The allure of the unknown has always captivated the human imagination, and what lies beyond our planet has been a source of endless fascination. Video games have tapped into this curiosity, offering us gateways to experience life beyond Earth in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and profoundly immersive. In 2024, the genre of alien games is more vibrant and diverse than ever. From strategic battles against extraterrestrial forces to survival in alien ecosystems, there's something for every type of gamer. Here, we delve into six of the best alien games you should be playing right now: Lethal Company, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, XCOM 2, Subnautica, The Planet Crafter, and Black Mesa.
1. Lethal Company
In Lethal Company, developed by Zeekerss, you're a contractor for "The Company," tasked with salvaging scrap from desolate, industrialized moons to hit profit quotas. This unique game blends survival, exploration, and resource management. Earn cash to explore riskier moons or splurge on luxuries for your ship and suit. Immerse in nature, adding creatures to your bestiary and navigating through abandoned infrastructures. Teamwork is crucial—manage dangers, guide your crew via ship's radar, and utilize tools from the Company store for survival. As night falls, ensure all valuables are secured, emphasizing communication and cooperation to survive the harsh environment and fulfill your quota.
2. Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor reinvents the beloved cooperative gameplay into a thrilling single-player auto-shooter adventure on the dangerous Planet Hoxxes. Embrace the lone dwarf's role, wielding an extensive arsenal to face alien hordes, mine valuable resources, and secure powerful upgrades. Experience the game from a novel top-down perspective, enhancing strategy and exploration across uniquely generated missions featuring procedural caves and enemy waves. Tasked with completing objectives to strengthen your character, you delve deeper, aiming for greater rewards. Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor merges intense combat with mining, offering both veterans and newcomers an exhilarating, standalone experience in a familiar universe.
3. XCOM 2
Firaxis Games' XCOM 2 is a masterpiece of strategy gaming, continuing the legacy of the acclaimed XCOM series. Set 20 years after humanity's defeat by alien forces, the game challenges players to lead a guerilla resistance movement to overthrow the alien occupation. XCOM 2 is renowned for its deep strategic gameplay, where every decision can have lasting consequences. The game features a wide array of customizable soldiers, each with their unique abilities and roles on the battlefield. With its engaging turn-based combat, intricate base-building mechanics, and a compelling story, XCOM 2 is a testament to the enduring appeal of the series and a must-play for strategy enthusiasts.
4. Subnautica
Developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, Subnautica offers a unique twist on the survival genre, plunging players into the depths of an alien ocean. Stranded with limited resources, players must explore a breathtaking underwater world, filled with strange creatures and hidden secrets. The game brilliantly combines survival mechanics with a sense of exploration and discovery, as players gather resources, craft equipment, and build their underwater habitat. The mystery of the planet's alien inhabitants and the story that unfolds as you explore further adds layers of depth to the gameplay. Subnautica is a beautifully immersive experience that captivates with its alien wonders and survival challenges.
5. The Planet Crafter
The Planet Crafter, developed by Miju Games, invites players to terraform a desolate alien world into a thriving ecosystem capable of supporting human life. This open-world survival game emphasizes resource management, exploration, and environmental manipulation. Players must balance the needs of their burgeoning ecosystem, managing oxygen levels, temperature, and atmospheric pressure to ensure the survival of plant and animal life. The game's sandbox nature allows for creative solutions to environmental challenges, making each player's experience unique. With its engaging terraforming mechanics and the satisfaction of watching a barren world come to life, The Planet Crafter offers a compelling and rewarding experience for fans of survival and simulation games.
6. Black Mesa
Black Mesa, developed by Crowbar Collective, is a fan-made reimagining of the original Half-Life game, transporting players back to the iconic Black Mesa Research Facility overrun by aliens from another dimension. This first-person shooter has been meticulously updated, improving graphics, gameplay mechanics, and adding new content, while preserving the essence of the original game. Players take on the role of Gordon Freeman, a physicist fighting for survival in a facility teeming with hostile extraterrestrial creatures and military forces. Black Mesa not only pays homage to a classic but also stands on its own as a thrilling and immersive alien game experience.
Want to play these games in a virtual LAN party with friends? Download our free Playtest on Steam!
Comments