Space Engineers

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

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.

Very fun and a great thing to annoy your friends with. All you need to remember is if it works when it shouldnt then its fine..... It will break in the end anyway :]

Logistics and building games are my favorite and I was excited to try this one. Unfortunately the tutorials and UI are hot garbage. Even the simplest things like "get into the vehicle" or "replenish your oxygen" became soulcrushing as I tried to figure out whether the game was bugging or if I was doing something wrong. Turned out to be a bit of both. I couldn't "get into the vehicle" because the hitbox for it was incredibly small and I had to climb up on top of the vehicle and look at it from the exact microangle to get it to work. The "replenish oxygen" task required repairing some ducting, but the tutorial had yet to introduce inventory or tool controls. These were just a couple of the frustrating things I encountered, but every couple of minutes I encountered something janky and unintuitive that I had to spend a frustratingly long time figuring out, and it always seemed to be dumb, unintuitive controls or poorly explained mechanics. Vehicle controls are particularly frustrating and poorly explained. There is way too much going on in the UI, with little to no explanation. If I stuck it out for another few hours I might get the basics down, but this was so frustrating I ragequit after three hours and don't expect to continue.

I have this game on pc and X-box. i can say for certain don't play it unless you like being bullied into shutting up and accepting the dictatorship keen and mods provide then don't play. if you want to play it in a very closed group away from keens servers. and to keep it active here is a link to add just to keep it popular.

https://support.keenswh.com/spaceengineers/pc/topic/keen-software-house-is-horrible

anger out of the way it isn't a bad game there's bug galore but there is easily fun to be had just only with friends

this is a game that is supposed to promote creativity the creator of the game uses ai art for spotlight if you are reading this you can without a doubt afford a artist there is no excuse i heavily regret getting this game if you want to support ai stealing artist's jobs then go ahead and get the game

I cannot recommend this game enough. It is good. So much depth and replayability, without being confusing or daunting to start. If you are concerned about the number of DLCs (which is understandable) they go on sale pretty regularly in a bundle.

Love the game, but I think two things really need to be changed:

1. Welders struggle with building internal structures when using a projector. This should be addressed by either significantly increasing their range or making it so that the next part can only start building once the previous one is fully completed.

2. Ore detectors have an abysmally low range. The current 50m and 150m values are a joke—they should be at least tripled.

I really didn’t want to leave a negative review, but Steam doesn’t offer a “neutral” option. Since I believe these changes would make a big difference, I’ll gladly update my review if at least the welder/projector building system gets improved.

Lovely game, especially the modded servers. So much to do and build and crash and fight fight, rebuild, upgrade and lose track of time.

Space Engineers is one of those games that's tough to truly capture in words—it's a masterpiece that continues to evolve, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the mighty Keen Software House. This game isn't just a one-and-done experience; it's an ever-expanding universe of creativity, problem-solving, and, of course, epic space mishaps. Whether you're building massive space stations or dying to the infamous "clang" of mechanical failure, Space Engineers offers a rich, immersive experience that's always growing and improving. The updates keep coming, and each one adds even more ways to break your ship in spectacular fashion!

From constructing your first makeshift spaceship to launching into the vast unknown, every moment is filled with discovery. The learning curve is steep, but that’s part of the charm—once you figure out how to master your craft, you’ll feel like a true space-faring engineer. Sure, you might get frustrated with the physics or your ship falling apart, but it’s all part of the adventure, and the sense of accomplishment when you pull off something incredible makes it all worth it.

This review may be short, but I’ve got nothing to complain about. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that Space Engineers isn’t a game for those in a rush. To truly enjoy it, you have to accept that it takes time and effort to build, explore, and engineer your way through space. Patience is key—embrace it, and you'll get the most out of this amazing experience.

If I were to complain about something, it would be that the game isn't even bigger—there’s so much more potential for exploration and combat! While there is a bit of a lack of NPCs and random encounters, this gap is beautifully filled by the incredibly talented modding community. That said, it shouldn’t fall entirely on the community to fill in these content gaps. Thankfully, Keen Software has made Space Engineers extremely mod-friendly, which helps bridge the gap and keeps the game alive with fresh content.

So, get ready to launch, build, and maybe occasionally blow yourself up—because in Space Engineers, failure is just the first step to intergalactic greatness! SACRIFICE TO CLANG!

1/5 – Not worth the struggle

Space Engineers looks like an amazing sandbox game on the surface—build ships, explore space, trade, and survive. But the reality? It’s an absolute mess of a game with one of the worst user experiences I’ve ever seen.

Why It’s a Nightmare to Play:
- Terrible Tutorials – The game teaches you one thing, then throws you into an unrelated, overwhelming situation with no proper guidance.

- Awful UI & UX – The menus are cluttered, unintuitive, and make even basic tasks feel like a chore.

- Frustrating New Player Experience – Just starting a new game can give you weird errors like “Save world in experimental mode” with no clear fix.

- Steep Learning Curve for No Reason – Everything is overcomplicated, and the devs expect you to watch hours of YouTube tutorials just to understand the basics.

- Feels Like a Dev Playground, Not a Finished Game – Instead of refining the core experience, the devs keep piling on new features without fixing the mess they already made.

This game could be great, but the lack of polish, terrible onboarding, and outdated UI make it more frustrating than fun. If you don’t already know how to play, expect to spend hours struggling before you can even start enjoying yourself.

💡 Final Verdict: Unless you love suffering through trial and error or watching long tutorials, stay far away from Space Engineers. The devs clearly designed this game for existing players, not newcomers.

the game is a creative sandbox where your only limitation is you imagination. the only trouble i have had is it freezes sometimes on load or randomly crashes losing all my data.

The game itself is fun, if a little complex and rough. The community around it however, is a cesspool of tech bros with more testosterone than skill.

The game is great if you're playing with friends you know, but you should avoid the community at large at all costs. And if you have feedback regarding the game... keep it to yourself. This swamp is infested with rabid wolves who are just itching to slap you down.

The controls and in game tutorials are so overwhelmingly obtuse that just understanding how to start is a barrier to entry, but once you get past it there is no other game that does what Space Engineers does better than Space Engineers is already doing it. If you're coming into this game blind, turn around and watch some Youtube tutorials or its pretty likely you'll thrash around in the menus get bored and leave.

I personally enjoy building my spacecraft from the ground up and then testing how it performs. Lots of fun building and destroying my builds. will be play this for a long time. I'm a noob and still just learning to play but totally love this game.

Super rough start since there is no introduction or tutorial, your just thrown onto a planet with a small drop pod and that is it. But once you start to figure things out the game quickly accelerates into the best sandbox game Ive ever played. You can build anything your heart desires. Ive built a large astroid base with a huge underground nuclear facility. There are endless possibilities and a huge modding community to help you with all your creative needs. If you are a creative individual I would more than recommend this game. The start will be rough but I promise its so worth the trouble.

Very very steep learning curve but worth it to take the time to learn. Gonna have to rely on youtube a lot as the game itself does not explain most of the mechanics. 4/5 stars.