Dominate galaxies and engage in epic space battles with the best space strategy games. Whether it’s turn-based or real-time, small-scale skirmishes, or interstellar wars, if you want to dominate entire galaxies from the comfort of your chair, you're in the right place. Here's our ranked list of the greatest space strategy games to ever take to the stars.
Space and strategy go together like PB&J, so there's a huge roster of games for us to choose from, whether it's retro classics, timeless gems, or modern-day masterpieces. We've tried to bring balance to the Force by highlighting the best space strategy games from across time. And if we don’t acknowledge one of your favs, know that we probably thought about it, but it’s a crowded galaxy out there!
Some final book-keeping. This is space strategy games… as in space battles and taking control of planets and sectors. That means no terrestrial strategy titles, even if they're firmly sci-fi. Sorry, StarCraft 2, this is one ranked list you can't win. We'll do a sci-fi strategy games list in the future to cover those.
Looking for other genre-specific gaming picks? We’ve got plenty. Start with the best space exploration and settlement games, and if you’re feeling daring, maybe take a look at our top 10 space flight sims.
Now, the final frontier calls…
10. Five Nations
- Release date: May 4, 2021
- Platform: PC (Steam)
- Developer: SilverForge
Five Nations released in 2021, but feels like it came out more than 20 years ago — and we mean that as a compliment.
Self-published by developer SilverForge, Five Nations is one of the most satisfying — and sadly overlooked — indies we’ve come across in recent years. It’s got everything you’d want out of a traditional real-time strategy (RTS) game, with asymmetrical factions, a huge campaign mode, and customizable offline skirmishes vs. AI opponents. We were also surprised by its extensive in-game map and scenario editor, and the developers have even released a meaty expansion pack called Renegades.
The only downside to Five Nations is that SilverForge completely skipped online play, so this is a space strategy game you must enjoy and learn on your own. With plenty of macro and micro-management as you try to expand your space bases and defeat your opponents, it perfectly captures the ‘magic’ of golden-era RTS thanks to its beautiful 2D sprites. It’s not just about the amount of content or its looks, though; the dev team perfectly captured why and how the real-time strategy games of the early 2000s were so addictive.
9. AI War 2
- Release date: October 22, 2019
- Platform: PC
- Developer: Arcen Games
AI War: Fleet Command was hailed as a refreshing and unique take on sci-fi strategy games in 2009 due to its bold mix of 4X, tower defense, and traditional RTS elements. With the 2019 sequel, AI Wars 2, Arcen Games took things to the next level and largely succeeded. Whether you want to stay offline or go up against human opponents online, this is a ‘big brain’ grand strategy/RTS hybrid that will wow newcomers and veterans alike.
At the start of the game, “you’ve already lost the war,” so that’s depressing. Having already been pounded into the space dirt does present a unique strategic scenario, though, as you engage in a guerrilla warfare campaign, carefully expanding one’s territory without drawing too much attention from the AI faction, which controls most of the galaxy.
AI War 2 has thankfully been streamlined to make all the management and absorption of dense information easier than the original. The other side of the game is fighting the massive battles, which are among the genre’s most impressive. If you want a different type of challenge, don’t skip this one.
8. Battlestar Galactica Deadlock
- Release date: August 31, 2017
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Developer: Black Lab Games
We loved Battlestar Galactica’s reboot and can’t wait for the upcoming tactical roguelite Scattered Hopes. In the meantime, we highly recommend checking out Battlestar Galactica Deadlock if you want some turn-based tactical fun. It packs everything you’d want out of a Battlestar Galactica strategy game, but Black Lab Games’ approach to the IP also manages to surprise.
It's set during the First Cylon War and sees you commanding the Colonial Fleet in an original story that features some familiar faces. Players build custom fleets of capital ships and recruit officers as they try to defend the Twelve Colonies. From the bridge of the main ship, you issue commands and watch the action unfold from a cinematic point of view.
