Miyuki Aizawa

There are certain needs in games that are hard to explain to someone from the outside. One of them is this strange, persistent desire: to have your own spaceship and be able to walk around inside it. Not just pilot it. Not just look at it from the outside. Walk. Explore. Stand in a corridor and think, “this is mine.”

This is no longer just gameplay. It is a vibe. It is a sense of place. And those are exactly the kinds of games we are talking about today.

Below you will find my recommendations that, in one way or another, satisfy this very specific itch.

Starbound is basically Terraria in space. The game offers exploration of procedurally generated planets, crafting, and base building, and one of its core elements is your own spaceship. You can expand and decorate it however you want, which gives you a lot of creative freedom. For me, it is a wonderful game, and I have spent an absurd number of hours in it since the alpha days. It is a bit sad that the developers abandoned its development, because its potential was truly cosmic… literally.

Starship Evo is a completely different beast. It is a sandbox focused on building ships from scratch, with huge construction freedom and physics that can both impress you and spectacularly destroy your creations. It is developed by a single developer, which is impressive on its own. The logic gate system is absolutely amazing and opens up incredible possibilities. I have not played the Survival update yet, so I will not comment on that, but if you are looking for that specific feeling of “this is my ship and it works because I built it,” this is as close as it gets.

Space Engineers is already a classic of the genre. The game offers realistic construction of structures in space, taking physics, power systems, and logistics into account. You can build ships, stations, and entire infrastructures, and then… simply walk around them. Playing solo is fun, but the real magic happens in co-op. Because nothing builds bonds like fixing a ship together after it just split in half.

Star Trucker takes a slightly different approach. It is a space trucking simulator where instead of building a ship from scratch, you are given your own machine and take care of it like it is your baby. You can walk around inside, swap components, repair the hull, and manage delivery logistics. A bit of chill, a bit of stress, and a bit of “oh no, something broke again in the vacuum.” And it works surprisingly well.

StarMade is like Starbound, but in 3D and heavily focused on building. The game allows you to create massive ships and structures out of voxel blocks, which then actually function and can be explored from the inside. The editor can feel overwhelming and a bit confusing at first, but once you get used to it, the real fun begins. There is also resource gathering and a light survival element, so there is always something to do.

RimWorld Odyssey is both my gem and my nemesis. The base RimWorld game is already a story generator for hundreds of hours, and adding spaceship building on top of that takes everything even further. Suddenly you are not just managing a colony, you are creating something meant to take you beyond. And before you realize it… three days are gone.

These are the titles that truly satisfy that specific craving: owning your own ship and being able to walk around it like it is your own little world in space.

But I still feel like we are waiting for a game that does it perfectly. One where the ship is not just a mechanic, but a fully realized home that lives and evolves with you.

Quick disclaimer: if you decide to buy any of these games through my Instant Gaming links, you are directly supporting me. I receive a small commission from each purchase, while the price for you stays the same. You get the game, I get support to keep creating more content. Win-win 💜

If you know games like that, definitely let me know. Seriously, I would love to add something new to this list.