19 Games Like EVE Online
Our collection of games like EVE Online offers large scale MMO and single player experiences with a science fiction theme and vast sandbox elements.
EVE Online is often considered to be in a league of its own in the MMORPG genre with its huge player driven game world that literally takes place in its own universe. In EVE Online players can customise and pilot their own ship across the vast game world which includes planets, moons, wormholes, space stations and many other environments. Not for the faint-hearted Eve Online is a hardcore MMO experience with the community having a significant role to play in the adventure you experience.
Just like other MMORPGs Eve Online also offers an in depth profession system including mining, trading, combat and even piracy that players can specialise in. With the unscripted sandbox design the level of complexity is at a galactic scale with community corporations being responsible for the economy, war and political landscape which is constantly changing.
The multiplayer games like EVE Online feature similar player driven game worlds with a space theme. In addition to these MMO options a number of single player sandbox adventures where you shape your own adventure have been included.
Planet Calypso
Planet Calypso leverages the framework of Entropia Universe to create a science fiction MMO with a wealth of content, mechanics and sizeable community waiting to be explored. Most notably is the adoption of a game currency that is closely tied with real money that provides the potential for players to profit from their activities within the virtual game world. Starting in 2003 as the first planet of Entropia Universe (which now has more than half a dozen planets that offer different gameplay) Pl...[Read Review]
Star Conflict
Star Conflict is a MMO experience that lets you to take control of your own starship and explore the vast depths of space while engaging in a wealth of PvP and PvE content. Originally launched in 2013 the Star Conflict experience has continued to expand with its free to play option in the space sandbox MMO genre available directly from their website or through the Steam platform. Star Conflict features clean 3D graphics with a galaxy that is set far into the future and approximately three thousa...[Read Review]
Second Life
Second Life is a free to play online life simulation game designed to appeal to fans of the virtual world genre that want to go a step deeper with enhanced customisation and a real world inspired economy. Developed by Linden Labs Second Life has been online since 2003 for Windows and Mac with regular core releases occurring on 6 monthly cycle. With the added possibility of turning your game time into real world dollars Second Life has been able to maintain a thriving community of nearly a millio...[Read Review]
Star Trek Online
Star Trek Online (STO) is a free to play MMORPG that takes place within the Star Trek universe, bringing the decades of lore, characters, settings and alien races into a single large scale MMO world and populating it with science fiction fans. At launch Star Trek Online required a game purchase and monthly fee for access which provided the game a solid foundation of funding to develop a high quality adventure. Star Trek Online has been free to play since 2012. Star Trek Online takes place in the...[Read Review]
DarkOrbit
DarkOrbit offers a space orientated MMO that lets players take control of their own spaceship in this free to play experience. With shops controlled by both the AI and other players it’s a diverse and deadly galaxy that awaits you as you join the millions of other registered game accounts. DarkOrbit (later branded as DarkOrbit: Reloaded) was developed by Bigpoint Games with an original release in 2006. Developed dramatically since this first inception of the space adventure DarkOrbit still...[Read Review]
Uncharted Waters Online
Uncharted Waters Online is a sandbox focused MMORPG that is set in the great age of sea travel between powerful nations. Explore the world in a century of the past as you trade from Europe to Asia and beyond as you fight for influence as Venice, France, Ottoman Empire, Netherlands, Spain, England and Portugal. With this player driven game world paired with large scale naval battles Uncharted Waters Online has carved out a niche in the MMO arena with its setting unlike the usual fantasy adventure...[Read Review]
X3: Reunion
X3: Reunion continues the series of X adventure games with the third game in the franchise released in 2005. Just like the games before it players will find the game to be an expansive single player space experience involving trading, combat and plenty of galaxy exploration in between as you craft your own story within the world. Notable jumps from past additions in the franchise include improvements across graphics, user interfaces, economic systems and enemy AI that all combine to offer a grea...[Read Review]
Freelancer
Freelancer is a spaced based game for Windows that lets you take control of a spaceship and travel the galaxy engaging in combat and trading. Primarily a sandbox themed space title Freelancer is a game that lets players control where they explore, progress and the activities they engage with which includes trading planet commodities, mining resources, protecting other ships and hunting pirates. The events of Freelancer are set 800 years after the events in Starlancer (a similar space game made b...[Read Review]
Wurm Online
