10. Kosmos – The Great Perhaps
Opening our cosmic countdown is an astronaut from the contemplative 2D side-scroller The Great Perhaps, a hidden gem in the indie gaming landscape whose narrative reaches far beyond typical space exploration. Players guide astronaut Kosmos who returns to Earth only to find it transformed into an apocalyptic wasteland, sparking his journey for understanding.
Wearing a distinctive blue and white spacesuit, Kosmos explores this broken world with an artificial intelligence companion named L9 and carries a remarkable lantern that reveals glimpses of the world before catastrophe struck. The game’s inventive puzzles involve retrieving items from these past visions to overcome obstacles in the ravaged present. The artistic contrast between past prosperity and current desolation creates a hauntingly beautiful visual experience.
9. Kerbonauts – Kerbal Space Program
Kerbal Space Program prioritizes realistic orbital mechanics and spacecraft engineering over character narratives, yet its volunteer alien astronauts rank among gaming’s most endearing space explorers. These small green creatures known as Kerbals bear a delightful resemblance to the minions from Despicable Me and demonstrate infectious enthusiasm for reaching the stars.
The simulation-focused gameplay provides limited opportunities to directly control these cheerful beings, but they maintain a constant presence—populating your rocket construction facility and engaging in enthusiastic, often comical communications throughout your aerospace endeavors.
8. The Astronaut – Lifeless Planet
Lifeless Planet follows an unnamed astronaut who discovers that his seemingly barren destination planet harbors abandoned remnants of a mysterious Soviet colony. The increasingly complex story unfolds gradually, supported by exceptional sound design featuring authentic Russian voice acting in recovered logs and recordings.
The gameplay combines atmospheric exploration with environmental puzzles and platforming sequences across desolate landscapes, aided by the astronaut’s limited jetpack capabilities. The protagonist’s spacesuit design faithfully mirrors actual NASA equipment down to the smallest details, from the distinctive gold helmet visor to the intricate life support backpack systems.
7. Ava Turing – The Turing Test
While Lifeless Planet builds its mystery on a fictional world, The Turing Test takes players to Jupiter’s actual moon Europa as engineer-astronaut Ava Turing. Serving on an International Space Agency team establishing a research outpost on the lunar surface, Ava awakens from cryosleep to discover her colleagues have mysteriously vanished.
Through Ava’s perspective, players navigate the research facility by solving intricate chamber puzzles using a specialized tool that manipulates energy orbs to power systems and access new areas. The ever-present artificial intelligence named T.O.M. creates an atmosphere reminiscent of Portal, building toward an intelligently crafted narrative revelation.
6. Dr. Morgan Yu – Prey
Arkane Studios’ Prey marks a significant departure from their Dishonored series, presenting an alternate history with an accelerated space race. Players embody chief researcher Dr. Morgan Yu, who experiences memory loss during an alien catastrophe aboard the massive Talos I Space Station. The game offers players the choice to determine their character’s gender, enhancing personal connection to the narrative.
This narrative-driven first-person shooter RPG empowers players with choices that influence multiple potential endings. What truly distinguishes this astronaut protagonist is the innovative arsenal of unconventional weapons and supernatural abilities available for confronting the shapeshifting Typhon entities that have overtaken the station.
5. Buzz Lightyear
Venturing beyond Pixar’s animated films, Buzz Lightyear has established a significant presence in the gaming realm. Beyond traditional Toy Story adaptations, he appears in Disney Dreamlight Valley, Disney Mirrorverse, and Kingdom Hearts 3. Though named after real-life astronaut Buzz Aldrin, his Space Ranger persona embodies more action hero qualities than traditional astronaut characteristics.
Joining forces with Buzz delivers genuine excitement, whether battling through Kingdom Hearts 3’s Toy Box world or deploying his abilities in Disney Mirrorverse’s tactical combat. Particularly satisfying are the gameplay mechanics in Toy Story 3, where players can master his platforming movements and exhilarating flight capabilities.
4. Cosmo – Guardians Of The Galaxy
While the primary characters in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy would bristle at the astronaut label, one supporting character proudly wears the cosmic explorer badge. Cosmo, an irresistibly charming Golden Retriever mix, draws inspiration from Laika, the first Soviet canine launched into orbit.
Unlike his historical counterpart, Cosmo developed remarkable telepathic abilities during his cosmic journey, eventually assuming the role of Chief of Security for the massive space station Knowhere. Distinguished by his thick Soviet accent, this lovable canine space traveler plays a significant role in the game’s narrative while capturing players’ hearts.
3. Astroneer
Astroneer presents a vibrant, stylized approach to space exploration sharing spiritual kinship with No Man’s Sky. As the cleverly named “Astroneer” rather than a traditional astronaut, players freely explore colorful planetary landscapes equipped with an ingenious terraforming tool that extracts resources from the terrain and transforms them into valuable materials.
The gameplay extends to crafting diverse transportation options—from agile buggies to powerful rovers and interplanetary spacecraft—while building essential base facilities. Astroneer intentionally minimizes narrative elements, instead encouraging players to fully immerse themselves in the authentic experience of space pioneering and discovery.
2. Selene Vassos – Returnal
Some gaming astronauts have traveled through time, uncovered planetary mysteries, or battled alien threats. ASTRA Corporation pilot Selene Vassos experiences all these challenges simultaneously in Returnal, with the added complication of being trapped in an endless temporal loop.
The enigma begins when Selene crash-lands on the mysterious planet Atropos while investigating a signal known as “White Shadow.” She encounters terrifying tentacled entities that launch deadly projectiles and must navigate diverse, constantly shifting biomes while confronting formidable boss encounters reminiscent of Soulslike games to break free from her recurring nightmare.
1. The Astronaut – Deliver Us The Moon
Deliver Us The Moon offers an astronaut narrative worthy of contemporary hard science fiction, masterfully balancing third and first-person perspectives. Players embody a World Space Agency astronaut dispatched to Earth’s moon to investigate critical disruptions affecting the global energy network now powered from the lunar surface.
The experience combines authentic astronaut simulation with compelling storytelling rich in environmental detail and centered on a desperate mission to restore power and save humanity. The meticulously crafted lunar environment achieves a remarkable balance between artistic vision and scientific accuracy, enhanced by a robotic companion and convincing zero-gravity movement mechanics. Certain sequences evoke the cinematic tension of acclaimed space films like Gravity and Interstellar, securing this unnamed astronaut’s position at the pinnacle of gaming’s space explorers.