The most popular space exploration games

Space exploration is one of the most unique genres and the first games ever published dates back a few decades. Space exploration games are a mix of simulation and action. The gameplay is all about piloting a starship in the vastness of space and having fun with activities such as space exploration, trading commodities, space combat, asteroid mining, pirate hunting, etc. The most popular space exploration games are Elite and Frontier, both designed by David Braben.

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Frontier: Elite 2

DOS1993 Frontier Developments

Frontier: Elite II is a classic space simulation and trading game released in 1993, developed by David Braben and his company Frontier Developments. Frontier is the sequel to the pioneering 1984 game Elite and is often considered a landmark title in the space simulation genre.

Elite

DOS1987freeware Firebird

Elite Plus

DOS1991 Realtime Games

Elite Plus is an enhanced version of the classic space trading and combat simulator Elite, released by MicroPlay in 1991 for MS-DOS. It was designed as an update to the original 1984 game, improving graphics, performance, and overall playability while keeping the core gameplay intact. Unlike the original wireframe vector graphics, Elite Plus i...

Frontier: First Encounters

DOS1995 Frontier Developments

Captain Blood

DOSMac OS1988 ERE Informatique

Captain Blood is a space exploration video game released in 1988. It was developed by the French company ERE Informatique, and it was designed by Philippe Ulrich and Didier Bouchon.The game is set in a futuristic universe, where players take on the role of Captain Blood, a human abducted by an alien race known as the Thiiny. The gameplay revolves a...

Star Command

DOS1988protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Wing Commander: Privateer

Windows XP/98/95DOSMac OS1993protected Origin Systems

Nomad

DOS1993 Papyrus Design Group

Noctis

DOSWindows XP/98/952000

EGA Trek

DOS1988remake

Independence War

Windows XP/98/951997protected Particle Systems

Iron Seed

DOS1994freeware

Apollo 18: Mission to the Moon

DOS1987 Artech Studios

Star Trek: The Rebel Universe

DOS1988 Firebird

Ascii Sector

Windows 10/11LinuxDOS2007freeware

Star Fleet 1: The War Begins

DOSMac OS1985 Interstel Corporation

Millennia: Altered Destinies

DOS1995 Take-Two Interactive

WinTrek

Windows 3.x1992

Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space

Windows XP/98/95LinuxMac OS2005protected Digital Eel

Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space is a science fiction roguelike game developed by Digital Eel. Originally released in 2005, it is the sequel to Strange Adventures in Infinite Space. The game puts you in command of a starship exploring the randomly generated reaches of the fictional Purple Void. Your mission is to explore, trade, battle, ...