Survival games have become more and more popular in the past few years, offering incredibly varied experiences that cater to a vast audience of players. No Man’s Sky, while having had a disappointing launch due to missing features that were promised before release, showed that a survival game set in space could definitely work, with the right tweaks to the formula. Astroneer by System Era Softworks shares its basics of space exploration but develops everything in a very interesting way.

Astroneer’s story is incredibly simple in its premise. You are just one of the many Astroneers who are sent out to explore the frontiers of outer space in the 25th century. They risk their lives in harsh environment to unearth rare discoveries and unlock the mysteries of the universe. It’s a rather run-of-the-mill premise, but a game like Astroneer didn’t need much else, to be honest, as you are effectively exploring planets for the sake of it. This basic premise also seems to ease the pressure that comes from having to reach goals in other games, as everything here can be done at one own’s leisure.