Space games have found a great home on mobile devices, as there’s no shortage of intergalactic apps to choose from. We scoured the Play Store and tried a ton of games based on their reviews to come up with this list, so there’s something for a bit of everyone.
Whether you prefer single player simulations, two player games, space-themed MMOs, or obstacle-dodgers ala Run 3, this is the top ten space games currently available for Android.
Star Command
Star Command is a pixel-based micromanagement game with nods to Star Trek, Space Quest, and numerous other space titles. The game puts you in the shoes of a rookie ship captain, and you must build up your space ship’s infrastructure, such as adding rooms, crew members, and general repairs.
Strategy elements come from ship-to-ship battles and boarding invasions – success depends on your upgrade placements and crew commitment. It’s a rather short game at around 4 – 5 hours long, but definitely worth a look.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.starcommand.scgame”]Star Wars: KOTOR
Star Wars: KOTOR has been around since its initial release in 2003 for Windows and Xbox platforms, but received an Android port in 2015 – and it’s a really well-done port, despite the graphics being toned down just slightly from its original PC / Xbox counterpart.
If you never played Star Wars: KOTOR in its original form, its basically an action-RPG where you choose one of three classes, and there’s a ton of tech-trees and alternative ways to complete missions – it’s truly a “pure” RPG in that regard.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aspyr.swkotor”]Galaxy on Fire 2 HD
GoF2 is a space-trading and ship-combat simulation game, with highly detailed graphics. The gameplay is a bit standard – you hop around space stations, meeting new contacts and performing missions to advance the campaign – but the game really shines in the beauty department, with tons of lighting effects and space scenery to admire.
The devs tried really hard to make it compatible with all Android hardware, so while you can play the game on an old Android 4.0 device with scaled down graphics, it will look spectacular on a high-end, 7” screen. Ship battles are also really cool, and the touch-controls aren’t terribly difficult to get the hang of.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.fishlabs.gof2hdallandroid2012”]Battlevoid: Harbinger
If space-themed RTS games are your forte, Battlevoid: Harbinger is a good contender to satisfy you. It can be incredibly difficult with its penchant for micromanagement and permadeath, but the UI is fairly straight-forward and easy to grasp.
The game is also completely free, with absolutely no IAPs – a rarity in the Android market.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.bugbyte.harbinger”]Vendetta Online
Vendetta Online is an MMO set in space, if the “Online” part of the title didn’t tip you off. It is also a bit graphically intensive, with the devs recommending at least 1GB RAM and a Mali T6 / Adreno 320+ / similar SoC for seamless gameplay. They also recommend an Android-compatible keyboard or gamepad for the best flight experience, as the touch-controls can be quite difficult. Being a fully-fledged MMO, it also takes up around >500MB of storage space.
Don’t miss: 10 Best Android Games Under 10 MB
All of that aside, its got a bit of everything to satisfy MMO players; real-time PvP battles, trading, guilds, etc. There’s also a single-player “sandbox” mode which can be played even while offline, which allows you to master the flight controls and complete little mini-tasks.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.guildsoftware.vendetta”]No Gravity
A fast-paced action game, No Gravity has you piloting one of six customizable ships, and completing fairly difficult missions. Fast reflexes are a must in this game, as you’ll be dodging asteroid belts and other obstacles while blasting your way through alien ships with a variety of weapons.
No Gravity is a PSP port, so the graphics are fairly good for a mobile game, and it has additional optimizations if you play through NVIDIA Shield.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realtechvr.nogravity”]Interstellar Pilot
Space sim lovers should enjoy Interstellar Pilot, which is pretty similar to Elite Dangerous for PC. It’s a single-player game with a wide variety of things to do; trading, bounty hunting, completing missions, gaining faction reputation, managing factories, building up a ship fleet, ship battles, etc.
There really is quite a large number of things to do for all play-styles, whether you want to be a space pirate, station trader, or galactic tycoon.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pixelfactor.interstellarpilot”]Space Shooter: Galaxy Attack
If you’re a fan of modern Space Invaders style games, Space Shooter: Galaxy Attack is one of the better ones. There isn’t much to explain about the gameplay – you simply shoot wave after wave of enemies, with fairly trick boss battles.
The graphics are nice, with artwork done in a 2.5D style, and lots of interesting lighting effects and cool power-ups. Boss encounters are frequent and varied, and you’ll unlock various ship upgrades as the game progresses. It’s a quarter-plunker arcade shooter that will erase a few hours of your day.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.game.space.shooter2”]Space Racing 3D: Star Race
If WipeOut clones are your thing, Space Racing 3D: Star Race will entertain you for a while. It boasts over 40 tracks, with 6 upgradeable ships to pilot. There’s also some Mario Kart thrown in for good measure, as you can attack other ships on the track.
Must read: Top 10 Lightweight Games for Android
The only drawback is that upgrading ships require in-game currency, and there seems to be a good bit of rubber band AI to ensure that you somehow end up in last place, despite leading in first a majority of the races – so obviously, the game is a bit weighted towards IAPs.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.racergame.flycar”]Vega Conflict
If you have a large wallet and don’t mind dropping serious cash on IAPs, Vega Conflict is a challenge real-time strategy multiplayer game. Join alliances, craft ship upgrades, and attack other players in real-time. Gameplay is pretty much based on typical RTS mechanics, with fleet formations and armor/weapon type RPS (rock-paper-scissors) deciding battle outcomes.
You may also like: 6 Relaxing Puzzle Games for Android
The major downside is that being a loot-based game that’s been around for a while, new players will have a fairly difficult time getting into the game since there are in-game clans with seemingly bottomless pockets to spend on IAPs.
[googleplay url = “https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kixeye.vegaconflict”]
Join The Discussion: