Elite Dangerous explorers boldly go to unchartered star systems, documenting the game’s 1:1 recreation of the Milky Way. They discover new stellar bodies, set foot on untouched worlds, and uncover lost lore scattered amidst the galaxy. We set our community of veteran Elite Dangerous players and content creators a challenge: create video journals showing what the life of an Elite Dangerous explorer really looks like. As you can see in the poll below, it’s the most popular Elite career choice, and for good reason - watch the five videos underneath to sip from the cup of adventure and hear the call of the unknown.

1st place: Slamscape - ‘Wander’

Not all who wander are lost. The winner of our $35 prize is Slamscape, for this beautifully edited exploration montage entitled ‘Wander’. It’s minimalistic, intentionally so, showing wonders great and small hidden amid the black, including some that no eyes would have ever seen before. Not a single scene is wasted. The melancholic yet enchanting piano soundtrack makes for the perfect overture, hinting at a galaxy of delights for those lone explorers intrepid enough to seek them out. 

We weren’t the only ones enthused about it, CMDR Henckes added: “What incredible views; I always love to see these kinds of videos. GREAT WORK!”

2nd place: OrangePheonix - ‘T8 Explorer - A Day in the Life’

Much of what we’ve written about Slamscape’s video could be applied to this fantastic video from OrangePheonix too. Moreover, it has a soundtrack that builds intrigue, it has clever and at times ominous transitions, and it shows off the recently added Type-8 in all its glory. Between ships silhouetted against raging suns to SRVs traversing through alien flora, there’s a lot to love about OrangePheonix’s video, and love it we do. 

So does CMDR_M who wrote “A really well made video, and great photography as always! 😎”

3rd place: Gadnok - ‘Izanami: Land of Dreams’ 

Our third-place winner is Gadnok and their ethereal video shot in the star system of Izanami - “Land of Dreams”. It starts with a cluster of ships performing ballet in the outer atmosphere of an earth-like planet. We won’t spoil what happens next, but know that the mysterious and beautifully composed video will be one of the most enjoyable seven minutes of your day. Check it out: 

Runner up #1: RicZA - ‘A short trip out of the bubble’

At only one minute and thirty seconds, RicZA's video is the shortest to be featured here. Though we’d argue that it’s exactly as long as it needs to be. RicZA leaves the core systems in their wake, giving tantalising hints of what the galaxy has to offer, with each short clip showing a new cosmic wonder.

Runner up #2: CMDR_M - ‘Four Water Worlds’

CMDR_M went for a different approach for their video journal, but one we really like. It shows the in-game menus and HUD, revealing what exploration is truly like from a player’s perspective. Complete with a decidedly buzzy soundtrack, it’s a realistic depiction of the effort it takes to be an Elite explorer and clear evidence of why that effort is worth undertaking. 

If you enjoyed these videos, share them with your other communities or share some love in the comment section instead! Some text has been edited for brevity, clarity, or spelling, punctuation, and grammar. You can find the original wording, along with plenty more great Elite Dangerous exploration videos here. Image credit: Frontier Developments.