Key Takeaways
- Space combat games vary in focus, but those centered on battles offer immersive, visceral experiences for players seeking action-packed gameplay.
- Games like Power Of Ten, Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime, and Star Fox 64 streamline space combat to provide accessible arcade experiences.
- From deckbuilding in Cobalt Core to fleet command in NEBULOUS, space games with unique mechanics and visuals offer engaging combat experiences.
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Unsurprisingly, space is one of the most common settings of science-fiction games, and it stands to reason that many of these games feature combat in their open-ended vacuum. Due to the nature of space environments, they suit complicated aerial combat brilliantly, and when combined with simulation-heavy mechanics, they can create some of the most immersive experiences in science-fiction games.
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Many games use space combat to varying degrees of success. For some games, like Starfield, space combat isn't the main focus, while other titles base their entire gameplay loop around space battles. These examples focus on the latter type of game, and those that aren't entirely focused on combat earn their place by being unique and/or highly immersive, visceral experiences.
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Updated April 24, 2024 by Harry Ted Sprinks: Space combat has been frequently gamified for decades, beginning with arcade games and slowly evolving into space-sim before branching out into a variety of genres. Games continue to release today that riff on old classics like Freelancer, such as Rebel Galaxy, while others take space combat into entirely new directions.
This is the case with Cobalt Core, for example, which uses the more recently popular roguelike deckbuilding genre as a foundation for its tactical combat. Other games, such as Power Of Ten and Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime, simplify space combat to create accessible arcade experiences that feel good to play.
1 Power Of Ten
Simple And Refreshing Arcade Combat With Great Pixel Art

- Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation
- Released: 2023
- Developer(s): Pew Times Three
- Genre: Roguelite
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This top-down, arcade roguelite is an underrated gem with brilliant, old-school pixel art and a limited color palette. Power Of Ten puts players in the cockpit of a small starfighter defending planets against fleets of relentless enemies.
Power Of Ten's greatest strength may be its visual style, but its old-school arcade action is a consistently rewarding and well-crafted experience with a refreshingly simple gameplay loop. Power Of Ten also features ten unique ships to unlock and pilot, as well as a variety of weapons and items that add to its replay value.
2 Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime
An Accessible Co-Op Space Battler With A Focus On Teamwork

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Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
Action
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS4 , Switch , Xbox One
- Released
- February 9, 2016
- Developer
- AsteroidBase
This couch co-op adventure game for 1-4 players is a cute and colorful game with a light-hearted tone and atmosphere. Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime features a gameplay loop that revolves entirely around piloting a spherical battleship in space, an exercise that's only made better when played with friends.
The visual style of Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime displays its accessibility brilliantly with its bright colors and cute, simplistic characters. The gameplay is easy to learn and fairly straightforward but has a massive emphasis on working as a team that can provide a solid challenge at times. Furthermore, players can even customize and upgrade their battleship, making for a consistently rewarding gameplay loop.
3 Avorion
Engaging Combat With Customizable Spaceships And Online Co-Op

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- Platform(s): PC
- Released: 2020
- Developer(s): Boxelware
- Genre: Sandbox
This sci-fi sandbox features an in-depth spaceship creator using scalable blocks, with a gameplay system focused on exploration, mining, trading, and space battles. Avorion markets itself as a Freelancer-inspired sandbox with the addition of custom spaceships and online co-op, and it mostly delivers on this promise.
Avorion doesn't limit the player in what they can create, though players will need the required resources to build their desired ship. However, the game also features a creative mode for those who want to go all-out. Avorion's combat is more about careful planning and building well-crafted battleships than it is about moment-to-moment decision-making, but it remains a frequently engaging system.
4 Star Fox 64
A Streamlined Space Shooter With Intuitive Controls

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Star Fox 64
Rail Shooter
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 64
- Released
- June 30, 1997
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
This 3D space shooter was originally released for the Nintendo 64 and is revered for its tight, intuitive controls, and varied environments. Star Fox 64 isn't set entirely in space, with some levels taking place in the airspace of various planets, but its aerial combat in 3D space was both innovative and accessible. Even today, Star Fox 64 remains one of the easiest aerial combat games to pick up and play, yet it has enough of a skill ceiling to warrant mastering through replays.
Star Fox 64 is arguably the best Star Fox game to date, and despite being an on-rails shooter in parts, the game also has players flying in "All-Range" mode, darting about a 3D battlefield with full freedom of movement that requires a little more piloting skill than the other sections of the game. Overall, Star Fox 64 features streamlined space combat that's perfect for those who want to pick up and play, rather than get bogged down in complex mechanics and minutiae.
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5 Freelancer
An Old-School Space Sim With Smooth Movement And Camera Controls

