Best games like Starfield – open-world space RPGs

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Starfield is a game in a unique genre where players are given free reign of space and finding more games like Starfield must be on many fans’ minds. Fortunately, there are some games that offer the feeling of openness and vastness of space, similar to Starfield.

If you like Starfield, make sure you know what makes the Creation Engine 2 such a great improvement, how mods work in Starfield, and how the Day One patch changed the game.

Below, we’ve listed 14 games that are like Starfield. We’ve explained what’s fun about them, provided a picture, and explained why it’s similar to the beloved Bethesda Softworks IP. To get on the list, games must be like Starfield, not just sci-fi (sorry horror-filled Dead Space, Starbound, and Stellaris). It also must be a sci-fi game, so no New Vegas, Fallout, or anything that is just an RPG.

Top games like Starfield to play

Space Engineers

Space Engineers is a sandbox game about building, constructing, and maintaining space structures and vehicles. Players can build spaceships, space stations, planetary outposts, and more using a detailed building system. In the game, players can manage resources, power, and other factors while engaging in engineering challenges.

While it seems like this one is strange to start the list at, it’s not exclusively fixing things. It’s about making a galaxy your own, and you can easily go out and focus on exploring.

Both Space Engineers and Starfield are about exploring, building, and customizing space. It’s similar to how Starfield allows players to shape their own spacefaring journeys and immerse themselves in space technology through crafting, designing, and customizing vehicles.

FTL: Faster Than Light

Faster Than Light is a real-time strategy roguelike game where players control a spaceship through procedurally generated space sectors. To navigate hostile encounters, evade pursuers, and reach the final sector, players must make strategic decisions about crew assignments, ship upgrades, and resource management. There’s a permadeath system, where failing means starting over with a different ship layout.

In terms of space exploration, ship management, and decision-making, FTL: Faster Than Light is similar to Starfield. Players control a spaceship and make strategic decisions while navigating through unpredictable space environments in both games.

Empyrion – Galactic Survival

Empyrion – Galactic Survival is a sandbox survival game set in a procedurally generated universe. Players land on an alien planet and must gather resources, build structures, and build vehicles to explore the surface and explore space.

In terms of space exploration, resource management, and the ability to build and customize spacecraft, Empyrion – Galactic Survival is similar to Starfield. There’s a strong focus on building and survival mechanics in both games, from planetary exploration to interstellar travel. A small-scale adventure to galactic exploration is a lot like the gameplay experiences players can expect from Starfield.

Rodina

In Rodina, players explore a seamless planet with diverse biomes and environments in first-person. Throughout the game, players uncover secrets, fight alien threats, and uncover the history of the civilization that came before.

In both games, players can discover civilizations’ histories, explore unknown environments, and battle extraterrestrials. There’s a sense of wonder and a thrill of discovery in both games, where space exploration and discovering the unknown are central to gameplay.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

The Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is a remastered collection of the original Mass Effect trilogy, featuring updated graphics, gameplay mechanics, and downloadable content. This trilogy follows Commander Shepard’s journey to save the galaxy from ancient machines called Reapers. These games offer third-person shooter combat, deep narrative choices, character relationships, and exploration of alien worlds.

In terms of RPG greatness, there are not many Sci-fi games that match Mass Effect Legendary Edition so you can’t go wrong here. It includes all DLC from the original trilogy and this is BioWare at its peak, when it was a match for Bethesda Game Studios

In terms of spacefaring adventure, exploration, and narrative-driven gameplay, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition has a lot in common with Starfield. In both games, players are immersed in a detailed universe filled with diverse planets, species, and stories. As players navigate a complex universe, they’ll be able to shape their own interstellar saga through space exploration, combat, and character interactions.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic

Arguably one of the best RPGs ever made, Knights of the Old Republic is a classic role-playing game set thousands of years before the events of the Star Wars movies. You play as a customizable character who explores various planets, makes choices that impact the story, and develops your skills. In addition to its deep narrative, memorable characters, and deciding which side of the force you align with.

While the game was originally released for PC and Xbox, PlayStation will soon see a remaster of this Jedi adventure set in a time before the galactic empire.

Knights of the Old Republic and Starfield are similar in terms of space exploration, character development, and decision-making. Both games immerse players in richly detailed universes where they can make choices, develop skills, and interact with characters and factions.

Star Command – Galaxies

Star Command – Galaxies lets you captain a spaceship, manage resources, and engage in space battles as you explore the galaxy. In Star Command – Galaxies, you recruit crew members with different skills, customize the layout of your ship, and make strategic decisions during encounters. During the game, you manage the ship’s systems, crew, and energy distribution.

This game is currently in early access and a beta period so now is a good time to join.

Like Starfield, Star Command – Galaxies puts you in charge of a spaceship and crew in a vast, unpredictable universe. In both games, you can explore space, customize ships, and make strategic decisions.

