20 Best Space Games That LET YOU EXPLORE & BUILD

[@WebbanationX]

I have never been more proud of a studio than Hello Games. Not taking the loot and running but instead doubling down and surpassing your vision is some next level sheeit

[@whozyourdaddy]

It's still boring as hell though.

[@NegativeROG]

They have truly earned their fantastic reputation at this point. They are heroes in my eyes.

[@michaelwesten4624]

why are you proud? of their mediocre game with still terrible ui and still borderline unplayable console port?

[@WebbanationX]

@@michaelwesten4624 which console port? I bought it on PS4 and it always both played fine and served the purpose I needed it to. It was a game I seldomly played but when I did it was in two to three weeks chunks. Every time I got the urge to go back, the game had changed entirely. They never stopped trying to make it better and I appreciate their efforts. It's unfortunate your time spent wasn't as enjoyable

[@NegativeROG]

@@michaelwesten4624 Michael, I'm getting serious "I shit my diaper and nobody will change me" vibes from you. Since that's the case, I've gotta ask: Did you shit your diaper?

[@HeronHQ]

You missed out on The X-Games. X4 is a huge space sandbox where you can build a huge empire or just pirate along, fight big wars, conquer whole systems, etc.

[@ericmann1781]

Seriously, I put thousands of hours into X3 and X4 combined, the choice of ships, number of races, things to build, etc, there's so much you can do it's ridiculous.

[@heythereimcloud2231]

love x4!!

[@control4230]

I've been playing since the original X-Beyond The Frontier, it's up there as one of my all time favourite franchises.

[@nl37tgt]

i'm probably gonna surpass 1000 hours in x4 soon. played x3 a lot too.

[@jclosed2516]

Fully agree!! I am playing the X series from the very first X-Beyond The Frontier in 1999. That's 25 years of playing this series. And if the theme of this video is Explore and Build space games, then this series really belong in here. I have no idea how he could missed that, and are seriously disappointed. With the latest updates, this series is really huge, and the developer is still expanding and improving. For me the X series, and thus X4 Foundations is the real successor to one of the first space games I played - Elite on the BBC-B computer somewhere in 1984.

[@dr.bherrin]

No Mans Sky gets maximum credit for 8 years of completely free updates. Pay once and done. That deserves a helluva lot of credit on it's own. Now, some titles you missed: Space Engineers - If you want more freedom that Starfield gives you to build a ship, but also bases and land vehicles, this is the game you want. Empyrion - Similar to Space Engineers but a little less complicated. Icarus - You spend your time on a a planet, but you live on a space station. You go down to complete mission, level up and gather resources, then go back to station and take a new mission. Industries of Titan: You run a corporation that is trying to establish outposts on Jupiter's Moon, Titan. You get space ships delivering supplies, try to find rare alien artifacts. It's a strategy building game. Starpoint Gemini - There are several Gemini games, but the most recent are similar to Everspace, and are great space combat games. Space Crew - My favorite on this list. It's very Star Trek like, without being Star Trek at all. You manage a crew on a ship, you have to move your people around to various tasks. If you have to attack, you need someone on guns, but maybe you have to not have someone at navigation. Or you need to man the guns, so you have to take someone away from Medical. Managing the ship crew and loadout for each mission it a big part of the game. Maybe you're retrieving a malfunctioning satellite, or maybe you have to destroy some pirate looting space lanes. It's not about high end graphics or cinematics, and that's good because the gameplay is what makes this game great.

[@jamesstevenson9056]

I was honestly about to complain in the comments about no man's sky not being included, but the I reached #1

[@stuartsales270]

I agree, cannot forget about Space Engineers.

[@michaelwesten4624]

why are you proud? of their mediocre game with still terrible ui and still borderline unplayable console port?

[@jamesstevenson9056]

@@michaelwesten4624 I've got it on xbox and switch and I love it!! (also why is there a random "?" after the word "proud"?)

[@DrMarjanTercelj]

No Man's Sky looks like completely new game with newest update. I should try it in VR.

[@DeepSeeker2809]

The redemption arc of No Man's Sky is something truly remarkable. For anyone reading this, if you can I urge you to buy the game and try it. I have sunk hundreds of hours into the game and it still has something new to offer. It has an incredibly helpful and thriving community to get guidance when stuck on things as well.

[@Gigi-fv9ky]

I bought it years ago but still haven’t played it. I need to do that. Thanks!

[@DeepSeeker2809]

@@Gigi-fv9ky Give it a try for sure! The intro part is a little slow but once you start jumping planets it gets awesome.

[@XentorAntarix]

I support no (not even redemtioned) scammers.

[@DoomsdayMayBeOkay]

What i really want is another space opera rpg like Mass Effect, that was peak sci-fi

[@Airyed]

@@DoomsdayMayBeOkay it's the dream just gonna have to keep doing the yearly playthroughs of the original trilogy and Andromeda till then!

