Starting with Spacewar! all the way back in 1962, space has been a hugely popular theme for video games. While early titles like Computer Space and Space Invaders focused largely on combat, in 2026 the variety of space games feels just as endless as the expanse of space itself.

Whether you want to explore the galaxy and make friends with alien races or engage in all-out spaceship battles and tense space station heists, there’s a game out there for you to discover.

We’ve narrowed down some of the best space games to tickle your sci-fi fancy, with 22 titles that showcase the true variety available–from first-person-shooters to strategy games, hyper-realistic simulators to retro classics. While many of these games have planet-side gameplay, we’ve focused on games where you spend a lot of time in space itself–whether that’s flying a ship, navigating space stations, or even spacewalks that take you into the vacuum of space.

If you’re more interested in exploring an expansive world without the space setting, check out our picks for the best open world games, or our favorite sandbox games.