Space Engineers

This is a great game. It can be very challenging at times, but also equally rewarding. I am looking forward to the upcoming survival elements Keen is adding. Now if they could just combine GoodAI's "AI People" with this game, it could be the end-all-be-all space game. But I know I'm fantasizing...

Sci Fi mining/survival/sandbox game. So much freedom here, but no story.

Excellent sandbox game with almost limitless creative use. Very fun if you like realism as well, although I wouldn't recommend those settings. Mods add a lot to the game. Too bad Keen wants to gut their playerbase for DLC money. Also the controls are a dumpster fire, but muscle memory handles that after a couple hours of playtime

Single player perspective:

Positives: Ship/base/rover builder, enough variations to keep me busy for 2.5k hours. I also enjoyed those scripting capabilities and good portion of available mods.

Negatives: For many it is lack of story, lack of challenge. "It is sandbox you m*ron" - sure, Vintage story and Factorio are too. And no one complain about having nothing to do there. You build a fighter and you can watch it or fly it. You build a destroyer, capable of eating frigates for breakfast. But you need to build those frigates yourselves. PVE in SE1 is very lean. Somewhat better with mods (Occasional Reaver raids on base), but for your OP dreadnought it is just paint scratcher.

Deal breaker: Internet connection. I have it. Very fast and very stable. But there is exactly 0 reason to have my PC connected to internet for single player game. It is actually the only single player game forcing me to connect internet. That's the reason why I haven't played SE since 2023. And no, you can't play without internet connection. SE is all about building something, so if I have not available all textures, it will limit the little available gameplay which SE is all about. I would leave it be, it is my first review ever. But I heard SE2 would have the same deal breaker for me and I won't support this studio any more. I'm currently installing Empyrion, so I hope it will be able to scratch that specific itch which SE did for 2.5k hours. Howgh

I have over 60 DAYS in this game on my xbox account, ill let that speak for itself, it is an amazing framework, and a great game, but its nothing without the community, and the friends you play it with, so my advice is look for those people, and you'll be impressed how long the fun lasts

Amazing game, great survival and has some decent pvp

Very space, Much clang, Much fun, solo or multiplayer, lots of DLC but is fine because all worth it.

Probably the best game I've ever played. There's not much you can't do in this. The hardest part is finding other people who love it.

Nice concept and I think it's a cool game, but I personally wouldn't get it. It's pretty confusing and I just wanted to make a spaceship. There's better games about making spaceships than this one. There's also DLC's that unlock things that I feel should be with the base game like a bedroom and stuff. I'm just leaning more on the side of no.

amazing, if you love making a space ship for 30 hours then forgetting to turn battery on and it exploding, this is the game for you

This game still feels as early access, but of course, a lot of DLCs to improve your experience... so nice! Kappa!

Lots of unique gameplay options as well as countless hours of things to do.

my all time fav game on steam. from mod support to the endless hours i dump into building and just chilling this game gives me everything i want and more. sometimes digging a hole is the most relaxing thing you can do. Its even better in outerspace

Some players may say Space Engineers is quirky. Unfortunately, my experience is, for the price I paid, this game is full of bugs.

I play the likes of Captain of Industry, Hearts of Iron IV, all IL-2 flight, Railroad Tycoon and Railway Empire, Civilization I through Vi, Sim City, Stellaris and Surviving Mars. I have logged thousands of hours playing these simulations. While Space Enigneers is a highly complex building simulation. There are basic and fundamental flaws to the physics, programming and logic in this game.

As a programmer, I learned that staying consistent with keys and the associated functions (like Ctrl C, Ctrl V, Ctrl X, Ctrl Z) are ingrained in in the operating system. Sadly, key mapping in this game seems to ignore these practices. Forcing a player to either spend hours changing the mappings, or adapt to that which is offered.

The learning curve of Space Engineers is incredibly steep. This is due to the highly complex nature of the environment, the simulation and what the game tries to accomplish. Many tooltips are simply lacking to describe what various dialog vales accomplish. Tooltips are essential to stop the player from seeking help from external sources such as the wiki or forums. Very few programmers like documenting or writing help, or tooltips. But these are important when every value that does not offer an explanation on what the value and the change made will effect the game play.

Bless the forum users. Some of it is very useful. Most of the comments are out of date. Every person making a comment in a forum should add to what version of the game the advice is related. Many times I turned to forums to try to seek help,only to find that the version of the game has changed or eliminated that "feature".

This idea of grids and subgrids is ill conceived. The grid is the unit. The subgrid should be (and probably is) an integer value of the grid. However, there is no feasible method I have found to simply align the origins of a grid and subgrid. The game knows where the origin of the grid and subgrid is projected. Why not simply have
a vale that describes that difference (in 3 space)? The closes attempt to align them is adding a rotor or hinge with a subgrid head attached. Unfortunately, as I discovered, there is simply no way to align a small footprint device (like a ship) to a grid from a projector. Furthermore, the projected item took several hours of tinkering to have alignment of the "blueprint".

