In Space Engineers, a sandbox game, you build ships, space stations, and bases, then fly them through space and set them down on planets and moons. You build one block at a time, and every block has weight and can take damage, so a sloppy design can come apart in flight.
Gathering materials is the heart of the game, since every block is made from them. You can play in Creative mode, where materials are unlimited, building is instant, and nothing can kill you, or in Survival mode, where you do the mining and crafting yourself and can die. In Survival, you dig up ore, the metal-rich rock found on asteroids and planets, and a refinery melts it into ingots, which are metal bars. An assembler then turns those ingots into components, the parts that blocks are built from.
Welding those components together is how blocks, and then ships and bases, take shape. Your base also needs power to run its machines, plus oxygen to keep you breathing and hydrogen to fuel hydrogen thrusters and your jetpack. As you get more capable, the goals open up: some players build large mining and industrial operations, some build warships or fortresses on planets, and others explore to take over the ships and stations they find. You can share all of it with friends on co-op or competitive servers.
- Developer
- Keen Software House
- Publisher
- Keen Software House
- Release
- Xbox One: 2020-04-16 · PC (full release): 2019-02-28 · PC (Steam Early Access): 2013-10-23 · PlayStation (full release): 2023-07-20
- Platforms
- Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Game data
Components
Components are the parts every block is built from, so every ship, base and station is made of them. Standard components are crafted in an Assembler from refined ingots, and grinding blocks or looting pre-built ships can also bring them back. Prototech components are a rarer set: the Frame can't be made at all, and most others depend on Prototech Scrap from ground-down Prototech blocks.
Ores and Ingots
Ores are the raw materials mined from planets, moons and asteroids in Space Engineers, and a Refinery or Survival Kit turns them into ingots and other refined materials. Each ore returns a different share of its weight, so iron and silicon pay off well, while gold, platinum and uranium return very little. Ice is the exception, since it skips the Refinery and goes to an O2/H2 Generator instead.
Thrusters
Thrusters are the engines that move ships, planes and drones in Space Engineers. Ion thrusters suit open space, atmospheric thrusters work only in planetary air, hydrogen thrusters work in both, and Prototech thrusters are the late-game option. Ion, atmospheric and Prototech thrusters run on power, while hydrogen thrusters burn fuel from tanks.
Power Blocks
Power blocks make or store the electricity that runs every ship, station and rover in Space Engineers. Reactors and hydrogen engines provide steady output, while solar panels and wind turbines burn no fuel but depend on sunlight and wind. Batteries hold surplus power for later, and nearly every build needs at least one.
Production Blocks
Production blocks are the factory machines of Space Engineers, and they turn ore, stone and algae into ingots, components and food. Refineries make ingots from ore, assemblers build components and tools from those ingots, and Food Processors make meals. Survival Kits act as a small starter factory and are the usual first step before full-size refineries and assemblers.
Collectibles
Planets and Moons
Space Engineers' star system holds planets and moons that never orbit or spin, so they stay fixed in place, and each one has its own gravity, air, weather and resources. Some are gentle places to start, while others need oxygen, helmets or hydrogen fuel to survive and leave.
Space Engineers Controls
| Action | Desktop |
|---|---|
| Move forward, back, left and right (on foot or jetpack) | W, S, A, D |
| Sprint | Hold Left Shift |
| Jump or jetpack up | Space |
| Crouch or jetpack down | C |
| Toggle inertia dampeners | Z |
| Use a block, or enter and exit a cockpit or seat | F |
| Open inventory | I |
| Open the targeted terminal | K |
| Equip toolbar slot | 1 to 9 |
| Switch first and third person | V |
| Switch large-grid and small-grid block (while placing) | R |
| Open or close helmet visor | J |
| Toggle lights | L |
| Open the Help screen | F1 |
Space Engineers gameplay tips
- Spend about an hour in Creative mode first. It lets you learn what each block does and how it fits together before resources and survival get in the way.
- Start your first Survival world on a planet. A planet start teaches you about gravity and oxygen early, before you take on open space.
- Build a small power source before your refinery. Your refinery and assembler stop when the power runs out, and a solar panel or wind turbine is the usual choice to keep them running.
- Find and mine ice early. An O2/H2 Generator turns ice into oxygen for breathing and hydrogen for hydrogen thrusters and your jetpack.
- Grind down parts you no longer need. Grinding returns the components a block was made from, so you can reuse them in your next build instead of mining more.