PULSAR: Lost Colony similar games & best alternatives

PULSAR: Lost Colony

PC (Microsoft Windows), Linux, Mac • 2021

Should you play it?

The co-op open-world space sim where everyone has a role! Pilot the ship. Reroute power. Launch nukes. Explore alien planets. Research new talents. Work together to find the Lost Colony! ...or just deliver some biscuits

What works
  • Strong cooperative gameplay with distinct roles
  • Deep ship management and tactical combat
  • Large procedurally generated galaxy with exploration
  • Meaningful progression and upgrades
  • Active developer support and updates
Things to keep in mind
  • Limited content and missions in early access
  • Ground combat is simplistic and repetitive
  • Graphics and ui are basic and sometimes clunky
  • Steep learning curve without tutorial
  • Small player base and occasional toxic players

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Core Keeper

  • Don't Starve Together

  • Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator

  • Gatewalkers (Alpha)

  • MetaPhysical

  • We Need To Go Deeper

  • Voidtrain

  • Eon Altar

  • Smalland: Survive the Wilds
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • MetaPhysical

  • Forsaken Frontiers

  • Forgotten Seas
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Cooperation

    Left 4 Dead 2
  • Exploration

    Star Valor
  • Fellowship

    The Past Within

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

PULSAR: Lost Colony: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Exploration, Cooperation.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players have high control over ship systems, crew assignments, and tactical decisions during combat and exploration."

    Capsule for FTL: Faster Than Light FTL: Faster Than Light

    "Players have distinct roles with unique responsibilities and can make many decisions about ship management, upgrades, and tactics, supporting high player control."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    4

    "Game requires skillful management of ship systems, coordination, and mastering different roles with meaningful feedback."

    Capsule for Star Trek™: Bridge Crew Star Trek™: Bridge Crew

    "Game requires skillful coordination, managing complex ship systems, and tactical combat, with meaningful feedback and progression."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    -3

    "Focus is on cooperative play and personal progression rather than PvP or ranked competition; PvP is minimal and often discouraged."

    Capsule for Fallout 76 Fallout 76

    "Focus is on cooperative play and personal/team goals rather than direct player-vs-player competition; no PvP currently."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    4

    "Players report long play sessions, replaying levels for better times and completing missions; high replay value."

    Capsule for Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania

    "Players report long sessions, high replay value, and habitual play due to exploration, missions, and crew progression."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    5

    "Core gameplay is cooperative survival requiring teamwork, communication, and mutual support to succeed."

    Capsule for Left 4 Dead 2 Left 4 Dead 2

    "Core gameplay is team-based with 5 distinct roles requiring coordination and communication for success."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Players can customize ships with modules and upgrades; some roleplaying and character skill customization available."

    Capsule for SpaceBourne SpaceBourne

    "Players can customize ships, upgrade components, and choose different roles and strategies, though within defined systems."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -4

    "Interactions emphasize teamwork and mutual respect; no evidence of dominance or power assertion over others."

    Capsule for Tales of Zestiria Tales of Zestiria

    "Interactions emphasize teamwork and shared decision-making; no evidence of power imposition or toxic dominance."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    4

    "Players use the game as an immersive sci-fi survival and exploration experience, escaping real life through vast space adventures."

    Capsule for Empyrion - Galactic Survival Empyrion - Galactic Survival

    "Players use the game as an immersive space adventure to escape reality, with rich sci-fi themes and exploration."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -4

    "Players engage voluntarily for fun and exploration, with no indication of obligation or external pressure."

    Capsule for The Adventures of Tree The Adventures of Tree

    "Players engage voluntarily for fun and exploration, with no indication of obligation or external pressure."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    4

    "Players try different roles, tactics, and strategies; game encourages exploration of mechanics."

    Capsule for Foxhole Foxhole

    "Players try different roles, ships, strategies, and tactics, exploring mechanics and emergent gameplay."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    5

    "Procedurally generated galaxy with many sectors and secrets encourages discovery and curiosity-driven activities."

