Starfield is a space-faring epic from Bethesda Game Studios, planting players firmly in a futuristic environment and giving them a massive open universe to explore. It’s a game that promises hundreds of hours of entertainment, but it’s not the first open-world space game and it probably won’t be the last. With that in mind, here are five of the best games like Starfield, just in case you want an alternative.
Games Like Starfield That You Can Play Now
Starfield may be quite a unique project in many ways, but there are elements of the game that you’ll find in other franchises or other standalone titles. If you want to explore space, become a ship-raiding pirate, or craft bases on distant planets, these are the best games like Starfield that’ll keep you going.
1. No Man’s Sky (PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Switch)
No Man’s Sky was first released in 2016 in a relatively sorry state. It took a couple of years for it to gain traction following some immense updates put in place by the developer, Hello Games, but it came to be widely regarded as potentially the greatest space exploration game ever made.
It has essentially every mechanic featured in Starfield, bar a few. For instance, there is an unlimited amount of planets, all of which are procedurally generated, and the player can land on any planet and start building a base whenever they so desire.
It has customisation elements, combat, trading, a story, and it’s multiplayer – which is something that Starfield lacks. If you’re eager to play Starfield, consider running through No Man’s Sky first – it’s a great introduction to that concept.
Read More: Everything We Know About Starfield
2. Elite Dangerous (PlayStation, Xbox, PC)
Elite Dangerous was released in 2014, created by Frontier Developments and serves as a modern-day extension of the Elite series that was kicked off way back in 1984. It started off as a ‘ship-only’ game, but a later expansion gave players the ability to journey to explore the surface of plants and engage in combat.
It also features – like No Man’s Sky – multiplayer elements, with a focus on exploring the massive (and near endless) universe with other players remaining a constant threat at all times.
It’s more realistic than No Man’s Sky, but it’s not as ‘deep’ as Starfield is – it’s still one of the best games like Starfield that money can buy, though.
3. The Outer Worlds (PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Switch)
The Outer Worlds is one of the closest games to Starfield simply because of its ‘kind of connection’ to Bethesda Game Studios. It was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, the studio that once upon a time was the brainchild behind Fallout: New Vegas.
In The Outer Worlds, the player has no direct control over piloting a ship in space, but they can travel between planets in a quest to dive deep into a relatively immersive and enjoyable story. It’s a ‘lite’ RPG, featuring skill trees, a companion system, and a multi-ended approach to missions, and the semi-open-world environments are interesting enough to explore.
It was remastered to some extent for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles recently, so if you’re eager to explore space, soak up some humorous dialogue, and tussle with alien lifeforms, The Outer Worlds is the one for you.
Read More: PlayStation Doesn't Deserve Starfield
4. EVE Online (PC)
EVE Online was first released in 2003, and since then, it has worked hard to earn the self-appointed title of the ‘Number One Free Space MMORPG’. It’s a universe in itself, boasting complex mechanics that overwhelm new players – but it’s one of the best games like Starfield out there because, guess what, it’s set in a massive, open universe.
It has races, character and ship customisation, player-vs-player (and vs-environment) combat, an intense economy system, and much more. It was reportedly inspired by Elite, and over time, it has been expanded and broadened to near-unparalleled levels.
Read More: Starfield's Constellation Edition Revealed
5. Star Citizen (PC)
Like EVE Online, Star Citizen is a PC-exclusive game, and it’s probably the most immersive game to make this list. It’s another MMORPG title that also features in-depth elements of trading, combat, and even politics, with thousands of players existing in the same universe, representing factions, and building up their ships – which can run up a massive real-world bill.
It technically hasn’t ever been ‘released’, and it has remained in an alpha state for several years. During that time, it has raked in more than half a billion dollars from gamers eager to support the ever-developing ecosystem. With that bizarre fact aside, Star Citizen certainly can be classed as one of the best games like Starfield out there today.
