Summary
Whether it be building roads and apartment blocks in a city-builder, designing and constructing entire complexes in architectural and tycoon games such asPrison Architect, or even in colony simulators likeRimWorld, construction has always been a frequently simulated activity in gaming.
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Construction is also a huge part of the simulation genre, with many games going to great lengths to simulate certain aspects of construction. Although these titles are more simulation-heavy games, not all the entries are simulators, and most are accessible experiences. This is especially so because many of these games contain aspects of science fiction.
Developed by indie legends Introversion Software (the studio behind indie classics likeDarwiniaand the more recent hit,Prison Architect),The Last Starshipallows players to construct their own spaceships.
Throughout a playthrough ofThe Last Starship, players explore space, completing missions and slowly upgrading their ship. The game also features an intuitive ship editor that allows players to more easily design and edit their ships. Furthermore, as players progress, they are able to expand their fleet, allowing them to design and construct a variety of ships.
This highly complex construction and management game tasks players with building, expanding and managing a space station in solo or online co-op. Players must keep a multitude of simulated systems in mind, including atmosphere, electrics, gravity, and more.
Stationeersis aimed at hardcore players who are looking for complex, simulated systems. The game takes a lot of learning and practice, so it can be slow to start, and players will have to carefully plan out their designs with these systems in mind if they’re to be successful.
This top-down action-roguelike game distinguishes itself in an otherwise overly saturated genre with its construction mechanics. While not heavily simulated or complex,Space Scavengerallows players to slowly build and upgrade their spaceship by scanning planets to collect parts.
Constructing and modifying spaceships inSpace Scavengeris made easy by its grid-based building system, and collecting parts is fun thanks to the planet-scanning mini-game that requires players to fly around planets while being wary of incoming enemies. The game’s simple but colorful visuals, satisfying combat, and accessible construction mechanics makeSpace Scavengerone of the easiest games to pick up.
Similarly toThe Last Starship,Space Havenallows players to construct their spaceships with intuitive controls and a variety of customization options. However,Space Havenleans more heavily into its colony simulation aspects, tasking players with keeping their crew’s needs in mind when designing their ship.
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Life support, defenses, and the mood of the crew must all be taken into consideration when constructing spaceships inSpace Havento maintain a successful spacefaring colony. Althoughits colony simulation gameplaymay not be as nuanced as games likeRimWorld,Space Haven’sconstruction mechanics allow it to distinguish itself.
This cute and colorful puzzle construction game has players building spaceships via intuitive controls out of a set of distinct parts.Sunshine Heavy Industriesalso features sandbox elements, allowing players to express themselves and construct spaceships with their own stylistic flair.
Sunshine Heavy Industrieswas developed by Rocket Rat Games, the team behind the recent indie hitCobalt Core,a deck-building gamethat features the same colorful art style and character design.Sunshine Heavy Industriestasks players with working to a budget, constructing ships with optimization in mind, and satisfying customer demands. Despite all this, however,Sunshine Heavy Industriesisa decidedly relaxing experience. However,Sunshine Heavy Industriesdoesn’t offer quite as much depth as some other games, despite a very high review score on Steam.
Similarly tothe survival game,Raft,Space Trash Scavengerstarts players in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trash, tasking them with pulling in that trash and building a base out of it. UnlikeRaft, however,Space Trash Scavengertakes place in space, replacingRaft’shook with a tether.
Space Trash Scavengeris a completely open-world sandbox, but players will have to worry about defending their base from a variety of aggressive enemies, adding a little time pressure to the game right from the start. Like many survival games,Space Trash Scavengerfeaturesa crafting systemthat allows players to create food and weapons, among other things.
This simulation-heavy sandbox game features construction and engineering simulation gameplay with a focus on exploration and survival across space and even on the surface of planets. Players can build spaceships, stations, and bases as they journey across the game’s universe, creating outposts and gathering resources to survive and expand.
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When it comes to construction, the possibilities inSpace Engineersare near endless, and although the game does allow exploration and building on a planet’s surface, a lot of the game is focused on building and traveling in space.
This highly popular modern classic space construction simulation game tasks players with leading an entire space program for the fictional race of Kerbals.Kerbal Space Programallows players tobuild all kinds of ships, vehicles, and contraptions ontheir sandbox journeythrough space.
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Kerbal Space Programtasks players with constructing rockets, shuttles, landers, and rovers alike to launch and fly across the game’s galaxy. Players will have to build their spaceships with simulated aerodynamic and orbital physics in mind. This heavily simulated approach makesKerbal Space Programa bit inaccessible, but once players have learned the ropes, it’s also one of the most replayable.
