Shortest Trip to Earth similar games & best alternatives

Shortest Trip to Earth - Trailer
Shortest Trip to Earth - shortest-trip-to-earth_1.avif
Shortest Trip to Earth - shortest-trip-to-earth_2.avif
Shortest Trip to Earth - shortest-trip-to-earth_3.avif
Shortest Trip to Earth - shortest-trip-to-earth_4.avif
Shortest Trip to Earth - shortest-trip-to-earth_5.avif
Shortest Trip to Earth - shortest-trip-to-earth_6.avif

Shortest Trip to Earth

PC (Microsoft Windows) • 2019

Should you play it?

Shortest Trip to Earth is a roguelike spaceship simulator focused on exploration, ship management and tactical battles. Embark on a perilous journey across the universe with nuclear missiles, armed crew and a cat.

What works

  • Deep and challenging gameplay
  • Rich ship and crew customization
  • Engaging tactical combat
  • High replay value
  • Immersive sci-fi setting and story

Things to keep in mind

  • Steep learning curve
  • Some ui and micromanagement tedium
  • Occasional bugs
  • Limited social or multiplayer features
  • Some balance issues with weapons and resources

What to play next

Top picks

Games that feels the closest overall

  • Mech Engineer

  • Convoy

  • Nonentity Galaxy

  • Void War

  • Three Kingdoms Mushouden

  • Xenonauts 2

More relaxing

Games that feels like Shortest Trip to Earth but with a more relaxing feel

  • Starcom: Unknown Space

  • Endless Sky

  • Approaching Infinity

  • Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander (LIGHTSPEED EDITION)

  • Distant Worlds 2

  • Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander

More social

Games that feels like Shortest Trip to Earth but with more teamwork and cooperation

  • Barotrauma

  • Guardians of the Sanctree

  • Pixel Privateers

  • Star Traders: Frontiers

  • Star Valor

  • ΔV: Rings of Saturn

More competitive

Games that feels like Shortest Trip to Earth but with more competition against others

  • Polaris Sector

  • The Last Starship

  • Star Ruler

  • Interstellar Space: Genesis

  • Distant Worlds: Universe

  • Stars in Shadow

Less leadership-focused

Games that feels like Shortest Trip to Earth but with less leadership over others

  • Creeper World 2: Anniversary Edition

  • Breachway

  • LONESTAR

  • Quasimorph

  • In Celebration of Violence

  • Final Upgrade

Choose your own criteria ->

Similarity map

How to use the graph

Similarity map

Each dot is a game placed from its motivation profile relative to this page’s game. Direction shows which motivation differs most; distance along that axis shows how large the gap is.

  • Purple star: this page’s game at the centre — everything is relative to it.
  • Direction: each axis is a main motivational difference vs this game (e.g. more / less competitive).
  • Distance on an axis: how large that difference is (ring scales show +/− points).
  • 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 to preview that game in the panel on the right; click to keep that comparison.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom.

How to read the map This is a polar difference map: direction = which motivation differs, and distance = how much (same units as the sidebar deltas).

Shortest Trip to Earth: A very typical example of its motivational profile. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Survival, Fellowship, Intimacy. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Leadership, Exploration. It leans lower than usual among comparable games on Relaxation.

Last update: 03/08/2026