The best games in which you explore space 🚀 2026
Looking for a really good space exploration game 🚀? Then we have just the thing: our list of the best space exploration games 2026.
What are space exploration games?
Space exploration games often have themes and storylines related to travel and adventure in space. Players often have to search for and collect resources and areas as the goal of the game.
Many of the popular space exploration games are also categorized under science fiction.
List of the best games in which you explore space 2026 🚀
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The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
All details & ratingThe Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine is a cooperative trick-taking game that takes players on an adventurous space journey, filled with challenges and strategic gameplay.
2–5 20 min 10+ Easy to learn+ 2 € above the best price11 € at Amazon* -
Planet Unknown
All details & ratingPlanet Unknown is a competitive and strategic game for 1-6 players set in a future where Earth's resources are depleted. Players are tasked with developing the most efficient and habitable planet among a series of newfound worlds. Using polyomino-shaped tiles, each representing vital infrastructure, players work to efficiently cover their planets and build an effective support system for life.
1–6 60–80 min 10+ Easy to learn -
The Search for Planet X
All details & ratingThe Search for Planet X is a captivating board game that immerses players in the world of astronomy and scientific discovery. Aspiring astronomers use a combination of observation, deduction, and a companion app to unravel the mystery of a hidden planet in our solar system.
1–4 60–75 min 13+ Easy to learn -
EXIT: The Game – Advent Calendar: The Intergalactic Race
All details & ratingTeam Santa needs help! An exciting race through the depths of space is about to begin, filled with tricky puzzles. Work hard to find the solutions and win the race. Players aged 10 and up will experience an action-packed story with 24 puzzles, where each day's continuation depends on the solution to the previous riddle.
1–99 20–45 min 10+ Immediately playable -
Welcome to the Moon
All details & ratingWelcome to the Moon is an innovative flip-and-write game that evolves the gameplay of its predecessors, Welcome To... and Welcome To New Las Vegas. It takes players on a space colonization adventure, combining familiar mechanisms with new twists and a campaign mode that spans eight unique adventure sheets.
1–6 25–30 min 10+ Easy to learn+ 3 € above the best price33 € at Amazon* -
Terraforming Mars
All details & ratingTerraforming Mars is a strategic board game set in the 2400s, where players, representing giant corporations, embark on the colossal task of terraforming Mars. Sponsored by the World Government on Earth, each corporation competes to contribute most effectively to raising the planet's temperature, oxygen level, and ocean coverage to make Mars habitable. While players work together in the terraforming process, they also compete for victory points awarded for their contributions to terraforming, advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system, and other notable achievements.
1–5 120 min 12+ Medium complexityVideo reviews 1 -
MLEM: Space Agency
All details & ratingTravel to the year 2075, where cats have taken over the world and are now aiming for space! The best feline specialists compete for cosmic supremacy, undeterred by their lack of opposable thumbs. Players take on the role of fearless captains of a cosmic expedition to conquer the cosmos, navigating through chaos and unleashing their cat-like instincts. Prepare for an extraordinary adventure beyond this world!
2–5 30–60 min 8+ Easy to learn -
Tiny Epic Galaxies
All details & ratingIn Tiny Epic Galaxies, each player commands a galactic empire, striving to expand their influence by acquiring contested planets and strengthening their cosmic armada. The game features an innovative dice-rolling combo mechanic, where the number of rolled dice corresponds to your galaxy's strength. These dice display symbols representing actions such as spaceship movement, resource acquisition, and the advancement of political or economic influence over newly discovered planets.
1–5 30–45 min 14+ Easy to learn -
Star Wars: Outer Rim
All details & ratingStar Wars: Outer Rim is a thrilling and immersive board game that takes players into the expansive universe of Star Wars, particularly focusing on the fringes of the galaxy. This game is perfect for fans of the Star Wars saga who enjoy strategy, adventure, and role-playing elements.
1–4 120–180 min 14+ Medium complexity+ 17 € above the best price69 € at Amazon* -
Galaxy Trucker
All details & ratingGalaxy Trucker is a fast-paced, tile-laying board game that combines space adventure with ship construction and navigation challenges.
2–4 60 min 10+ Easy to learn+ 58 € above the best price90 € at Amazon* -
First Rat
All details & ratingRats on the old junkyard have long told the legend of the cheese moon, dreaming of reaching this endless treasure. When the young rats discover a comic about the first moon landing, they hatch a plan to build a rocket and conquer the cheese moon. Players must gather resources, build rocket parts, and train ratonauts while competing against other families to collect the most cheese and points. The game ends when a player launches their fourth rat or achieves their eighth scoring marker, with the winner being the one with the most points.
