Modern space simulators. The best space games on PC

This page of the portal "site" contains an extensive list of simulators about space. Each simulator from this catalog has been carefully selected by us, and we are sure that all the games collected here are worth your attention! After reviewing the games in this category, you will definitely find the right game for yourself. Our list of space simulation games combines the best and most memorable space simulation games of all time. Games are conveniently divided by date from 2017 - 2016, and earlier years. It is also worth paying attention to our TOP 10 simulation games, for which we have selected only the best games of the genre.

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The amount of information on games may confuse you, but we have worked through it as much as possible, and you can easily select the game you need by watching videos and screenshots, or by reading the information in detail on the corresponding game page. The OnyxGame website has collected a large number of different game genres and sorted them into games on PC and other platforms. Now you will definitely find only the best computer games for yourself!

And the vaunted one is more about war than about space. But projects about space exploration without shooting and alien monsters still exist, and in honor of Cosmonautics Day we decided to recall the best games about space.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration is involved in the development of many of the above projects. In addition, NASA produces a huge number of applications related to certain aspects of the agency’s activities and providing access to photographs taken during various missions, including literally on the day they were received, information about spacecraft, biographies of astronauts, etc. . and so on. Just search for NASA in Google Play or the App Store and you will find dozens of applications, including games about space.

Happy holiday to everyone for whom space research continues to be the forefront of science and an important aspect of the activities of the people of planet Earth.

Crossout- a computer multiplayer online game in the genre of post-apocalyptic action from a third person. The basis of the game is session PvP battles in armored vehicles assembled by the players themselves, as well as PvE missions, brawls, rating and clan battles. Also, one of the main elements of the game is the market, trading within the game and creating parts on machines.
The game is developed by the Russian studio Targem Games and published by Gaijin Entertainment.

The game is in the OBT (Open Beta Testing) stage.

Publication type: License
Release year: 2017


Surviving Mars- an economic strategy about the colonization of Mars, which was released on March 15, 2018 for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, macOS and PC platforms.
The first gameplay was shown by the publisher and developers at the Microsoft conference at gamescom 2017. The player’s task is to develop an independent colony that can survive without additional supplies of resources from Earth. In Surviving Mars, we have to lead the entire process of exploration of the Red Planet - from the first exploration and collection of supplies to the construction of shelters for brave settlers from Earth.

Publication type: RePack by xatab
Release year: 2018
Flooded on: torrent (15.8Kb)


At the beginning of the game, the player can choose one of several races, each with their own perks and traits. They then gain control of a fledgling empire, which they must expand by conquering systems. Each system has 4 planets, with their own environment, climate, statistics (i.e. production, food, etc.), and sometimes anomalies. Anomalies can be explored using a research ship and provide buffs to the entire system. Planet stats decide how efficient planets are, while environment decides whether a planet is colonizable or not.

Release year: 2017
Flooded on: torrent (18.8Kb)


Osiris: New Dawn is an open-world science fiction survival video game developed by Fenix ​​Fire and published by Reverb Triple XP. It was released on September 28, 2016 and is due to be released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2017.

Publication type: Early Access
Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (11.4Kb)


Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game was released worldwide on May 5, 2017 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

In Prey the player controls Morgan as he explores the Talos I space station in orbit around Earth-Moon L2, where research is being conducted on a hostile alien collector called Typhon. When Typhon escapes prison, the player uses a variety of weapons and abilities gained from Typhon to avoid being killed by aliens while trying to escape the station. The player gains access to sections of the station through Metroidvania style progression, acquiring key items and abilities, ultimately allowing the player to fully explore the station in an open world setting.

Publication type: RePack by R.G. Mechanics
Release year: 2017
Flooded on: torrent (35.3Kb)


The company that created such a masterpiece as “Don"t Starve!” offers its players a new creation called “Oxygen Not Included”. The essence of the game is to build a colony in the depths of an asteroid. The game is made in a vertical two-dimensional form and is filled with perky humor. your colony developed and did not die, in addition to extracting the basic elements: water, food and oxygen, you have to build many structures, and you need to do this by carefully thinking through their location.

Publication type: ALPHA (Early Access)
Release year: 2017
Flooded on: torrent (10.5Kb)


Star Trek: Bridge Crew is a space simulator game developed by Red Storm studio exclusively for VR devices.
You will take on the role of one of the crew members of the USS Aegis spaceship and go in search of a new home for the surviving population of the destroyed planet Vulcan.
The game is entirely based on the “restart” by J.J. Abrams, therefore, among the stated features are not only high realism, but also maximum cinematography of the scenes demonstrated in Star Trek: Bridge Crew.
And the key to success in completing missions can only be the well-coordinated work of the entire team.

Release year: 2017
Status: in developing


Halo Wars 2- a real-time strategy game in which players team armies from a bird's eye view of the battlefield. Like Halo Wars, the game includes two playable factions: humanity's main military arm the United Nations Space Command (UNSC), who return from the first game, and a new alien faction known as the Exiles, who serve as replacements for the Pact. Each faction has different leader units. The campaign mode consists of thirteen missions and will support cooperative gameplay. Combat in Halo Wars 2 is balanced by a "rock-paper-scissors" counter-attack system, in which ground vehicles are effective against infantry, infantry are effective against aircraft, and aircraft are effective against vehicles.