[@mattmaas5790]

I honestly just wanted a followup to Dragon Age Inquisition but they're completely ruining the sequel.

[@K1ng69Floyd]

That is precisely what I was dreaming Starfield to be...

[@LandonDalis1984]

The first time I saw a space rpg shooter

[@eeriea7531]

That would be great. But the triology is not designed to enable building too much. I was surprised to see it on this list. Maybe Andromeda has some building, but overall they are all pretty cinematic, linear and closed, which are essential for their charms. (Personal stats: 108 hrs in ME LE, 66 hrs ME Andromeda.)

[@blackryan5291]

I really like Space Engineers. You can build soo many different things in that game. But its not a full game yet IMO. Very fun to play for people who enjoy building things

[@McCoy41]

there was also this cool event where people were building ships in Space Engineers that should have been then salvaged in Hardspace Shipbreaker :)

[@GwenActually]

Very surprised this wasn't in the list. It's definitely more space than Universim.

[@blackryan5291]

@@GwenActually I was surprised too. I was sure it would be included. If it was a bet I would have lost money lol

[@Velta_Nox]

This and also "Empyrion" if you want that similar SE game that focuses on more survival and exploration (even better with "Reforged Eden" mod).

[@blackryan5291]

@@Velta_Nox I have that game and it looks awesome. I'm sooo weird cause I buy games then they sit there. I got Witcher and played it for like 20 mins and then start playing SE or Jump in FruityLoops. Lately I been toying with Stable Diffusion. Empyrion looks sick though. Its a lot more survival in that game. It is dangerous outside.

[@slowerthinker]

There is nothing as satisfying in gaming as that first time you manage to successfully land softy on the surface of The Mun in "Kerbal Space Program". Also. There is nothing quite as frustrating as then realising that you didn't put a ladder on the side of your spaceship so your little green Kerbals can't get back in the rocket to go home again.

[@ubiergo1978]

I can tell you something more frustrating.... sending them to Mun, getting them back, and as you reenter... you see that you forgot to either, put a damn parachute... or you messed up with the sections and the engine is tied to the parachute so it's destroyed in the reenter.... xD

[@slowerthinker]

After seeing the tragic demise ~5 years ago of flat earther Mad Mike Hughes when he forgot to check the staging of the parachute on his home made rocket, the one thing I _never ever_ get wrong on my KSP rockets is the parachutes.

[@dorabrooks76]

Omg 😂😂😂

[@BillyOrBobbyOrSomething]

Just completed my mega orbital shipyard station that builds ships on-site with extraplanetary launchpads+simple construction mod. It has a bunch of ferry vessels to bring resources and crew between other stations and ground bases and enough life support to sustain a permanent crew for 2+ years at a time without resupply. There is NO other video game that will let me do this… let alone with realistic physics.

[@sithsquid1]

I could never figure out how to launch my rocket.

[@gsawcomic]

The trick is making the exploration interesting.

[@dv6342]

So the OPPOSITE of Starfield.

[@jamesprice371]

@@dv6342 "wide as an ocean deep as a puddle"

[@Lenariet]

So the opposite of NMS.

[@Patterner]

So the opposite of E::D.

[@elishamorgan]

Completely agree! And maintaining that interest across the time played. I hate feeling like I'm doing chores or I see the pattern too early

[@samburch]

Outer Wilds genuinely is one of the best games I’ve ever played and I’m almost 40. If you’ve never played it I promise you you’ll feel the same

[@FreeMeal4You]

Outer wilds is once in a lifetime experience. we are so lucky to play it. at least me

[@Orionn070]

Today I came back to No Man’s sky after two years. After playing I went to youtube and saw this video xD it is a sign that I made a good decision.

[@mobarakjama5570]

Same here, but it's one year for me and I'm loving it, 100+ and I'm still lost 😂

[@willdavis105]

@@Orionn070 do you guys really think it’s worth pushing through? I found it a bit dull when I tried it.

[@drayz9655]

@@willdavis105eh its kinda shit: started it and nothing made me wanna go thru with it all the way so theres that

[@jonathanlebon9705]

X4: Foundations Definitely worth an honourable mention. And R.I.P. "Fractured Space", the game which had the best soundscape or feeling of being in space.

[@celestialflea]

worth much more than an honourable mention.

[@efxnews4776]

​@@celestialfleaso much for that "explore and build"... Part of this is fault of Egosoft, we the players make most o the marketing for the game, because they don't invest i publicity...

[@celestialflea]

​@@efxnews4776 My channel is proof they invest a lot of energy in content creators. which is what'll make them the most money, not mass advertising to people who may or may not even care. Though granted they don't have the same budget as AAA studios, that's obviously going to restrict them in terms of what marketing options they have. That said, a large company/channel like gameranx has no excuse not to know about a game as popular with fans as the X series.

[@ZlothZloth]

@@efxnews4776 They market it - but you've got to be careful marketing a game like X4. It's a very niche game. If they spam out advertisements to the general gaming population, a ton of people will buy the game that won't have anything like enough time to spend on it, and the Steam review will nosedive.

