25 Best Alien Games of All Time

Aliens have been a major theme in games from the beginning. Space Invaders was one of the first and most classic arcade games ever, released in 1978. The gaming landscape has certainly come a long way since then, developing in story, graphics, and gameplay. This list is comprised of some of the best alien games of all time and includes heavy hitters from franchises such as Halo, Star Wars, and Mass Effect. Without further ado, check out our picks for the most otherworldly fun you can have while sitting comfortably on Earth.

#25 The Invincible

Platform: PC PS5 XSX|S
Release Date: November 06, 2023

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

We’ve been thinking about and writing about the search for alien life for a long time, and in The Invincible, you’ll see one possible outcome of a future encounter.

You’re sent to a world that was investigated by another team, but that team has gone missing. What happened to them? That’s for you to find out. But be warned! There are many dangers on the planet called Regis III, which includes aliens for you to encounter and determine what you do with. Will you build up alliances? Or will you keep them at arm’s length?

What is going on with this world, and why does it seem that doom lies within it?

#24 Starship Troopers: Extermination

Platform: PC
Release Date: May 17, 2023

Steam

Are you ready to do your part?

Starship Troopers: Extermination puts you back in the universe where humanity is constantly fighting against the vile species known as Arachnids.

You yourself are part of the Mobile Infantry and are sent to the planet Valaka to take out the swarm that lives there. You’ll be in constant combat once you arrive and must use your weapons and building tools to the fullest to survive!

But the good news is that the game is co-op, so you can squash these bugs with friends! It’s a big world out there, so go see if you can take it back for humanity!

#23 Dead Space Remake

Developer: Motive Studio
Publisher: Electronic Arts Inc.
Platforms: PC PS5 XSX|S
Release: January 27, 2023

When the USG Ishimura called for aid, you were the engineer asked to help repair the ship. You were brought to the ship by the Kellion, and things immediately go wrong.

After finding something on the nearby planet, monstrous aliens have been unleashed on the ship! They’ve wiped out most of the crew, and your girlfriend is among the few not accounted for. As Isaac Clarke, use must traverse the mining ship and seek the truth.

But in your way will be horrifying monsters that must be put down. So whip out your engineering tools and other items you find to chop them up and send them to the abyss.

What dark force brought these creatures to bear? You’ll have to find that out yourself.

#22 Galaxy Life

Genre: Strategy
Release: 2022
Platform: PC

PC

Galaxy Life is a free-to-play MMO strategy game set in space. You can create your own space colony and raise an army of Starlings, cute tiny orange aliens, to conquer the stars.

If the aliens of Galaxy Life are adorable and look like the child of Minions and Raving Rabbids, space is a dangerous place. The galaxy is constantly at war, since players from all over the world are also trying to expand their colony. You can even team up with other space conquerors to form a galactic alliance and rule the universe together. Galaxy Life features elements of tower defense, RTS, and several other competitive PvP elements.

#21 Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed

Genre: Action-Adventure
Release: 2022
Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

In 2005, a strange alien called Crypto made his way to PlayStation 2 and Xbox. His goal was to destroy all humans, just like in the Cold War-era alien invasion films. In 2022, Crypto is back with another parodic adventure to get his revenge on the KGB for blowing up his mothership in the first game.

To kill every human being on Earth, Crypto can count on a variety of weapons, such as the Meteor Shower technology. The game is set in the 1960s, and you can freely explore an open-world Earth filled with fictional cities to destroy. And as all good aliens, you can kidnap a few humans to conduct experiments in your spaceship.

#20 XCOM 2

Genre: Turn-Based Tactical RPG
Release: 2016
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

2016 saw the release of XCOM 2, a tactical RPG and a sequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The game takes place 20 years after the events of its predecessor and follows a military organization trying to fight off an alien invasion. The organization has all but lost the war and has become a resistance working to fight the occupation of Earth. XCOM 2 features turn-based combat where players must command a squad of soldiers to fight enemies, as well as strategize the best way to defeat Earth’s invaders. It is available across all consoles and PC.

#19 Alien Resurrection – PS1

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release: 2000
Platform: Playstation 1

The Alien franchise has been incredibly popular across films and video games. This PlayStation 1 title is an adaptation of the movie by the same name and takes place three years after Alien 3. A cloned Lt. Ellen Ripley awakes suddenly aboard the USM Auriga, attempting to flee from the Xenomorphs. The aliens begin breeding and eventually run rampant on the ship. Ripley must join a group of mercenaries to escape the infested craft. Alien Resurrection is a first-person shooter with elements of survival horror and is great for any fans of aliens or FPS games.

