The best science games (part 2)

What if science became our playground once again? From space exploration to biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering, some video games make knowledge and experimentation the heart of their gameplay. Following our first selection, here’s a new batch of titles that put your brain to work while introducing you to science from a perspective that’s as fun as it is exciting!

Survival in space can’t be improvised, and Oxygen Not Included makes that clear right from the outset. In this management and sim game, you must build a self-sustaining underground colony by managing oxygen production, temperature, pressure, resources, and various biological systems.

Behind Factorio’s deceptively simple exterior lies a true lesson in industrial engineering, where logistics and optimization are at the heart of the experience. In SpaceChem, you play as an engineer tasked with designing molecular production lines using chemical reactions and programmable logic controllers. It’s a real brainteaser that requires an understanding of how atoms bond, while also demonstrating formidable logical thinking to optimize your facilities.

10. Portal

• Available on PC and Switch

9. The Talos Principle: Reawakened

• Available on PC, PS5, and XBOX Series X|S

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8. Stationeers

• Available on PC

7. Factorio

• Available on PC, Switch, and Switch 2

6. SpaceChem

• Available on PC

5. Cell to Singularity: Evolution Never Ends

• Available on PC and mobile

4. Oxygen Not Included

• Available on PC

3. Portal 2

• Available on PC, Switch, PS3, and XBOX 360

2. The Talos Principle 2

• Available on PC, PS5, and XBOX Series S|X

1. Kerbal Space Program 2

• Available on PC