Starfield’s delay – announced on the same day we all got our first miraculous glimpse of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own galaxy – got us thinking about space, and adventure, and space adventures.
So we decided to gather together a few games that we feel capture similar vibes. They’re mostly games set in space, but not exclusively, and crucially, we think they’re all brilliant. (We’ve also tried to steer away from the most obvious candidates, because by this point you don’t really need someone to suggest another playthrough of Mass Effect or Fallout, or even KOTOR.)
The best game on this list is also the best game on most lists. Outer Wilds gives you a bottle solar system to explore and an intoxicating degree of freedom in how you go about it. There’s a great clear-headed simplicity in how you move around, get into space, and deal with the elements, that’s combined with a planetary system of dizzying intricacy and sometimes brutal dynamism. This results in a game that offers a low barrier to exploration and a great reward for thinking deeply about what you find.
