May 15, 2018
    'I needed to find one of the best planet and space exploration games and this one is perfect. It's exactly what I was looking for and runs like a dream.'

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  5. #8Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

    Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is the first computer RPG set in the Star Wars universe. The game was developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts and was first released on November 19, 2003.

    Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Xbox

    $9.99

    Johnny Henry
    Written on May 18, 2018
    'SW:KotOR is a hugely expanded world that allows you more freedom to explore than ever before. There's a seemingly unlimited combination of character models, skills, and places you can combine together to make your playtime unique. The story will pull you in with its immersive telling and the open world aspect makes it truly seem like there's unlimited paths to take. If you're looking for a game that really does well on the worldbuilding and gameplay, look no further than SW:KotOR.'

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We insignificant humans crave to explore and discover the unknown. Things that are alien to us are just all the more tantalizing to our exploration-centric brings. In short, we are desperate to uncover the mysteries of what lies beyond.

As gamers, space exploration games are the closest we are ever going to get to that dream of discovery. We may be in the comfort of our own homes, but there are some gems out there in gaming land that allow us to reach for the stars without our backside leaving that comfortable recliner.
If you’re after a space faring adventure on your PC, here are the best ones currently on offer.

Elite: Dangerous

Games where you colonize planets

Price: $29.99
Buy it on Steam

Elite has been around longer than some of us have even been alive, but its latest iteration has managed to recapture many wannabe astronauts’ imaginations.

The entirety of the Milky Way galaxy is opened up in Elite: Dangerous, and you are free to explore it at your leisure. Of course, it is impossible for just one person to sail the stars, so one of the many attractive aspects of the title is the satisfaction gained from discovering a star system amongst billions -- and with friends.

Along the way, you will engage in frightful space pirate battles, acquire new ships that will allow you to travel even further into the unknown, and eventually reach the center of the galaxy itself. There is much to be seen and discovered in Elite: Dangerous, and for those of you who are willing to take the time to tackle the game's steep learning curve, a rich experience most definitely awaits.

HELLION

Price: $24.99
Buy it on Steam

HELLIONtakes a different approach to space simulation and exploration and demands that you focus on survival above all else. As you begin to establish yourself as a space faring adventurer, dangerous hazards such as a decompression, temperature fluctuation, and the harsh vacuum of space will be quick to envelope you.
Many games denote the exploration of space as a constantly exciting and marginally safe affair – not HELLION. Watch your oxygen, keep one eye on your fuel, and look out for any hostile faces that may spare no expense in tossing into that deadly vacuum.

HELLION is also currently in early access, so the game’s developer is regularly engaging with the community for feedback as to where the game can and should go next. Many features are already in place, but plenty more, such as ship-to-ship combat, ship modification, asteroid mining, and gas giant harvesting, are in the works. It’s shaping up to be something interesting indeed.

EVE Online

Price: Free to Play
Get it on Steam

EVE isn’t new by any means. As one of the most popular MMOs of all time, EVE Online has garnered a huge fanbase since its initial release -- and it has gained quite the reputation, too.

EVE Online allows players to create their own unique character, play with friends, and head out into a hugely rich universe that is set thousands of years in the future. Five thousand star systems lie in wait for players of the MMO, each with plenty of possibilities. With the choice of many ships at a player’s disposal, natural advancement of skills, and an open, player-driven economy, this is an MMO that has been defined by its players.

However, be sure to be vigilant in the world of EVE Online, as every player essentially dwells within the same version of the world. Battle can commence at any given moment, so epic starship battle fantasies will no longer be well, fantasy. Underprepared players may have to face off against a battalion of vicious dreadnaughts. If you want to sink an abundance of time in a space-filled adventure, this is the game you want to seek.

Planet Colonization Game

Starpoint Gemini 2

Price: $34.99
Buy it on Steam

Starpoint Gemini 2manages to meld space exploration and RPG tropes into a game that awards progression and fulfills specific role requirements. Unlike other space exploration titles, this particular game is host to a campaign that follows a specific character, Adrian Faulkner, the son of the hero Gabriel Faulkner from the previous Gemini war. This option provides players a little extra context and purpose for their space travels, but the free-roam option still remains, alongside the campaign.

Space Exploration And Colonization Games For Adults

Versatile careers pander to wide range of player interests, and the focus on capital ships in free roam is a refreshing take on exploration instead of the smaller vessels that many players are used to controlling. The initial class that is picked upon character creation also adds that RPG depth, so similar to the campaign, gamers that satiated by clear progression, Starpoint Gemini 2 is a great starting point when delving into space exploration.

Kerbal Space Program

Price: $39.99
Buy it on Steam

Space exploration and simulation titles show off a lot of what we can actually do in the stars, but they often leave out how we got there in the first place. Kerbal Space Program works to solve that problem.

Using realistic physics and rocket building techniques, you are tasked with sufficiently leaving the atmosphere of Kerbin, the Kerbal home planet, to then reach the vastness of space. This is much easier said than done, however, as it can be extremely tricky to gain enough thrust to achieve safe orbit. A catastrophic crash landing is very possible, and there is no shame in saying that many of your failed rockets have experienced this.

An exploratory segment of the game is also available once you make it to space. Visiting various moons, setting up your own space station base, and going on the offensive on asteroids are all options -- among many, many others. But the game takes a more minimalist approach in this regard. It’s a game that may look insignificant and almost childish, but behind the facade lies an extremely in-depth and sophisticated title.

Space Engineers

Price: $24.99
Buy it on Steam

Space Colonization Games Online

Another early access title, Space Engineerscombines a multitude of space faring and adventuring aspects into one game.

After building your own spacecraft, your very own engineer will travel the stars in order to claim spots for outposts of different uses. Getting this far does have its dangers, though, as another facet of the game is survival. The engineer will face many trials and tribulations as they use their trusty jetpack to travel from A to B, but it’s the vessel with which you travel that will be your main means of defence.

Construction and resource gathering are of high importance in Space Engineers so they play a part in your success just as much, if not more than the spaceflight. Exploring space on foot is surprisingly enjoyable, but be careful not to let yourself be subject to an unfortunate death due to lack of oxygen or other fundamental resources. Considering it’s still in early access, the developers appear to be hard at work in adding as much as possible to the full game experience.

Mass Effect

Space Exploration And Colonization Games Pc

Price: $19.99
Buy it on Steam

Out of all the titles mentioned, this series is more than likely the one everyone has heard of, as well as the odd one out.

Rather than acting as a space simulation game like many of the previous mentions, Mass Effectcreates an entire universe and story based on the technology and species that inhabit the galaxy. Exploring space both physically and through the lore in which the series is tied to is fascinating. It is the closest we, in this age, will ever get to experiencing the reality of galactic life, and while it is heavily influenced by the culture and anthropomorphism of the human race, it has enlightened many gamers on what could happen in hundreds or thousands of years.

While exploration itself is limited to roaming tiny pockets of the galaxy, each of these serve a story purpose of some kind, whether it’s major plot points or small portions of dialogue. It’s this story that has caused Mass Effect to gain such a huge following, and if you’re yet to try them out, it is one such series that acts as a great starting point on your intergalactic journey.

Space Exploration And Colonization Games

Space travel isn't just a dream anymore. It's something we can all experience in the comfort of our own homes. We're rather spoiled for choice, but there's bound to be a title in this list that everyone will enjoy.

Free To Play Space Mmo

Which of the games in this list have you tried out? Are there any that weren't mentioned that you love to play? Let us know in the comments below!