Top 15 Video Games Where You Play as an Alien

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - April 12th 2025, 13:00 GMT+2

Cropped ENDLESS Space 2 — Endless Space 2 (2017)

Ah, *Endless Space 2 –* the 4X strategy game that turns you into the galaxy’s most diplomatic warlord (or warmongering diplomat, depending on your vibe). Here, you don’t just play as an alien; you choose from an interstellar buffet of factions, each more fabulously weird than the last. Whether you're a race of immortal space vampires, sentient plants, or corporate-minded robots, you’re always just a few research turns away from either universal peace or glorious conquest. It's like Risk, if Risk involved colonizing black holes and philosophizing about entropy. So buckle up, because space is huge – and so is the micromanagement. | © Amplitude Studios

Stellaris (2016)

If *Endless Space 2* is a grand opera, *Stellaris* is the full spacefaring soap opera – with drama, betrayal, and alien empires that evolve into psychotic murder-bots if you leave them unsupervised. This game tosses you into the cockpit of a budding space civilization, where you can design your own alien species down to their ethics, body type, and views on robot rights. As the game unfolds, you’ll make friends, enemies, frenemies, and possibly awaken an ancient horror that wants to turn your planet into soup. It’s a never-ending cosmic sandbox where you can play god – or just a very confused tentacle-being with trust issues. | © Paradox Interactive

CARRION — Carrion (2020)

*Carrion* flips the alien trope on its gooey, many-mouthed head. You don’t play the brave human escaping a monster – you *are* the monster, a slithering mass of teeth and tendrils out for sweet, pixelated vengeance. It’s like *The Thing* got its own game and decided it had no chill. As you writhe through labs and air ducts, absorbing your enemies into your biomass (yum), the game serves up that power fantasy of being the apex predator in a world that definitely regrets poking you with science. It’s delightfully gross, unapologetically violent, and somehow kind of adorable in a "please don’t touch me" way. | © Phobia Game Studio

Outer Wilds (2019)

Ever wonder what would happen if an alien species got obsessed with camping and astrophysics? That’s *Outer Wilds* in a nutshell. You play as a four-eyed, space-curious creature from a cozy alien civilization, tasked with exploring a solar system that’s locked in a 22-minute time loop. It’s part mystery, part platformer, and part “accidentally flew into the sun again.” The more you discover, the more you realize this adorable little universe has deep, bittersweet secrets – and possibly the most poetic take on alien life ever to fit in a rocket the size of a van. Bring snacks, and maybe a notebook. | © Mobius Digital

Attack of the Earthlings (2018)

Here’s a twist: in *Attack of the Earthlings*, you’re the alien species being invaded by *humans*. Yep, the tables have turned, and you, a bug-like Matriarch with an attitude, are defending your planet against corporate jerks in suits. This game blends stealth, strategy, and dark humor with a healthy dose of “what if Earthlings are the real monsters?” As you mutate your minions and sneak through industrial corridors, it becomes clear that sometimes, the best defense is a very stabby offense. It’s tactical, funny, and a nice palate cleanser for anyone tired of aliens always being the punching bag. | © Team Junkfish

Cropped Natural Selection 2 — Natural Selection 2 (2012)

Half real-time strategy, half first-person shooter, *Natural Selection 2* is like a chaotic intergalactic workplace drama – with claws. You can choose to play as the gooey, toothy aliens known as the Kharaa, who are basically what happens when evolution goes on a horror bender. As an alien, you evolve from a zippy little skulk into bigger, beefier forms that can bite, stomp, or fly circles around the hapless space marines. It’s team-based chaos, with a player acting as commander and giving orders, while you gleefully ignore them to chew on someone’s face. Coordination is key. Or not. Either way, it’s deliciously intense. | © Unknown Worlds Entertainment

Cropped Starcraft 2 — Starcraft 2 (2010)

You know you're in for a ride when one of your playable alien factions is literally called the *Swarm*. *Starcraft 2* brings the galaxy’s most dysfunctional trio – Zerg, Protoss, and Terrans – into an epic sci-fi saga that’s equal parts space opera and caffeine-fueled eSports juggernaut. Playing as the aliens (Zerg or Protoss), you’re either managing a creepy hive mind that pops out units like an angry ant farm or controlling elegant space paladins with laser swords and way too much pride. Strategy is the name of the game, but so is unleashing beautifully animated cosmic hell on your enemies. Click fast, die last. | © Blizzard Entertainment

Cropped SPORE — Spore (2008)

Ah yes, *Spore –* the god game that lets you play as an alien… *from scratch*. You start as a microscopic blob with questionable swimming skills, eventually evolving into a tribal, then space-faring creature that may or may not resemble a googly-eyed duck. It's science, baby! Kind of. Equal parts biology sandbox and creative fever dream, *Spore* gives you the keys to the evolutionary engine, letting you build your own alien from cell to starship captain. It’s like *The Sims* met *Galactic Civilization* after binge-watching *Planet Earth* on edibles. Weird? Absolutely. Fun? In its own adorable, janky way. | © Maxis

