Loading dispatches...
← Return to NewsroomScience
The 11 best cozy sci-fi games for those chill cosmic vibes
Breaking
Yemen's government announces all-out war to reclaim land from Houthis
( But sometimes it’s nice to explore the stars in a safer way... a more chill, vibey kind of way that helps you relax and unwind.Don’t get us wrong, gunning down aliens and blowing up space stations is obviously fun. But sometimes you’re just not in the mood to overthrow intergalactic governments or have intricate dogfights while soaring through the stars. Luckily, there are some great relaxing sci-fi games out there that span the gamut from tranquil and atmospheric to downright cozy.From walking sims to farming sims, interactive stories and sandbox creations, sci-fi games don’t always have to be epic, sprawling adventures. They can be peaceful and calming, perfect for decompressing after a long day, or snuggling up on a rainy afternoon.So grab that oversized mug and a chunky, knitted blanket because we’re about to dive into the 11 best cozy sci-fi games this galaxy has to offer.11. Abzu ABZÛ - E3 2016 Launch Trailer | PS4 - YouTube Watch On Platforms: PC, Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox X|S | Developer: Giant Squid | Release date: August 2, 2016Abzu is routinely cited as one of the best cozy games ever, and for good reason. Players take on the role of a robotic diver who explores the oceans of an alien planet. There’s no dialogue or writing throughout the entire game, just a fantastic orchestral score and the enchanting visuals. Instead, each player will build the story in their mind and probably end up with something slightly different.Throughout Abzu, you dive through various ocean biomes and swim with orcas, manta rays, and even enormous giant squid. No spoilers here, but in the game’s third act, the sci-fi really comes into full view, and what you thought was just a cozy ocean simulator turns into something truly otherworldly.Visually, the game is pure artwork, with a pastel gloss coating each oceanic biome. Plus, there’s something so mesmerizing about the size of the animals in the game. It’s one thing to hear that blue whales are the size of three school buses…but it’s entirely another to actually swim next to one.10. Star Trucker Star Trucker Launch Trailer - YouTube Watch On Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox X|S | Developer: Monster and Monster | Release date: September 3, 2024Unless you’ve been living on Mars for the past five years, you’ve probably noticed that simulator games are everywhere. Planes, trains, and automobiles have been joined by trams, taxis, ships, tractors, and more. If there’s a thing with a seat and a motor, there’s a sim game for it.With truck sims being so popular, it seems only natural that eventually one would go to space. Enter Star Trucker, where you load up cargo into your trusty space semi and then haul it across the galaxy.The campy premise is fun, and the chill gameplay of gliding through space as you make your deliveries is both entertaining and low-pressure. There is a bit of a learning curve, since most truck sims have you going left and right, whereas this one adds in the dimensions of up and down too.There’s even some spaceflight mechanics stuff in there. Thanks to the thrusters, which don’t work the same way as engines, so there’s a bit of delay in everything you do, giving the controls that sliding-on-ice feel. But once you get the hang of it, the rest is smooth sailing. It’s well worth checking out, so 10-4 good buddy, git-er-dun!9. Verdant Skies Verdant Skies Trailer - YouTube Watch On Platforms: PC | Developer: Howling Moon Software | Release date: February 12, 2018Verdant Skies is a sci-fi take on Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, and the second you start playing the game, you’ll immediately see the similarities.Your mission is to settle the planet, Viridis Primus. You create farms, go fishing,
( Hopefully you don't, but with so much debris floating overhead, a satellite apocalypse could come at any time. Then there are asteroid impacts, alien invasions and so on. That's why we've rounded up 15 sci-books you just have to read before you die.From Isaac Asimov to Andy Weir, we've delved into science fiction, past and present, to select the books that deserve to be on your bucket list. These novels will transport you to a range of worlds, from a dystopian future(ish) Earth through to distant desert planets. The themes and topics they broach will leave you stunned, questioning humanity's place in the galaxy or, even if we have a future at all.So, read on for the 15 sci-fi books that absolutely have to be on your bucket list. Chris is a freelance journalist who, aside from covering games and gaming-related tech, has a taste for horror, sci-fi and the post-apocalyptic. As well as Space.com, you can find his work at The Escapist, GameSpew (where he’s the morning news writer) and more. You can follow him on Twitter @MarmaladeBus.
(Some of the greatest sci-fi of all time, from Alien and The Thing all the way back to Lovecraft, have revolved around the sheer terror of facing something we simply know nothing about. As humans, we find comfort in having control, and stripping that away can reduce us to our basest instincts. That’s the idea at the heart of Directive 8020, the latest entry in the Dark Pictures series by Supermassive Games.As the “start” of the Dark Pictures second season, Directive 8020 is a pretty astounding success that not only modernizes sci-fi’s fear of the unknown but boils it down and internalizes the idea into actual design mechanics, teasing as to where Supermassive’s series might go next. Disclaimer Content warning: There's some fairly grotesque body horror in this game (it's an 18+), one image of which can be seen below. If that's not your bag, turn back now. Be Kind, Rewind ( It’s a game not afraid to fully lean into those inspirations and have fun with it, while adding its own unique interpretation as a heavily choice-based narrative experience.If you aren’t familiar with The Dark Pictures, it’s a series of narrative horror games that are loosely connected by some overarching characters and themes, with each of the four previous games hitting a different sub-genre of horror. For example, The Devil in Me hits the slasher experience, while Man of Medan is more of a psychological ghost story.With Directive 8020, the series branches out to sci-fi and cosmic horror, focusing on the crew of the colony ship Cassiopeia, on an expedition to find humanity’s new home on the planet Tau Ceti f, in the wake of Earth becoming nearly uninhabitable. In the midst of that journey, the crew encounters an alien lifeform and is forced to crashland on Tau Ceti f. Before long, it becomes clear that whatever this lifeform is, it can copy and imitate humans. ( Most sci-fi horror has an element of this, where the main characters don’t know what the cosmic horror is, how it functions, or what its goal is. This is an easy way to create tension and stakes — the sheer nature of an otherworldly being digs into primal horror. And even from that most surface-level, Directive 8020 mostly succeeds at what it sets out to do.These Dark Pictures games are consistently interesting with their setups, because we’re largely dropped into the middle of a story. In Directive 8020, we don’t initially know anything about these characters or who they are, slowly discovering those pieces along the way and making key decisions that shape how you view them. ( But I read that as an intentional choice in this case, deliberately playing into the paranoia that the main narrative is supposed to invoke. It could be written off as bad writing, but it feels deliberate. Part of the game's efforts to put you off balance.All of the Cassiopeia crew was given mental and moral tests before the mission, meant to assess how fit they were, and guarantee they wouldn’t break. But introducing the alien lifeform is an unknown variable, and that fear of the unknown is given a double layer, creating paranoia over both the alien and how other people will react to it.Although you make decisions for these characters, they are defi
Discussion (0)