The Best Open-World Games Where You Can Travel Between Planets

Open-world games already provide a large map for players to explore, but sci-fi games tend to take this a step further, as they allow the player not only to explore one planet but also plenty of others, as the open-world even allows players to travel between planets in a galaxy, exploring new biomes and facing even newer challenges.

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When looking for the best open-world games that allow the player to travel between planets, these games are the best for any space explorer.

7

Starfield

Multiple Procedurally Generated Planets To Explore

Systems

Released

September 6, 2023

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence

Although Starfield isn’t entirely an open-world title due to the player needing to sit on a loading screen between each jump from one planet to the next, Starfield still tries its best to feel as if it’s an open universe for the player to explore.

This exploration gives the player the freedom to adventure across all sorts of star systems and the planets that come with them, providing the player with an assortment of planets to land on with some of them being completely desolate of life, while others may have outposts for the player to explore. This gives the illusion of an open world, as players can explore these locations to their heart’s content and create all sorts of outposts on them.

6

Empyrion – Galactic Survival

A Sandbox Survival For Making Planetary Settlements

Released

August 5, 2015

Developer(s)

Eleon Game Studios

Sandbox titles are incredibly popular when considering space exploration. This is because they don’t only allow players to freely explore the open-world map of space, but also allow their creativity to run free as they create all sorts of planetary outposts on the various planets they travel to.

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Empyrion – Galactic Survival is a great open-world game for those looking for a title that allows them to adventure across space, attempting to survive on some of the harshest planets they visit. Each planet in Empyrion – Galactic Survival is sure to not feel the same, as they each come with not only their own unique fauna and flora but also interesting alien life to uncover.

5

Astroneer

Adventure On Strange New Worlds

Astroneer

Released

February 6, 2019

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence

Players looking for a game that not only allows them to adventure between planets in an open world but has a cutesy, bright art style should look no further than Astroneer. Players can learn to survive this strange solar system alone or with friends as they automate their way to victory, surviving on these various planets filled with all sorts of mysteries.

Since players can freely explore in Astroneer, players can expect each planet in this solar system when they finally start exploring elsewhere to feel just as peculiar as the original, making for a wondrous open-world experience across these challenging biomes.

4

Space Engineers

Engineer Spacecrafts To Travel Across Planets

Systems

Released

February 28, 2019

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Drug Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language

Developer(s)

Keen Software House

While its name may be Space Engineers, which would suggest that players would spend the majority of their time in space, players are able to explore elsewhere in this sci-fi sandbox title, as once players have created their durable spacecraft, they can use this shuttle to explore the different planets of the solar system.

Building is one of the prime activities of Space Engineers, making the various planets players can land on the perfect experiment grounds for players to test out their building skills and make a variety of outposts on them. Not to mention needing to explore these various planets of the open world to get the materials needed to build even more and become a skilled Engineer in space.

3

Elite Dangerous

Deliver Goods Between Planets And Much More

Systems

Released

December 16, 2014

ESRB

T For Teen due to Drug Reference, Fantasy Violence

Players may be surprised to hear that massively multiplayer games like Elite Dangerous allow players to explore an expansive universe. In this space epic, players are free to explore how they see fit and take part in all sorts of activities. One of the most popular jobs that players seem to adore in Elite Dangerous, has them traveling in their spaceship between planets and space stations delivering goods.

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Players aren’t confined to their spaceship either in Elite Dangerous, as many of the planets a player can visit can also be stepped foot upon to take part in plenty of the other fun activities of Elite Dangerous, with combat being only one of many ways to spend time in this extraordinary open-world.

2

Outer Wilds

A Story About A Solar System Stuck In A Time Loop

Systems

Released

May 28, 2019

ESRB

E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference

Although sharing a similar sound name to The Outer Worlds, Outer Wilds is a completely different game that is nothing like what has been mentioned previously. This story-driven adventure is a must-play for any player who enjoys space travel. Although confined to a single solar system, this is all a player needs to enjoy the open world of the Outer Wilds.

Players find themselves stuck within a time loop across these various planets and must find a way to break the time loop and hopefully save their friends in the process. Players will find themselves zipping between the planets in their spacecraft looking for answers and uncovering the mysteries of this extraordinary solar system.

1

No Man’s Sky

An Open-World Space Exploration With Always More To Do

Adventure

Action

Survival

Released

August 9, 2016

ESRB

T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Animated Blood

When No Man’s Sky was first released, players had high expectations that were quickly destroyed. However, Hello Games worked on winning back their community to turn No Man’s Sky into one of the greatest open-world Sci-Fi action-adventure titles.

No two planets in No Man’s Sky ever feel the same as players take their ship – which they can now fully customize – and fly between not only various planets but also an infinite number of solar systems, as long as they have the materials to make the jump. With each planet having its own unique resources depending on the biome, and plenty of ways to make the perfect outpost, it’s no surprise that No Man’s Sky is one of the best games for this open-world space exploration.

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