Plus, while there are still plenty of classics here, we've mainly focused on games we'd recommend you play today, rather than a 'greatest space games of all time' affair. Games about settling down on the surface of a new planet such as Surviving Mars and Astroneer, or those set in space-like locations such as Alien: Isolation aren't present in this list, as you never actually get to go to space while you're playing them.

There are still plenty of hybrid games in our best space games list, from RPGs and space-themed strategy games, but almost all of them are about being in space, whether that's hurtling across the universe in a ship of some kind, or wafting around in zero gravity.

We've kept our definition of 'space game' fairly traditional here. Whether you're a budding space cruiser captain, a wannabe space conqueror or an intrepid space-faring explorer, there's a space game for you.

But what games have gone before them and staked their claim already on the dusty planet surface known as 'Best Space Games'? We reveal all below, with our carefully curated list of all the best space games you can play on PC right now. Video games are great at transporting us to different worlds, but none capture that feeling quite so perfectly as intergalactic space games - and 2023 looks set to be one of the biggest years for space games yet, with the launch of Starfield, Homeworld 3 and more all on the horizon.

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