Release year: Closed by copyright holder
Status: distribution does not exist


Sol 0: Mars Colonization is a real-time strategy game where you establish the first Martian colony. From the first human footprints on Martian soil to a thriving and self-sustaining colony, Sol 0 imagines up close the technologies of the future, using which may be available within the next few decades. Make the use of minerals and resources across the surface of Mars expand from the first exploration rover to the independent frontier.

Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (19.8Kb)


House of the Dying Sun is an excellent space shooter with the unique ability to switch between control of an entire fleet and an individual ship. Essentially, you can pause, consider the actions of your fleet, give orders and board the selected ship to continue the battle in first person. Fight, get money and upgrade your fleet. This game will delight all fans of space battle simulators.

Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (20.5Kb)


A small company, System Era, presented an original open-world arcade game in 2015. You need to explore the planet and develop its infrastructure: collect resources, build bases and laboratories, lay roads through rock, develop new areas, and so on.

Astroneer is a huge sandbox with random generation of planets. It’s the 25th century and a new “gold rush” has swept over humanity, only this time you will be going to uncharted planets for valuable resources. Space travel has become commonplace and a good way to earn money.

Publication type: Early Access
Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (15.2Kb)


No Man's Sky

Publication type: Repack from =nemos=
Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (19.7Kb)


The cult 4X space strategy game is back! The new chapter of the legendary Master of Orion saga is ready to once again capture the imagination of millions of players Master of Orion: Revenge of Antares download torrent in Russian.

Loyal fans will be happy to know that the revival of the game is being carried out under the close attention of the developers of the previous parts of the series, together with NGD Studios from Buenos Aires!

Publication type: License
Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (11.8Kb)


Iceberg Interactive has announced that it will publish Dawn of Andromeda- global real-time space strategy from Gray Wolf Entertainment. The game is described as "believable" as well as "fun, addictive and accessible."

Dawn of Andromeda will allow players to play as an emperor who builds an empire by colonizing new planets, interacting with other factions and characters, researching new technologies and building powerful fleets. "Explore a galaxy filled with diverse factions, criminals, traders, pirate clans and mercenaries, as well as anomalies, black holes, ancient artifacts, ruins and much more. Arriving in a new system, you may discover new opportunities or open Pandora's Box"

Publication type: Early Access v.7.2
Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (14.6Kb)


Universe Sandbox² is a physics-based space simulator that lets you create, destroy, and interact on an incredible scale.

It brings together gravity, climate, collision and material interactions in real time to reveal the beauty of our Universe and the fragility of our planet. Universe Sandbox 2 is the long-awaited continuation of the original sandbox universe.

Publication type: Alpha 19.2
Release year: 2015
Flooded on: torrent (11.1Kb)


Is a procedurally generated open world game No Man's Sky. Players take on the role of a planetary explorer from a ship, allowing them to explore the surface of numerous planets and interact with flora and fauna, and take to space, engaging in combat with hostile forces and traveling to other planets. The planets and other features of this universe are procedurally generated; Although initially built around a 32-bit number of processors, the final game will use a 64-bit seeding key, with the developers stating that this allows for more than 18 quintillion possible planets.

Publication type: Repack from =nemos=
Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (12.9Kb)


"The oldest and most powerful emotion of mankind is fear and the oldest and most powerful type of fear is the fear of the unknown." -H.P. lovecraft

As soon as humanity managed to move through space at near-light speed, a colonial expedition was organized and sent to habitable planets. You will become a participant in the second such expedition. Unfortunately, your team ends up on a harsh planet where they will have to try hard to survive. In addition to the harsh climate, hostile alien life will also await you. Will you be able to create a colony in difficult conditions, or will your team be destroyed? Osiris: New Dawn is a survival action game on uncharted planets, with excellent graphics and the possibility of playing together with friends.

Publication type: Early Access v0.1.081
Release year: 2016
Flooded on: torrent (17.7Kb)


Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is the thirteenth game in the main line of Call of Duty shooters.

Players will once again have to visit the future, and a rather harsh one at that. Earth's resources have been completely depleted, so people have no choice but to go explore space in search of planets suitable for colonization. This process is led by the United Nations Alliance, which, however, has to face the onslaught of a radical group that intends to get its hands on the resources.

Since the events of Infinite Warfare unfold directly in space, air battles in the new Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Digital Deluxe Edition download torrent Russian version will become as integral a feature of the gameplay as the ground ones.

Publication type: License
Release year: Closed by copyright holder
Status: distribution does not exist

With the exception of starting a career as an astronaut or hitchhiking into deep space on an unmanned probe, computer games are the best and so far the only way available to humanity to leave Earth and go on a journey towards the unknown. Peaceful trade or pirate fishing in the vastness of the Milky Way, or escaping from a terrible alien monster on an abandoned orbital station - all this is on our list of the best games for PC, one way or another dedicated to space. From survival horror to grand strategy games to realistic simulators that allow you to live another life in orbit among a myriad of stars, there is something for everyone here.

One of the best single-player real-time strategy games ever released, it recently received a re-release from Gearbox studio, made with love for the original. The sight of thousands of player-controlled ships stretched out in a battle formation against the backdrop of colorful space landscapes is mesmerizing. The game's intense battles require a tactical approach, especially given the variety of ships in the game, from miniature fighters to colossal battleships. The Remastered Collection still holds its own and looks great on modern PCs, and is also bundled with the original Homeworld and its sequel.

