- Games
- Space Engineers
Space Engineers
Build ships and stations with friends, then find out whether your engineering survives the flight.
Online co-op for up to 16 players, with crossplay.
- 16 online
- Crossplay
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-op16 players
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- YesPC, Xbox, PlayStationFriends 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 DeckUnsupportedValve's own rating
About the game
You start with tools and an idea for something that can move, mine or keep you alive. You turn ore into parts, fit together ships and stations, and work out how to supply power and point the thrusters. Creative mode gives you room to experiment. Survival adds limited supplies, hazards and enemies that can damage what you build.
Friends can help gather materials, finish a shared base or test a new ship. You can divide the work without needing to stay beside each other all the time. A design that looked sensible can break apart on its first trip, leaving the group with repairs and another idea to try. It suits people who enjoy learning machinery and setting their own goals.
How it feels
Kind of game
Few set goals. You build things, test them and mess around with what you made.
- At its heart
- A big part
- Now and then
- Working in sync
- Fighting
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
Rated on our own feel scale. 4 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Space Engineers
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
Scrap Mechanic
Why it scores 93%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Creative sandbox
- About
- Science fiction, Building vehicles and Mining
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Laughter and chaos, Time to hang out, Physical comedy, Puzzles and figuring out, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Unlocks and progress
- Core to both
- Building and creating
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Scrap Mechanic differs
- More story than Space Engineers
- Online
Both are sandboxes where you make your own fun. Both are about science fiction and building vehicles. Both have long calm stretches.
But more story than Space Engineers.
Stormworks: Build and Rescue
Why it scores 88%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Creative sandbox
- About
- Building vehicles
- Notable in both
- Calm and coziness, Laughter and chaos, Time to hang out, Physical comedy, Puzzles and figuring out, Exploring, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better, Unlocks and progress
- Core to both
- Building and creating
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 32 online
Both are sandboxes where you make your own fun. Both are about building vehicles. Both get loud and silly when plans go wrong.
No big difference from Space Engineers.
Stationeers
Why it scores 85%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Creative sandbox
- About
- Science fiction and Mining
- Notable in both
- Laughter and chaos, Puzzles and figuring out, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Unlocks and progress
- Core to both
- Getting better, Building and creating
- Sessions
- Ongoing world
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- Early access
- Online
Both are sandboxes where you make your own fun. Both are about science fiction and mining and digging. Both reward you for getting better.
No big difference from Space Engineers.
All co-op facts
Last checked 24 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- 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 PlayStation 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.
- 456
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Friends can join mid-game
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
11 pages
spaceengineersgame.comOfficial site, read 24 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Most players online, Genres, Kind of game, Sessions, About, Building and creating, Exploring, Fighting.
- Online co-op: Lists cooperative multiplayer in Creative and Survival modes.
- Most players online: The current maker page publishes up to 16 players on PC and 4 on Xbox One X. This is its supported PC figure, not a claim about higher custom server capacities.
- Genres: The maker calls it a sandbox game about construction, exploration and survival.
- Kind of game: Construction and testing player-designed machinery are the focus, with Creative and Survival choices.
- Sessions: Players construct stations and outposts and keep developing their shared world.
- About: The maker describes near-future technology, building ships and wheeled vehicles, and gathering resources in space.
- Building and creating: Designing and constructing ships, stations and outposts is the stated core.
- Exploring: Players travel through space and across planets for resources.
- Fighting: The maker says construction and exploration take priority, though survival shooting and war machines are possible.
spaceengineersgame.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Crossplay, Crossplay between.
- Crossplay: The April 26, 2023 FAQ explicitly says PC, Xbox and PlayStation players can team up through EOS servers.
- Crossplay between: The FAQ covers PS4 and PS5, compares Xbox One and Xbox Series X, and names PC in the shared EOS group.
spaceengineersgame.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Crossplay, Crossplay between.
- Crossplay: The February 5, 2021 announcement explains crossplay through dedicated servers with EOS networking and console compatibility.
- Crossplay between: This announcement confirms PC with Xbox. The later PlayStation FAQ adds PS4 and PS5. Steam-only servers remain a separate pool.
store.playstation.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Platforms: The current standard edition is sold for PS4 and PS5.
- Free base co-op: The checked PlayStation 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.
xbox.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Platforms: The base game is offered for PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
- Free base co-op: The checked Xbox 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 page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Release status, Release date, Platforms, Steam app ID, Calm and coziness, Time to hang out, Free base co-op.
- Release status: The base game is available to buy without an Early Access notice.
- Release date: Lists the full release date as February 28, 2019.
- Platforms: System requirements list Windows.
- Steam app ID: The product URL identifies app 244850.
- Calm and coziness: The maker offers a Creative mode alongside Survival. Building time provides relief from survival danger.
- Time to hang out: Open construction with friends and freely chosen projects allow unhurried stretches between tests and hazards.
- 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.
- Steam app ID: Steam identifies Space Engineers as app 244850.
- Release status: Steam lists the game as released without an Early Access label.
- Release date: Steam reports 2019-02-28.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Unsupported on Steam Deck.
wikidata.orgWikidata, read 24 October 2026
Backs Wikidata item.
- Wikidata item: The opened item is Space Engineers, Q15269265.
pcgamesn.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Laughter and chaos, Physical comedy, Working in sync, Planning ahead, Puzzles and figuring out, Tension and danger, About.
- Laughter and chaos: PCGamesN, updated March 5, 2015, describes testing creations and watching them fall apart.
- Physical comedy: The review describes ships crumpling on collisions and chunks cartwheeling away.
- Working in sync: Friends help feed fuel and materials into machinery, rather than following mandatory paired actions.
- Planning ahead: Thruster direction, braking and power arrangements must be planned for a working ship.
- Puzzles and figuring out: The review explains working out power, movement and gravity systems.
- Tension and danger: Survival brings injury, dangerous gravity and attacks on constructed bases. The old meteor example is mode dependent.
- About: The review describes mining ore from asteroids to supply construction.
thexboxhub.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Getting better, Unlocks and progress.
- Getting better: TheXboxHub, April 25, 2020, describes complex machinery that takes days or weeks to learn.
- Unlocks and progress: The review describes processing resources into better tools, weapons and facilities.