It sounds simple, but Battlestar Galactica Deadlock has more than a few tricks up its sleeve, and those DLC packs are worth your time and money if you’ve exhausted all the base game has to offer.
7. Star Wars: Empire at War
- Release date: February 16, 2006
- Platforms: PC, macOS
- Developer: Petroglyph Games
Star Wars: Empire at War is a strategy game of two halves: First, you have a solid enough take on real-time ground battles featuring the Empire, the Rebel Alliance, and — in the Forces of Corruption expansion — the Zann Consortium crime syndicate. Second, it packs the most engrossing and flashiest large-scale space battles we’ve seen in a Star Wars video game. You'll have to forgive the undoubtedly rusty 3D graphics, but, to paraphrase Admiral Piett: "It's an older game, sir, but it checks out".
All of the story campaigns are fantastic; the Galactic Conquest mode is as ambitious as it sounds, and the skirmishes and online multiplayer (still alive to this day) are both epic and fast-paced. More importantly, Empire at War has a flavor of its own, as Petroglyph didn’t try to follow in the footsteps of Galactic Battlegrounds and other previous Star Wars RTS games.
Even if you burn through everything it has to offer, there’s a huge modding community out there that has produced mind-blowing modifications that completely reshape the game and add tons of new content. The Force was strong with this one, and we’ll be revisiting it for years to come.
6. Sins of a Solar Empire (series)
- Release dates: February 4, 2008 / August 15, 2024
- Platform: PC
- Developer: Ironclad Games
The original Sins of a Solar Empire was described as an “RT4X” game by its makers, which sounds silly on paper but perfectly captures what Ironclad Games achieved and later perfected.
Much like in the AI War games, traditional genre conventions just don’t cut it, and that’s a good thing: “There are no turns. There is no battle mode. There is no strategic mode. It’s all one mode and it’s all in real-time.” We can confirm it’s as scary and intense as it sounds at first, but also extremely satisfying once it all clicks together. Developing and expanding a massive empire isn’t as chill when everything happens in real-time, so this isn’t a game to play at the end of a stressful day, but it's oh so satisfying when you are in the mood.
The strategic depth and scope here is just staggering. Planning a surprise attack on a neighboring faction? Make sure you figure out where everything will be in one hour of real time, all while making sure the ongoing battles go well and managing an entire civilization too. Good luck, you'll need it.
While the original still rules, at this point, we’d recommend newcomers jump straight into the sequel, Sins of a Solar Empire 2, which completely blew us away with its simulation of planet orbits and an ever-changing galaxy structure (something that’s typically ignored in most space strategy games).
5. Galactic Civilizations (series)
- Release dates: March 25, 2003 / February 21, 2006 / May 14, 2015 / October 19, 2023
- Platform: PC
- Developer: Stardock Entertainment
The first traditional 4X game on our list, Galactic Civilizations is exactly what it sounds like. It's Civilization, but in space.
There are far more menacing 4X space game series out there, but Galactic Civilizations is an extremely welcoming experience for new players while still offering a bunch of depth and strategic choices for players to make. We’re ‘cheating’ a bit here by suggesting that you check out the entire Galactic Civilizations series, but you don't have to go back to the beginning; they're all good, so just choose the one that appeals to you the most.
The latest entry, 2023's Galactic Civilizations IV, has the most sophisticated AI of the lot, making your allies and enemies feel more real, and more intelligent. It does have some rougher edges though, including instability in online games.
You can’t go wrong with the two original games (no Steam releases for those sadly, grab them via GOG), but if you can’t stand the archaic menus and ancient visuals, Galactic Civilizations 3 is our personal favorite. It got almost everything right, nailing the core gameplay while paying special attention to systems like espionage and trade.
4. Endless Space 2
- Release date: May 18, 2017
- Platforms: PC, macOS
- Developer: Amplitude Studios
If we’re talking 4X games, Endless Space 2 is also deserving of a top 5 spot for sure. Its predecessor wasn’t everything the genre’s veterans wanted it to be, but Amplitude cranked the sequel up to 11.