In this large-scale and exciting simulator, an entire galaxy plays the role of an open and accessible world for exploration. Starting the game with a simple ship and a handful of credits, you become the master of your own destiny. Become a fearsome pirate? A famous merchant? Or an outstanding discoverer? The beauty of Elite Dangerous is that it gives the player complete freedom of action. Intense space battles or serene exploration of the nooks and crannies of space - here everyone can find something to their liking. On top of that, the ships in the game are simply fabulous: controlling the nimble fighters and massive cargo ships in Elite is definitely worth blowing off the dust from the old joystick.

Providing the opportunity to live a fulfilling life in space, EVE Online is an unparalleled MMORPG where the development of the world lies entirely in the hands of the players. This is a galaxy teeming with life, where thousands of capsule players fight, trade, mine resources, and explore the unknown side by side. Once you leave the confines of the relative safety of the police-patrolled launch system, you will find yourself in the middle of an uncompromising Wild West in a vacuum of space. Whether you prefer to fight in large-scale space battles, each of which consists of thousands of ships costing thousands of real dollars, or explore the vast expanses of New Eden alone, EVE will provide you with many unforgettable experiences.

Despite its minimalistic, retrofuturistic interface, Duskers is one of the most frightening modern sci-fi horror games on PC. In it, the player will need to take on the role of the pilot of a small “vehicle fleet” of drones, with their help searching abandoned ships in search of fuel, spare parts and threads to understand why the unknown galaxy in which the main character finds himself is completely devoid of life. However, almost completely: the ships being explored are infested with creepy and aggressive creatures, which makes moving through their dark, narrow corridors an unexpectedly stressful experience.

Point-and-click adventure game from LucasArts, for some reason never received due recognition. A mission to deflect the flight path of an asteroid threatening to collide with the Earth turns into a disaster for the participants: due to mysterious circumstances, they find themselves in a distant and lifeless world. Some of the game's mysteries are difficult to understand, even by LucasArts standards, but the colorful and bizarre planet that serves as the setting is one of the most compelling extraterrestrial worlds of all time. Special mention is due to the voice acting with The X-Files and Terminator star Robert Patrick in the title role.

A space god simulator that allows you to control exact 3D copies of real galaxies and star systems and observe the catastrophic results of your intervention. You can start your interstellar experiments by increasing the mass of Jupiter to such a value that all other objects in the solar system will begin to revolve around it, or by completely removing the Sun, which will lead to the scattering of the Earth and other planets in different directions.

Drifting alone around Jupiter in an old spaceship, your only hope of returning home is connecting with an artificial intelligence suffering from severe emotional disturbances. You will have to communicate with Kaizen exclusively through the keyboard, and if you choose the right words and arguments, then in the end he will agree to cooperate. Only to suddenly change his mind the next moment and close the external airlock, leaving the player suffocating from lack of oxygen outside the ship. Overall, it's a thoughtful adventure game with a subtle '70s sci-fi style.

If you've ever imagined yourself in the role of Captain Kirk, commanding his own ship, coming into contact with various types of alien aliens and making difficult decisions that will affect the survival of the crew, then Mass Effect 2 gives you the opportunity to experience all this and more. Combining elements of Star Wars-inspired space opera with a plot that rivals the best Star Trek episodes, Mass Effect 2 is one of the best sci-fi games on PC. It has a rather linear story and does not have the freedom of choice that Elite is famous for, but instead the on-rails plot takes the player on an unforgettable journey through the galaxy, including visiting phantasmagoric planets and communicating with their peculiar inhabitants. In principle, the entire Mass Effect series is worthy of mention on this list, but our choice fell on the second part.

In this spine-chilling survival horror, Amanda, daughter of Ellen Ripley from the Original Cinematic Universe, hides in a falling apart space station from a relentlessly pursuing xenomorph. As a large-scale homage to Ridley Scott's 1979 film, the game set the benchmark for slowly building tension. The Sevastopol station itself is designed in the style of low-budget science fiction and is replete with bulky retrofuturistic technological devices and terrifying flashing lights. The developers managed to present the world with one of the most bona fide live-action film adaptations of all time, but at the same time, Alien: Isolation remains an outstanding representative of horror even if you take away its rich cultural baggage aimed at fans.

This is not to say that No Man’s Sky lived up to all the expectations placed on it, but nevertheless, you can still spend many exciting hours in its procedurally generated galaxy. Its sci-fi setting is one of the most aesthetically distinctive, and the ability to jump from outer space to a planet's atmosphere without loading screens is a pretty impressive technical feat. Of course, the planets here are still empty and lifeless, but the ability to build bases, introduced in the recent Foundation update, brings some variety to the activities on their surface.

A rare chance to step into the shoes of a George Lucas space opera villain. Given the unique storyline and variety of missions performed as an Imperial Stormtrooper - including combat between fighters, escorting VIPs and attacks on capital ships - this is one of the best LucasArts games dedicated to the Star Wars universe. Basically, the same could be said about Star Wars: X-Wing, if only playing as the Rebel Alliance forces wasn't so boring. A separate advantage of this line of space simulators is the fact that they have all received re-releases from GOG.com and are compatible with modern computers.