[@KingShado69]

Prey 2017 is gonna give you more than enough space feel, especially from a technical view of how a space station works like and how floating in space with just a booster backpack would be like.

[@Seven-of-Nine]

Also dead space and alien isolation

[@BasiliskOne]

Prey is one of my all time favorite immersion sims.

[@arturpaivads]

I didnt believe when he didnt mentioned Prey and Outer Worlds.

[@efxnews4776]

I think you guys missed the "to explore and build" on the title... Dude left out X4 foundations wich is literally a 4x space empire bulding in first person, you can pilot space ships from fighters to massive capital ships, control fleets, build and control ships, conquer sectors, build space stations, mine, trade, fight all in a fully simulated galaxy. And you guys are expecting Prey on this list? Wich one by the way? The original Pre even had space vehicles...

[@KingShado69]

@@efxnews4776 well you can not build but you can explore.

[@1gbuzzin]

Mass Effect forever goated

[@2e1udnq]

Legendary tier. No other space game even comes close.

[@Spootington]

@4whwwta if you're in it for the exploration, Mass Effect falls flat on its arse. Everything else it does, it does exceptionally well.

[@efxnews4776]

​@@Spootingtondude, stop talking bs, Mass Effect is the Star Wars of videogames. There's absolutely no other game likely...

[@Spootington]

@@efxnews4776 Sorry, but planetary exploration was the weakest element of the series. And I say this as a fan.

[@efxnews4776]

@@Spootington buddy, there was no other game who did planetary exploration at that point like Mass Effect did, you can literally trace this trend among space sims of having planetary exploration straight to the Mass Effect, so yeah, maybe the exploration in Mass Effect, is weak now, but not when was launched...

[@t.fernbach602]

Starfield is the type of game you either hate or it takes your life. I wanted to uninstall it after 2 hours, 20 hours later I'm finishing a SIDE MISSION . Wild game.

[@mrwakacorp]

Starfield is the type of game you either love or you have actually played good video games before.

[@Nick39502]

I'm personally in team "hate it". I have tried 3 separate times to get into it, and I just can't. The stale dialogue, the non-existent free roam exploration, the absurd amount of loading screens, etc. etc. All of this is entirely involuntary, I'd love to love this game (especially because I preordered the deluxe edition, which I never do normally). But for me, it's genuinely one of the most unenjoyable games I've ever played.

[@Steel-101]

I’m over 200 hours in. Love it 😎👍🏼. I had to go with the classic space cowboy role. Freestar Rangers all the way!!

[@thegraydirewolf9325]

​@@mrwakacorp100%😂. That game will NEVER be considered a hit.

[@thegraydirewolf9325]

@@Steel-101 sorry to hear that.

[@bryguy9512]

Empyrion - Galactic Survival, We space nerds should check this game out as well. Micro level base and ship building, huge universe to explore, factions, land and space POI exploration, crafting, mods, and multi-player. EGS is a lot of fun too.

[@TedHunt-xm5su]

I was wondering if anyone would mention this game.

[@samueloadams]

Such a great game that gets missed by a lot of reviews

[@hollisyeano1397]

Aw The Outer Worlds didn't make it

[@dr.bherrin]

If it qualifies, then so does Fallout...and neither are really "space" games.

[@arturpaivads]

​@@dr.bherrinStarfield qualified. It obviously does. Youre hopping from planet to spaceship, and the whole theme of the game is space...

[@ModestPavement]

Underrated game, loved it.

[@abnormalitiesinreality6649]

@@arturpaivadsDamn dude, i have 300 hours in The Outer Worlds and dont remember having to “explore AND build” like the title of the list in the video suggests, its just an RPG where you have minimal exploration in the Borderlands-esque areas and hub zones, its more centered around the storytelling and rpg aspects. Of course Starfield will qualify because you can build settlements and build ships. Reading comprehension is absolutely lost on you dude

[@sinisterkitten.-6567]

​@@arturpaivads since when was the outer worlds starfield?

[@Muldaak]

How can you make a video like this and NOT have The X series? X4 is a Godsend of a game.

[@BradyVindagrof]

Stellaris is such a good game!

[@efxnews4776]

It is... It would be so great if you could experience all that in first person, don't you think?

[@lukastheprussian4465]

An alien empire wishes to communicate... Ha!

[@Kosvolan]

Good to see Chorus get some love. A great AA space fighter with interesting combat. Story wanders into space magic territory but not too corny and had good emotional beats.

[@efxnews4776]

You should try Everspace 2 if you like Chorvs...

[@renegadecrew3740]

The final straw for me with Starfield as a collector player was when I saw that you could have a maximum of 6 mannequins in your base.. Is 6 really the extent of the engine??? Also the fact that NPCs walking close to a table would make the items on the table fly across the room. I spent so long setting up my base only for one NPC walking across the room making it look like a hurricane aftermath

[@CRYOKnox]

It's because they didn't used Fallout 4's engine but 76's it's one of the trash they pulled to stabilize the Game online. Same with some mechanics like looting and storage. I really wanted to love that game but we'll Todd doesn't improve at all one step for 700 back...