A sentient tree species which creates cosmic branches between systems. Evolved space birds going full samurai mode. Literal ghost hackers. Those are just a few examples of how wild the universe-building in Endless Space 2 is, and every quirk of the aesthetics and lore dumps translates beautifully into unique mechanics and systems depending on who you choose as your faction. Oh, and the space battles you can choose to watch once a conflict begins are an absolute visual delight.
Endless Space 2 nails the basics of the genre and then stacks plenty of distinct elements on top to create something that’s memorable. Even outside the realm of sci-fi, it constantly shows up in best strategy game lists and player's recommendations, and for good reason.
3. FTL: Faster Than Light
- Release date: September 14, 2012
- Platforms: PC, macOS, iOS, Linux
- Developer: Subset Games
FTL is the ultimate proof that you don't need a massive budget and cutting edge graphics to make a fantastic game. The core loop is damn-near perfect, as you take command of a scrappy Federation ship jump from system to system, battling foes, making friends, and trying to outrun an indefatigable Rebel armada.
Since its launch in 2012, the roguelike space and ‘spaceship management’ subgenres have seen more complex games arrive, yet none have captured FTL’s accessible, brutal, and supremely entertaining approach to tactical ship combat, space exploration, and ship operation. The goal is to escape a terrible enemy, so most battles can be avoided, but make sure to prepare for the inevitable when you near the final sectors.
As with all roguelike games, your early runs will end in failure, but as your skills improve, you will obtain new crew members, more powerful weapons and better ships to improve you odds of success. Each failure is a lesson learned, and the next run you’re better prepared to deal with difficult decisions and tricky combat scenarios. Sure, your ship burned down this time, but now you know to invest in a fire suppression system.
2. Homeworld Remastered Collection
- Release date: February 25, 2015
- Platforms: PC, macOS
- Developers: Gearbox Software, Aspyr
It’d be silly to come up with a list of the best space strategy games ever and leave out the first two Homeworld games. Sure, they're old by every metric, but 2015’s Remastered Collection made them readily available and gave them some much-needed extra polish. Even if you don’t like some of the modern adjustments, the original releases are included in the package, so it’s hard to go wrong. We’re choosing to ignore the disappointing Homeworld 3, though.
In a genre infamous for flattening out space into a 2D plane, Homeworld stood apart with its fully-realised 3D space combat. In Homeworld 1 & 2, you control a fleet of Kushan exiles as they try to find a new home on their ancient homeworld of Hiigara while running away from the Taiidan Empire. It turns out that developing hyperspace jump technology can get an entire species in trouble.
Along the way, you must find and claim resources, build an armada with a spacecraft-constructing mothership, engage in thrilling space battles, and complete multiple objectives as the story unfolds. Those who prefer single-player campaigns ought to play these games at least once in their lives.
1. Stellaris
- Release date: May 9, 2016
- Platforms: PC, Linux, macOS, PS4, Xbox One
- Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Despite some ups and downs when it comes to game balance, Stellaris tops our list with its intricate and immensely replayable mix of grand strategy and 4X. It's the ultimate “just one more turn, please” game, and it's near-guaranteed to ruin your sleep schedule.
The exploration is varied, the space visuals are often breathtaking, and the customization and procedural generation elements (sentient species, galaxies, planet types, and even quests) ensure the game never runs out of a sense of wonder. You'll launch interstellar wars that dwarf the conflicts seen in most space strategy games, and they're incredible to get embroiled in, but Stellaris isn't just a battle simulator; It also nails the diplomacy and technology side of things, as your spacefaring civilization learns how to navigate the universe, encounter other species, and adapt to new worlds.
Moreover, Paradox just won’t stop expanding the game with paid DLCs and free updates, even after all these years, plus the mod support has kept the more industrious members of the community extra busy. There really is nothing quite like a game of Stellaris.
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