Wurm Online is a sandbox style MMORPG that has a creative focus allowing you to create your own adventure in a medieval themed world. Players can play Wurm Online with a basic account for free but to remove some restrictions you will have to commit to a subscription based premium account. Following the initial 2012 release a stand alone paid version was launched in 2015 known as Wurm Unlimited gives players the toolkit they need to have their own single player adventure or host a multiplayer ser...[Read Review]
Vendetta Online
Vendetta Online sends players through a galaxy of cross platform play for space explorers on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. Available initially free on all platforms through a trial period continued access to the Vendetta Online game world requires either a Lite subscription ($1 per month) with some game restrictions or the full Premium subscription ($9.99 per month and lower for annual purchases). As a MMORPG experience Vendetta Online has a vast game world universe to explore as you int...[Read Review]
Evochron Legacy
Explore the dark reaches of space in Evochron Legacy a freeform space flight simulation game that expands on the Evochron universe of games with a broader universe for players to embark on their own path. With an entire galaxy at your disposal Evochron Legacy is a space title that emphasises player control over their progression as you pick your own niche speciality or progress as a generalist instead. The backdrop for this galactic journey is the Evochron quadrant of space where the human race ...[Read Review]
Evochron Mercenary
Evochron Mercenary is a game of vast scale that has similarities to Freelancer with it’s science fiction theme and freedom orientated mechanics that encourage you to explore the galaxy on your own path. Evochron Mercenary belongs to the same universe as the popular Star Wraith series of space simulators that first started in 2000 with various titles in the franchise released since allowing for some cross-nostalgia experiences for fans of both titles. In this space sandbox style game you wi...[Read Review]
DarkStar One
DarkStar One focuses on space trading and combat as players explore the universe before them and carve their own path through the stars and planets. It launched in 2006 for Windows with an improved edition (Darkstar One: Broken Alliance) released two years later for the Xbox 360 platform providing console players the opportunity explore the universe of DarkStar One. In addition to a diverse range of planets and space anomalies your DarkStar One journey will feature half a dozen races with their ...[Read Review]
Galaxy on Fire 2
Galaxy on Fire 2 builds on the setting and gameplay of the first game sending players back into the void of space as they complete a story driven campaign, accept side missions from aliens and upgrade their ship to be a dominating fighter or large transport vessel. Available for both mobile (free to play base game) and computer gamers (paid game only) Galaxy on Fire 2 is particularly a stand out experience on mobile where games with the same level and polish to features are rare particularly wit...[Read Review]
Elite: Dangerous
Master the art of trading, combat and exploration in Elite: Dangerous an expansive space simulation title with open ended multiplayer gameplay where your own actions will impact on the story of the persistent universe. With an entire galaxy waiting for players you’ll command your starship across stars in a video game that seeks to join the ranks of other epic space MMO titles. Launching in 2014 Elite: Dangerous started in the year 3300, which is also designed to run in sync with real time ...[Read Review]
X3: Terran Conflict
X3: Terran Conflict is part of the X series of video games. Just like its predecessors the game is about trading and combat in a space environment. The game is set far into the future (2938) and takes place after Earth has been reconnected with the larger system of jumpgates in the X universe. This connection to Earth while an occasion of joy also created many new tensions and conflicts which is what the main story line of X3: Terran Conflict explores. X3: Terran Conflict is a single player only...[Read Review]
Ascent – The Space Game
Ascent – The Space Game is a PvE MMO sandbox title that uses space and over 200 billion star systems as the foundation of your vast galactic experience. Set after the far reaching human empire has crumbled it’s time to build a new civilisation and rekindle the human drive for exploration using your available ships and other game tools to explore the galaxy and progress your own exploration story. In addition to this exploration focus players will construct, colonise, research, mine, ...[Read Review]
Black Desert Online
Hailing from Korea and focused on sandbox orientated mechanics is Black Desert Online (BDO) a buy to play MMO adventure with a wealth of content for gamers to experience alongside millions of other players. Players will find all the traditional and expected MMO features across gameplay in BDO with an array of action based combat orientated quests, large scale world bosses, solo and co-operative gameplay, PvP challenges and the usual spread of professional choices. Following the success of BDO on...[Read Review]
Mortal Online
Offering a hardcore sandbox experience Mortal Online is not a game for the faint-hearted player where your death can lead to losing a significant amount of equipment due to the full loot on death mechanic. Set in a deep medieval fantasy realm with medieval themes the struggle for life in Mortal Online is a real challenge for even MMO veterans with their customised character avatar. Released in 2010 a sequel with similar mechanics and setting (Mortal Online 2) was released in 2021. The world for ...[Read Review]