Space! The final frontier. For thousands of years, humans have been in awe of the universe outside our own world. From planets and the constellations to aliens and super massive black holes, space continues to fill our imaginations. Which is why video game developers and designers see space as an ideal ‘location’ for video games to take place in. Of course, Space is unexplored and infinite, so designers and story creators essentially have a blank canvas on what they can do which has formulated in numerous excellent space themed games.
So, if you are on the lookout for a fantastic new game which is set in the deep and mysterious realms of space, then look no further. We have put together a list of what we regard as the best games set in outer space. Our list is in no specific order, but we hope that at least one of the games on our list piques your interest!
No Man’s Sky
The King of space exploration video games, No Man’s Sky gives players the opportunity to explore an uncharted universe at their own pace. The player takes the role of the traveller and begin on a random planet near a crashed spaceship. The Traveller is equipped with various tools needed to survive which can be used to collect resources, trade with other players and fight potential enemies. The game is completely open with its defining feature being that nearly all parts of the galaxy including planets and alien encounters are completely randomly generated with there being over 18 quintillion planets to explore within No Man’s Sky. If you are keen on following some sort of narrative, then you will get the opportunity to follow the guidance of ‘The Atlas’ which will help you to head towards the centre of the galaxy.
Some side quests when you play No Man’s Sky include cataloguing all of the flora and fauna in the universe or setting up trade routes between planets. You can also make it your mission to befriend and communicate with sentient alien species which each have their own language. You will only be able to understand languages by frequent communication and by finding monoliths on planet which act as Rosetta Stones. Although No Man’s Sky is primarily designed as a single-player game, friends can track each other on the game’s galactic map. The game has been the recipient of frequent updates, so the game remains fresh even in 2022, six years after the games launch. No Man’s Sky won numerous innovation awards as well as best tech awards.
Kerbal Space Program
If building and launching your own rockets and space aircraft is your thing, then you are going to love Kerbal Space Program. This game takes a little bit of time, as you must play through a little bit of trial and error when building your space vehicles in order to avoid catastrophic failure. Goals include reaching certain altitudes, escaping the atmosphere as well as landing on a planetary body and creating space stations and bases. You will play as an alien species known as Kerbals who will also pilot your rocket ships.
There are two downloadable expansions for Kerbal Space program which add some extra elements to the game. The Breaking Ground expansion is especially good as it adds science points into the game. You will gain a real sense of accomplishment when you achieve goals, and the game has been lauded for its “perfect blend of science and slapstick.” Several NASA employees and even Elon Musk have taken an interest in Kerbal Space Program. A sequel, Kerbal Space Program 2 will be released later this year too.
Jedi Fallen Order
Widely considered as one of the best Star Wars games released by EA Games, Jedi Fallen order takes players on a journey through the Star Wars universe. You will visit a variety of planets including the Wookie planet of Kashyyyk and the Sith planet Dathomir. Jedi Fallen Order plays similar to God of War and is the action-adventure game that Star Wars fans have been craving for for some time. The game is set five years after the excellent Star Wars Revenge of the Sith and follows the story of Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis who is being hunted by the Galactic Empire, Darth Vader included. If the idea of traveling through the galaxy and meeting a variety of foes which can be vanquished using a lightsabre appeals to you, then you will enjoy Jedi Fallen order!
A sequel, Jedi Fallen Order 2 has been announced and although no release date has been set yet, we are extremely excited for this release. It is not yet known whether the sequel will continue to follow the main protagonist of the first game, but Star Wars fans have high hopes for the sequel, and so do we!
Black Star
Released in 2021, Blackstar is an online game released by expert slot development company, Playbro. If slot games are your thing, then Black Star is probably the best space themed slot currently in this milieu. Consisting of fantastic graphics with slot symbols embodying a variety of different planets, Black Star offers players an immersive if not simple experience. Of course, this is a gambling game so if this is not something which you would usually go for, then you can skip this game. But from an online gambling perspective, Black Star has a lot going for it. For more information regarding Black Star, you can visit the SlotsHawk expert guide to slot games.
Dead Space
Resident Evil in space! Dead Space is a survival horror game which was released way back in 2008 and is a game full of spine-tingling moments as you play as an engineer on a mining spaceship overrun by Necromorphs – outer space monsters intent on killing you. The game revolves around a chapter-based narrative in which the player must solve puzzles to advance all whilst shooting the hacking the Necromorphs to death. Dead Space was highly praised for its atmosphere as well as its sound design and gameplay. Some video game journalists even went as far as to say that Dead Space is one of the greatest video games of all time. A remake of Dead Space is currently in the works and is set for release in 2022!
The Future of Space Themed Video Games
Space themed video games will not be going anywhere any time soon. In fact, there is already a plethora of space orientated games available to be played, the five we have listed above are simply the tip of the iceberg.
