Start with one ship. End with a galaxy-sized set of problems.
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Endless Sky is a free space game released under Open Source (GPL-3.0). It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, needs about 450 MB of disk space, and requires no account, payment or trial. On a computer, the fastest route is the PlayBound Launcher. On a phone or tablet, use the official store or site instead.
Choose how to install
Install with PlayBound or download from the official source without the launcher.
Install the PlayBound Launcher, then find Endless Sky and press Install. The launcher downloads the official release and unpacks it. This is the fastest route and it never uses third-party mirrors.
Alternatively, download Endless Sky directly from the official site at https://endless-sky.github.io. Always download from the official source — third-party mirrors of free games are a common malware vector.
Official releases are published on GitHub at github.com/endless-sky/endless-sky/releases. Pick the newest stable release matching your operating system.
Endless Sky is also on Steam and is free there. Open the store page and press Play Game to add it to your library.
steam://install/404410Windows
Extract the downloaded archive anywhere you like — there is no installer, just a portable folder. If Windows SmartScreen warns about the .exe having an unrecognised publisher, that is normal for open-source projects without a paid code-signing certificate — choose More info, then Run anyway.
macOS
Open the downloaded .dmg and drag the app into Applications. On first launch macOS may refuse to open it as unidentified — right-click the app and choose Open to approve it once.
Linux
Check your distribution's package manager first, which is usually the easiest route. Otherwise download the AppImage from the official site, mark it executable and run it.
chmod +x *.AppImage && ./*.AppImageLaunch the game and look at the settings menu before your first session — resolution and control defaults are worth checking. Endless Sky needs roughly 450 MB of free disk space.
Minimum
1.5 GHz CPU · 1 GB RAM · OpenGL 3.0 GPU · 500 MB storage
Recommended
2.5 GHz CPU · 2 GB RAM · Any modern GPU · 1 GB storage
Yes, entirely. Endless Sky is open-source under GPL-3.0 with no purchases, expansions or advertising. All content, including every story campaign, is included.
The main human-space campaign runs several dozen hours, and there are further alien storylines beyond it. Completing everything takes well over a hundred hours.
The trading, exploration and combat loop is similar in spirit, but Endless Sky is top-down 2D rather than a first-person cockpit, is single-player only, and is far more story-driven with hand-written missions instead of procedural content.
Endless Sky. It has stronger narrative direction, a more accessible combat model and a gentler learning curve. Play Naev afterwards if you want deeper ship outfitting and faction politics.
No. Endless Sky is a single-player game, so there is no multiplayer mode to join or host.
Yes. An active contributor community ships regular releases with new missions, ships and systems.