In FTL, the player takes on the role of the captain of a Star Trek-style spaceship, which will have to be controlled through gameplay that combines elements of turn-based and real-time strategy. A solid roguelike action game takes place in a painfully familiar, but no less fascinating sci-fi setting. Full of low-key humor, additional quests, unexpected encounters and plot twists make every attempt to achieve the final goal exciting and unique. And the ability to give your own names to the crew members and the ship makes you really worry about their fate when they find themselves in yet another dangerous situation in the depths of hostile space.

Fans of the series are unlikely to ever stop arguing about which part of Wing Commander is the best, but our choice fell on Privateer due to its darker atmosphere. This is a sandbox rich in possibilities, allowing you to become a mercenary, a pirate, a merchant - or something in between these three options. Most of the gameplay consists of hopping between systems in search of wanted criminals to capture and cargo ships to loot, but it's worth it - the space combat here excites the imagination. The plot is built linearly, but this does not take away the player’s freedom of action and choice.

Defy gravity and the laws of physics as you try to build your own spaceship and explore space! It's a deep, complex and entertaining sandbox, full of both fun and science-based possibilities. The first successful liftoff from the surface of the planet Kerbin and landing on its moon Moon using a ship designed by oneself is one of the most magical sensations that can be obtained while spending time in a computer game.

At the time of this list, ambitious space simulator Star Citizen has raised an incredible $183 million through crowdfunding. This money will be used to develop a grandiose game, the action of which will unfold in a vast, interconnected universe. And Luke Skywalker personally took part in the voice acting of one of the game modes - Squadron 42 (more precisely, Mark Hamill, who played him). Star Citizen is still far from its official release, but some of its playable elements are already available to participants in the crowdfunding campaign.

Take On Mars from Bohemia, the developer studio behind the well-known Arma, is an ideal choice for those who prefer a more scientific approach to simulators - the process of space exploration here is based on real astrophysics. In it you can build a Mars rover a la Curiosity and use it to study the surface of the red planet or build your own lunar base. In general, this is a game for people who prefer science without a dash of science fiction.

Combining real-time strategy and 4X elements, Sins is all about galactic conquest. Choose a faction, accumulate enough forces and resources and become the all-powerful ruler of space. Slowly managing large-scale battles in real time is exciting, but the game's capabilities are not limited to this: you can also expand your influence through diplomacy.

To get the most out of this game, you will need 3 to 6 friends. Each player takes control of one of the ships, responsible for different functions - production, research, resource extraction, and so on. To defeat your enemies, you will need to act together, under the strict guidance of a pre-appointed captain. Essentially, this game gives you the opportunity to take the Kobayashi Maru test from Star Trek right in your own room - and it's simply priceless.

Basically Minecraft in space or something. The gameplay consists of extracting building materials from asteroids and making space bases and ships from them. Asteroid exploration is carried out using jetpacks or gravity generators pre-built on them. This is one of the best cooperative construction simulators, which, moreover, constantly receives updates from the developers.

Thanks to the rich tools of the ship design editor, capturing space has never been so creative. And due to the deep and multifaceted artificial intelligence of opponents, each gaming session can drag on for many weeks. To achieve your goal, you will have to form alliances, participate in grandiose space battles and maintain a balance between economic, technological and cultural development. In this way, the game is reminiscent of the Civilization series, while having a much greater scope.

Gameplay in this turn-based strategy game from prolific indie studio Blendo (particularly known for Thirty Flights of Loving) moves in 30-second bursts. Give all the necessary orders in pause mode, and then watch the battle unfold until one of the parties involved is completely destroyed. With a relaxing, classical soundtrack that includes songs like Chopin's "Raindrops" prelude, and an original visual style, this is one of the more unconventional games on this list. In-game advisers in the form of schizoid space dogs serve as a humorous outlet for the military action.

A survival simulator in the spirit of Terraria in a sci-fi setting. In this wonderful sandbox you have to fly between randomly generated planets on a spaceship, hunt alien creatures for food, build colonies and underground bases, trying not to die in the process (which is not always possible). The list of playable races includes sentient robots, entities composed of solar energy, ape-like creatures and wingless anthropomorphic birds.

SpaceEngine will allow you to experience all the delights of an existential crisis and feel small and insignificant, as the events of the game unfold on the scale of the entire universe - or, in any case, the part of it known to us. Taking off from Earth and accelerating the engines to full speed, you quickly realize that you are just a speck of dust rushing through an endless void. The variety and elaboration of technologies in the game, allowing you to travel between galaxies and land on planets, is amazing. But, unfortunately, aside from exploring the vast open world, this game doesn’t have much else to offer.

A modern take on the arcade classic Lunar Lander in the form of a unique low-gravity flight simulator. It's not as multifaceted as some of the sims presented here, but the process of fighting the laws of physics presented in it to try to deliver cargo or land on a planet is implemented at an unprecedented level. On top of that, this is one of the best space games for VR headsets, so it's definitely worth a look for anyone with an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.

While most space simulators use regular airplane physics, FreeSpace takes a more realistic approach, resulting in responsive, weightless controls. The game's combat is similar to World War II fighter dogfights in zero gravity, making it one of the best space combat simulators for PC. We are sure that your first battle within the picturesque nebula will be an unforgettable experience for you.

