20 Best PC Alien Games That Are Out Of This World

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Aliens are so exciting because the possibilities are endless. There could be anything out there on the edges of the universe. Games featuring aliens have an open canvas to create all sorts of creatures: small or gigantic, slimy or furry, intelligent or mindless. Plus, aliens can be good or evil, so there are plenty of options. The following list gives you 20 great games you can play on your PC in a loose-to-meaningless order. Whether you’re in the mood to stop an invasion or to explore a new planet, there’s sure to be something here for you.

#20 Aliens: Fireteam Elite

Will people ever learn to ignore suspicious distress beacons? The Colonial Marines in Aliens: Fireteam Elite apparently did not. When a distant colony sent out a distress signal, the Marines jumped right in to investigate. Unlike the previous game in the series, Aliens: Isolation, which made you evade one Xenomorph in first-person perspective, the entire research station on the colony is swarming with Xenomorphs. In this multi-player third-person shooter, you and two friends (played by humans you know or AI) get to move through the infested station to free the sole survivor of a Xenomorph breeding experiment gone horribly wrong. There are four-story campaigns with three missions each and five levels of difficulty to choose from. With Xenomorphs coming at you from every direction, it’s a fun game that lets you shoot your little heart out.

Viva la résistance! In this action packed sequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown, aliens have taken over the world. There aren’t many free agents left, but gathering in the edges of the massive new alien cities, the XCOM team attempts to start a worldwide revolution to free all humans. In this game, you have the freedom to plan your own missions all from your mobile office: an alien supply craft called the Avenger. Though Iron Man and the rest of the crew are not an option, you can choose from five soldier classes, each with their own skill-trees, to build your own super team.

The setting is worldwide and in depth. And the you get to choose where to go, from the wildlands to the inner circle of alien cities. Guerilla warfare tactics and looting can help you cripple the enemy forces and gain new gear. Plus there are plenty of new aliens to go head-to-head with. With a huge map and a variety of missions and characters to combine, it will be hard to get bored with this game.

#18 Prey

In another version of reality where the Space Race took humanity much further, humans have begun to colonize space. You play Morgan Yu, whose gender you are able to choose, aboard a space station swarming with hostile aliens called Typhon. Decisions you make can affect aspects of the game’s story, so this first-person shooter game also features elements of stealth and RPG gameplay. You can attempt to evade these shapeshifting aliens by sneaking around. If that doesn’t work, you can always shoot them. The part that makes your ultimate goal of exiting the space station alive so challenging is that many of the Typhon can shapeshift into inanimate objects. Your chair can suddenly attack you! The Typhon Hunter expansion pack capitalizes on this fun concept. If you’re looking for space horror, you might like this one.

#17 System Shock 2

We’re throwing it back with this one! System Shock 2 was first released in 1999, but the game has held up over the years. An interesting mix of RPG and first-person shooter styles, you play a soldier who wakes up from cryo-sleep in an eerie spaceship. The crew of the ship has been infected with parasitic worms that unite them all but not in a good way. With the rest of the ship connected in a murderous psychic hive mind bent on recruiting you, you have to fight them off while teaming up with the evil AI villain from the first game.

The game is somewhat customizable and exploratory. You can choose which branch of the military your character was in, for example. Your choice would then affect the skills you have. There are plenty of weapon choices, from melee weapons to pistols and alien weapons. The game can get a little gnarly, especially when you remove your enemy’s organs and run tests to better understand how to defeat them. Aged like a fine wine because of its complexity and entertainment value, System Shock 2 should be added to your list.

#16 Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth

Colonize the universe in this turn-based strategy game. In Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, humans have fled an uninhabitable Earth. Where previous games in the Civilization franchise used primarily historical settings, Beyond Earth is all about the future. Early in the game, you will have several choices that will lead to the type of civilization that you create. Depending on who sponsored your flight, who you decided to bring along, and more, different technologies will become available to you. Also, a few ‘affinities’ in the game affect your missions once chosen. For example, you can choose to live in harmony with nature, in which case you will utilize genetic engineering. If world domination is more your speed, you could invest in and rely on more advanced technologies. Or you could just build a bunch of walls and pretend you’re back on Earth. The game’s decision web design ensures a customized experience.

#15 Spore

From a teeny microorganism to a whole civilization, you get to play God and create something interesting. Spore combines several genre elements, including action, life simulation, RTS, and RPG depending on which stage of the game you are on. The first level is the Cell Stage, where you get to modify a microorganism that has crash landed into the Earth’s ocean inside a meteorite. Depending on your choices and how successful you are in survival, you can either move on to the Creature Stage or play around a little longer. In the Creature Stage, you once again get to modify your organism to prepare it for land. Interact with the other creatures of the world, either friendly or not, and continue to modify yourself. The third stage is the Tribal Stage. Instead of a solitary creature, you are now a collection of creatures. You have to survive by making tools, dividing labor, and working together. Then it’s the Civilization Stage, in which your city-nation tries to take over the world. This stage operates like a RTS game, where you build buildings to gain more capital to build more buildings, etc. Finally, after you’ve conquered the world, it’s time to leave it behind and conquer a new one in the Space Stage. Spore is a lot of fun and chock full of aliens. If you like working towards goals with just enough free exploration, you might like this one.