[@Chris-yv2iv]

Weird I have a bunch of mannequins in my ships and outposts. Also you don’t need to drop the stuff to decorate anymore you can decorate using the build menu

[@whosaidthat84]

But at least it just works!

[@Chris-yv2iv]

@@CRYOKnox if you don’t know what you’re talking about why comment?

[@FirestormX9]

@@Chris-yv2iv yeah dunno what the OP is talking about but I have a massive outpost and lots of habs filled with stuff which always remains in place.

[@micheljolicoeur6094]

No mention of X4 Foundations or Space Engineers, should have dropped Starfield from this list for one of them. Latest reports indicate there is no studio or developers working on KSP2 while they are still selling it on Steam. AVOID KSP2.

[@temhirtleague-chess]

It is insanity to miss on X4 Foundation .... this was a massive miss Jake.

[@boreqyas]

So sorry to ask but what is the difference between X4 and Elite Dangerous? Seems like they share the same potential roles like farming mining hauling fighting etc

[@KleanMe]

My name’s Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite channel on KZbin

[@tau12usr85]

X4 Foundation is a good choice that wasn't on the list, it is probably one of the most deeper space sims other than eve online except this is single player with the feature to send trading ships from your game into other people games. Sunk over 500 hours into it and counting.

[@jonnyethco]

Give 'Pulsar: The Lost Colony' a look. It's one of the best co-op space games I've ever played. It's you and 4 friends running your own space ship in a fully explorable galaxy. You can do missions for different factions all while searching for a missing civilization. Highly recommend it.

[@majorcosmos2]

Shipbreaker is so fun and addicting. It never gets any love, so I'm glad to hear it get mentioned

[@albertvisagie1760]

If we're talking about hands-on terraforming and if yiu like seeing numbers go up - the planet crafter is the way to go

[@vexistentialist]

Just wanted to give further kudos to No Man's Sky, which absolutely deserves the #1 spot. I am a pre-ordered, Day 1 player who was definitely very disappointed upon release. But over the last 8 years, Hello Games has stepped up beyond what most game companies could even hope to provide, (especially the bigger ones). They have released massive, literal entire game-changing updates for FREE, consistently adding new content that pleases all types of players. Whether you're primarily a base-builder...an explorer...a unique loot hound...a ship collector...an angsty, combat-focused wildling who wants to go around killing everything...there is something that is going to be interesting to you in NMS. It's the kind of game you can do a deep dive for a few days, a week, a month, whatever...then leave and come back 6 months later and a whole new list of things is there to do. All devs should look to these guys as an example. Outer Wilds also gets a huge thumbs up, from me. Very different than other space-based games and difficult in a way that doesn't seem to want to punish you. Pure enjoyment, playing through this title.

[@Lenariet]

I didn't hate my time with NMS, it had some good moments. But I always describe it to others as "wide as an ocean, deep as a puddle". The game relies way too much on procedural generation and does a poor job at keeping things fresh and interesting. After having explored each archetype of planet, having done one or two derelict freighters, killed a couple sentinel waves in space and on the ground, done any other kind of hostile encounter once or twice you truly have seen all there is to each respective content snipplet. Those settlements are incredibly unspectacular either, basically just a glorified minigame where none of your binary choices actually matter. The game's overall design also hinders itself. There being not one, two, five, ten but 255 or so huge-as-f*ck galaxies renders the entire multiplayer nonexistent outside of >maybe< finding people in that Nexus social hub to >hopefully< do ultimately repetitive and boringly easy missions where everyone may still feel very alone because there is no challenging difficulty involved and because the game's netcode is absolute trash and everyone is lagging and desynching heavily more often than not.

[@danielschmaderer]

I played it day 1 as well. Just played it last night for a bit. The amount of updates Hello Games has put out is amazing. Though day 1, I was so disappointed with it. Glad it exceeded what I wanted from release.

[@Martial-Mat]

Absolutely not on No Man's Sky. The fact that Hello finally gave people the game they promised is irrelevant. Millions of people never went back after day 1. The game was awful, yet they paid, met with crushing disappointment, and that was their only experience of the game. Games must be up to scratch from day 1 - minor bugs acceptable, entire promised systems missing? Hell no. Hello and liar Murray should NEVER get to redeem their reputation.

[@Lenariet]

​@@Martial-MatIt's gonna be interesting to see how the launch of "Light no Fire" will go. Many people seem to have forgiven them and strongly believe in that "redemption arc" of NMS. They better don't f*ck up Light no Fire in a similar fashion or people will pull out their pitchforks.

