6 Games To Play If You're A Fan Of The Expanse

Aug 23, 2026 - 22:10

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6 Games To Play If You're A Fan Of The Expanse

A group of three characters standing in a tunnel in The Expanse Osiris Reborn.

Published Aug 23, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT

Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work.

Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work.

Surprisingly, despite being one of the most popular sci-fi series of the current generation, there have been barely any The Expanse video games. This can make it rather difficult for fans of the original novels or the iconic TV show to find something equally brilliant that captures its best aspects to enjoy after watching the final credits roll or finishing the last chapter. That's a huge shame, as there is absolutely the potential for a brilliant The Expanse video game just waiting to be explored.

Fortunately, developer Owlcat Games appears to agree, as its huge The Expanse RPG attempts to dig deep into the series' lore, world, and characters, and deliver a brand-new experience that'll serve as a perfect jumping-on point for newcomers and a satisfying addition to the series for returning fans. However, that is but one game, and fans need far more than that to keep their appetites satiated. Fortunately, there are a handful of other games that deliver the same highs as The Expanse and focus on all the elements that made it so unique in the first place.

6 ΔV: Rings of Saturn

The ship customization UI in ΔV Rings of Saturn.

One of the more compelling elements of The Expanse is its approach to hard sci-fi. The show blends real science and a penchant for a more grounded universe with its fictional elements to create a universe that feels distinctly believable in a way most science fiction shows and novels tend not to. ΔV: Rings of Saturn is aiming for that same balance, a deeply realistic simulation of mining in space with the added bonus of fictional elements.

In ΔV: Rings of Saturn, you captain an asteroid excavation ship around the rings of Saturn and must gather enough minerals to sell to keep yourself afloat. Eventually, you'll gather enough money to hire a crew, which is where much of the game's narrative comes from. Its Steam store page tells you that you won't be the chosen one, and that it's up to you to pay attention to who your crew is and what their goals are. It's a great blend of science-based exploration and mining with just enough story to compel The Expanse fans to keep playing.

5 Mass Effect

Mass Effect, with its planet-hopping adventures, assorted factions vying for control, and rich worldbuilding feels pretty close in tone and ambition to The Expanse. It isn't a complete approximation of the series, as Mass Effect tends to favor the soft sci-fi approach, offering up numerous alien species, a more lax take on physics in space and spaceship mechanics, and a grander world-ending narrative in which the player is the chosen one.

However, when it comes down to it, while they undeniably have their differences, Mass Effect and The Expanse share a similar vibe. They're both cinematic, narrative-focused experiences with a deep focus on politics, and they both offer a fantastical take on space and the cosmos. Mass Effect is also one of the best sci-fi video games, much like how The Expanse is a must-read and watch sci-fi series. So, if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and play Mass Effect today.

4 The Expanse: A Telltale Series

Two characters walking down a corridor in The Expanse A Telltale Series game.

Naturally, fans of The Expanse looking for a game like The Expanse should probably play the game based entirely on The Expanse. For those unaware that one even exists, don't panic; you're not alone. The Expanse: A Telltale Series, which is critically acclaimed and beloved by fans, is one of the lesser-known Telltale games, in part because it was developed by Deck Nine (who developed some, but not all of the Life is Strange games), and not the original Telltale team that went defunct in 2018.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series puts players in the role of Camina Drummer as she must navigate a series of challenging events across all five episodes. In typical Telltale fashion, you'll need to make difficult choices, each of which will greatly affect the outcome of your story. It makes the game largely replayable as well, which is great for The Expanse fans who want to be truly immersed in its universe for as long as possible. While not the best Telltale game ever made, it offers a truly gripping way to actively interact with The Expanse universe like never before.

3 Children of a Dead Earth

A ship being shot at in Children of a Dead Earth.

For those who feel that ΔV: Rings of Saturn isn't hard sci-fi enough, Children of a Dead Earth offers a far deeper level of realism that proves to be deeply engrossing for the right audience. It is not a game for the impatient or the easily overwhelmed, as its numerous science-based systems, confusing UI, and deep focus on accurately simulating space warfare are a lot to handle and comprehend at first, but ultimately make it the definitive hard sci-fi experience.

Children of a Dead Earth utilizes equations from real-life engineering and physics documents to create believable equipment; its "orbital phenomenon from hyperbolic orbits, Lagrange points, and orbital perturbation" (according to its Steam store page) are all accurately simulated (if that means something to you, then this is absolutely your dream game); and its granular ship design allows complete freedom over every aspect of it. It's an impressive game, one that's truly for a niche audience, but one that undeniably caters to it with the utmost respect, making it the perfect game for fans of The Expanse's approach to hard sci-fi.

2 Terra Invicta

Terra Invicta tasks players with handling an alien invasion, much like in XCOM. However, unlike that game, Terra Invicta is a deep simulation experience, one that gives players control over practically every aspect of the faction they control, their interactions with other factions, the alien threat, and so much more. It's a complex, intricately designed, and endlessly exciting socio-political sim that perfectly plays into The Expanse's themes, antagonistic factions, and hard sci-fi.

When you're not attempting to overthrow an enemy nation, or dealing with the rising tensions at home, you'll be blasting off into space, exploring the solar system, and battling against an array of enemy fleets backed by real science. I cannot do Terra Invicta justice with these few words, as it is so complex and so vast and so impressive. With a plethora of mods making the experience even bigger, Terra Invicta offers the grand scale of The Expanse in a way no other game can.

1 Starfield

Starfield is probably the closest you'll get to a AAA version of The Expanse. It shares the same hard sci-fi edge that The Expanse does so well with its NASA-Punk style aesthetic, deep ship customization, and attempts at delivering realistic environmental simulation. While it definitely veers into the soft sci-fi on occasion, like Mass Effect, it does maintain a grittier, more realistic approach throughout.

It similarly puts a great emphasis on warring political factions and the various discourses between them, as well as the option for the player to side with one over the other. There's ship combat, action-packed sequences across a thousand different planets and moons, and a surprisingly compelling narrative featuring mysterious artifacts and the aforementioned tension between the numerous factions. Sure, Starfield isn't Bethesda's best game, but it is a fairly close approximation of The Expanse, and a must-play for fans of that series.