You can’t bring up No Man’s Sky without someone saying the words “redemption arc,” but the vast open-world sandbox and crafting game has long moved past its troubled launch and subsequent redemption. At this point, it sits alongside the likes of Astroneer, Outer Wilds, Stellaris, and Kerbal Space Program as one of the best space games on PC, and 2023 has seen even more updates along with several big expeditions, each a shared, limited-time journey focused on a specific set of goals. As the year comes to a close, developer Hello Games is bringing them all back for one more go-around, and if you’re looking for something different after Starfield then this might be the perfect time to jump in.
No Man’s Sky expeditions were introduced back in March 2021, and they’re a way to have a series of seasonal shared journeys among the community that each focus on a more singular aspect of the space game. To celebrate the end of the year, the three expeditions launched in 2023 are all making a return throughout December, along with one of the all-time fan favorites, giving anyone who missed them the first time around another chance to try them out and earn their unique rewards.
There’s one expedition taking place each week, and the first – Utopia – has already kicked off. That’ll be followed by Singularity from Friday, December 15, then the return of 2021’s Cartographers on Friday December 22, and finally Voyagers from Friday, December 29. As mentioned you’ll also be able to grab the special rewards exclusive to each season – including the much-coveted Golden Vector obtained during the Cartographers expedition.
It’s a little scary to think that it’s been a decade since No Man’s Sky was first revealed at The Game Awards, and over seven years since it launched on PC. In that time, it’s safe to say that it’s blossomed into something special, with the game’s Steam reviews sitting at a ‘very positive’ 90% over the past six years and recent reviews climbing up to an ‘overwhelmingly positive’ 96%.
If you’ve been considering trying it yourself and haven’t yet, you’re in luck, as No Man’s Sky is currently on sale for 50% off on Steam until Monday, December 18, meaning you can expect to pay just $29.99 / £24.99 to get started. It’s also available via Microsoft’s PC Game Pass service if you’re a subscriber.
No Man’s Sky Holiday Expeditions 2023
Here are the four No Man’s Sky expeditions coming back throughout December, and when you can play each of them.
- Utopia: December 8 to December 15
- Singularity: December 15 to December 22
- Cartographers: December 22 – December 29
- Voyagers: December 29 to January 8
Meanwhile, Hello Games says it’s “already hard at work creating new content and features for No Man’s Sky in 2024,” so there’s still yet more to come. The studio has also just announced its new co-op survival sandbox game at The Game Awards for 2023, which is called Light No Fire.
While we wait for that, be sure to check out more of the best co-op games to play with your friends, along with the best open-world games to kickstart that drive for exploration.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.