[@vexistentialist]

@@Martial-Mat Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion. As far as MY money spent, I'm satisfied. It sucks that you're not, but I don't believe you can speak for many others. Every single person i knew who pre-ordered or bought within the first year was definitely disappointed...pissed off, even...but they all came back eventually and enjoyed playing, to some extent. If your experience isn't similar with those you know, that's valid for you & them. But I hope you save some of that same ire for every other game that comes out in an unfinished state, which is a lot of them.

[@jnext3]

Don't forget Freelancer as well

[@ashs_07]

Absolutely amazing game, I find myself replaying it every once in a while and it's always fun!

[@orenar6397]

I cant find it online anymore my cd copy is used up. Besides my new computer does not have a cd/DVD reader 😢

[@Lenariet]

A Steam release would be so dope. Does Microsoft still own the rights to it? Do it, shut up and take my money, Bill!

[@celestialflea]

Seriously how the hell does a game like X4 NOT make it onto the list? It's LITERALLY the whole point of the game with HUGE DLCs that add hundreds of hours of new content...come on guys!!

[@Christfollower89]

No kidding!! X4, Space Engineers, Star Citizen, Elite Dangerous and Empyrion Galactic Survival are all I play.

[@Kinovski1]

@gameranx i love your contet but you miss some space games. The Number 1 game for this list need to be X games like the last X4 from Egosoft. That is the best of the best solo space game. And you miss some other games like Star Trek online, Star Conflict and Space Engineers and some other games. But im a Star Citizen man :D

[@jamenta2]

Super surprised you didn't mention X4 Foundations. May be the most involved space game builder of them all. Check it out.

[@lockleeddown7148]

This is the biggest miss I have seen Gameranx pull in awhile, both the X series and Space Engineers left off a list of "explore and build in space?" Or Empyrion? Avorion?

[@Christfollower89]

Empyrion is a guilty pleasure

[@efxnews4776]

X4 is my dream game, and i do have some 1.7k hours in Empyreon, but frankly, i prefer the crafting in Starship Evo...

[@NotLaSimia]

Starfield is basically a sandbox game that instead of being a sandbox is literally a giant box of sand.

[@stephaneadou7261]

🥱

[@andrewparnell5566]

Don't dig too deep. I saw my cat digging in that box a while ago.

[@efxnews4776]

I guess the space 😺 left something smelly there...

[@ivanputignef2418]

😂

[@dallaynavokan5513]

I ❤ Astroneer! Seriously, it's like a cozy version of No Man's Sky. I still pull it up once in awhile to see what else they've put into the game since the last time. The controls take some getting used to if you're on a controller but it's a really nice game to boot up when you're listening to podcasts and just vibe to.

[@heythereimcloud2231]

so no X4: Foundations? I love this channel but how can you miss a huge game like that.....its a huge sandbox that lets you explore and create your own empire

[@ValentinaDiNapoli-bh7ds]

The game with the horrible performance and terribly outdated, aliased visuals. No thanks, I stick with nms

[@TehGM]

@@ValentinaDiNapoli-bh7ds Comparing NMS to X4 is like comparing a car to an AC unit. Please stop comparing 2 completely different things and ideas, it actually works AGAINST the claim you're making (which was without a point as it was, anyway).

[@CallingOutStupid]

​@@ValentinaDiNapoli-bh7dswith such a basic take on the game, I also suggest you stick with nms.

[@ValentinaDiNapoli-bh7ds]

@@TehGM bs response. I talked about the game performance, Not the game content. Try harder

[@ValentinaDiNapoli-bh7ds]

@@TehGM besides, I would rather stick with a working AC unit, than with a half broken car. It's all about taste. But yours is thinner than Tin

[@questionmark05]

NMS is great now. They really did stay with it. Usually 2 or 3 large updates a year and a few expaditions.

[@DraconisInvictus]

They missed out on X4: Foundations. Think Eve Offline.

[@darthhunter69]

I'm really glad you included KSP and Elite: Dangerous. Those are two of my favourite games and they deserve all the love they get and more

[@theundead1600]

KSP. You build, crash, rebuild learn from mistakes. Then build again. Gravity is done great. It’s my all time favorite space game.

[@Lenariet]

I think I wrote a short funny review back in the day saying "KSP: When math makes you sweat" or something. Because one slightly "off" construction or miscalculation and you would maybe get far but still never anywhere close to where you wanted to. The loss of green minion-likes life was brutal. Imagine how people in RL who build actual space rockets and send humans up must feel. KSP is realistic in a weirdly funny way.

[@RickRobinsonDonnellan]

SpaceBourne 2 - such an epic undertaking from a hyper small dev. He deserves a spot in this list.

[@efxnews4776]

I love it, but the game is still in early access... And this dude left out Star Citizen, wich is possibly the most costly game ever made...

[@pauls2443-k7q]

How could you leave out X4: foundations?????

[@patrickbryananonuevo8271]

Endless Space 2 is one of my favorite 4x games. All the different races play uniquely different from each other and the small to big interactions in the game really shape how each playthrough feels.