I have played this game for 570+ hours. After starting, restarting, tearing down, rebuilding I have yet to advance past a few of simple scenarios.

Was it worth the price I paid? Has it kept me amused? Did I find game enjoyable? Not really.
I will say the tremendous effort taken by the programmers is amazing. But I certainly would not buy or recommend this game to anyone except to the most stalwart and dedicated simulation fan.

amazing game. great dev team and good community. not for the pussies.

no real tutorial. build menu is cluttered with dlc content, with no ability to filter or remove it from showing up. had to spend 4 hours to even get a feel for how the game works, and realized im not really enjoying it.

The bad interaction because of primitive gui
Pushing to buy DLC. Cluttering the G inventory by the stuff from dls
Only for hardcore coders and/or immortals

If you need a structured plot, missions, and lots of action, this probably is not the game for you. If you like building stuff and continually tinkering and refining you'll love Space Engineers.

back when it first came out we bought it hoping it would fully support us back, now its making us pay more for all of these items. scummy af

Okay the gameplay is pretty fun, but the UI really sucks. Also the game is very laggy... but the biggest issue?

WHY DOES THE ENTIRE GAME COST LIKE 150$(can) FULL PRICE???

And they keepp on adding moree dlc's... i just wanna play the game, not spend 6$ every update to get the "Full experience"...

I would love to give a good review, as once again, its a neat game. But god they do NOT need a DLC for everything!!! Yet not fix many of the performance issues... OH and not to forget, THERES A 2ND GAME, WHY ARE YOU STILL MAKING DLCS. PLEASE JUST GIVE ME A TRUE "free update" Please stop pulling an EA sims 4.

i still feel regret for buying nearly all the DLC's.

[edit bc i forgot about this part:] Suvival mode genuenly sucks. Mayybbee its more fun with friends? but everything in it is so expensive that you spend like an hour digging a stupid hole to build like 2 blocks of lightweight steel. I wish it was less grindy during the beggining..... ugh... i miss those 5 hours of my life digging i coulda spent strip mining in minecraft...,,,.

might be a pretty decent game, might have to play some more to figure out for sure tho

It's got a steep learning curve with regard to the game's mechanics. Once you get past that this is the perfect at your own pace open world sandbox

Sky is the limit here, or rather clang when you meet him. Its an amazing game with so many possibilities and if you ever feel like its quite empty, as I only played by myself, the modding community is so amazing with so many options to fill the world with things to do. I recommend it for anyone willing to try and create things, learn and adapt, its a experience unlike any other game.

Tedium Incarnate

Killer concept. Poor execution.
Requires several years of QoL improvements which will not happen in this game or the next

Building is a nightmare by hand, specifically anything to do with rotation and odd shaped panels. You could spend hours attempting to rotate and fit panels to create a smooth fairing to encapsulate your ship. This is something that should exist as a tool to auto shape a shell reducing the workload to seconds.

Survival mode ship building requires so much polish (mods) I can't recommend it.

It is easier to scavenge other ships by bum rushing them in a suit with a grinder than to build from scratch. Make a fighter to take on a ship? AI turrets just don't... They destroy everything of value and on top of that ship maintenance after damage is impossibly tedious.

Turrets are totally useless in human hands. Accuracy doesnt exist in turret control even when stationary, meanwhile AI has 100% accuracy while moving on moving targets. I guess you have to be content with the game playing for you while you micro the SHIT out of your ship systems unless you have spent hours learning LUA and making your own computer systems for your ship.

Inventory? Here's the empty inventories of your 30 welders and other random unconnected inventories before any of the other inventories you have full of disorganised garbage. Hide empty inventories? Well check that box EVERY TIME YOU OPEN UP >_<

Why not mod? WELL, I could use the ultimate mod, creative mode and bypass some of the tedium and obstacles like death or consequences. There is basic QoL and then there is the pile of unsorted clothes in your room THEN there is space engineers.

Just like Starbound this gets the thumbs down but if you know a set of killer mods, go ahead and enjoy, but standalone this game ain't it.

I do hope for the best out of SE2 but what I'm seeing is KSP2 levels of unpromising.

I am too lazy too say everything about this game so here is short description why you should buy this game.
so if you love\like to build, engineer, combat, space or creativity.
JUST BUY IT YOU WONT REGRET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
don't forget about multiplayer

Build ships, mine resources, maybe shoot at some NPCs. There's nothing else to do. Literally nothing. Zero content to experience apart from building random stuff. Granted, some of that stuff can be pretty cool, but you can't DO anything with it, not anything that really matters. Very very little guidance for new players, as well.

