Space Games: How to Choose a Genre and a Game

Choose a space game based on what interests you most: exploring planets, fighting, building, or piloting a spacecraft. The genre will give you an idea of the pace and freedom to expect.

Space games differ in more than their settings: some focus on adventure and story, while others emphasize tactics, simulation, or building up your own base. To find the right one, consider whether you want to follow a story, experiment, or compete.

Let’s look at how the main genres differ and what features to consider before choosing a game.

How do you choose a space game based on what you enjoy doing?

Choose a space game based on its main activity: for exploring planets and free-flying, try No Man’s Sky or Starfield; for piloting and combat, Elite: Dangerous or Everspace 2; for managing fleets and states, Stellaris or EVE Online; and for stories about heroes, Mass Effect or Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I and II.

• Planets and travel: No Man’s Sky and Starfield are a good fit if you’re interested in space travel and exploring worlds.
• Piloting and combat: Elite: Dangerous and Everspace 2 are options for players who want to control a spacecraft and take part in space battles.
• Strategic management: Consider Stellaris and EVE Online if fleets and states appeal to you most.
• Heroes and story: Mass Effect and the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic duology suit players who value a compelling story.

A separate option: the Samokat campaign

The space theme also appears in the Samokat game campaign: its levels include the planets Uranus and Medusa. Uranus rewards 100 units of fuel, while Medusa unlocks entry into a giveaway of 12 promo codes for 1961 rubles at Samokat.

How are space RPGs different from simulators?

Space RPGs differ from simulators in that RPGs focus mainly on story and characters, while simulators center on operating vehicles and flying. So when choosing a game, look beyond its space setting and consider what you’ll spend most of your time doing.

Story and characters

Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I and II revolve around a story-driven adventure and interactions with characters. Space is part of the story here: if you want to follow the events and characters, these games are closer to RPGs than to simulators.

Piloting and exploration

Kerbal Space Program focuses on designing and controlling space flights, while Elite: Dangerous is about piloting a spacecraft and traveling through space. To see which game best matches your preferences, compare what you’ll be doing repeatedly during gameplay:

• Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic I and II: story-driven adventure and characters.
• Kerbal Space Program: designing and controlling flights.
• Elite: Dangerous: piloting a spacecraft and traveling through space.

When choosing, the word “space” in the description matters less than what the player spends most of their time doing: following a story, designing a flight, or piloting a spacecraft.

How does spacefaring work in Spore?

Spore makes going into space the next step in developing a civilization on a planet: the “Space” stage begins when, during the “Civilization” stage, the player conquers, converts, or buys all the cities on the planet. So space exploration follows the unification of the world under the player’s control rather than serving as a separate starting point.

How this transition differs from other space games

In Spore, the transition from planetary development to space exploration is one continuous progression: first, the player manages cities on their home planet, then unlocks the “Space” stage. This format suits players who want to follow the journey from the rise of a civilization to venturing beyond the planet.

Spore offers a different experience from a standalone spacecraft simulator or space RPG. Its space gameplay is tied to success in the “Civilization” stage, rather than being limited to piloting a vessel or developing a character. When choosing a game, this distinction helps you decide whether you want a seamless transition from planetary strategy to space exploration or a standalone genre experience.

Which space strategy games should you choose for management?

Choose a space strategy game based on the scale of its decisions: Stellaris is a good fit for managing and developing a civilization, EVE Online for multiplayer play with a strategic focus, and FTL: Faster Than Light for commanding a ship on a dangerous journey. Before you start, decide whether you want to lead a state, interact with other players, or take responsibility for a crew.

• Stellaris — a choice for players interested in strategic management and developing a spacefaring civilization. The focus is on decisions affecting an entire society, not just one spacecraft.
• EVE Online — a multiplayer space world where strategic thinking matters. Choose it if you want to play in a shared environment and account for the presence of other players.
• FTL: Faster Than Light — a strategy game about managing a ship on a dangerous journey. It focuses on making decisions for the crew and keeping the ship going, rather than managing an entire state.

If you want to develop a spacefaring civilization, start with Stellaris; if interaction and competition in a shared world appeal to you, consider EVE Online. For a more intimate experience focused on a ship and its crew, try FTL: Faster Than Light.

When might a space game not be right for you?

A space game may not be right for you if its pace, difficulty, or main genre doesn’t match what you’re looking for: strategic planning is no substitute for story-driven action, and a space theme alone doesn’t mean you’ll be free to explore the stars.

Check the pace and difficulty

Stellaris and EVE Online are built around strategy and management, so their slower pace may disappoint players looking for nonstop story-driven action. Kerbal Space Program emphasizes simulation mechanics: if you want to jump straight into an adventure, having to learn how the game works can be a barrier.

• Stellaris and EVE Online: choose them for the strategic gameplay, not constant action.
• Kerbal Space Program: a good fit if you’re interested in simulation mechanics; it’s not the most obvious choice if you want to jump straight into an adventure.

Don’t judge by the setting alone

Dead Space is a space horror game, not a game about freely exploring the stars. Choose Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and Mass Effect for a story-driven adventure: expecting realistic piloting could lead you to the wrong game.

• Dead Space: look to it for horror, not freeform space travel.
• Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader and Mass Effect: choose them for their stories, not for spacecraft piloting simulation.

Which space games should you try across different genres?

For exploration and adventure, try No Man’s Sky or Starfield; for flying and combat, Elite: Dangerous or Everspace 2; for strategy, Stellaris, EVE Online, or FTL: Faster Than Light; and for story-driven gameplay, Mass Effect, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I and II, Dead Space, or Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.

• Exploration and adventure: No Man’s Sky and Starfield are a good fit if you’re interested in space travel and exploring worlds.
• Flying and combat: Elite: Dangerous and Everspace 2 focus on piloting a spacecraft and fighting in space.
• Strategy and management: Stellaris and EVE Online offer a strategic approach, while FTL: Faster Than Light combines spacecraft management with tactical decisions.
• Story and tension: Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I and II are options for players who want a role-playing adventure. Dead Space and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader add tension and a dark atmosphere to the space theme.

Choose based not just on the setting but on what you want to spend most of your time doing: exploring, piloting a spacecraft, planning a strategy, or following a story. That makes it easier to find a space game with the right pace and way of interacting with its world.

Frequently asked questions

Key takeaways

• Choose No Man's Sky or Starfield to explore planets.
• Elite: Dangerous and Kerbal Space Program focus on spaceflight.
• Stellaris and EVE Online are a good fit for fans of management and strategy.
• Dead Space is a horror game, not a space exploration simulator.