- Games
- Empyrion - Galactic Survival
Empyrion - Galactic Survival
A space survival sandbox where friends build ships, gather resources and explore alien planets together.
Online co-op.
- Online
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-opYesPlayer count not confirmed
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- Not confirmedFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- Not confirmedA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckPlayableValve's own rating
About the game
You gather resources on alien planets and turn them into a base, equipment and ships of your own design. You mine ore, make components and fit engines, weapons and other parts to a vessel. Once you can travel farther, you can search new planets and moons for materials, explore alien buildings and fight their defenders.
Friends can share the same world online. You can build and gather together, fly separate ships or have one player pilot while others use the turrets. The game supports cooperative survival as well as servers with areas for fighting other players. For a shared survival game, choose a PvE world or area. Your group spends time building a home and preparing food, oxygen, ammunition and equipment before setting out again. Learning the construction and resource systems takes patience.
How it feels
Kind of game
One lasting world your group settles. You gather, build and push into dangerous places together.
- At its heart
- A big part
- Now and then
- Fear
- Calm and coziness
- Story
- Working in sync
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
Rated on our own feel scale. 7 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Empyrion - Galactic Survival
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
Avorion
Why it scores 90%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Science fiction, Building vehicles and Mining
- Core to both
- Building and creating
- Notable in both
- Time to hang out, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- Online
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about science fiction and building vehicles. Both let you build things together.
No big difference from Empyrion - Galactic Survival.
Core Keeper
Why it scores 87%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Mining
- Core to both
- Exploring, Building and creating
- Notable in both
- Time to hang out, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 8 online
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about mining and digging. Both are about exploring places you have not seen.
No big difference from Empyrion - Galactic Survival.
ICARUS
Why it scores 86%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Shared survival world
- About
- Alien planets and Mining
- Core to both
- Exploring, Building and creating
- Notable in both
- Time to hang out, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Fighting, Unlocks and progress
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 8 online
Both give your group a hard world to survive in together. Both are about strange alien worlds and mining and digging. Both are about exploring places you have not seen.
No big difference from Empyrion - Galactic Survival.
All co-op facts
Last checked 24 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Most players online
- Not confirmed
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Local co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Not confirmed
- Split or shared screen
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
- 3
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Crossplay
- Not confirmed
- Crossplay between
- Not confirmed
- Friends can join mid-game
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
9 pages
empyriongame.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Genres, About, Building and creating, Exploring.
- Genres: The maker describes an open-world space survival adventure.
- About: Space travel, alien worlds, mining and constructing ships are main activities.
- Building and creating: Players construct ships and bases from blocks and components.
- Exploring: Travel between space and planet surfaces is a central activity.
empyriongame.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Kind of game, Working in sync, Fighting.
- Online co-op: The maker explicitly describes cooperative multiplayer against enemies.
- Kind of game: Friends share ships and bases or travel in a fleet in the survival world.
- Working in sync: Turret and pilot roles are optional ways to cooperate, with separate ships also supported.
- Fighting: Groups can attack pirate stations and other enemies.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Sessions, Genres, Planning ahead, Unlocks and progress, Free base co-op.
- Sessions: Survival worlds support ongoing building, exploration and technological development.
- Genres: The maker describes a sandbox combining survival and space simulation.
- Planning ahead: Food, oxygen, ammunition and defences must be prepared before travel.
- Unlocks and progress: Activities earn levels and unlock technology in the tech tree.
- Free base co-op: The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Release status, Release date, Platforms.
- Steam app ID: App 383120 is the base game.
- Release status: Released and no longer marked Early Access.
- Release date: The full release is August 5, 2020.
- Platforms: Windows is the released client platform.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Playable on Steam Deck.
empyriongame.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Story, Kind of game.
- Story: The maker supplies a background story about a mission to find Empyrion.
- Kind of game: Server operators can configure a wholly PvE world. Factions can share ships and buildings.
pcgamesn.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Tension and danger, Calm and coziness, Time to hang out.
- Tension and danger: PCGamesN, August 14, 2015, describes oxygen shortages and hostile wildlife outside a safe base.
- Calm and coziness: The same review describes a furnished home where basic needs become manageable.
- Time to hang out: Gathering and home construction provide quieter stretches between expeditions.
kinglink-reviews.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Getting better, Building and creating.
- Getting better: Kinglink Reviews, June 7, 2024, describes a demanding construction system and substantial effort to learn it.
- Building and creating: The review centres creating functional ships piece by piece.
cyberpowerpc.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Fear.
- Fear: CyberPowerPC, page dated January 24, 2024, describes occasional frightening pursuits by alien creatures.