Not fun, Way too complicated, no real tutorial, confusing UI and clunky controls make this more of a chore than a game, Asked for a refund.

LOVE THIS GAME! Hate the development...

Don't bother, because although updates are still coming, Space Engineers 2 is already in early-access, bringing many of the features seemingly abandoned in this original version. Besides that, most updates introduce blocks with zero functionality and are represented better with (FREE) workshop mods. (Which also implemented (roughly) some of these abandoned features)

While I appreciate the time I've had with this game, I can't help but feel cheated having bought both the game AND all released DLC (Since Early Access) with the inevitable abandonment; Developers shifting their focus onto the sequel.

Now that I'm older, am married, and have a child, I don't have the expendable income I used to. If I can even afford a new game, I will probably pass on Space Engineers 2 with this experience under my belt. I hope everyone else's experience is better!

Best of luck, Engineers.

Hey looks like I never left a review.
So, I have 120 hours, but I never actually played Space Engineers, THE GAME.

#You can build these amazing ships with extremely complex mechanisms, and do all sorts of awesome contraptions... and there is nothing to use them on.

The most gameplay you'll experience is shooting at the occasional NPC ship and that's it. You can also drill rocks. In fact you will drill rocks to build ships to drill the same rocks but slightly faster.
This game has 60€ worth of DLC, but no content to experience besides building a ship that will be collecting literal space dust.
Modders are carrying the game by adding CONTENT, and they do it for free too!

Multiplayer performance breaks down entirely as soon as you make said ships collide, so it's largely unplayable.
Don't believe me? Even the trailers are stuttering...

Oh what's this? Keen is releasing Space Engineers 2 in Early Access?
I sure hope THAT game will be finished and have interesting an meaningful content and will totally not be a glorified ship builder with nothing else to do.

This used to be my go-to after school game in late highschool, and I was there with with the release of planets. I was obsessed.

Then they released a cosmetic DLC instead of a promised update and I thought; alright, they need more money to keep funding future updates and making the game more stable, fair. They they released promised features as a DLC, and I was a bit annoyed but still had some faith in the Devs.

Then they released a DLC.
Then they released a DLC.
Then they released a DLC.
Then they released a DLC.
Then they released a DLC.
Then they released a DLC ad nauseam.

The game runs worse than it has in years, and most of the build menu is clogged with greyed out DLC items, half of which were quality of life changed and featured promised years ago. I've genuinely considered getting the game taken off my library, which is a first for me.

I'm
so tired.

I'm by no means smart enough to even scratch the surface of what this game has to offer. I still love it, so much to do and learn. Would buy again.

I wish I got this game earlier because now it feels old but it is still amazing even though Space Engineers 2 EA is out in a new engine space engineers 1 is still getting updates so I probably won't buy Space Engineers 2 because it is more expensive and might end up like KSP 2

Space Engineers is an awesome game! A fantastic sandbox game with endless possibilities for creativity and self expression. I've been playing this game for several years on Xbox and have recently bought a Gaming PC where I bought the game again with all of the DLC so that I could have access to all of the mods available by the community on Steam. I'm not always playing the game but I always come back. Looking forward to Space Engineers 2's development progression.

Like that it is more realistic than other similar space games (such as No Mans Sky, which is also a good game). Has detailed game play requiring you to construct structures and ships following realistic procedures. Somewhat steep learning curve is made more difficult in that there is no real manual / guide book (at least that I have found). There are many good videos on line but they don't allow you to get answers to specific "how to" questions. But overall a great game - highly recommend it if you are more into constructing and creating usable structures.

This is one of those games where you boot it up and have no idea wtf you are doing. My coworker kept talking about how addicting and incredible this game was but I didn't really pay any mind to it until he practically begged us all to get it. I was the only one who ended up getting it... but god damn was he right.

The physics alone make the game a breath of fresh air, but beyond that the level of potential creativity is almost unmatched. The fact you can play the game however you want, whether it be building warships and battling other players/npc factions, or making AI mining drones and cargo ships and trade stations throughout the solar system to make an empire of commerce under your control - this is what gives it it's addicting factor.

The rush of that rewarding feeling when you find the element you have been searching the planets/asteroids for for days is unmatched. With new discoveries, your ability to create new technology such as remote controlling ships/AI drones/new thruster types/new energy sources/new weapons falls into your hands. With a dash of creativity you can make anything you can dream of and make it functional and use it just how you imagined in the game.

10/10
Cant wait for SE2 to come as far as this one has.

