10 Best Multiplayer Space Games You Need to Try Now

Space is vast, unpredictable, and packed with places to explore, which makes it even better with friends. Whether you want to pilot a starship, build a base on an alien planet, manage an interstellar empire, or find out which member of your crew should never be trusted with the controls, there’s a game for you.

We’ve rounded up 10 great multiplayer space games available right now. The list includes space MMOs, detailed simulations, open-world sandboxes, and dedicated co-op games where running a ship demands actual teamwork.

Some are easy to pick up with one friend, while others demand a full crew and dozens of hours to master. We’ll break down the gameplay, platforms, player counts, cross-play support, and potential drawbacks to help you choose the right game for your squad.

Must-Play Multiplayer Space Games

From relaxed exploration to white-knuckle ship management, here’s a rundown of some multiplayer space games worth building a crew for. 

1. No Man’s Sky

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and VR
• Players: Up to 32, depending on the platform and activity
• Cross-play: Yes
• Great for: Open-world exploration

No Man’s Sky gives you remarkable freedom. You can explore procedurally generated planets, complete missions, gather resources, construct bases, manage settlements, and build a fleet of frigates around your capital ship. There’s no fixed path that every crew must follow.

Multiplayer works especially well for friends who prefer relaxed exploration over a structured campaign. You can visit each other’s bases, undertake missions from the Space Anomaly, or simply travel through the galaxy together. Adjustable combat, survival, and resource settings also make it more approachable than many space sims.

Newcomers can begin exploring right away, while base building, fleet management, and expeditions give experienced crews reasons to stay. Ongoing updates keep expanding both sides of that experience.

2. Elite Dangerous

• Platforms: PC, PS4, and Xbox One
• Players: Shared online galaxy, with Wings of up to 4 players
• Cross-play: No
• Great for: Realistic spaceflight

Elite Dangerous offers a more demanding approach to space exploration. Its version of the Milky Way contains billions of star systems, and commanders can pursue careers involving exploration, mining, trading, passenger transport, or combat. Docking, navigating, and managing ship systems all demand careful attention.

Friends can form Wings and fly separate ships or use multicrew features to operate compatible vessels together. You can also join a Squadron built around common interests and larger objectives. Solo and Private Group modes provide more control over encounters with other commanders.

The learning curve and slower progression won’t suit players looking for immediate action. PC offers the most complete experience because the console versions no longer receive major updates. Those willing to master its controls will find one of the most detailed multiplayer space sims available.

3. EVE Online

• Platforms: Windows and macOS
• Players: Massive multiplayer
• Cross-play: Shared universe across supported computer versions
• Great for: A player-driven space MMO

In this game, you’re inside a persistent universe shaped by its community. You can mine, manufacture equipment, transport cargo, explore dangerous systems, trade on regional markets, or join fleets. Ships use MMO-style commands rather than cockpit controls.

Player-run corporations are at the center of the experience – they organize industrial projects, control territory, form alliances, and participate in large fleet engagements. Logistics, scouting, market trading, and intelligence gathering can be as important as direct combat.

The player-controlled economy and layered systems make EVE Online one of the strongest space MMOs, but the learning curve is steep. The free Alpha option lets you learn without immediately paying for Omega membership. Completing the tutorials and joining a beginner-friendly corporation will make the first few weeks easier.

4. Space Engineers

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation, and Xbox
• Players: Varies by platform and server
• Cross-play: Yes, through compatible servers
• Great for: Building a functional spacecraft

Space Engineers is a physics-based sandbox focused on designing, constructing, and maintaining spacecraft and stations. You assemble creations from individual blocks, including engines, power systems, cargo containers, weapons, and life-support equipment. Every design needs to account for practical considerations such as mass, fuel, and structural damage.

A cooperative group can divide the work between mining, manufacturing, construction, piloting, and defense. Creative Mode removes most resource restrictions if you want to experiment, while Survival Mode needs crews to gather materials and maintain their equipment. PC mods and customizable servers provide even more options.

The engineering systems require patience because a small design mistake can stop an entire ship from functioning correctly. That complexity is also the main attraction. Space Engineers is a strong option for groups that want to design their own spacecraft rather than choose from a collection of finished ships.

5. Astroneer

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
• Players: Up to 4 normally or 8 on compatible dedicated servers
• Cross-play: Limited to certain platform and server combinations
• Great for: Relaxed 2-player co-op

If you’re looking for a colorful survival sandbox about exploring planets, reshaping terrain, and developing increasingly sophisticated bases, Astroneer is for you. It works particularly well for two players because its objectives don’t need a full crew. One player can extend an oxygen network while another gathers resources or develops the base. Cooperation is helpful without forcing everyone into permanent roles.

Its terrain tool lets you dig tunnels, create ramps, and alter the landscape. You can also convert resources into vehicles, research equipment, automation systems, and interplanetary transport.

The main limitation is inconsistent cross-play support, so check compatibility on your platforms before buying. Beyond that, Astroneer is more forgiving than most survival games and easier to learn than most space sims.