#18 Monolith’s Aliens Versus Predator 2 (2001)

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release: 2001
Platform: PC

Monolith Productions developed this science fiction first-person shooter, basing the game on the popular films Alien and Predator. A sequel to the first Aliens Versus Predator game, this title is set on planet LV-1201 which is home to various alien-infested ruins. Predators routinely visit the areas to hunt the aliens for sport, thus the title Aliens Versus Predator 2. Played in first-person perspective, players are able to control one of three characters, each with differing abilities and story. The game once featured a now-defunct online multiplayer mode where fans could compete in teams. Aliens Versus Predator 2 is still available to play on PC.

#17 Subnautica

Genre: Action-Adventure, Survival
Release: 2018
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

This open-world survival game allows players to explore the ocean on alien planet 4546B. The protagonist’s spaceship has crash-landed on the planet and players must collect resources and fight various creatures to survive. The main objective of Subnautica is to survive the dangers of the planet while completing tasks that advance the plot. The game allows players to construct tools, bases, and submersibles, with the majority of the game set underwater. It’s not every day that being underwater is a good thing in gaming, but this is a welcome exception.

#16 System Shock 2

Genre: Action RPG, First-Person Shooter, Survival Horror
Release: 1999
Platform: PC

Irrational Games developed System Shock 2 in 1999. It was originally meant to be a stand-alone title but was altered in production to be a sequel to the first System Shock game after EA signed on as publisher. Set aboard a starship with a cyberpunk aesthetic, System Shock 2 has players take on the role of a soldier living in the year 2114. The soldier is attempting to fight off a deadly outbreak that has devastated the ship. The game features first-person combat and exploration where enemies are liable to jump out from the darkness at any moment.

#15 Half-Life Series [1+2]

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release: 1998 / 2004
Platform: PC, PS2

Half-Life is a series of first-person shooter games developed and published by Valve. The games feature shooting combat, puzzles, and influential storytelling. The original Half-Life, released in 1998, was Valve’s first product. Now, the company is best known for its game launcher Steam and the newly released Steam Deck, forever changing the gaming landscape. After a thirteen-year hiatus, Valve released a new installment to the franchise called Half-Life: Alyx in 2020 which boasts a score of 93 on Metacritic.

#14 Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee

Genre: Cinematic Platformer
Release: 1997
Platform: PC, Playstation, Game Boy

Oddworld Inhabitants released Abe’s Oddysee in 1997 for the PlayStation and Gameboy. The game follows the alien Abe, a Mudokon slave at the RuptureFarms meat factory. Abe soon finds out that he and his fellow Mudokons are to be slaughtered for meat and plans an escape. Players control Abe on his quest for emancipation. Upon release, Abe’s Oddysee was widely acclaimed and praised for its art direction, engaging cut scenes, and innovative gameplay. The game’s success led to the sequels Abe’s Exoddus, Much’s Oddysee, and Stranger’s Wrath.

#13 Half-Life: Alyx

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release: 2020
Platform: PC

PC

Half-Life: Alyx is a unique addition to this list as it is only available to play in VR. Valve has gotten some criticism from gamers for not only taking 13 years to release this threequel to the franchise but for also releasing the game in a form of media that many gamers don’t have access to just yet. Despite that, the game received glowing reviews upon launch and is now one of the top recommended VR games in existence.

#12 Black Mesa

Genre: First Person Shooter
Release: 2020
Platform: PC

PC

Black Mesa is a third-party remake of Half-Life developed by Crowbar Collective. It was originally published as a free mod and was later approved by the original Half-Life developer, Valve, for commercial release. Black Mesa developers changed little in the way of gameplay–as with Half-Life, this title also features shooting combat and various puzzles. Players can carry a number of weapons that they find throughout the game as they protect their hazard suit and search for ammo scattered throughout the world.

#11 Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Genre: Third-Person Shooter
Release: 2021
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

This multiplayer third-person shooter was developed by Cold Iron Studios in collaboration with 20th Century Fox. It is a standalone sequel to the original Alien trilogy and focuses on action rather than survival horror. Aliens: Fireteam Elite is perfect to play with friends or AI teammates. Set 23 years after the original films, players take on the role of a Colonial Marine who must respond to distress calls, and the gameplay has been compared by many to the Left 4 Dead series.

