16 Games Like Star Citizen
This page features space simulation games like Star Citizen where you’ll explore a vast galaxy, engage in combat, mine for resources and trade your way to wealth in these sandbox themed titles.
Star Citizen is sandbox space title in development that intends to offer a high quality space simulation of galactic combat and trade that supports both single player and multiplayer gameplay adventures. Taking place in the 30th century the Star Citizen explores the Milky Way under the control of the United Empire of Earth (UEE). Central to the UEE is the idea of citizenship which is earned through military service and bestows a number of benefits.
The pillars of gameplay that Star Citizen is developing include trading, combat, exploration and eventually even first person shooter elements within a single MMO title. All of these features will have a sandbox focus that sees players driving the economy and the persistent game universe. Regardless of the path players choose to take in the universe of Star Citizen you’ll find your wealth increase over time as you complete objectives and invest said currency into ship upgrades to further the progression loop.
The games like Star Citizen below are all available to play now, making them ideal games to play while you wait out the full release of Star Citizen. These titles mix single player and multiplayer adventures that focus on exploration, combat and trading across a massive galaxy of planets.
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 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]
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]
Wing Commander: Privateer
Wing Commander: Privateer is a space simulation and adventure game that lets you create your own story in a dog eat dog universe of freedom. As part of the popular Wing Commander series fans and newcomers will both be catered for in this 1993 addition to the franchise which was further expanded in 1994 with the Righteous Fire add-on. While Wing Commander: Privateer is the fourth released game in the Wing Commander franchise it’s primarily a spin off set on the borders of Confederation spac...[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]
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]
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]
Astrox: Hostile Space Excavation
Astrox: Hostile Space Excavation sees you exiled deep into the mining sector of the galaxy with a simple ship and small mining beam with a dream of building up your galactic wealth. With this goal in mind players will start their humble existence as they scratch out a living from the mining region before saving funds up upgrade their ship to move to more profitable adventures such as pirate hunting. While the formula for Astrox: Hostile Space Excavation has been done before in various open world...[Read Review]
No Man’s Sky
Explore the vastness of space in No Man’s Sky, an action-adventure with elements of survival and exploration that lets you explore the galaxy while encountering all sorts of strange life forms. Originally launched in 2016 on PC and PS4 with an Xbox One release in 2018 No Man’s Sky had a rocky launch but with long term commitment from the developer No Man’s Sky has terraformed from a broken promise into a worthy space exploration game. The basis for No Man’s Sky is explora...[Read Review]