#14 Predator: Hunting Grounds

Fans of the Predator movie franchise are going to love this game! Taking place in several remote jungles, Predator: Hunting Grounds is an asymmetrical multiplayer game. Players work together as an elite special forces team tasked with entering jungles and eliminating enemies. Stars from the movie franchise reprise their roles, so Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as Dutch. Teammates can work together or split up to accomplish their mission. Then one of the players will take on the role of the Predator. Hunt or be hunted! While the Predator player tries to kill the special forces team, the team tries to capture and kill the Predator.

#13 Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing game that lets you walk the path between good and evil. Customize your character and your team of two by choosing from several unique character options. First, you have to choose between Scout, Soldier, or Scoundrel character classes, and your name, background, and initial skills are determined by you. The ultimate goal is to eventually face the Sith, but it is the journey you take that will determine how that final interaction goes. Will you be a hero or a villain by the end of your quest? Along the way you get to explore some of the most famous locations in the Star Wars universe and train to be a Jedi. You will also build your own lightsaber and learn to harness the Force through multiple lessons. Skills and the Force abilities are unlocked with each level up, so you will have to earn your place as a Jedi. This is a great game for fans of the franchise.

#12 Dead Space

Dead Space is a popular sci-fi horror game franchise that brings in the big guns: eco-disaster, a religious cult, statues that make people turn on each other, and zombies. The main plot of the franchise is that Earth has finally used up all of its resources and now must go find more in space. Mining other planets for resources, an alien statue, later dubbed a Marker, is discovered, and then the humans leave it alone out of respect and caution. Just kidding. Of course, they try to exploit the Marker’s energy for their own gain. However, the energy of an activated Marker makes nearby humans paranoid and violent. As they turn on each other, those who die are reanimated and now hunt living humans. Meanwhile, a religious cult that believes in the power of the Marker will seek them out and activate them. Each game has more character plot points, but these general points alone are enough of a hook for a lot of people.

#11 Destroy All Humans!

Destroy All Humans! is an alien game franchise with the perfect title. In this open-world action-adventure game, you play an alien named Crypto. Though which iteration of Crypto will depend on the game. They are all clones with one big mission: harvest human brainstems in an attempt to save their people from extinction. It turns out some of their pure DNA still lingers there from earlier “interactions” between the two species. As Crypto, there is always some random adventure to be had. Fall in love with a human spy clone, open a restaurant serving human meat, and become the President of the United States of America. Not in that order. If you’re looking to reverse the typical roles and become the alien killing humans, then you may enjoy one of these games.

#10 No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky is the ultimate action-adventure survival game. You play an alien humanoid called the Traveller on a small planet at the edge of the galaxy. There are four main values of the game: exploration, survival, combat, and trading. Beyond that, the galaxy is at your fingertips! Because it is a survival game, you will have to find resources using your multitool to ensure your survival, such as tools, blueprints, and minerals. You can use these resources to build vehicles, weapons, or shelter. Build a spaceship to fly off world to one of 18 quintillion planets or stay on world to discover and catalogue new flora and fauna. Earn units for the things you make and utilize them in trading posts. You can also learn an alien’s language in order to set up a good relationship with them. Of course, exploring is dangerous. Watch out for space pirates, hostile animals, and more as you wander aimlessly or make your way to the center of the galaxy. The freedom and enormity of this game is very rewarding. You can play for hours.

#9 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Five years after Revenge of the Sith, young Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis is hiding out, disguised as a scrapper. Since no good deed goes unpunished, Cal is exposed when he uses the Force to save his friend’s life. Forced to flee, he joins forces with an ex-Jedi Knight named Cere to escape his enemies. Though you have access to the Force and a lightsaber, not all of your abilities are at your disposal from the beginning. As you progress through the levels, fighting Inquisitors, bounty hunters, and wild animals, you unlock new skills that can then be honed. This single-player action-adventure game was well received by fans and would make any Star Wars fan happy.

#8 Crysis 3

In Crysis 1, you fought aliens in a forest. In Crysis 2, you fought aliens in New York City. Now in Crysis 3, prepare to fight in a rain forest in the middle of post-apocalyptic New York City! The third and final game in the series, Crysis 3 features the return of Prophet on a revenge quest against the leader of the Ceph. The all-powerful Nanosuit is back and better than ever, so you can be sneaky in your invisible mode. Use your trusty compound bow or other guns and melee weapons to kill your enemies. Or activate your invisibility cloak and sneak around them. There are a few new skills as well, including Rip and Throw, which allows you to lift and throw objects to create obstacles for your enemies. The ability to hack into your enemies’ technology is also new and nifty. Play in single-player mode or multiplayer mode. Either way, you’re sure to have fun in this first-person shooter game.