Freelancer
Simulation
RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- March 4, 2003
- Developer
- Digital Anvil
This old-school space-flight simulation game from 2003 is the sequel to Starlancer, which itself was released in 2000. The game is heavily focused on trading and, more importantly, space combat. Freelancer's combat is easy to learn and hard to master, getting more complex as players progress through the game, with more weapon and ship types.
However, it's Freelancer's fluid, intuitive movement controls and smooth camera that make navigating through combat encounters a painless experience. The game also has an extensive modding scene, with some impressive, large-scale mods available that improve the game's replay value.
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6 Star Wars: Squadrons
Managing A Spaceship's Power In Immersive Dogfights

Star Wars: Squadrons
Action
Flight Simulator
- Platform(s)
- PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
- Released
- October 2, 2020
- Developer(s)
- EA Motive
The space dogfights between fighters in Star Wars are arguably one of the most iconic things about the franchise and have been the subject of various video games like Star Wars: TIE Fighter. However, Star Wars: Squadrons is arguably one of the best to adapt the dogfights of Star Wars to a video game, and can even be played in VR.
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Star Wars: Squadrons tasks players with managing their ship's power between weapons, thrusters, and shields. Managing power efficiently is crucial to success, and choosing which system to prioritize at the right time can make the difference between life and death.
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7 Elite Dangerous
Intense Combat With Deep Simulation And An Immersive Cockpit

Elite Dangerous
Flight Simulator
- Platform(s)
- PC , PlayStation 4
- Released
- December 16, 2014
- Developer(s)
- Frontier Developments
While Elite Dangerous might not have the most complex combat system in terms of mechanics to interact with, the game makes up for it by making the experience in the cockpit as immersive as possible. Flying a spaceship in Elite Dangerous is tactile and immersive, and because of this, the combat in the game can be extremely visceral.
Strangely, Elite Dangerous is at its best when everything is going wrong, like when players pick a fight with a ship a little out of their league and are drawn into a fight for their lives. However, mastering the combat of Elite Dangerous can be a rewarding experience, even though there are plenty of other things to do in the game.
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8 Freespace 2
A Classic Space Sim With An Arcade Feel

Freespace 2
Sci-Fi
Simulation
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- September 30, 1999
- Developer(s)
- Volition
Freespace 2 is a beloved space combat simulator with a tight-knit community and modding scene that has managed to keep the game alive since its original release in 1999. The game is extremely combat-heavy, putting players in the cockpit of a fighter in an arcade-style shooter with simulation elements.
Freespace 2 simulates the ship's various systems, such as communications, engines, and shields. Each of these systems can be damaged and even disabled, though they can later be repaired. These simulation mechanics keep players worrying about the state of their ship as they fight through the game's various space battles, adding an extra layer of depth to the game. Furthermore, players can also command their various wingmen via simple and intuitive controls. These wingmen can be extremely helpful in a tight spot, and it's integral that players learn to use them effectively.
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9 Infinity: Battlescape
A Massively Multiplayer Space Battle Simulator

- Platform(s): PC
- Released: 2019
- Developer(s): I-Novae Studios, LLC
- Genre: Space-Sim
This space combat game is entirely focused on large-scale space combat involving hundreds of ships in a procedurally generated star system with no loading screens. Of all the games mentioned thus far, Infinity: Battlescape arguably provides the most visual spectacle.
Despite being a massively multiplayer large-scale space battle simulator, Infinity: Battlescape is still ridiculously fun even when played alone, without other players on the server. This is because battles in Infinity: Battlescape are populated by AI fighters who get replaced by players as they join the battle.
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10 Rebel Galaxy
3D Battles On A 2D Plane That Feel Like Naval Combat

