SpaceEngine

SpaceEngine is a space sandbox that can be described as an interactive planetarium where the entire known universe is contained. The game was developed by the independent Russian developer Vladimir Romaniuk, and in addition to a commercial edition, the distribution includes a free, developmental version from 2016.

Mechanics

Each galaxy, nebula, black hole, star, planet and their moons, comets or even asteroids are provided with detailed information about their structure, mass, size or, among other things, temperature. In the case of known celestial bodies, they are based on scientific data like NGC/IC or HIPPARCOS catalogues; other objects such as stars in distant galaxies or planets orbiting around them are generated procedurally.

There are two ways in which we can move around the universe. The first of them is the free mode, where we are not limited by the laws of physics, so we can "touch" stars, land on the surface of planets regardless of the conditions on the surface, fly across the horizons of black holes events or even travel at speeds many times greater than the speed of light. The second way is to take control of a selected spaceship, which however is subjected to laws of physics, so that for example its maximum speed or acceleration is limited; we are given both real and fictional spaceships. In this case, the beginners will be offered a number of facilities, such as flight assistance or autopilot. It is also possible to manipulate time, which can be freely accelerated, slowed down or stopped.

The program creates a daily log containing all the places we visited; moreover, we can create a list of favourite objects ourselves, so that we can access them at any time. In addition, we can check out an accessible map, a catalogue built into the program that enables us to search for objects of interest (such as habitable planets near us) and quickly jump to their vicinity, as well as various overlays showing orbits of celestial bodies or constellations visible from Earth.

Technical aspects

Three-dimensional graphics of SpaceEngine offer high quality. The most noteworthy are realistic lighting, designed with attention to detail, planet surfaces and various graphic effects, such as gravitational lenses caused by massive objects like black holes (equipped with animated accretion disks) or neutron stars. A separate mention should be made of the sound layer, because the game is accompanied by calm, relaxing electronic music. It is also worth noting that the program supports mods; there is also nothing to prevent it from being used with VR sets.

Last updated on June 2, 2020