Once "a massive MMO with millions of stars to explore," this 'Minecraft x No Man's Sky' survival game is still hugely ambitious: "What we felt was immense pressure to rise up to the comparison"

A lot of games try to go big and end up crumbling under the pressure of their own scope, but Cubic Odyssey, a Minecraft and No Man's Sky-inspired survival game seems to handle it all well.

In Cubic Odyssey, you explore planets, build bases, and get into thrilling space battles as you fight to save the galaxy from the Red Darkness plague. After getting a 93% positive rating on its Steam Next Fest demo, it's safe to say the game is well-liked, but it's a much smaller experience than it was originally dreamed up as.

"From the outset, we had an ambitious vision—a massive MMO with millions of stars to explore," game director Andrei Lopata tells us. "However, once we took a realistic look at our team size and financial resources, we decided to refine that scope and concentrate on delivering a strong, polished core experience first."

The team has gone from just two developers in the game's first year to 10, and it's due out sometime this year. "We soon realized we were way out of scope from the very start," says Lopata. The dream was for "each player has a home planet that can be transformed and shown to the entire world."

Now, "I see Cubic Odyssey as a mix of heroic adventure, exploration, and survival game," Lopata says. "I hope it becomes a lasting experience that resonates with players for years to come. My ultimate wish is that people will casually say to one another, 'I play Cubic Odyssey,' as it becomes a game they return to and share with friends."

Being compared to beloved games like Minecraft and No Man's Sky is certainly a way to get people to give Cubic Odyssey a go, but it still needs to perform well on its own merits. "We knew those games would be mentioned and what we felt was immense pressure to rise up to the comparison," says Lopata. "We were happy reading that people really liked Cubic Odyssey."

If you're hungry for more sci-fi, check out our list of the best space games you can play right now.