Space games to shoot, build and explore

Spring 2026 was crowded with space games: Marathon in March, then Pragmata, Aphelion and Saros all in April. Older favorites like No Man's Sky are still growing. Here are the best space games by what you want to do, shoot, build or explore, plus the ones that fit on an iPhone.

New space games of 2026

Marathon (Bungie, March 5). A sci-fi extraction shooter on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. Drop onto a lost colony world, grab loot and keep only what you carry out.
Pragmata (Capcom, April 17). An action-adventure on the Moon, where the spacefarer Hugh and the android girl Diana fight off a hostile AI's robots. On PC, PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2.
Aphelion (Don't Nod, April 28). An action-adventure on the icy planet Persephone, made with the European Space Agency. On PC, PS5 and Xbox Series. Reviews were mixed.
Saros (Housemarque, April 30). A fast third-person action game from Housemarque, the team behind Returnal, mixing bullet-hell fire with roguelite runs. On PS5.

Space games people keep coming back to

No Man's Sky (Hello Games, 2016). Fly from planet to planet, build bases and play with friends. It turned ten in 2026 and still gets free updates, most recently Forsaken in October 2026.
The Outer Worlds 2 (Obsidian, October 29, 2025). A space RPG full of jokes and choices, on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series.
Galaga (Namco, 1981). The arcade shooter: waves of aliens swoop down, you dodge and fire. Still the template for every vertical space shooter.
Surviving Mars (Haemimont Games, 2018). Build a colony on Mars and keep it breathing. Domes, drones, dust storms. A remaster, Surviving Mars: Relaunched, came out in November 2025.

Space games on iPhone

Most big space games stay on PC and consoles. On a phone, quick vertical shooters keep the Galaga formula alive.

Roam is a free iPhone app with a full space shelf. STARFIGHT is Galaga-style: Earth orbit, three waves, keep firing, and friends can join. Mars Colony lets you pick a site, land and build a home on Mars. Crater Crew is a moon-base tycoon where you haul cargo and grow the depot. Starfall: Tiny Worlds has you running all the way around tiny planets, Mini Planet Golf curves the green around a planet, and Mars Has Mobs is a voxel wave shooter on the red hills.

Play it on Roam

Make your own space game with Roam

Say what you fly, what attacks and who is on your crew. Roam builds it, and you can add a boss or a second ship by asking.

Try: "space station under attack, my friends fly the fighters, I run the shields, three waves, the boss is a giant space whale"

Create it with Roam See Roam

Questions people ask

What is the newest space game?

In 2026 the big ones were Marathon (March), Pragmata, Aphelion and Saros (all April). No Man's Sky also keeps adding free updates.

Is No Man's Sky still worth playing?

Yes. It turned ten in 2026, has years of free updates built in, and plays well solo or with friends.

What are good space games on iPhone?

Arcade space shooters in the Galaga style, and Roam's space games, from a Galaga-style shooter to a Mars colony builder.

Keep exploring

More on Roam: All Roam games Make your own game