[@landonewts]

Mass Effect Legendary is probably my favorite game series of all time, closely followed by Fallout 4 and the Horizon Series. And I gotta say, Starfield is up there too. Good call dubbing it a comfort food Bethesda game, because I can see loading it on my Steamdeck someday and hacking around in Starfield when I’m out on vacation, the way I do now with Fallout 4.

[@betofergo]

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw is another game that fit in this list. Awesome exploration, fun gameplay and a great soundtrack. Give it a try!

[@TheZoenGaming]

Stellaris has a mod called "Gigastructural Engineering & More" in the workshop, and it's amazing! I highly recommend this mod if you've ever wanted to be able to build something that spanned an entire solar system. I'm not surprised that I have most of these, but I hadn't heard of Universim or Astroneer. They've been added to my cart!

[@derricktiffin]

Literally, everyone that gets Outer Wilds, understands that it's more than a game. It's a damn experience. BY FAR one of the best games of all time.

[@ChrisFitTaylor]

I’m shocked that Star Citizen isn’t on the list although it’s forever in Beta and buggy.

[@XentorAntarix]

Perhaps because it has (Serious) no building content?

[@callaway86]

You answered your own question.

[@ChrisFitTaylor]

@@callaway86 I never asked a question, I simply made a statement.

[@gowzahr]

"It's from 2016, but it's still worth checking out." Thank you for making me feel old.

[@thegovernor184]

Surprised Space engineers is not on the list considering it is the best space game out there.

[@efxnews4776]

Hahaha maybe to build stuff? But best space game ever? Nah that goes to X4 foundations...

[@julianbrown6805]

I knew No Man's Sky was going to be on this list. You can't talk about space games and not bring that one up. I'm so glad to see that it was #1.

[@matcz1320]

Yeah, no X, SE or Empyrion on a list about explore and build in space is ... unfinished imho. Nonetheless all games on the list are good and deserve a mention

[@blitzkreg335]

Disappointed that X4: Foundations isn't on this list. It's basically EVE Offline.

[@TheUnorthodox1]

Love Starfield, the amount of realistic content mixed with fantasy is amazing.

[@kukoshaagumya1169]

I wanna give a shout out to the Rebel Galaxy games. not enough people have played those

[@efxnews4776]

I like mostly because the mini games and the banger radio stations...

[@martyb4497]

100% I still haven't played rebel space 2 but am looking forward to it

[@kingshadow8782]

Welcome back Gameranx.

[@dylanmcgregor6496]

Star Control 2, yes it's old but it's a great space game. Make sure to play the voiced one like they had on the 3DO, it's super worth it.

[@martyb4497]

Star Control 1 had the best sound track. Star Control origins is worth a look. I liked it. Apparent urqa or something is a fan based project that is being worked on

[@DMC8715]

Am I the only one wondering how Star Citizen did not make the list?

[@efxnews4776]

Not a finished product...

[@callaway86]

Because it has no building or survival elements and isn't even close to a playable game.

[@zackw7609]

If you make a part 2 you HAVE to mention Endless Sky, EV Nova, Free Stars, or Starsector. All fantastic space games with huge universes to explore and so much gameplay and choices to play how you want.

[@Lenariet]

I couldn't get into Elite Dangerous, but not sure why. Maybe a bit more handholding in the beginning would have helped. I was like in these newbie systems but accidently went outside of them and got cut off from things I was planning to do there. Next I was trying to figure out where to start anew, but like I felt overwhelmed by the many solar systems and all these political overlays and such. iI flew around a bit, made a little bit of money, tried s few different methods of money making, but none of them "clicked" with me. i upgraded to one or two slightly better ships but still felt lost in a sense. The way you could (or rather not) modify your ship also felt sort of needlessly restrictive. Not sure if it had to do with the game being F2P and heavy on mulitplayer maybe deliberately putting a strong leash on you? I actually played one or some of the original Elite games back in the day but don't remember anymore how they worked (except for those iconic manual space station docking procedures), so maybe the issue was me?

[@TheOtherNormie]

It was slow to start for me too but now its pretty much my favorite "podcast game"

[@0NotreMan0]

Was sure Rebel Galaxy would be here. It's basically Temu No Man's Sky but it was still interesting and very pretty to explore.

[@CubicArc822]

Space engineers?

[@chrispav8275]

Space Engineers is sci-fi Minecraft for adults and it's awesome. Why is Starfield on this list?

[@radrabbit011]

I'd love to add 2 of my all time favorite space games. First is Alien Legacy from the 90s. Great space game centered around a mystery. The second is Starflight from the 80s. I really wish a studio would remake these today. Outstanding games.

[@ubiergo1978]

.... X4?

[@mikereisswolff4662]

I like Space Station Games: Startopia, System Shock, Prey, Tacoma, Dead Space, Observation

[@leehaltalcast2584]

no love for X4? 😢

[@robmorrison5059]

'Observation' was fantastic & i'm not sure how many people know of it, as it came as a complete surprise to me. The gameplay is immersive & extremely unique. It's absolutely beautiful, as well, & comes with a really cool & mysterious story.