#7 Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee is a well-made and popular game that lives up to the name. In this third-person platformer game, you play Abe, a Mudokon slave in a meat processing factory called RuptureFarms. One night, you overhear the CEO talking to his fellow board members about using Mudokon’s as a substitute for one of their now extinct meat sources. Horrified, you flee, and find a shaman who guides you to become the savior of your people. As Abe you can throw rocks or grenades, tiptoe, jump, run, and even telepathically control the guard creatures on the planet, called Sligs. While you play, you will come across Mudokons that you need to do your best to rescue. How many you save will determine the end of the game. This is one of the best-selling PlayStation games of all time, and thankfully it is available for PC as well!

#6 Subnautica Below Zero

Two years after the events of the original game, Subnautica: Below Zero brings us back to planet 4546B. This time, you play a scientist named Robin Ayou, who sneaks into the Frozen Sector biome after all of the other research personnel have evacuated. As Robin, your mission is to find out what really happened to your sister after her death was written off as employee negligence. However, early on in the game, Robin’s mind picks up an AI hitchhiker fleeing a system shutdown. Together, you explore the underwater world and frozen labs searching for resources and clues.

The gameplay is the same as the original Subnautica game (listed below at #3). Exploration of the world is not only encouraged but essential if you are going to gain critical resources or complete checkpoints. Most of planet 4546B is underwater, so hopefully you know how to swim. Because our heroine landed in the Frozen Sector, you do have more chances to walk on land. You may even come across the adorable pengwing! The ability to research and interact with the unique wildlife is one of the best features of the game if we’re being honest. However, it is an open world survival game, so building tools and finding shelter are important too.

#5 Half-Life Franchise

One of the most popular game franchises around, any of the Half-Life games are a must-play if you haven’t already! The story begins with a physicist who, as many fictional physicists do, accidentally creates a tear in the dimensional fabric and triggers an alien invasion. As the aliens from another dimension cross into our world, humanity has to fight back. The Half-Life games are first-person shooter games that give a lot of control to the player. Because of their top-notch graphics and compelling stories, the entire franchise is very popular. Half-Life 2 was especially well received, winning several awards during its first year.

#4 Halo Franchise

The Halo franchise is without a doubt one of the quintessential sci-fi gaming franchises. It’s the jewel in the Xbox crown as one of the most well-known first-person shooter games out there. Filled with excellent alien encounters and space gameplay, any of the Halo games are worth playing. The original Halo trilogy introduces gamers to one of the best gaming mascots of all time: Master Chief. And standalone titles like Halo: Reach can easily be picked up by even the most novice player. With backwards compatibility on Xbox and the introduction of the games on PC, there’s never been a better time to discover the Halo franchise.

#3 Subnautica

Subnautica is an alien ocean survival game full of beautiful (and sometimes dangerous) alien wildlife to interact with. The playable character’s ship is shot out of orbit by a mysterious pulse gun. As the only survivor of the crash, he has to explore and survive his new underwater environment. Meanwhile, there is a larger plot taking place. Another alien race is attempting to cure a plague in their community by harvesting the eggs of a huge and ancient alien creature called the Sea Emperor. Communicating telepathically with her, he attempts to find her and set her free.

This first-person perspective survival game has multiple modes of difficulty. In survival mode, you have to manage your thirst, hunger, oxygen, and health, but if you die, you respawn. However, in hardcore mode, there’s no coming back, and in creative mode, life is an absolute breeze! You can just build things and explore without worrying about health and thirst, etc. The open world format is really cool too. While there is an overarching plotline, most of the game is you exploring and gathering resources. Considering the beautiful underwater world, there is so much to explore. Plus, you get to catalogue and interact with the alien wildlife!

#2 Alien: Isolation

Set 15 years after the first Alien movie, Alien: Isolation set out to recreate the tension of the popular movie and nailed it. Ripley’s daughter wants to know what happened to her mother as she seemed to just disappear. She is told that the flight records have been found, so she goes to a remote base to retrieve them. While there, she discovers that they are not alone: a Xenomorph is on the prowl. In the air ducts, below the floor, around every corner, there he is!

The decision to make this game from the first-person perspective was genius. It took a stressful situation and dialed it up to 11. You do get weapons, but the Xenomorph cannot be killed. Instead, the name of the game is evasion. You can use movement tracker, but the sound it makes may lure the alien towards you. Also, if it is in the air ducts, underground, or standing still, it won’t show up on the tracker. If you love high-stress video games, this is the one for you.

#1 Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Bundle three amazing games into one package, and you get a truly legendary gaming experience. Mass Effect Legendary Edition brings together Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3. Each game centers on Commander Shepard, whose actual name, gender, and background are customizable. As Shepard, you are part of a world where humanity has learned to interact with several alien races. Some are friendly, and others more hostile. All three games are third-person shooter games, but you also get to advance the story through dialogue with NPCs. The Dialogue Wheel was improved in order to create natural dialogue trees.

Improvements on the already solid trilogy were made in order to update the oldest game and work out technical issues. Mass Effect 1 saw the most changes in terms of bettering the graphics and combat mechanics. There isn’t much not to love about this action RPG trilogy. The graphics, story, world building, and voice acting are all really well done. The game was also celebrated for being inclusive by featuring same-sex couples. With so many player choices to make, the game feels like a story that you’re a part of.