Space simulators are not for everyone. This axiom does not depend on the genre, year of release, graphics or ease of control. The fact is that gamers treat game projects about space with some distrust and do not want to waste their time flying in outer space. Just look at the most popular games, whether measured by online player count or digital copy sales, and you won't notice space simulators there. We don’t take Star Citizen into account, because this game is above all laws, rules and regulations.

The most popular games today are League of Legends, Dota 2, with their “Battle Royale” and all multiplayer products of this type. They gain their fame for a lot of reasons, but they certainly deserve it. Everyone wants to come home or to a computer club, sit down at the computer and fight. To somehow express yourself, throw out negative emotions, communicate with friends and receive moral satisfaction from this. Space simulators provide a slightly different experience, which makes them not so popular among gamers.

Plus, space simulators, and games related to space in general, have two key problems that prevent them from becoming so widespread and popular.

First reason- difficulty in implementation. Creating a map for CS:GO or League of Legends is quite difficult; you need to think through many details and moments, draw graphics, test and release. However, this is a certain set of elements that will be polished and not touched again. Now imagine how much effort and time it takes to create at least a solar system. Create planets, organize locations, textures, animals, vegetation on these planets, add some activities or simply make them more or less interesting.

Now let's add transport to the planets - we need a ground version, aircraft, various spaceships and everything like that. If the game is built on the basis of exploring the galaxy, then you need to come up with a lot of mechanics, details and graphical components. As a result, it is much easier to create a shooter than to develop a really good game about space.

The second reason- popularity is lower than cliched shooters and MOBAs. Yes, now many EVE Online fans will say that space simulators have a huge audience, but even the coolest and longest-running EVE online at its peak was 50 thousand people. For comparison, Dota 2 is now in decline and 400 thousand people online are considered a meager figure, while two million people log in to PUBG every day. Naturally, the developers don’t have much desire to create a heavy project about space, when it will still have ten times fewer players than the modern version of the mod for WarCraft. And, if there are few players, then it will be more difficult to get a decent profit.


Because of these two difficulties, there are indeed very, very few space-themed game projects on the market. There are various indie games where only the name remains of space, there are games from the 2000s where the graphics have been redone and now play on the feelings of the older generation. There are quite a few powerful and interesting products that I would like to play. Today I will talk about five games that, in my personal opinion, are the best representatives of their genre.

Plus, after the main part of the article there will be a bonus for those who want to play something about space, but do not want it to be the basis of the entire gameplay.

EVE Online

I think even if you've never played EVE Online, you've definitely heard of it. Data constantly flashes online about the cost of ships destroyed during a battle for some important resource, a planet, or simply during a clan war. And, it seems to me, this is a shining example of a really good and complete game about space, with all the attendant possibilities.


There are a lot of active players here, minding their own business - building an economy, extracting resources, building ships, earning money, communicating, developing development strategies, and even waging political battles. Yes, this game has its own politics, its own strong clans, and they are constantly fighting for resources, benefits, advantageous locations and territories.

The game was released back in 2003. Just imagine - the game from 2003 is still played to this day, while the online presence is even growing a little and the players are not at all planning to move somewhere. The number of active subscribers (more on subscription a little later) is 330 thousand people, from 15 to 50 thousand people are constantly online. And, most importantly, they all play on one common server. Imagine - 50 thousand people on one server. In 2016, the developer received $86 million in profit, which means that the project will be developed and attracted more and more new users.


The game is free, but you won't be able to play for a long time without a paid subscription. The fact is that the free version has a number of restrictions on the character level and equipment that you can use, so it will be unrealistic to play comfortably without a subscription. It is worth noting the price tag for an annual subscription - $131. And, most importantly, even if you pay $10 a month for access to the game, no one guarantees you success, victories in battles or a sea of ​​resources. You can explore space with an empty pocket all this year and pay the cost of two AAA games just for the opportunity to use all the project's capabilities.


However, this is the largest space game in history. A huge number of players, ships that will take your breath away, real economics and politics, a myriad of opportunities for self-realization in various areas of virtual life. If you want to sit seriously and for a long time at the helm of a spaceship, then EVE Online will give you everything you could want.


It is worth understanding that the game is quite complex and requires you to explore not only the game world, but also mechanics, economic features, interaction with other players, and performing routine tasks. If you want to fly around the galaxy and fight a couple of enemies, close the game and go on about your business - this game is not for you. Absolutely not for you.


Pros:
  • 15-50 thousand people on the server;
  • a virtual world of unimaginable size;
  • many ships;
  • politics, economics, society;
  • a serious, full-fledged game about space.
Minuses:
  • costs $131 per year;
  • There is no point in playing for free;
  • delving into it is long and difficult;
  • even with a subscription you need to work like Papa Carlo;
  • cool ship costs as much as a used car.
May not like:
  • the game takes a lot of time;
  • you need to play for years;
  • politics and economics are more important than battles.

Elite: Dangerous

A game that has earned a very mixed reaction from users. The fact is that the developers promised gamers a lot of opportunities and a rich life throughout almost the entire Milky Way, but in reality only small areas of the overall map turned out to be truly populated. Agree, when you are promised enemies, traders and explorers on every planet, behind every asteroid and solar system, and you fly for a couple of hours in search of at least someone alive, the sensations spoil.


But let's not talk about sad things. This project was released in 2014 and the developers are really working to make the game more enjoyable for you. Constant updates, patches, free add-ons and a cool plot line will bring you a lot of positive emotions literally in the first minutes of playthrough.

