Physics-based space mining simulator Delta V: Rings of Saturn, stylized as ΔV: Rings of Saturn, came out of early access this week. It is, in my opinion, the best space mining game you can play. It's a hard sci-fi game about physics, paydays, fission-powered space ships. It's also a gobsmackingly cheap $10.
I think developer Kodera Software describes it best: "Every action has a reaction, lasers are invisible without a medium, and your thrust is a potent weapon." It's the kind of game where your thrust exhaust heats up and pushes nearby things away, where your radiators start glowing when you pump heat, and where there are no energy shields to save you from your bad choices.
While it started off years ago as just a physics-based sim with very limited economic or roleplaying gameplay, DV has really taken off in the years since. It now has an RPG-like dialogue experience that gives backstories and quests to your hired crew. It has a fleet of seven ships, and more variants, each with their own unique traits and their own HUD.
Of course the game isn't just mining, though that's the core of it. You can also get a license for bounty hunting and turn the tables on those pirates, you can take up mystery exploration, and you can do a bit of light smuggling between space destinations.
"While version 1.0 signifies the completion of one significant story arc, it marks only the beginning of our ongoing journey with ΔV: Rings of Saturn. I want to emphasize that 1.0 is a complete and polished product, delivering a rich and immersive experience. However, we are fully committed to expanding the universe and enhancing your ring-diving adventure in the future," said Kodera in a blog post.
To be honest, the size of DV has ballooned in the years since I first found it as a weird little indie on itch.io, and I'm having a hard time knowing what they could possibly add to make it more complete. You know what, though? I called it the best at what it does, so I'm not going to complain if there's more of it.
You can find ΔV: Rings of Saturn on Epic, Itch.io, GOG, and Steam. It's 20% off on most of those, too, for a total of about $8.