6. Void Crew

• Platforms: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S
• Players: 2–6
• Cross-play: Yes
• Great for: Chaotic shared-ship missions

In Void Crew, you’re operating one spaceship as a team. You can move around the vessel while piloting, firing weapons, managing power, repairing damaged systems, and leaving the ship to recover equipment. Communication matters because one player can’t handle every urgent task simultaneously.

Its mission-based roguelite structure sets it apart from open-world games. Crews travel between objectives, collect upgrades, and modify their ship as each run becomes more difficult. Flexible roles let you move between piloting, weapons, engineering, and external assignments whenever the situation changes.

Two people can play, but a larger crew better showcases its shared-ship systems. Choose Void Crew if your group wants fast action, improvisation, and plenty of opportunities for plans to go wrong. Anyone looking for realistic flight or a persistent universe should look elsewhere.

7. PULSAR: Lost Colony

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Players: 1–5
• Cross-play: Not listed as a separate feature
• Great for: Defined starship roles

As part of a crew, each player selects one of five roles: Captain, Pilot, Scientist, Weapons Specialist, or Engineer. In PULSAR: Lost Colony, each role has distinct responsibilities covering navigation, sensors, computer programs, weapons, repairs, and power distribution. Surviving difficult situations calls for coordination across the entire crew.

The game will send your crew into a randomized galaxy filled with factions, missions, stations, planets, and hostile ships. You can travel between sectors, upgrade your vessel, investigate locations on foot, and decide how to respond to unexpected encounters.

Bots can fill unoccupied positions, allowing two friends to begin a voyage without needing three additional players. The visuals look dated, but the role system remains one of the deepest among dedicated co-op space games. It’s a strong option for groups that want every crew member to have a defined job.

8. Stellaris

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation, and Xbox
• Players: Varies between the PC and console editions
• Cross-play: No cross-play between PC and consoles
• Great for: Galactic strategy

Stellaris approaches multiplayer space games from the perspective of an entire civilization. You explore a procedurally generated galaxy, research technologies, develop planets, manage resources, encounter other species, and build military fleets. Each campaign creates different diplomatic relationships, discoveries, and political problems.

You can control separate empires and choose whether to cooperate or compete. Cooperative multiplayer on PC lets several people share control of one empire, helping new players learn its economic and strategic systems. Campaigns can continue across multiple sessions.

You don’t pilot individual vessels or explore from a character’s perspective, so Stellaris won’t satisfy players seeking a traditional space sim. Its strength is the scale of its decisions. It’s a solid option for groups that want to control an interstellar civilization rather than a single ship.

9. Jump Space

• Platforms: PC and Xbox Series X/S
• Players: 1–4
• Cross-play: Check current compatibility before buying on different platforms
• Good for: Flexible first-person co-op

This is a great game if you want to dive into spaceship management with first-person exploration and combat. Unlike PULSAR, Jump Space doesn’t assign permanent classes. You can be piloting one moment, then leave the cockpit to operate a turret, handle an emergency, or join an away team. 

Crews move seamlessly between flying, operating ship systems, conducting spacewalks, exploring locations on foot, and fighting enemies. This flexibility makes smaller crews viable, while four players can divide responsibilities more efficiently. Equipment you recover during missions can repair or improve the vessel.

Jump Space entered Early Access and Xbox Game Preview in September 2025. Its mechanics, performance, and available content may change before the full release, so expect an unfinished experience. Even with that limitation, it offers an appealing modern blend of first-person action and cooperative ship management.

10. Star Citizen

• Platforms: PC
• Players: Persistent online multiplayer
• Cross-play: Not applicable
• Choose for: An ambitious developing space universe

Star Citizen aims to create an immersive universe where you can fly ships, explore planets, transport cargo, mine resources, salvage wrecks, and undertake missions on foot. Its detailed ship interiors and seamless movement between stations, planets, and space distinguish it from menu-driven MMOs.

Many larger ships support multicrew play. Friends can divide responsibilities involving flight, weapons, cargo handling, engineering, and ground operations. Ships range from small two-person craft to vessels requiring much larger organizations.

Star Citizen remains an alpha project rather than a finished commercial release. Bugs, server instability, demanding system requirements, balance changes, and occasional progress resets can disrupt play. Few multiplayer space games can match its ambition, but trying it needs more patience than playing a completed title.

Honorable Mentions: Helldivers 2, Warframe, and Star Wars: Squadrons

• Helldivers 2: An excellent four-player co-op shooter with cross-platform support. Most missions take place on planetary surfaces, and you don’t actually pilot your transport ship. That makes it more space-themed than space-focused.
• Warframe: Also spends most of its time outside the cockpit, but its Railjack mode lets up to four players operate a customizable spacecraft together. It’s an easy recommendation for fast combat and long-term progression, even if spaceflight is only one part of the experience.
• Star Wars: Squadrons: Delivers first-person dogfights, tactical five-on-five battles, cross-platform multiplayer, and optional VR support. Its focused space combat remains excellent, but limited ongoing development and a narrower range of activities keep it outside our main list.

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