It is worth making a clarification - the game allows you to play independently, without other people; you can play co-op with friends; you can play the multiplayer version of the project.


The first two options for passing are clear - you fly alone or in the company of friends, fight, explore planets, extract resources, enjoy open space and limitless possibilities. But, sooner or later, you will want to plunge online and the sensations will change dramatically. Yes, no one has been to the most distant planets, and if you fly a little further than the zone of main activity, you will search for a living player for hours. If you stay in the high-activity sector, you get a very vigorous space simulator.


You might get robbed. Or you and your friends can rob a single person, take all his goods and then do nothing until you catch the target again. You can explore planets, go down to them (you need to pay for the DLC to do this) and drive across endless planets, collecting valuable supplies. You can just fly and watch beautiful landscapes, visit the most interesting planets and relax.


There are really a lot of activities, but the online presence here is noticeably lower and the game is not available by subscription. This is a significant difference from EVE Online - where players pay ten bucks a month and don’t want this money to just disappear. Here, users are not so motivated by achievements, wars and the economy, since the game can be bought for ridiculous money on sale and receive content for many years in a row.


But the entry threshold here is much lower. You are immediately given a ship, given a thousand credits, and then you fly around space, fight, complete tasks and develop, improve the ship, receive more complex tasks and create your own adventures.


Pros:
  • low entry threshold;
  • on sale you can get it for $10;
  • no subscription;
  • three game modes;
  • there is no need to invest in donation.
Minuses:
  • the Milky Way is 95% empty;
  • there is no important social component;
  • the players are not that serious;
  • landing on the planet for DLC priced at $20.
May not like:
  • sandbox without a plot;
  • the planets are bare and boring;
  • New mechanics have been introduced for years.

No Man Sky

After the official release of the game, it became clear that No Man Sky is not what the developers promised us. Actually, because of this, such a storm of negativity arose, which can only be compared with the recent events around Star Wars Battlefront 2.


The fact is that the developers, as usual, promised a lot of things. In particular, they promised players the endless expanses of the galaxy, where each planet would be unique, and its flora and fauna would not be repeated. At every interview, the creators talked about a special formula that creates millions and billions of planets for the player with a unique shape, color and features.

And, although Sean Murray also lied in this regard, the two main lies are different.

First lie - the game world will be so huge, diverse and multifaceted that two friends playing the game will never be able to meet on, say, the same planet. It is because of this that the developers put pressure on the fact that it would be more interesting to play alone, because you will never meet your friend - the world is too big and you are separated by enormous distances. But in just two hours of play, players were able to get to the same planet, visit the same locations, and even communicate with non-player characters who gave the same quests and dialogues. That is, the world is not that big here.

Second lie - multiplayer game. It is because of this that the game was returned to stores by thousands of users. It is because of this that the game will never reach even an average rating on Steam. It is because of this that the game is called the biggest deception in the gaming industry of the twenty-first century.

During interviews, the developers repeatedly said that the game is multiplayer and although you will not be able to find your friend in a huge galaxy, you will meet other players and interact somehow. It's just a single player game. There's not even co-op here, just a game for one person. Imagine that you've been waiting for a game for years, hoping that you're about to set off with your friends on a spaceship across the galaxy in search of adventure and riches, only to be told that in reality this won't happen.


After such a negative start, you might think that the game didn’t improve for me and how did it even get to the top. However, if we ignore all these speeches from the creators of the product, the expectations of users and the criticism of angry fans, then the game is very cool.

We have a really big virtual world. It’s not so big that you’ll spend hours flying from planet to planet, but you can’t fly across the galaxy in a couple of minutes, there are decent distances, solar systems and everything like that.


The planets are large, populated and more or less unique. It is worth understanding that all planets and flora and fauna were created according to a set of templates and a formula. If you play for twenty hours, then you already notice the similarities between the planets; after a hundred hours, nothing new will be shown. On the other hand, the planets are interesting, you can land on them, collect resources, look at the surroundings and fly further to explore wondrous worlds.


Let's not forget about tasks, various kinds of dialogues and stories, the possibility of upgrading a ship or purchasing a new aircraft. It’s all there, it’s implemented quite cool, and if you didn’t expect something like multiplayer from the game, then you’ll like it much more than EVE Online or Elite: Dangerous. Still, flying between planets, exploring them, extracting resources manually, completing tasks and enjoying unrealistically beautiful landscapes is much more interesting than engaging in politics or wandering through deserted locations in search of opponents to fight.

Pros:

  • huge open world;
  • inhabited planets;
  • tasks, dialogues, stories;
  • ship improvements;
  • the freedom of action.
Minuses:
  • lies from the developers;
  • disappointment of the century;
  • don't play with friends.
May not like:
  • it gets boring after a hundred hours;
  • where are people?

Star Citizen

The Star Citizen project holds the record for raising funds for development, but many consider the game a scam. Actually, there are reasons for this and quite compelling ones, but whether you believe it or not is another question. Fundraising for the development of this space simulator began in 2012 and continues to this day, but the developers have not shown a full-fledged product; there is only a tiny fraction of the promised content.


The fact is that on the Kickstarter platform the developers asked for a little more than two million dollars to create their incredibly cool project. Having collected more than four million, the team began creating the first module (part) of the game, simultaneously selling content on their website, by purchasing which you get access to the game immediately after release. That is, the fundraising continued, although the amount collected was twice the required amount.