#10 Predator: Hunting Grounds

Genre: First-Person/Third-Person Shooter
Release: 2020
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5

PC | PlayStation

Predator: Hunting Grounds is a multiplayer game developed by IIIFonic. Arnold Schwarzenegger reprised his role as Alan ‘Dutch’ Schafer in the game, set in the jungles of another planet. A team of four is tasked with completing paramilitary operations before being hunted and killed by a Predator. Predator: Hunting Grounds was the first Predator game in a decade, having released in 2020. It is currently available on PS4, PS5, and PC.

#9 Alien: Isolation

Genre: Action-Adventure, Stealth, Survival Horror
Release: 2014
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

Based on the Alien film series, Alien: Isolation is set 15 years after the events of the original 1979 movie. The game follows engineer Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, the story’s original protagonist. Amanda must investigate the mysterious disappearance of her mother utilizing stealth in this survival horror game. Throughout Alien: Isolation, players must avoid and outsmart various creatures using tools such as a motion tracker and a flamethrower.

#8 Prey [2017]

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Release: 2017
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Published by Bethesda, Prey takes place in an alternate timeline where an accelerated Space Race resulted in humans inhabiting various orbital space stations. Players take control of Morgan Yu and explore the station Talos I which is in orbit around Earth. A scientific team is at work on the station researching a hostile alien species capable of both physical and psychic powers such as shapeshifting. Players must eventually fight these aliens using a variety of weapons and abilities.

#7 Dead Space Series

Genre: Survival Horror
Release: 2008 / 2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2013 / 2022
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

PC | Xbox

The Dead Space series has been a favorite among gamers since the first installment released in 2008. The games are said to have drawn inspiration from popular horror titles such as Resident Evil 4 and Silent Hill. The next Dead Space game is under development at Motive Studios and is planned to be released on January 27, 2023. The science-fiction horror survival game will be set in the 26th century and follow engineer Isaac Clarke. Players must work to survive and fend off a horrifying amount of mutated human corpses.

#6 No Man’s Sky

Genre: Action-Adventure, Survival
Release: 2016
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

Hello Games developed No Man’s Sky around four pillars: exploration, survival, combat, and trading. The results make for a vast universe comprised of over 18 quintillion planets. Each planet has its own ecosystem, complete with specific forms of flora and fauna, as well as various alien species. Players advance in the game by mining resources, using them to upgrade various equipment, building planetary bases, and growing a space fleet.

#5 Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic

Genre: Action RPG, MMO
Release: 2003-
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

PC | Xbox | Nintendo

Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic is based on a comic series set in the Star Wars universe, with gameplay inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. Combat is divided into separate rounds where enemies attack and react simultaneously. The game introduces several new characters, lightsaber types, and colors which include silver, cyan, and orange. A whole new expansion titled Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic – Legacy of the Sith launched this year, introducing a whole new story for fans to playthrough.

#4 Destroy All Humans!

Genre: Action-Adventure
Release: 2005 / 2020 (remaster)
Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

PC | Xbox | PlayStation | Nintendo

This action-adventure game is incredibly fun to play. A parody of Cold War-era alien invasion films, it was originally released in 2005 from Pandemic Studios but was later remastered and released in 2020. Its 2006 sequel Destroy All Humans! 2 is currently being remade for next-gen consoles. The series has fans play from the alien’s point of view as they invade earth and attack humans. Players have the ability to control human minds, blow up cities, and even become temporary clones of humans which can be used to infiltrate high-security locations.

#3 Halo: The Master Chief Collection + Halo infinite

Genre: Firest-Person Shooter
Release: 2014 / 2021
Platform: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

PC | Xbox

The Halo franchise put Xbox on the map and has continued to entertain fans since its original launch in 2001. Several games have been added to the series since then including the Halo: The Master Chief Collection and most recently, Halo Infinite. The collection consists of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4. It’s a great addition to any gamer’s library. Halo Infinite was only released in December 2021 and is set in the year 2560 during the events of Halo 5: Guardians. Check it out on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

#2 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Genre: Action-Adventure
Release: 2019
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a souls-like action-adventure game from Respawn Entertainment. It takes place five years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and follows a Jedi Padawan by the name of Cal Kestis. The Padawan in hiding has been targeted by the Galactic Empire and is being hunted throughout the galaxy. The game has players explore different planets and go up against various high-leveled bosses with the help of a lightsaber and the force.

#1 Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Genre: Action RPG, Third-Person Shooter
Release: 2021
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One

PC | Xbox | PlayStation

As alien games go, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is up there with the best of them. This now-classic series first launched in 2007 with the original Mass Effect game. The remastered collection includes the entire trilogy, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3, with upgraded graphics that have been completely reworked for modern consoles. The compilation also includes all of the DLC released for each of the three titles throughout the years.