1–5 30–75 min 10+ Easy to learn+ 2 € above the best price30 € at Amazon* -
Cosmic Encounter
2008 Edition
All details & ratingCosmic Encounter is an iconic board game that combines elements of strategy, diplomacy, and unique alien powers, set in a dynamic universe of shifting alliances and interstellar conflict.
3–5 60–120 min 12+ Medium complexity -
Space Park
All details & ratingTravel with a rocket to extraordinary destinations in our galaxy. Collect exotic crystals to enhance your understanding of the universe and use them to earn exploration badges or trade them at the mysterious Outpost 13 to prove yourself as the next great space explorer.
1–4 30 min 14+ Easy to learn -
Race for the Galaxy
All details & ratingRace for the Galaxy is a captivating card game that immerses players in the challenge of building galactic civilizations. In this race through the cosmos, players use game cards to represent worlds, technologies, and developments as they strive for supremacy. Let's delve into the gameplay and discover what makes Race for the Galaxy unique.
2–4 30–60 min 12+ Medium complexity -
Roll for the Galaxy
All details & ratingRoll for the Galaxy is a dice-based strategy game for 2-5 players, where dice represent the populace tasked with building a space empire. It's a dice adaptation of the popular card game Race for the Galaxy.
2–5 45 min 13+ Medium complexity -
Jump Drive
All details & ratingJump Drive propels players into the vast expanse of the Race for the Galaxy universe through a swift and engaging card game. In this game of galactic expansion, players harness the power of the Jump Drive to explore new worlds, develop advanced technologies, and establish a dominant space empire. Players aim to find potent card combinations that propel their civilizations to prosperity and victory. As a standalone game, Jump Drive offers a more streamlined and quicker gameplay experience compared to its predecessor, Race for the Galaxy, making it accessible to newcomers while still challenging seasoned players with its strategic depth.
2–4 10–30 min 13+ Easy to learn -
Wild Space
All details & ratingA new galaxy has just been discovered at the edge of the empire! Command your spaceship to explore this treasure-filled Eldorado, planet by planet. Recruit specialists and robots to enhance your crew, and attract empire delegates who will assign you valuable missions. Gather wonders from this new galaxy to become the richest explorer!
1–5 15–40 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Alien Frontiers
All details & ratingAlien Frontiers is a competitive board game where players vie to colonize an uncharted planet. As deep space colonists, players must skillfully manage resources, expand their fleet, research alien technology, and establish colonies to gain control of the new world.
2–4 90 min 13+ Medium complexity -
Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy
2020 Edition
All details & ratingEclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy is an enhanced version of the original Eclipse game, first released in 2011. It's a grand strategy game set in the depths of space, where players lead their own interstellar civilizations to explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate.
2–6 60–200 min 14+ For connoisseurs -
Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition
All details & ratingTerraforming Mars: Ares Expedition is an engaging engine-building game where players take on the roles of corporations with the ambitious goal of terraforming Mars. The game combines strategic resource management and project development to make the red planet habitable.
1–4 45–60 min 14+ Medium complexity -
Stellarion
All details & ratingYou direct the observatory, ready to launch daring spacecraft into the skies with your telescopes focused on the stars, planets, and nebulae of the universe. As the seventh installment in the Oniverse series, this deck-management game features eight decks containing all the cards you need, with each deck's contents known to you. Managing these resources is essential to ensure you have the right cards available at the right time.
1–2 30 min 10+ Easy to learn -
SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
All details & ratingPlayers lead a scientific institution searching for life beyond Earth in this Eurogame for 1-4 players. They explore nearby planets and moons by launching probes, deciding whether to land for valuable samples or remain in orbit for deeper investigations. Back on Earth, players invest in upgrading equipment to analyze data more efficiently, increasing their telescope's signal capacity, and expanding their resource supply, all to enhance the chances of discovering extraterrestrial life. Over 200 unique cards represent real-life technologies and discoveries, guiding players in their research while offering bonuses and rewards.
1–4 40–160 min 14+ For connoisseurs+ 4 € above the best price53 € at Amazon*
Frequently asked questions
Which game ranks first on this list?
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine (Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020 winner) currently tops our list. The ranking is derived from player community ratings and is recalculated continuously.
How many players do the games on this list support?
Most games on this list support 1 to 5 players. The exact player count is listed with each game.
What age are these games suitable for?
Publisher age recommendations on this list start at 6 years. Each game carries its own age rating.
How long does a game take?
A typical game takes about 30 to 60 minutes. Each game's playing time is listed individually.
Didn't find the game you were looking for?
We're positive that you'll find it in one of our other lists! To make the search easier for you, we split our website into different categories. The following board game categories will help you find the right list: