No Man’s Sky Alternatives: 8 Base Building & Exploration Games
If you love No Man’s Sky’s blend of open-ended space exploration and creative base building, the top pick is Empyrion: Galactic Survival. It delivers the same loop of landing on a planet, gathering resources, and constructing a base—plus fully buildable spaceships—with more survival depth and less hand-holding, making it the closest direct substitute.
What to Look For
When choosing an alternative, focus on these criteria that actually matter for the experience you want:
- Exploration freedom: Does the game let you land on any planet and walk around, or is it a curated set of handcrafted worlds? Procedural generation offers near-infinite variety but can feel repetitive; handcrafted worlds offer quality over quantity.
- Base building depth: Are you placing pre-made modules or free-forming structures block by block? The more granular the system, the more creative control you have, but also the more time it takes.
- Survival mechanics: Do you need to manage oxygen, food, temperature, and radiation, or is it a relaxed sandbox? Decide how much friction you want between you and the exploration.
- Multiplayer: Is it co-op, PvP, or single-player only? Some games shine with friends, others are best enjoyed solo.
- Scale and performance: Can you fly seamlessly from space to surface, or are there loading screens? Does the game run well on your hardware, especially when bases get large?
Empyrion: Galactic Survival
Strengths: The most direct NMS analogue. You can build bases on any planet and also construct your own capital vessels block-by-block, then fly them into space. The survival systems (oxygen, food, temperature) are more demanding than NMS, giving every expedition weight. It has a robust creative mode if you just want to build.
Trade-offs: Graphics are dated, the UI is clunky, and the learning curve is steep. There’s no story to speak of—it’s purely a sandbox. Performance can struggle with massive builds.
Best for: Players who want the closest NMS experience with more survival challenge and ship-building freedom, and who don’t mind a rough-around-the-edges indie title.
Subnautica
Strengths: A masterpiece of exploration on a single alien ocean world. The sense of discovery is unmatched—every new biome and creature feels meaningful. Base building is functional and satisfying, with corridors, glass domes, and observatories. The story unfolds through exploration, keeping you motivated.
Trade-offs: It’s not a space game; you’re confined to one planet’s ocean. There’s no procedural generation, so once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it. Base building is more about utility than free-form creativity.
Best for: Players who value handcrafted exploration and a compelling narrative over infinite procedural worlds, and who enjoy the underwater aesthetic.
Space Engineers
Strengths: The most detailed engineering simulation of the group. You build ships, stations, and bases from individual blocks, with conveyor systems, rotors, pistons, and programmable blocks. The physics are real—ships can break apart and crash. Multiplayer is well-supported for co-op or PvP.
Trade-offs: It’s more of a construction simulator than an exploration game. Planets exist but feel barren, and there’s no alien life or story. The learning curve is brutal, and survival mode is often just a means to gather resources for building.
Best for: Tinkerers and engineers who want to design functional machines and don’t mind a dry, technical sandbox.
Valheim
Strengths: While not space-themed, it nails the exploration and base-building loop. You sail to procedurally generated lands, fight bosses, and build Viking longhouses with a fantastic structural integrity system. The building freedom is huge, and co-op is seamless. The art style is charming and performance is decent.
Trade-offs: No space travel, no sci-fi elements. Combat is more prominent and can be punishing. The building system is wood-and-stone based, not sci-fi modules.
Best for: Players who want the exploration and building loop but prefer a fantasy viking setting and enjoy co-op survival with friends.
Satisfactory
Strengths: A first-person factory builder on an alien planet. You explore a handcrafted world, mine resources, and build sprawling automated production lines. The sense of scale is incredible—you’ll create megafactories that process raw ore into complex parts. The exploration is rewarding, with hidden hard drives and vistas.
Trade-offs: Base building is really factory building; you’re not making cozy habitats but efficient machines. There’s no combat to speak of (just hostile wildlife). It’s not a space game—you’re dropped on a planet and stay there.
Best for: Players who love logistics and optimization, and who find satisfaction in watching a factory run smoothly.
Outer Wilds
Strengths: A pure exploration game set in a tiny solar system with a time loop. Every planet is handcrafted with unique physics and secrets. There’s no base building at all, but the discovery-driven gameplay is the best in the genre. The sense of wonder and the payoff of understanding the story are extraordinary.
Trade-offs: No building, no survival, no combat. It’s a puzzle-exploration game that you can finish in about 15 hours. The time loop mechanic may frustrate some.
Best for: Players who prioritize exploration and mystery over building, and who want a tightly designed experience rather than a sandbox.
Grounded
Strengths: You’re shrunk to the size of an ant in a backyard. Exploration is vertical and dense, with a detailed world full of insects and hidden labs. Base building is excellent, with a variety of building pieces and defensive traps. The survival mechanics are polished, and co-op is a blast.
Trade-offs: Not space-related. The setting is a single backyard, so the scale is limited. The story is present but not the main draw.
Best for: Players who want a survival-builder with a unique setting and who enjoy playing with friends in a smaller, handcrafted world.
Starbound
Strengths: A 2D pixel-art take on NMS. You explore procedurally generated planets, build bases, and even build your own spaceship. The building system is tile-based, allowing for detailed pixel art. It has a light story and tons of mods.
Trade-offs: It’s 2D, not 3D, which is a major shift. Combat is simple, and the procedural generation can feel repetitive. Base building is more about aesthetics than function.
Best for: Players who want a 2D, more casual, and moddable version of NMS, especially if they enjoy Terraria-style building.
How to Choose
Your choice depends on your budget, time, and what you value most. If you want the closest NMS replacement with spaceships and bases, go with Empyrion. If you want a polished, story-driven exploration experience, choose Subnautica or Outer Wilds. If you love building and engineering, Space Engineers or Satisfactory are better. For co-op survival with friends, Valheim or Grounded are excellent. And if you’re on a tight budget, Starbound is often cheaper and offers hundreds of hours.
Consider the trade-offs: handcrafted worlds have limited replayability but higher quality; procedural worlds offer endless variety but can feel samey. More complex building systems mean a steeper learning curve. Multiplayer can be a boon or a distraction. And if you want a relaxing experience, avoid games with harsh survival mechanics like Empyrion’s oxygen management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a game with seamless space-to-planet travel like NMS?
Yes, Empyrion and Space Engineers both allow seamless transitions from space to planetary surfaces without loading screens.
Which game has the best base building?
For free-form creativity, Valheim and Grounded offer the most satisfying structural building. For functional engineering, Space Engineers is unmatched.
Are any of these games good for solo players?
All of them are playable solo, but Subnautica and Outer Wilds are designed primarily as single-player experiences and are best enjoyed alone.
Which game is most like NMS but with more survival challenge?
Empyrion is the closest, with harsher oxygen, food, and temperature mechanics. Subnautica also has intense survival elements, but in an ocean setting.
Can I play these on console?
Subnautica, Space Engineers, Valheim (Xbox), Grounded, and Starbound (console versions exist) are available on consoles. Empyrion and Satisfactory are PC-only.
What if I want a game with a story?
Subnautica and Outer Wilds have excellent stories. Grounded and Starbound have light narratives. The others are pure sandboxes.
Bottom Line
For the closest NMS alternative, choose Empyrion: Galactic Survival—it delivers the full loop of exploration, survival, and base building, plus the unique ability to build your own spaceships. If you prefer a more polished, story-driven experience, pick Subnautica. And if you want to build and engineer without the survival pressure, Space Engineers or Satisfactory are top-tier. Start with one that matches your top priority—exploration, building, or co-op—and you’ll find a game that scratches the same itch.
Related
Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.