8 Best Open World Games with Space Exploration

Creating believable and playable space environments remains a significant challenge for game developers across many genres.

How can we best discover this place? Should we travel by spaceship, visit each planet individually, use a mix of both methods, or explore in a completely different way?

Although we haven’t found the definitive space game yet, many have successfully tried to capture the wonder of the final frontier. These games range from realistic simulations of the universe to wild, alien-packed adventures, and everything in between.

We’re taking a look at the best games that let you explore space, both on the ground and in the air – where the silence is as vast as the cosmos.

8. Mass Effect: Andromeda

Charting the Galaxy

I admit, the game doesn’t look amazing, but if you can look past that, *Mass Effect: Andromeda* is a really good game, especially when it comes to exploring space.

These planets are beautiful and full of secrets, offering plenty to discover through exploration and research. You’ll find rewarding lore and opportunities to earn research points, but be prepared for dangerous creatures! Every landing feels exciting and unpredictable.

The game doesn’t have a huge number of planets, but each one is incredibly detailed. With diverse environments, habitats, and atmospheres, they create a powerful sense of discovering places that feel both new and strangely familiar. The game definitely has its flaws, but its space exploration is truly top-notch.

7. Star Citizen

All the Potential in the World

Even though it’s still in development after almost eight years, *Star Citizen* offers incredible freedom in how you explore space. You can smoothly transition from flying in space to landing on planets, and even fire weapons from orbit to see the impact on the ground – there’s a huge amount to experience.

The game’s visuals are stunning. Although the highly anticipated campaign isn’t available just yet, it’s currently planned for release in 2026. Until then, players can enjoy a vast and open space world, complete with exciting spaceship combat and eerie, unique locations to explore on foot. It truly captures the feeling of being a space explorer.

This game completely redefines ‘ambitious’ – and that’s putting it mildly. The graphics are stunning, among the best you’ll find in any game, and the overall look and feel are truly magical. If it ever comes out, it has the potential to be a strong contender for game of the year.

6. Everspace 2

The Galactic Journey

In *Everspace 2*, you’ll journey across a huge galaxy in a diverse range of spacecraft. Though you won’t be able to explore locations on foot, the game still delivers a truly grand and immersive experience.

Everspace 2 delivers thrilling spaceship battles – think quick dogfights, intense chases through asteroid fields, and encounters with mysterious alien forces. It’s some of the best space combat you’ll find in any game.

The game offers incredible freedom, and the controls are very responsive, letting you move with precision. You’ll be thankful for this when things get chaotic and the screen fills with lasers and explosions.

Everspace 2 offers a compelling blend of exciting space exploration, fast-paced combat, and stunning visuals. If you enjoy piloting a ship through a vast galaxy with a captivating story, this game is an excellent choice.

5. EVE Online

Scope and Strategy

EVE Online is a long-running space simulation game, still popular with a large community after 22 years. It’s known for incredibly large-scale battles where players have lost significant amounts of real-world money.

Despite any issues with the game’s economic system, you have incredible freedom to explore a vast galaxy and choose your own path – whether that means fighting, trading, piracy, or anything else you can imagine.

It can be really daunting, honestly. The game is so huge and complex that figuring out where to begin feels impossible, and it doesn’t really hold your hand, so it’s easy to get lost.

Okay, so this game is pretty intense – you’re gonna get attacked by other players a lot, and just traveling through space throws all sorts of problems at you. Seriously, I’d recommend checking out a guide before you start, it’ll save you a headache. But trust me, if you’re willing to learn the ropes, it’s totally worth it and super rewarding!

4. Outer Wilds

Alone in the Universe

Outer Wilds isn’t just a game about exploring space—it’s a truly remarkable experience. It presents a captivating mystery that unravels beautifully, creating a rare sense of awe and discovery for the player.

This game features impressive space exploration, and although it’s not as expansive as some other titles, it excels in its attention to detail.

Each planet in The Outer Worlds feels unique and exciting, and the game truly captures the sense of being in a completely foreign place. The story is a compelling mystery that reveals itself perfectly.

I don’t want to spoil the story, as figuring it out is a key part of the fun. But I will say this game offers a truly unique experience – something you don’t come across very often in the gaming world.

3. No Man’s Sky

The Space Fantasy

No Man’s Sky is a truly incredible game. Whether you play in VR or on a regular screen, you can explore a universe that feels limitless. It’s not an exaggeration – the game creates a constantly changing world with diverse environments and alien creatures you’ll never see the same way twice.

No Man’s Sky had a rocky start, but has been dramatically improved with numerous free updates. These additions include everything from frightening sandworms and large-scale space combat to a deeper storyline and customizable gameplay options, all making for a much more fun experience.

Honestly, this game is stunning. The colors are incredible, and the art style is totally unique – it feels wonderfully alien. There’s just this amazing rush you get when you’re flying through space, especially when the music swells. It puts you in this incredible mood, and every new planet you discover feels like a real adventure. It’s pure euphoria!

2. Starfield

Skyrim in Space

Despite a few flaws, *Starfield* offers a uniquely captivating experience when it comes to space exploration. Even with loading screens between locations, the game is remarkably immersive thanks to its stunning graphics. The freedom to pilot your ship in first or third person and land on any planet for thorough exploration is truly impressive.

While the randomly generated world can become repetitive eventually, it takes a significant amount of playtime before you start noticing the same areas. Even then, there’s usually something new – a slightly different detail, a new item, or better armor – to keep exploring interesting.

As you explore space, you’ll come across other ships. They might ask you for money to pass through their territory, or they might need your assistance. You can choose to help them, or if you prefer, you can attack and loot them. Every encounter is unique and offers exciting possibilities.

1. Elite Dangerous

The Real Universe

Elite Dangerous offers an incredibly realistic recreation of the entire universe, making it the top choice for immersive space exploration. However, be warned – it’s known for its complexity! Getting started isn’t easy; you’ll need to learn the ropes like a real spaceship pilot, almost as if you need an actual instruction manual to operate your ship.

You’ll spend most of your time flying a ship, but recent updates now let you explore planets on foot too, and even enjoy some surprisingly good shooting action.

This game is massive in scope and entirely focused on multiplayer, meaning you’ll constantly run into other players. Journeys can be incredibly long – sometimes lasting hours – if you’re determined to discover particular planets.

The game features challenging missions, interactions with other characters, and the ability to explore planets on foot. It aims to realistically simulate the experience of space exploration.

2025-10-06 21:16