- Platform(s): PC, Xbox, PlayStation
- Released: 2015
- Developer(s): Double Damage Games
- Genre: RPG
Rebel Galaxy is one of many sci-fi sandbox RPGs, but it stands out with its swashbuckling atmosphere and clear Firefly influences. Its gameplay is largely inspired by the classic sci-fi RPG, Freelancer, but Rebel Galaxy stands out on its own with its unique combat system.
Although combat isn't the sole focus of Rebel Galaxy, players will frequently find themselves doing battle in space. In Rebel Galaxy, like the rest of the game, combat takes place in 3D environments. However, players control their ship on a 2D plane, making combat feel more like a naval battle, focusing on broadside attacks and flanking maneuvers. This makes moving around the game's combat arenas much more intuitive than most sci-fi RPGs and offers combat that rewards strategy over reflexes.
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11 House Of The Dying Sun
A Combination Of First-Person Action And Tactical Fleet Command

- Platform(s): PC
- Released: 2016
- Developer(s): Marauder Interactive, LLC
- Genre: Simulation, Shooter
This space-simulation game is a single-player, action-packed space opera that focuses its gameplay on combat throughout its campaign of 14 scenarios. What makes House Of The Dying Sun unique, however, is its combination of first-person space combat and its tactical fleet command mode.
Furthermore, House Of The Dying Sun is fully compatible with VR, making for immersive, visceral combat. House Of The Dying Sun also features various upgrades for the fleet, and its combination of tactics and FPS space combat makes it a truly unique experience.
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12 FTL: Faster Than Light
A Modern Classic About Managing A Crew

FTL: Faster Than Light
Strategy
Roguelike
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- September 14, 2012
- Developer(s)
- Subset Games
This modern classic 2D indie game is a roguelike in which players must control the crew of a spaceship, all while managing the ship's power and maintaining it through a galaxy-spanning journey. In FTL, players will assign power to various systems while maneuvering their crew around the ship to man a variety of stations, repair systems, and defend from intruders.
Players also have to worry about shields, hulls, and which of the enemy's systems to prioritize in combat. FTL can be overwhelming, and forces players to make decisions constantly in the heat of battle, but the game's real-time-with-pause structure makes it easy to learn.
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13 EVERSPACE 2
A Streamlined Action RPG With Fluid Arcade Combat

Everspace 2
Sci-Fi
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- April 6, 2023
- Developer(s)
- ROCKFISH Games
This hyper-polished single-player action RPG plays like a looter-shooter in space with a full narrative campaign and fast-paced, explosive space combat. EVERSPACE 2 has an open world, mining and crafting mechanics, and puzzles, but its combat is what makes it stand out.
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EVERSPACE 2 is extremely user-friendly and doesn't bog itself down with simulation-heavy mechanics. Instead, the game's combat is intuitive, with a spaceship that's highly customizable and easy to control. This combat-focused approach can be a double-edged sword, however, for players who are looking for a more fleshed-out experience. Regardless, EVERSPACE 2’s combat combines streamlined flight controls with arcade, looter shooter action to provide an arguably unrivaled space combat experience.
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14 NEBULOUS: Fleet Command
A Deeply Tactical Simulation With A Steep Learning Curve

NEBULOUS: Fleet Command
Real-Time Strategy
Action
Tactical
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- February 11, 2022
- Developer
- Eridanus Industries
This tactical space simulation game is influenced by science-fiction TV shows like The Expanse in both its ship design and in the way its battles play out: slow-paced and strategic with short bursts of high-octane action.
NEBULOUS: Fleet Command tasks players with commanding a fleet of warships in 3D space, pulling off complex maneuvers with advanced movement controls, and keeping track of their enemies with the game's realistic radar. NEBULOUS: Fleet Command is simulation-heavy, with a focus on patience and tactical timing that won't be for everyone, but it's a rewarding large-scale experience for those who are willing to learn its systems.
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15 Cobalt Core
A Tactical Deckbuilder Where The Cards Are The Spaceship's Crew

- Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch
- Released: 2023
- Developer(s): Rocket Rat Games
- Genre: Rogue-Like, Deck-Builder
This colorful sci-fi roguelike deckbuilder features tactical combat and a brilliant 2D, pixel-art style that helps it to stand out in an over-saturated genre. In the game, players manage a deck of cards representing the actions of their crew members.
Cobalt Core has players maneuvering their ship from left to right to avoid enemy cannon fire while lining up the perfect shot, making for tactical gameplay where every decision matters. The game's deckbuilding elements, while standard, are rock-solid, and provide good foundations for the game's more complex systems.
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