Only in 2013 was the first part of the project shown - a hangar module in which you could monitor your ship, upgrade it, and so on. Just think about it - for a whole year the studio, consisting of two offices in Austin and Los Angeles with four million dollars in hand, created a hangar in which you can only look at the ship and repaint it, add some elements. During this period, EA may release a new Need For Speed ​​with hundreds of cars and tuning, for example.


The release of alpha version 3.0 was scheduled for early 2017. The amount that the developers managed to collect exceeded $170 million. However, in the five years since the start of fundraising, the game has not left the alpha version and we were given only four moons from the promised galaxy.


At the moment, players have gained access to some content, which, although very far from what the developers promised, but it already looks cool. We have four moons (not to be confused with the Earth's satellite - the Moon), there is a decent distance between them and you can move between objects by jumping into hyperspace. Yes, just like in Star Wars, when the stars around you stretch into lines and you cover enormous distances in a matter of moments.


In addition, upon arrival in the orbit of the moon, you can explore it on your aircraft, fly around the space object and choose the most suitable place to land. The size of the moons is truly impressive, and even flying over the surface of one such satellite requires a lot of time. After exploring the landscape, you can land on the surface and go on a journey - for this there is a special vehicle on six wheels.

True, there are only a couple of interesting locations on the moon, while approximately 98% of the surface is of no interest at all. Desert locations with rare craters and hills that will get boring within ten minutes of the trip. You can search for secret places and a base with its own population, NPCs and quests.


That is, today the project allows you to jump between four moons, drive along the desert surface of each of them, plus spend an unforgettable five minutes at the bases; there is nothing longer to do there. There are also repair stations, but they are also not very interesting.

At the same time, you can only play at adequate 30 frames per second on an empty server. If two or three more people enter the server, then FPS drops to 10-20 and does not rise higher, even if your computer costs five thousand dollars. The problem is in the network code - it is not optimized at all for computers with current capacities.


A fact that caused distrust in the entire project as a whole were changes in the rules for refunding users who bought ships and sets in Star Citizen. Previously, the rules stated that if the game was not released 18 months after the specified release date, “investors” would receive all their funds back. Now the rules have changed dramatically - funds cannot be returned until the team has completely stopped developing the game. Simply put, as long as the studio says that development is underway, you can wait at least ten years for a refund.


Players are simply afraid that the developers are deliberately delaying development and investing as much effort as is necessary to further earn money from the sale of ships. After all, apart from modest and boring moons with a hangar for repairs, nothing else was implemented over such a long period and with such huge money on hand. Naturally, investors are worried about their $45 (now this is the minimum amount for access to the game) and too many factors indicate that they are worried for good reason.

However, if the game is released in full form, then this will be the end of absolutely all space simulators, and most online projects of other genres too. The developers have already shown a completely seamless virtual world with the ability to board a ship and explore space without obstacles. In the future, we are promised the opportunity to land on any planet, collect resources or complete a quest, they promise cities with characters, housing, entertainment and work. And I’m not talking about such things as battles in space, ships, modifications, and so on.


The game really has a lot of ambitions, and if it is brought to fruition, it will be possible to explore space on your own, with friends, fight or trade, work and enjoy activities that are not available in real life or other games. Only for its ambitions and what the developers show in their modules and videos for social networks, the game was called the best and most modern project.

Just imagine a game where you board your ship, fly through a dozen solar systems, fly to one of the planets, land (without loading or tearing), fight with other players for resources, fly away and move on. Into outer space, where there are no obstacles. Sounds damn good if it were still optimized for a smooth gaming experience and given a little more content.


Pros:
  • the most ambitious game in history;
  • $170 million for development;
  • open space without loading screens;
  • hundreds of activities and hobbies;
  • many variations of ships and equipment.
Minuses:
  • for five years of development only an alpha version;
  • 10-20 FPS;
  • four desert moons with no content;
  • buy a ship and let's let you play.
May not like:
  • We may not live to see the release version.

Space Engineers

The game Space Engineers for me is a kind of improved version of Minecraft - here you also need to build structures, extract resources, but it’s really difficult to build something sensible. It’s enough just to open the Internet and look at the projects of various types of aircraft that players created in the game, and it becomes clear that the word “engineer” is written in the title for a reason. The designs are complex, they require an understanding of the circuits and features of some mechanisms, you need to calculate the engine power for the size of the ship and stuff like that.


The developers have taken on the very difficult task of creating a space simulator, in which the system for designing and assembling a spaceship will be thought out in great detail, a system of landing on planets and asteroids for extracting resources will be implemented, plus the process of interaction between players. For a small development studio this is a very difficult task, but they are gradually mastering it and this is pleasing.

Space Engineers has already been optimized so that you can play on your not very powerful computer and enjoy it with a stable frame rate without lags. At the time of the release of the project in the early access stage it was almost impossible to play, but now even on a mid-level computer the picture is quite pleasant. An endless virtual world opens up before you with such a range of possibilities that it will take your breath away.


You can get confused and find designs for huge ships online, then repeat the idea in the game, somehow change the design of the aircraft or redo the design. Very popular in this game are copies of spaceships from Star Wars, for example, which are very interesting to collect and you can always come up with something of your own. If you're not interested, you can quickly assemble a couple of ships with your friends and push them against each other, look at the beautiful destruction and have a good laugh.


