Drawer 07 · review
Endless Sky
A 2D space trading and exploration game: start with a small ship and see where the galaxy takes you.
Our score 4/5
Our take
Endless Sky starts with a pilot's licence and a very small ship. From there it is up to you: carry passengers, haul cargo between systems, take on escort jobs, upgrade your engines, and slowly work your way into the wider story of a galaxy at the edge of a civil war.
It is in the spirit of the old Escape Velocity games, with a top-down view, two hundred star systems joined by hyperspace links, and aliens out at the rim whose cultures are worth the trip. The whole thing is made and maintained by an open-source community.
There is combat, but much of the pleasure is in the quiet loop of jumping between systems and watching your little fleet grow.
A first sitting
- Download it from the official site, or install it free from Steam or GOG.
- Pick the shuttle and start with passenger jobs.
- Read the in-game help when you land: it explains trading and outfitting step by step.
Where to stop
Trading runs have a natural end when you land. Stop at a planet, not mid-journey, and the next session starts with a clear head.
