You've probably heard the number before: 18 quintillion. It sounds like a fake word. Something a kid makes up on a playground to win an argument about who has more toy cars. But in the context of the No Man's Sky map, it’s a terrifyingly real mathematical reality. We aren't just talking about a big game world. We are talking about a digital universe so vast that if you spent one second visiting every planet, the sun would likely burn out before you finished your tour.
It's weird.
Most games use "maps" as a way to ground you. You look at a map in Skyrim or The Witcher, and you see boundaries. You see the edge of the world. In No Man's Sky, the map isn't a guide; it’s a reminder of how small you are. Hello Games didn't just build a sandbox. They built a procedural engine that generates star systems on the fly based on "seeds," which are basically long strings of numbers that act as genetic code for every rock, tree, and weird-looking space cow you encounter.
Why the Galactic Map feels so clunky (and why that's intentional)
If you've played the game, you know the struggle. Opening the No Man's Sky map for the first time is a recipe for instant vertigo. It’s not a flat 2D plane. It’s a 3D star cluster where "up" and "down" are entirely relative. You’re looking at a literal cloud of light.
Honestly, it’s frustrating at first. You try to select a star, and you accidentally fly 500 light-years past it because your sensitivity is too high. But there's a reason Sean Murray and the team at Hello Games kept it this way. They wanted to simulate the feeling of being an actual navigator lost in the void. You aren't looking at a GPS; you're looking at a telescope.
Navigation works through filters. You can toggle the map to show you systems based on their dominant alien race—Gek, Vy'keen, or Korvax. Or, more importantly for those looking to make bank, you can filter by economy. If you see a green star system with a "Wealthy" or "Opulent" tag, you’re looking at a gold mine. Literally.
The truth about the 256 galaxies
People talk about "The Universe" in this game, but it's actually a multiverse. You start in Euclid. That's the starter galaxy. Most players never leave it. Why would you? It has billions of planets. But if you reach the center—a task that takes either a lot of patience or a lot of "black hole hopping"—you get spat out into the next one: Hilbert Dimension.
There are 256 unique galaxies.
Think about that. The No Man's Sky map you see when you pause the game is just one infinitesimal slice of one galaxy. After Hilbert comes Calypso, then Hesperius, and so on. Most of them are "Norm" galaxies, but some are "Harsh" (more Sentinels and storms) or "Lush" (more paradise planets). Eissentam is the 10th galaxy, and it's the fan favorite because it's packed with beautiful, green worlds where the rain doesn't melt your face off.
Breaking down the spectral classes
Ever notice how the stars on your map have different colors? They aren't just for aesthetics. This is where the game sneaks in some actual science. The color of the star tells you what kind of planets are orbiting it and, crucially, what drive you need to get there.
Yellow stars (Class F and G) are your basics. You can reach them with a standard Hyperdrive. These are the most "Earth-like" systems. But the real loot is hidden behind the colored stars. You need a Cadmium Drive for Red stars, an Emeril Drive for Green stars, and an Indium Drive for Blue stars.
Blue stars are the "hottest" and most rare. On the No Man's Sky map, these appear as bright, cyan-blue dots. If you're hunting for exotic ships or those weird "glitch" planets where everything looks like a floating wireframe, that’s where you go. It's high-risk, high-reward exploration.
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The "Galactic Hub" and the player-made map
Since the official map is so massive, players got lonely. Humans are social creatures, even in a digital void. This led to the creation of the Galactic Hub Project. This is a specific region of space in the Euclid Galaxy where thousands of players have decided to colonize together.
They actually created their own external No Man's Sky map tools because the in-game one wasn't detailed enough for community building. They use "coordinates" consisting of four strings of hexadecimal characters. If you find a portal, you can plug in these "glyphs" and warp across the universe instantly.
It’s essentially a shortcut. Instead of flying for 200 hours toward a blinking light, you're using a cosmic phone number.
How to actually find your way home
One of the biggest scares for new players is getting lost. You jump through a black hole, end up 1,000,000 light-years away, and realize you forgot to build a base.
Don't panic.
The No Man's Sky map has a "Log" feature. If you have an active quest, a line will appear on the map showing you exactly which stars to jump to. Also, every Space Station you visit gets added to your Teleport Terminus list. You can be on the other side of the universe and still teleport back to that "Base 1" you built on a radioactive rock three weeks ago.
The Atlas and the simulated reality
There's a lore reason why the map is the way it is. Without spoiling too much for the three people who haven't finished the main quest: the universe is a simulation. The map is the interface of the Atlas, the machine running the reality.
When you look at the No Man's Sky map, you're looking at the source code. That's why everything is procedural. The game doesn't "save" the 18 quintillion planets. It saves the math used to generate them. When you leave a system, it technically ceases to exist until someone else—or you—returns.
It's efficient. It’s elegant. And it’s slightly existential.
Practical steps for mastering navigation
Stop treating the map like a flat image and start using the tools provided. It’ll save you hours of aimless drifting.
- Install the Economy Scanner immediately. This is non-negotiable. It allows you to see the wealth of a system directly from the No Man's Sky map without having to warp there first. Blue icons mean trade, purple means advanced materials.
- Use the "Free Explore" mode. Don't let the game's pathing tool dictate your life. Use the deselect button to fly your camera around freely. It’s the only way to find Black Holes or Atlas Stations that aren't on your "official" path.
- Check the Conflict Level. If you’re in a Hauler full of expensive loot, avoid red systems on the map. Those are high-conflict zones. You will get scanned by pirates. You will have a bad time.
- Upgrade your Freighter's Hyperdrive. Freighters have a much larger jump range than small starships. If you want to traverse the No Man's Sky map quickly, summon your capital ship and use its bridge map instead of your ship's cockpit.
- Keep a list of Glyphs. If you find a planet you love, take a screenshot. The "glyphs" (small icons in the bottom left) are the universal address. You can share these on Reddit or Discord, and other people can find that exact spot on their own map.
The sheer scale of the No Man's Sky map is meant to be overwhelming. It's meant to make you feel like a tiny speck in a grand, uncaring cosmos. But once you understand the color coding, the filters, and the way the galaxies are stacked, it stops being a scary void and starts being a giant playground. Grab some Warp Hypercores, pick a direction, and just go. You literally cannot run out of room.
Next Steps for Navigators
- Acquire the 16 Glyphs: Complete the "Artemis Path" or find Graves of fallen Travelers in Space Stations to unlock the ability to use Portals.
- Locate a Portal: Use an Exocraft scanner or a Monolith to find a planetary portal; this is your "fast travel" hub for the entire galaxy.
- Target the Center: If you want to change galaxies, follow the "Galactic Center" line in your map, but make sure to repair your technology before the final jump.