5 Best Games Like Starminer

With deep space flourishing with all kinds of valuable minerals, Starminer charges you with building a space fleet and stripping the depths of the galaxies of all their hidden treasures. Watch out, though, because when you thrive too much, the alien contenders vying for the same power will come looking for you, and they won’t be so kind. So, you get to work building defense systems and army ships to combat anyone threatening the prosperity of your fleet. 

If Starminer sounds like your kind of party, we have a couple more games like it stockpiled for you that you can keep busy with before Starminer launches. These are the best games, like Starminer, for all fans of space simulation and alien shenanigans.

5. The Expanse: A Telltale Series

As a six-season sci-fi series, The Expanse was an absolute blast. But adapted into a video game series, it’s a game changer as you can interact with the characters and environments virtually directly. Telltale Games has a gift for adapting big-screen heavy hitters, and The Expanse is no different. They curate the best visuals we’ve seen yet on their Telltale engine and tell an entirely new standalone prequel to The Expanse TV series. 

We follow Camina Drummer as she combs the crevices of uncharted depths of space. You traverse the galaxies in zero-g space suits, scavenging wrecked ships and combating fearsome pirates. Just like you’ll strip away minerals off of asteroids in Starminer, so do you strive for a big score in The Expanse: A Telltale Series. 

However, an in-depth narrative forms the backbone of The Expanse, as you make tough choices that can carry heavy repercussions. You’re even thrust into the middle of a mutiny and have to be the bearer of everyone’s fate.

4. Hardspace: Shipbreaker

Alternatively, consider the action-adventure simulator Hardspace: Shipbreaker, where instead of scoring on minerals, you salvage cutting-edge tech off of spaceships. Your job is to carve and slice ships to recover valuable materials. Thereafter, upgrade your gear to land more lucrative jobs.

Part of Hardspace: Shipbreaker’s charm is zero-g gameplay. It never gets old swimming through a spaceshipyard with the freedom to bounce around at up to six-degree angles. At first, it can seem strange to tear apart spaceships. But once you get a handle on it, it blends like peanut butter and jelly. 

In time, it grows on you, like a meditative task; you want to carefully take the time to strip away the valuable parts, all while avoiding hazards like explosive reactors. The controls, too, are fluid and smooth, elevating the love for what you do. Ultimately, the game’s addicting gameplay fuses nicely with its compelling narrative and immersive sandbox to create a space experience worth your time.

3. The Invincible

An FPS sci-fi thriller, The Invincible tugs alongside The Expanse: A Telltale Series as a recreation of Stanislaw Lem's 1964 science fiction novel into the gaming world. It’s a walking simulator that tells a compelling story and immerses you in a captivating atmosphere. You venture across space, spearheaded by a narrative that lets you make your own choices but, ultimately, won’t hesitate to push you forward in a way that feels natural. 

Tagged a “thriller,” you’ll find some unnerving junctures that every type of gamer can handle. It envelops a compelling sci-fi mystery that keeps you peeling for more. Overall, you should enjoy its breathtaking retro sci-fi aesthetic and wonderful story, albeit a bit of a slog for action lovers.

2. No Man’s Sky

Take a chance on No Man’s Sky, you’ll love it. With its quirky characters, you’ll feel like walking on rainbows, getting to know them. All the while exploring and surviving a space-themed infinite procedurally generated universe. The places and creatures here are distinctly unique; you’ll likely see them for the first time and never again once you’re done. It’s perfect for experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime venture, even if, a few years down the line, another game will come up and beat No Man’s Sky at its own game.

Still, if losing yourself in an expansive sci-fi odyssey sounds like your kind of party, then No Man’s Sky is the way to go. It mimics Starminer’s scavenging for rare materials across increasingly diverse and dangerous star systems. You run into alien life as bizarre as the last and are kept constantly on your toes. You can set camp here, populating planets and assembling warring fleets. 

As outlaw space pirates, sentinel fleets, and hostile alien fauna grow fierce, you’ll need to buy and upgrade your weapons and ships to protect your kind. How much dedication you put in is up to you. But make no mistake, the options for fun and mischief are limitless. 

1. Starfield

Space-themed Starfield is a free-form, next-generation immersive RPG from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. It’s the first new universe they've created in over 25 years, which makes it pretty exciting to check out. Fortunately, the adventure among the stars delivers on expectations, with plenty of moons, over 1,000 planets, and solar systems to explore. You also have your fair share of customizable ships and choices to make.

Around 30% of the game focuses on inventory management, which is to be expected from a Bethesda game. Additionally, you meet a bunch of interesting characters, far and wide, with a wide array of items you can craft. You can choose your own character and customize them to a ridiculous degree, complete with traits and personalities matching your taste and style. 

Afterward, you unleash them on the galaxy, exploring the mysteries and terrors of space. Or hijack ships as a space pirate. Maybe even conquer galactic uncharted worlds and build settlements to your heart’s desire. It’s all up to you. If post-Skyrim was going to be anything, it sure could only have been exploring the wonders and mysteries of space.

So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our best games like Starminer? Are there more games we should know about? Let us know over on our socials here.