I love this game!!!!! I love building the ship's I just wish that the drive speed could be controlled by the driver of the ship. thanks

Learning curve is a bit steep, but once you crest the hill the game becomes a lot easier. It's also incredibly fun as shit, even in single player mode, creative or survival, you can get a lot of entertainment from this game.

yes my pc is on the low end but i still was able to log 4500 hours but since prototech/unidentified signals have happened i freeze and lag to an unplayable degree please add the option to remove this.... and yes i have turned off all encounter type things

Winner of the "Most useless tutorial level included in a game" award. The game does not tell you anything.

I'm 20 hours in and I still need to browse reddit and the forums to figure out how to do basic functions.

The game is extremely unintuitive with a terrible monochrome UI and some awful keymapping. Why is the crouch button beside the jetpack button? Why is my inventory bound to i, allll the way across the keyboard, when I'm constantly popping in and out of it? Why is rotate block the insert/home/end/pg.down etc block on the keyboard? Why does the game hide the amount of materials for a recipe I need ON the screen in which I'm taking materials out of a container? Why do i need to load a blueprint into a queue, and then load the queue into a machine? Why doesn't the queue clear? Why is there no feed back saying it was added to the material order? The phrase "quality of life" belongs nowhere near this game.

The developers are sometimes active in the comments sections of the forums and they are very easy to dislike. I'm not about to call them names, but I sure am going to think them.

Do not expect to hop into the game and get to building. No, you are going put some work in to learn this game. I'm going to keep trying to play this game, because I do see potential. However, the new-player experience is completely unacceptable.

I'm still probably going to keep playing it, But this game has problems.

My advice? Download the mod to hide DLC blocks. You will thank me. The stupid DLC blocks eat up 80% of the build screen icons making it very difficult to sort through and find what you need. Did I mention the monochome UI? Oh also, none of the machine blocks are visually intuitive. Theyre all just boxes with flaps on the side. An assembler is identical to a storage crate and a refinery is just 2 storage crates stacked on top of eachother. Have fun sorting through that mess with monochrome UI and everything looking the exact same.

I would enable comments on this review, but I'm not interested in a line of sweaty, insecure neckbeards using it to show off how smart they are because they have low standards for what is an acceptable tutorial experience.

Like space minecraft with steriods. My first space game and honestly I enjoy the regular updates. 10/10

My Favourite Game. Period.
Been playing since early access, love this game, great community and Keen has given this game legs for days... semi regular content updates and a thriving mod community supported by the devs. Functionality that isn't in the base (mainly survival mechanics and encounter variety) is easily supplemented by mods.

Combat could use an overhaul, particularly character combat, having some AI character to put a cap in would be nice, with some looting mechanics would be an awesome direction to branch into.

Keen is role model for other developers... AAA Devs: BE MORE LIKE THESE GUYS, GIVE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT AND STOP TREATING YOUR CUSTOMERS AS CASH COWS! ENCOURAGE MODDING AND LEARN FROM THE RESULTS.

This is not the Way.

Too much basic functionality is behind paywalls. I have to pay extra to get signal blocks? Really? No thanks.

1. Built my first rover (about 1 hour because of trial and error)
2. Tutorial says it can jump
3. Made 1st small jump
4. Tutorial says "the longer you press key, the higher jump"
5. Lets see how high it can jump
6. Rover flips over
7. One of two batteries explodes.
8. Had to recycle whole vehicle
9. 10/10 definitely would flip rover again
Edit:
1. Build first flyer
2. TRy to dock
3. Mistakenly turn off power
4. flyer flips over
Ffs, if one thing more flips over - I'm suing developers.

Space Engineers scratches a creative itch that I can't really scratch with any other game. It's the most brutal and rewarding survival/crafting experience I've ever found. Check out the amazing work of others in the workshop. I wish I knew about this game ten years ago... I've only been playing for a few. This is one of my favorite games of all time. I hope you love it too.

This game really is challenging but I have learned many things over my time so far.

fun and you can build what ever you think of modding community is great and devs like to show off what modders do to help the game and klang is fun

for first i did like the game a lot, but it feels like late stage beta game i do hope they keep udating the game.

if they manage to make havy updates they manage to make great game.

I love Space Minecraft very much and would recommend to anyone who enjoys Sci-Fi genres and likes building vehicles and other machines

This is a great game. Well thought out. Well designed. Great sandbox experience. Multiplay is good. I have no complaints. Except that over the years I have put a lot of time and money into this game, and have enjoyed it, and now with space engineers 2, I have to do it all over again? the feeling is daunting. The game looks identical. Why does Keen not just allow plays that have nearly all the DLC of the original a deal on the new game. Seems like that should be how the market should go. I just feel exhausted from all the time I put into the first.

Praise Klang.

I just started playing this game.
And I'm already in dept.
Make the item prices lower. Player trading rules.