The developers managed to create a project about space, in which it is equally interesting to spend time both on your own and in the company of friends or other users you don’t know. As for me, this is the most important component, because when your pleasure does not depend on the popularity of the product or the number of users on the network, it is much more enjoyable to play.


Pros:
  • ship design;
  • manual assembly of aircraft;
  • a lot of mechanisms;
  • open space with all the laws of physics;
  • the project is constantly updated and refined;
  • there are hundreds of guides on the Internet for assembling the coolest ships;
  • You can collect the Death Star.
Minuses:
  • optimization is not perfect yet;
  • not very user-friendly interface;
  • complex mechanisms;
  • building a ship takes a lot of time.
May not like:
  • there are no mechanics for fun;
  • There is also no need to communicate with other players.

Games closely related to space

Star Wars: Battlefront II
A game that received so much negativity at the start that now one can only hope that DICE will take on projects on this topic again. Loot boxes have led to refunds for digital copies, hundreds of videos have been shot online and even more negative reviews have been written. All this tarnished the reputation of a game that can give you a much more positive feeling from conquering space than many products focused entirely on this idea.


I mean space battles - they are thought out very well and playing in space on a rebel fighter, or destroying everyone on an imperial ship, is quite cool and against the backdrop of these sensations you can even forget about the boxes. Indeed, the battle mode between spaceships here looks as vibrant as possible, players do unimaginable things with ships, and if you are a fan of all this and the theme of shootouts in space is close to you, then Star Wars: Battlefront II will give you the best multiplayer battles on space fighters on the video game market.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Another game that was shattered by negative comments from reviewers, users and critics. Everyone expected something in the spirit of the old school from the project, while the developers from BioWare decided to go a different route and show more mechanics and a new story. It’s a pity that under the pressure of criticism, Mass Effect: Andromeda failed in sales and it is now reliably known that the entire franchise has been frozen indefinitely.


I won’t say my opinion about the product as a whole, it’s no longer important, but the implementation of space research here is fantastic. You find a new system, scan each planet manually, find the information you need and move further along the storyline. Sometimes we are given the opportunity to go to the planet itself and explore its territory on an all-terrain vehicle, look for resources, enemies and secret places. Plus, there aren't many games where you can have a relationship with a girl of alien origin.

This is already the third AAA-class project that has felt a mountain of negativity, not entirely deservedly, as it seems to me. Still, if you look at the storyline, game mechanics and graphics, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare seems even more attractive than Call of Duty: WWII. But that's not what we're talking about now.

This installment of the famous franchise has some of the best space combat I've seen. Of course, Battlefront II goes far ahead here, but COD also has something to answer. Well-developed controls, vigorous shootouts with dozens of opponents, dangerous turns and huge maps with a lot of small objects in outer space. Yes, it’s worth saying that these battles are implemented only in the storyline and some tasks seem drawn out, but, in general, in terms of space battles, this part of the shooter was really pleasing. I think no one expected such a good implementation of this gameplay element from the project.

EVE: Valkyrie

The article ends with one of the most advanced games in general on the gaming market, not only in the space simulator genre. The EVE: Valkyrie project was not initially perceived by players as something serious and exciting, and this is a VR game, that is, you also need to buy a helmet for it.

Now we can say with confidence that this project is the reason why a gamer will buy a virtual reality helmet. A very colorful, bright and rich implementation of space battles, with almost complete immersion on the part of the player, allows you to completely forget about ordinary games with a mouse and keyboard/gamepad.


This game is the future of the industry, a shining example of how we will play in five years. If you really wanted to look at virtual reality, but did not notice any worthy games for which you could buy an expensive toy, then take a closer look at this simulator. It will satisfy even the most sophisticated users.

Kerbal Space Program

I can't call Kerbal Space Program just a game. This is a vivid example of how the virtual world can be as close as possible in terms of the laws of physics to the real world, and how a game about little green men can motivate the study of science more than the educational system. The developers give you such incredible scope for imagination and engineering ideas that it’s simply impossible to explain it in a nutshell.


However, I'll try. Why is this game so interesting? We have a team of carbonauts and the task is to get to some planet, conduct our research and return home. Moreover, throughout this entire chain, success will depend solely on you and no one will land the rocket or take off for you. You need to completely design the aircraft, design its take-off module, take off from the Earth (this does not always work out) and go into space. Let's add to this the calculation of the flight trajectory to the desired point and the trajectory of return to the home planet. And, of course, landing.

Sometimes it takes hundreds of take-off attempts to realize one successful rocket. A lot of mistakes, failures and problems force you to read relevant literature, look at photos of real rockets, watch videos about the launch of real shuttles into space. Studying physics and astronomy and technical knowledge helps a lot. This is not just a toy for those who want to shoot at enemies in the evening, it requires thinking, studying and enlightenment. Agree, you don’t know many games where you need to learn something from the real world and read books.

Interesting Facts:

  • In schools in Europe and the USA, the game is used for scientific projects in astronautics and physics.
  • NASA directly contacted the project developers and asked them to familiarize players with the 2020 program for capturing extraterrestrial bodies.
  • The developers of mods for Kerbal Space Program have created a ton of content and continue to do so.
  • On the Internet you can find detailed diagrams of a wide variety of rockets and assemble everything yourself.
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