The Outer Wilds

The Outer Wilds takes place in a time-looped solar system. By exploring planets, solving puzzles, and piecing together an alien race’s history, players discover the mysteries of the universe, including the impending doom of a supernova. There’s a unique sense of discovery in The Outer Wilds, where each loop reveals more about the world.

The time loop is what really sells this game, and it meets starfield’s promise of great story.

Starfield and Outer Wilds share a common theme of space exploration, where players go into the unknown to unravel cosmic mysteries. They both feature an open-world experience where you can explore planets and uncover the lore that shapes their universes.

Mass Effect Andromeda

The Mass Effect: Andromeda takes place in a galaxy different from the original Mass Effect trilogy. Players take on the role of Ryder, a Pathfinder who explores the Andromeda galaxy, finds habitable planets for colonization, and deals with aliens. You’ll explore, fight, interact with characters, and learn about humanity’s search for a new home in this game.

Many believe this is the worst entry in the Mass Effect series and we don’t disagree. For space games, it’s all right, but you won’t find the old Mass Effect charm here. This is the equivalent to Cyberpunk from CD Projekt Red, just not the best in the studio but okay on its own.

There are some similarities between Mass Effect: Andromeda and Starfield when it comes to space exploration, interstellar travel, and encounters with aliens. In both games, players explore new and uncharted territories, engage in combat, and have narrative-driven interactions.

Genesis Alpha One

Genesis Alpha One is a roguelike space simulation game that blends base-building, exploration, and first-person shooting mechanics. On a ship that travels across the galaxy, the player assumes the role of a space captain tasked with setting up a colony.

As far as space colonization, resource management, and combat are concerned, Genesis Alpha One has a lot in common with Starfield. In both games, you build and customize your spacecraft, explore uncharted space, and deal with the challenges and dangers of the universe. The gameplay is similar to Starfield, where players embark on their own interstellar journey and challenges while balancing survival mechanics, ship construction, and encounters with extraterrestrial life forms.

Elite Dangerous

Elite Dangerous is a space simulation game that immerses players in a vast and realistic Milky Way galaxy. Players can fly various spacecraft, trade, mine, hunt for bounty, and take part in large-scale space battles in this open-world game. With detailed flight mechanics and an expansive galaxy, players can sculpt their own path as they navigate through this space adventure.

Side quests are the name of the game

Starfield and Elite Dangerous are similar because they both emphasize open-world exploration, realistic spaceflight mechanics, and the freedom to choose your role. Players in both games have the opportunity to explore space and shape their own destinies as spacefaring adventurers in a living, breathing galaxy.

Eve Online

Eve Online is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game set in New Eden, a science fiction universe. With a player-driven economy, intricate politics, and big space battles, Eve Online focuses on player interaction. In Even Online, players can trade, mine, manufacture, explore, and fight, navigating the complex web of alliances, corporations, and conflicts.

Eve Online, like Starfield, emphasizes player-driven experiences in a vast sci-fi universe. Players in both games can engage in a variety of activities, from trading and exploring to combat and diplomacy, all of which contribute to the dynamic and ever-changing world of their games. Additionally, both games give players a sense of freedom and agency, so they can leave their mark on each universe.

The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds is a first-person role-playing game set in an alternate future where megacorporations colonized space. As players wake up from cryosleep, they find themselves in a battle between corporations and colonists. It features a branching narrative, combat, dialogue, and exploration, along with a branching narrative.

This was made by the people who made Fallout New Vegas and is one of the few games on this list that can be played on consoles. This is no Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, it didn’t do as well as Starfield is supposed to. Check Xbox Game Pass often because The Outer Worlds makes it there pretty often.

Starfield and The Outer Worlds focus on space colonization, exploration, and corporate influence within a sci-fi setting. In both games, players navigate a universe shaped by differing factions and choices, contributing to the overall plot and outcome.

Star Citizen

With Star Citizen, players explore, trade, engage in combat, and participate in various professions in a vast, immersive universe. Among Star Citizen’s features are highly detailed spacecraft, planets, and space environments. Players can explore planets and interact with other players in a persistent online environment, which combines first-person and spaceflight gameplay.

Star Citizen is similar to Starfield because both aim to give players a rich and expansive spacefaring experience. In both games, players can explore open worlds, pilot spacecraft, engage in a variety of activities, and interact with other players online. This game’s focus on spaceflight mechanics, exploration, and the sense of freedom to shape one’s own journey fits players’ expectations for Starfield.

No Man’s Sky

In No Man’s Sky, players explore a vast and diverse universe that is procedurally generated. With a near-infinite number of planets, each with its own flora, fauna, and landscapes, players can gather resources, trade, build bases, and engage in space combat.

This is arguably the biggest contender to Starfield, and if you haven’t played this, you should. No Man’s Sky looks like it may have even more features than Starfield, but it’s clear they both took a different approach. If you like freedom, No Man’s Sky is your game.

Similar to Starfield, No Man’s Sky focuses on exploration in a procedurally generated universe. Traveling between planets, trading, and experiencing a sense of discovery are all key components of both games. Throughout both games, players have the freedom to set their own objectives and build their own narratives.