A galaxy is a very lonely place, and there is no galaxy in the game as large as the one in No Man's Sky. But that loneliness is about to be alleviated considerably.

It can already feed and tame most creatures and even sit on them and ride around. But when it is time to fly away again, it must say goodbye. Until now! The "No Man's Sky Companions" update allows you to keep your favorite creatures and take them on adventures around the galaxy.

If you're interested in playing mad scientist, your alien companion can also lay eggs, and with the new "Egg Sequencer" item found in Space Anomoly, you can tweak the creature's DNA to breed a new species. You can also exchange eggs with other players.

Pets' saddles, accessories, and other decorations can also be customized. They can play and communicate with their companions, and small (or giant) new pets can even help with household chores.

"Train them to scan for resources, warn of danger, provide light, hunt dangerous animals, find settlements, unearth buried treasure, or mine materials with a shoulder-mounted mining laser," says Hello Games.

Sounds fun, and a nice improvement for those who don't play multiplayer but want to enjoy a little company while flying around the galaxy. I've encountered many crab monsters, deer tigers, and resilient alien lumps that I wouldn't mind making into faithful pets. Full patch notes are here.