Destroy All Humans! 2 (2006)

Imagine a Cold War-era Earth, but you’re a sarcastic alien in a leather jacket with mind-control powers and a deep grudge against hippies. That’s *Destroy All Humans! 2* in all its glorious, B-movie-inspired chaos. As Crypto, the foul-mouthed Furon clone with an arsenal that would make the Pentagon blush, you’re out to dominate humanity – again – with more attitude and more jokes. It's a sandbox game with irreverent charm, where the aliens are the cool ones and humans are just mildly annoying NPCs with terrible fashion sense. Rock on, little gray dude. | © Pandemic Studios

Cropped Mighty Milky Way — Mighty Milky Way (2011)

*Mighty Milky Way* proves that alien adventures don’t need ray guns and space fleets – they just need a cute green alien named Luna, a ton of exploding planets, and gravity-based puzzle madness. This charming little gem is part platformer, part physics experiment, and all vibes. Luna hops from orbit to orbit, dodging robots and harnessing the laws of motion in a cosmic ballet that’s far trickier than it looks. It’s colorful, brainy, and just a little bit chaotic – like if *Super Mario Galaxy* and a science textbook had a baby and taught it sass. Short, sweet, and delightfully weird. | © WayForward Technologies

Halo 2 (2004)

Sure, you spend half of *Halo 2* blasting aliens as the iconic Master Chief, but the real twist? You *also* play as one. Enter the Arbiter, a disgraced Elite warrior who’s got honor, mandibles, and a lot of internal angst about the whole “prophets lying to everyone” situation. His story gives the Covenant a surprising amount of depth – and suddenly, those terrifying aliens from the first game seem kind of... relatable? The game juggles dual narratives, explosive set-pieces, and an infamous cliffhanger that left fans emotionally compromised in the best way. Honor. Betrayal. Plasma swords. Now *that’s* an alien drama. | © Bungie

Alien Hominid (2002)

Before *Castle Crashers*, the folks at The Behemoth gave us *Alien Hominid –* a hyper-violent, side-scrolling alien shooter wrapped in bright, cartoon chaos. You’re a tiny yellow extraterrestrial with a gun bigger than your torso, trying to escape from relentless government agents who clearly have no idea how to handle first contact (hint: it's not with bullets). The art style looks like a Saturday morning cartoon on five cups of espresso, and the gameplay is brutally unforgiving in the best old-school way. It’s short, intense, and loaded with alien attitude. Who says being cute means you can’t melt faces? | © The Behemoth

Cropped Ratchet Clank — Ratchet and Clank Series (2002)

Ratchet might be adorable, but don’t let the fuzzy ears fool you – he’s a full-fledged alien who zips through the galaxy with his tiny robot buddy Clank, blowing up everything in sight with weapons that sound like rejected Looney Tunes props. The *Ratchet & Clank* series is pure space cartoon chaos, packed with platforming, absurd humor, and a parade of colorful planets that make our solar system look like a sad beige rock. Whether it’s Groovitron bombs or turning enemies into sheep, Ratchet’s alien arsenal is unmatched. Bonus points for managing to make interstellar genocide *funny*. | © Insomniac Games

Cropped aliens versus predator 2 — Aliens Versus Predator 2 (2001)

The only thing better than playing as an alien is playing as three totally different kinds of nightmare fuel. *Aliens Versus Predator 2* lets you experience the galaxy’s most terrifying triangle of death from all angles: the slinky, wall-crawling Alien; the heavily armed, perpetually screaming Marine; and the laser-happy Predator, complete with invisibility and trophy-hunting hobbies. The Alien campaign? Oh, it’s a chaotic parkour murder-fest with acidic flair. No HUD, no weapons – just you, some ductwork, and a whole lot of humans to snack on. Stealth and horror collide with action and sheer panic. It’s a sci-fi buffet of blood and bragging rights. | © Monolith Productions

Cropped Oddworld — Oddworld Series (1997)

The *Oddworld* series is exactly what it says on the tin – odd. It’s a beautifully strange blend of cinematic platforming, dark humor, and surprisingly heavy themes. You play as Abe, a reluctant Mudokon hero with a voice like a rusty squeak toy and a knack for leading spiritual uprisings against evil capitalist meat-packing empires. This alien world is grotesque, hilarious, and heartbreaking, sometimes all in the same scene. There's fart-based communication. There’s chanting. There are factory bosses who’d sell their own grandma for a profit. And at the center of it, a lanky alien janitor just trying to save his people. | © Oddworld Inhabitants

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Ever wondered what it's like to be the alien instead of fighting one? Whether you’re blasting humans in a saucer, exploring the galaxy with extra limbs, or just trying to blend in on Earth, these games flip the script and let you play as the extraterrestrial. In this list of the top 15 video games where you play as an alien, we highlight the weirdest, wildest, and most memorable titles that let you leave your humanity behind – literally.

From cult classics to modern indie hits, these games offer unique perspectives, bizarre powers, and interstellar storytelling you won’t forget. If you're ready to embrace your inner invader (or intergalactic hero), read on – because the mothership is calling.