[@hawkeyejo9609]

At this point just build your own rocket and go to space. Full immersion. Light work no reaction.

[@DocPlaysBad]

I hear that only works if you play hard-core mode

[@Lenariet]

Rogue-like all the way.

[@hawkeyejo9609]

@@DocPlaysBad nah nah, hardcore mode is training and studying until someone let's you go to space. The self built rocket is easy mode. Starting income in the market system in game is like. Crazy headstart status.

[@hawkeyejo9609]

@@Lenariet Buddhism status effect does go hard. Certainly helps with progression each cycle.

[@Lenariet]

​​@@hawkeyejo9609I hope in my next life I get reborn as a giant space snake floating through interstellar space.

[@elishamorgan]

Me: loves this channel because they are constantly advertising games I have never heard of. Also me: guys, whoa, slow down. I only have so much time and money.

[@martinxyz]

Let's explore empty spaces in StarField

[@MrCreativent]

Cringe. Starfield haters spend more time hating other things than enjoying games they actually like. Sad existence. :C

[@joshuadavis2175]

​@@MrCreativenthe's not wrong though 😂

[@pauperslament3467]

​@@MrCreativentDouble Cringe people who find enjoyment in doing nothing.

[@KingShado69]

you forgot the empty planets as well, for the most part, if you don't count the same dungeon pasted on every planet or multiple times on the same one. I gave it a shot because of skyrim but even skyrim is better.

[@efxnews4776]

Starfield really sucks... Theres indie games that do better what Starfield tries to do...

[@Zaiterion]

Void Bastards is absolutely incredible.

[@willdavis105]

Outer wilds is the best space exploration game out there.

[@ManFondler]

Starsector not mentioned, there is no organ smuggling on this day gents...

[@markf9138]

Edit: never mind me, E:D was actually included - it's just missing from the chapter list. Teaches me to jump from chapter to chapter 😂 Originally posted: Elite: Dangerous deserved to be on this list. The Elite franchise is the daddy of all space sims. Does not have any building, but, then again, neither did Chorvs.

[@HeWhoShams]

Yes it does. You build parts through Engineering but also, through community events a space station can be built. Like Colonia for example

[@nredsa]

it's on the list #3

[@Patterner]

i wanted to like E::D, but it's so frustrating to play. 80% of the time you're just waiting for something to happen. flying gets boring very quickly. i have like 750 hours since the release of Horizon (Cobra Mk IV :)) and haven't managed basically nothing. a couple of easy engineers, stufff like that. never even saw a thargoid.

[@HeWhoShams]

@@Patterner I enjoyed it. I spent most of my time outside the Bubble. Traveled to the center of the galaxy, went to the green nebula, and a bunch of random planets in the void. Rarely did anything besides explore, survey and land on planets

[@Patterner]

@@HeWhoShams good for you. i never got the 5000 ly requirement for an engineer....

[@jeicastor]

Rebel Galaxy!!!

[@Tiago-mb4lv]

Star Citizen? Not fully complete, but it's the pinnacle of space exploration.

[@efxnews4776]

He literally left out Some true major games like X4, but let's get real, Star Citizen is still in Alpha, it kinda makes sense left out this prototype of a game... It doesn't make sense at all leaving out X4...

[@micheljolicoeur6094]

Don't you mean Store Citizen? A massive cash shop built in space.

[@Wrangell4]

@@micheljolicoeur6094 you do realize that 99% of the ships can NOT be purchased with real money right. but of course you didnt know that since you have clearly never even seen the site. its only like once a year for a very limited time you can buy anything with real money. the only things you will see for sale year round are "starter" ships and you can play for only $45, everything else has to be purchased with in game money

[@weiserwolf580]

Other good space games that let you explore and build: Cosmoteer; Avorion; Empyrion Galactic Survival; X4 Foundations; Distant Worlds 2

[@logg0n]

Wow, no X4?

[@richardespinoza9989]

Never thought I would see no man’s sky at the top. Gives me hope for the next game coming up.

[@CiarlaArt]

Starfield..? I'm sure you could have found another space game to add that is actually good.

[@efxnews4776]

He literally left out X4 foundations...

[@Mlyrin]

"Oxygen not included" is a fun space game. I have a soft spot for "endless sky" too. It's not finished and will probably not be for years, but for a free, open source, community built game... that's fine. There's plenty to do in it.

[@angelc1994]

star citizen is completely glossed over some how, imma take yall seriously now, maybe i missed the part where you meant fully released still star cit has done more then other games that have fully released. so you could add that game with a disclaimer unless im missing something comepletely, but star citizen really offers a lot merc, bounty, salvage, mining, investigation, and more yes its buggier than anything that exists but still the level of detail is worth a mention. P.S. first non troll post , love your work

[@microsf121]

It's still in alpha and is often unplayable with the amount of bugs it has.

