Space Miner

Space Miner is a 1983 DOS game built around the classic science-fiction fantasy of heading into space and extracting valuable resources. The player pilots a spacecraft through dangerous environments, collecting minerals while dealing with hazards and attempting to keep the operation profitable. The concept is simple, but early computer games often found considerable mileage in giving players a small ship, a dangerous environment, and something valuable to bring home. Space Miner captures that pioneering spirit with straightforward gameplay and an unmistakably retro presentation. There are no elaborate cinematic sequences or enormous inventories; the attraction is the basic loop of exploring, collecting, surviving, and trying to improve your performance. It is an appealing snapshot of early space gaming, when the universe seemed enormous and a few pixels could represent an entire asteroid field. Mining may sound peaceful, but apparently someone forgot to tell the asteroids to cooperate.