Summary
- Space games let players establish massive intergalactic empires.
- Space setting ideal for grand stories of adventure and existentialism.
- Games like Halo, Prey, and Dead Space explore dark, compelling space narratives.
Outer space has played a key role in the imaginations of writers for almost as long as fiction has existed. The advent of story-based video games only encouraged this exploration of the final frontier. The endless void of space has proven the backdrop for some truly compelling experiences and adventures.
Space is an ideal setting for all kinds of stories, from grand adventure to crushing horror. The scale of the universe allows for themes of existentialism, while the potential existence of alien life gives writers and developers a chance to play on human fear of the unknown. The following games demonstrate why outer space has remained such an enduring setting for so long.
8 Best Space Games That Let You Build An Empire
Exploring space is all well and good, but these games take things a step further and let players establish massive intergalactic empires.
10 Halo 2
A Tale Of Two Soldiers
Halo 2
- Released
- September 4, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
The Halo franchise is one of the biggest names in science fiction video games, and its epic universe of grand war and conflict is still a fan favorite. While the first game's stirring tale of survival against a terrifying alien superweapon was memorable in its own right, the sequel expanded on the lore and the storylines of individual characters, making for a stronger narrative overall.
The most remarkable thing about Halo 2's storyline was the addition of a new playable character, a Covenant warrior known as the Arbiter. This unlikely hero gave players a new perspective on the alien menace confronting Master Chief and the UNSC, and makes for some truly fascinating character dynamics when the two soldiers come face to face.
9 Tacoma
Missing Persons
Tacoma
- Released
- August 2, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Tacoma, a narrative adventure game from the makers of Gone Home, sets protagonist Amitjyoti Ferrier adrift on an abandoned space station. On her quest to recover the AI program running the facility, Amy learns what happened to the crew of the station through the use of an AR program that fills the rooms and halls of the station with holographic images of the crew, playing out recorded conversations and moments leading up to their enigmatic fate.
The narrative that unwinds through Tacoma's digital ghosts is a stirring tale of perseverance and corporate corruption. The stress faced by the characters on the station as they face the emergency that will eventually leave the station derelict is deeply engaging, especially as the player begins to form emotional connections with these missing crewmembers.
8 Prey
Making Contact
Prey
- Released
- May 5, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Prey is a frightening immersive sim set on a spacebound research station overtaken by the monstrous alien Typhon. The protagonist, Morgan Yu, must find a way to prevent the alien menace from spreading to earth, either by destroying the entire station or by finding a way to neutralize the aliens safely.
Along the way, Morgan will learn more about the history of the space station and the dark truth of the Neuromod technology developed on board. Morgan's decisions during their adventure will have major ramifications, not only on who survives the alien attack, but on the future of the human race itself.
7 Dead Space 2
Surviving the Sprawl
Dead Space 2
- Released
- January 25, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
The first Dead Space game introduced fans to the horrifying Necromorphs and the hapless, traumatized engineer Isaac Clarke. Dead Space 2 expands on the fiction in a big way, shifting the action from the doomed ship Ishimura to the Sprawl, a massive moon-based space station overcome with horror due to the government's clandestine attempt to build a Marker in its depths.
In Dead Space 2, players learn more about the horrific alien technology that creates the dreadful Necromorphs, as well as Isaac's role in this endless cycle of pain. The character's trauma is also explored in greater depth, and fans can get to know him much better, since this is the first game where he's fully voiced.
6 Returnal
It Never Ends
Returnal
- Released
- April 30, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
In Returnal, protagonist Selene is trapped in a vicious time loop, crash landing on a hostile alien planet every time she dies. As she explores this grim landscape, Selene will learn more about the circumstances of her awful curse, which is inextricably tied to her own tragic past.
Returnal's bleak plotline plays out over countless loops. Players will have to master the gameplay and take down some truly punishing bosses if they want a chance at breaking the loop and getting Selene home.
5 The Outer Worlds
The Future For Sale
The Outer Worlds
- Released
- October 25, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Obsidian's space RPG The Outer Worlds brings players to a solar system turned into a capitalist hellscape, where laborers are worked ceaselessly for the benefit of corporate overlords watching them from on high. The protagonist must rescue a shipful of frozen colonists who have been abandoned to endless suspended animation, while at the same time dismantling the corrupt system that has taken over the colony.
This bleak setting is made bearable through a cutting sense of humor and satire that carries players throughout the campaign. Players are also joined in their adventure by a crew of lovable misfits, each of whom has a different perspective on the corporate greed fueling this interstellar colonization.
4 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Released
- July 15, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
BioWare's classic Star Wars RPG set a standard that not many games in the iconic setting have been able to match. This immersive quest casts the player as a Jedi initiate, exploring the galaxy in a quest to claim the legendary Star Forge and protect the Republic from the Sith.
Like many other BioWare games, Knights of the Old Republic leans heavily on player choice. Fans can decide to fall to the Dark Side if they so choose. This plays well into the narrative when it is revealed that the player's custom character is, in fact, the legendary Darth Revan, wiped of their evil memories. The choices fans can make in Knights of the Old Republic have massive consequences for this legendary sci-fi setting.
3 Citizen Sleeper
Sleeper, Arise
Citizen Sleeper
- Released
- May 5, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Increasing corporate power is a persistent theme in speculative fiction, and Citizen Sleeper is no exception. The game stars a digitized human consciousness trying to escape the corporation that owns them. By utilizing dice rolls to navigate the space station they're trapped in and complete various tasks, the protagonist can navigate and survive a hostile corporate world, forming connections and learning more about this dystopian setting.
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The narrative of Citizen Sleeper is heavily influenced by the choices players make throughout the campaign. There are multiple factions aboard the space station, each of which wants something different out of this corporate world. Players will have to think carefully about the decisions they make and be prepared to live with the consequences.
2 Outer Wilds
22 Minutes To Live
Outer Wilds
- Released
- May 28, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
This enthralling indie game sends the player deep into an alien solar system whose sun is about to explode. Across several 22-minute time loops, players must explore various alien ruins and learn why the solar system is doomed. Despite the tight timeframe of the game's primary loop, the solar system is packed with discoveries to make and characters to meet.
The history of the mysterious Nomai is central to the fate of this solar system, and indeed, the universe as a whole. The player's quest to break the loop will reveal a lot of truths about the nature of the universe and the player's own role in it.
1 Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Saviors of the Milky Way
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
- Released
- May 14, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
The Mass Effect trilogy is an iconic piece of science fiction and one of BioWare's most prominent IPs. This epic space opera casts players as Commander Shepard, a human war hero who must unite the disparate alien societies of the Milky Way in order to protect organic life from the sinister Reapers.
While the trilogy's ending did cause quite a bit of controversy, the overall story of the three games remains deeply impactful. The companions that join Shepard's quest over the course of the trilogy all have meaningful and engaging storylines, and the relationships that players can form with them are truly special.
8 Best Spacefaring Games, Ranked
Anyone looking for a good game involving spacefaring will definitely want to check out these titles.