[@that80ssongyoulove84]

No Man’s Sky is an anomaly. The developer, Hello Games, has really proven themselves and has become one of the most successful underdog stories in gaming history. Can’t wait for Light No Fire. I hope it’s a culmination of everything that Hello Games has learned from No Man’s Sky.

[@obobort]

How is star citizen not on this list…

[@Mr.Anders0n_]

It'll get there when it's released in 2034 🤞🏻

[@SWMG_Perseus]

i get why they didnt include it. im a citizen player myself and i love it with all of my heart. but its not at a point where they could recommend it without facing issues. but when its done... its gonna be amazing man.

[@Rekcoj]

watched the video, immediately got on steam and got myself Deliver Us The Moon, played it through in one go, 8 out of 10, would recommend.

[@lilgezpacho]

Mentioning Starfield AND Outer Wilds and not Outer Worlds is absolutely criminal 😂

[@SirZeu]

Outer worlds is not about exploring and/or building.

[@lilgezpacho]

Ah, but Chorus and Mass Effect are, my bad chief. 👐

[@SirZeu]

@@lilgezpacho i agree that chorus is weird but there is actually quite a lot of exploration in the mass effect trilogy when especially when you play them first. But yeah they shouldn't be part of this list either

[@lilgezpacho]

That is fair. I will say, I definitely prefer to hear about more games than less in these lists, even if they start getting a little loose with the thesis. Hopefully we can get a part two and I'll feel vindicated lol.

[@trailtreker7002]

So many of these games are introduced by "Your Managing a Society , a homeworld ...etc. " Which is what i don't want , I manage a Department at work . I don't want Management , I want to Explore . and maybe figure out things along the way . Nautilus , No Mans Sky , Under the Waves , The Expanse , Its games like these that thrill me .

[@maxwelgiacommo9034]

Star citizen snubbed?

[@AbslomRob]

Maybe if it launches...

[@jclosed2516]

@@AbslomRob somewhere in 2185 (at it's earliest).

[@AbslomRob]

@@jclosed2516 by 2185, they'll have real spaceships for sale.

[@LnmHive]

Should've included Spore as well, although the game is old and has limited space mechanics compared to the ones in the video, it is still fun to play and the galaxy map is huge

[@101nemesis]

StarField was the biggest disappointment. For how cutting edge the setting is with space and traveling to different planets, the game design was so outdated especially with those loading screens.

[@dr.bherrin]

I think my thing about that game is just how good the ship builder is. Like why? I can make this awesome ship and then have basically nothing to do with it.

[@wilsoncabrera7743]

keep crying hater...go play your generic ...no man's sky

[@DJDeezyThaTruth]

-I Like Starfeild 😌

[@helldivedevan]

11:30 exploring planets.... pause lol i heard that

[@wickedshaggy]

Another honorable mention is Lone Echo. This VR game is an awesome space experience.

[@Mortuusiam]

...and Lone Echo II.

[@ttt34733]

Some people dislike starfield and thats cool,but sometimes it seems like their is a vocal minority that never played the game at all but can't wait to mention how much they hate it😂crazy

[@sharky5129]

There is a lot of fake gamers

[@hariszark7396]

There are reviews and playthroughs you know. You don't need to play a game to know if you like it or not.

[@ttt34733]

@@hariszark7396 annd you missed the point entirely, its fine to dislike the game but as soon as someone says they like it,,, theirs a large group of people waiting to come sh*t on their opinions its not cool

[@hariszark7396]

@@ttt34733 That was NOT your point dude. What I wrote was a direct reply to the first comment. Now you are saying something different.

[@the_seer_0421]

I'm sorry to burst your bubble but it's neither just a vocal minority nor have they never played the game. Literally, just look anywhere and you'll see criticism of this game. And a lot of the "hate" comes from people who were massively disappointed BECAUSE they played the game, myself included. Stop sniffing the copium and accept it how it is.

[@ericement6568]

The X games should definetely be on this list just for how long they've been around. Empyrion and Space Engineers could have had an honorable mention too

[@DrPhiLG00d]

No star citizen?

[@coltonjobst3122]

No body talks about the super amazing early 2000's game called Tachyon The Fringe. Amazing spaceship flying game voiced by none other than Bruce Campbell. Falcon probably knows of this game.

[@raypalmer5125]

There is definitely a very active community of people who go out of their way to make sure they tell you how much Starfield is a flop and nobody cares about it😆

[@JithinJacob333]

I'm so happy No Man's Sky is being recognized after the amazing work they've put in. I was expecting it to be lower down but when I didn't see it until number 2, I hoped it was number 1. And it was. If it wasn't on the list, I would have been pissed

[@Daud-tkoD]

No Star citizen ? Apparetly its a game 😄

[@jclosed2516]

Really? More like a somewhat playable but buggy and incomplete demo of what could be maybe a kind of game in the far future.