    Capsule for Star Valor Star Valor

    "Strong emphasis on discovering new sectors, planets, secrets, and missions in a large procedurally generated galaxy."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    3

    "Character and ship customization allow for personal expression, though mostly cosmetic."

    Capsule for Guns of Icarus Online Guns of Icarus Online

    "Character customization and ship upgrades allow some personal expression, though mostly functional."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    4

    "Strong sci-fi space opera theme with imaginative fiction, space battles, and RPG storytelling."

    Capsule for Between the Stars Between the Stars

    "Game immerses players in a sci-fi space opera setting with imaginative ships, aliens, and space battles."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    5

    "Strong sense of community and shared experience through cooperative gameplay and communication."

    Capsule for The Past Within The Past Within

    "Strong community and team identity through cooperative gameplay and shared adventures."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    4

    "Players develop skills, learn strategies, and improve over time."

    Capsule for Bean Battles Bean Battles

    "Players learn roles, improve skills, and develop strategies over time, with meaningful progression."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -5

    "No physical activity involved; gameplay is sedentary."

    Capsule for PICO PARK PICO PARK

    "No physical activity involved; gameplay is sedentary."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Gameplay requires active attention and coordination; downtime is minimal during combat and exploration."

    Capsule for Darkwater Darkwater

    "Requires continuous attention and coordination during gameplay; downtime exists but is minimal."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    3

    "Players form friendships and social bonds, though not necessarily deep emotional connections."

    Capsule for RuneScape ® RuneScape ®

    "Players form social bonds and friendships through teamwork and communication, though not deeply emotional."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    4

    "Captain role involves directing the crew and making strategic decisions, embodying leadership."

    Capsule for Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator

    "Captain role involves directing crew and managing decisions, providing leadership opportunities."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    4

    "Players accumulate upgrades, unlock ships, and improve abilities through gameplay."

    Capsule for Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

    "Players accumulate upgrades, items, and experience points to improve characters and ships."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    2

    "The game balances challenge with flow, though some find combat repetitive and occasionally tense."

    Capsule for Wartales Wartales

    "Game balances challenge and flow, though tense combat moments create some sustained pressure."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Visual and audio effects provide sensory stimulation and excitement."

    Capsule for Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut

    "Visual and auditory sci-fi effects provide sensory stimulation and excitement."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    -2

    "Recognition mostly internal or within community; no strong social status or leaderboard focus."

    Capsule for The Banner Saga 3 The Banner Saga 3

    "Recognition is mostly within the crew and community; no broad social status or leaderboard focus."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    3

    "Contains narrative elements and lore, though some players find story minimal or secondary to gameplay."

    Capsule for Glittermitten Grove Glittermitten Grove

    "Narrative elements and missions provide plot and lore, though some players find story less developed."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    4

    "Requires tactical planning, resource management, and problem solving in combat and exploration."

    Capsule for Abandon Ship Abandon Ship

    "Requires tactical planning, resource management, and problem solving in combat and exploration."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    4

    "Space battles, boarding actions, and large-scale combat create suspense and excitement."

    Capsule for Angels Fall First Angels Fall First

    "Space battles and emergencies create suspense and excitement."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    3

    "Players perceive good value for time spent, especially given ongoing updates and content."

    Capsule for Gunsmith Simulator Gunsmith Simulator

    "Players perceive good value for time spent, especially with friends and ongoing updates."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    3

    "Combat and ship battles involve destruction and fighting, though balanced with building and exploration."

    Capsule for Windrose Windrose

    "Combat and ship battles involve destruction and fighting, though balanced with exploration and cooperation."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    4

    "Players must manage threats, maintain ship integrity, and keep crew alive to progress."

    Capsule for Space Crew: Legendary Edition Space Crew: Legendary Edition

    "Players must manage threats, resource limits, and ship integrity to survive."

Come talk about it on Discord!

Last update: 01/06/2026