Choose Elite Dangerous
Choose Elite Dangerous if you want a Strategy and Massively Multiplayer game with Multi-player, MMO, and VR Supported. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 52,491 Steam reviews back the pick.
Elite Dangerous vs Star Explorers
Elite Dangerous and Star Explorers both land in Action, Adventure, Simulation on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Adventure, Simulation on Steam. Elite Dangerous (2015) is 3 years older than Star Explorers (2018). Star Explorers scores higher on Steam reviews (83.4% positive) than Elite Dangerous (76.7% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Star Explorers
Choose Star Explorers if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 83.4% positive across 193 reviews.
Both Elite Dangerous and Star Explorers sit in Action, Adventure, and Simulation on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Elite Dangerous |  Star Explorers | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Simulation, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Indie, Adventure, Simulation, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 4.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.7% positive (52,491 reviews) | 83.4% positive (193 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | Frontier Developments | Schmidt Workshops |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Simulation on Steam.
- Elite Dangerous (2015) is 3 years older than Star Explorers (2018).
- Star Explorers scores higher on Steam reviews (83.4% positive) than Elite Dangerous (76.7% positive).
- Star Explorers is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Elite Dangerous (4.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Elite Dangerous has co-op; Star Explorers does not.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Elite Dangerous vs Star Explorers — FAQ
- Which is better, Elite Dangerous or Star Explorers?
- On Steam reviews Star Explorers scores higher (83.4% positive) than Elite Dangerous (76.7% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Star Explorers is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Elite Dangerous or Star Explorers first?
- If you want chronology, Elite Dangerous (2015) came out before Star Explorers (2018). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Elite Dangerous and Star Explorers similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Simulation on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Star Explorers have multiplayer like Elite Dangerous?
- No. Elite Dangerous supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Co-op), while Star Explorers is listed as single-player only.