Outer Wilds makes the most of its outer space setting through clever and unique mechanics in both its gameplay and story progression. These ideas set Outer Wilds apart from other games that feature space exploration.
On the surface, it might be easy to compare Outer Wilds to other games in which you travel through space, such as Starbound and No Man’s Sky. However, what sets Outer Wilds apart from those games is how it takes the outer space setting and uses it to showcase unique concepts and mechanics. Most other space exploration games that I have played or seen place a large emphasis on collecting resources and crafting. Outer space is often presented as an endless sandbox for players to run around and survive in. Many of the planets in these games are barren and devoid of intelligent life, perhaps as a reflection of what we’ve observed on other planets in real life. Sometimes a planet in one of these games will feature an interesting setting or alien species (such as the toxic and midnight planets in Starbound), but these elements are not wholly unique and will be seen copy/pasted onto other planets in the game as well.
Outer Wilds takes all of these ideas and goes in the exact opposite direction. Instead of an endless universe, you are limited to one solar system with only about a dozen planets and orbiting bodies to visit. These planets are also rather small and take only a few minutes to circle around on foot. However, every location in Outer Wilds gets good use out of its limited space. You can’t go very far on any planet in Outer Wilds without encountering something interesting, whether it be a strange building or monument, a fellow Hearthian traveler, or Nomai ruins that hint at past events. Almost all of the main planets also have a distinct gimmick/mechanic that makes them memorable. Two of these mechanics in particular (those of Dark Bramble and the Hourglass Twins) are especially novel in my eyes, as I have not seen anything quite like them in any other game. Most other games set in space will only go as far as adjusting the force of gravity on different planets, but Outer Wilds goes the extra mile by bending the laws of time and space in several creative and surprising ways.
The progression in Outer Wilds also compliments the outer space setting, as the narrative is told entirely through exploration. The game has no quest log and the NPCs at the start of the game only give you vague instructions on what to do and where to go. This makes the adventure you go on in Outer Wilds feel truly like your own, since you are almost never directly following someone else’s instructions or directions. Additionally, the way in which you make progress in the game also lends itself to the space setting. There are no items or abilities that are required to complete the game beyond the basic controls and the tools your ship and suit are equipped with. Instead, progress is measured through your acquired knowledge. In order to figure out what happened to the Nomai and how to end the time loop, you must learn the various rules of how the game’s universe works, such as quantum imaging. Because of this hands-off approach to guidance and storytelling, the game provides a genuine sense of discovery and exploration that most other games fail to match. This method of progression, combined with the reality-bending gameplay mechanics, gives Outer Wilds an incredibly memorable and unique setting compared to other space exploration games.