1,616 games
The best sci-fi games on PC
Starships, distant planets and visions of the future: games with science fiction at their heart.
How to find games that really suit you: Tap “I like it” on up to 5 games. Playalike compares 20 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
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1 Cyberpunk 2077
- Sci-fi setting
A first-person RPG in a dense metropolis of the future, with many ways to approach each mission.
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2 Portal 2
- Sci-fi setting
A brilliant first-person physics puzzler where you bend space with the portal gun through the decaying test chambers of Aperture Science, driven by the razor-sharp wit of GLaDOS and Wheatley. A separate co-op campaign adds clever two-player puzzles.
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3 Half-Life 2
- Sci-fi setting
A landmark first-person shooter that sends Gordon Freeman through alien-occupied City 17, blending seamless cutscene-free storytelling with physics-driven puzzles and the iconic Gravity Gun.
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4 Half-Life
- Sci-fi setting
The landmark shooter sends physicist Gordon Freeman through the alien- and soldier-infested Black Mesa facility, telling its story seamlessly without cutscenes while mixing tense firefights with environmental and physics puzzles.
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5 Star Citizen
- Sci-fi setting
A sprawling, still-in-development space MMO where you fly seamlessly from planet surfaces into orbit to trade, fight, haul cargo or crew huge multi-person ships with friends. Its level of detail is astonishing, though bugs and rough edges come with the territory.
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6 Mass Effect 2
- Sci-fi setting
Commander Shepard assembles a crew of specialists for a suicide mission, blending cover-based shooting with unforgettable companions and choices that decide who lives and dies.
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7 Mass Effect
- Sci-fi setting
As Commander Shepard, you lead your Normandy crew across the galaxy chasing a rogue Spectre in a landmark sci-fi RPG built around its dialogue wheel, companion bonds and choices that carry into the sequels. Combat is real-time cover shooting with pausable squad powers.
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8 Mass Effect 3
- Sci-fi setting
The emotional finale of Shepard's trilogy pairs tight cover-shooting and combinable squad powers with a galaxy-wide war effort, where choices carried across three games decide who lives, who dies, and which civilizations survive.
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9 StarCraft
- Sci-fi setting
The landmark real-time strategy classic with three wildly different yet finely balanced factions and a gripping sci-fi campaign full of betrayal and intrigue. Its multiplayer shaped competitive esports like few games ever have.
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10 Dead Space
- Sci-fi setting
As engineer Isaac Clarke, you fight through the derelict mining ship USG Ishimura, strategically dismembering grotesque Necromorphs limb by limb. Its diegetic HUD-free interface, scarce ammo and oppressive sound design make it a landmark of sci-fi horror.
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11 StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
- Sci-fi setting
Blizzard's landmark RTS pairs a varied Terran campaign following Jim Raynor, where nearly every mission introduces a fresh twist, with a razor-sharp competitive multiplayer that defined esports for a decade.
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12 No Man's Sky
- Sci-fi setting
A near-infinite procedurally generated universe where you hop freely between vivid alien planets, gather resources, build bases and upgrade your ships. Years of free updates have turned it into a relaxed sci-fi sandbox with optional co-op.
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13 Pragmata
- Sci-fi setting
Capcom's sci-fi action game on a lunar station blends third-person shooting with real-time hacking, as android companion Diana cracks enemy defenses while Hugh fires. Their bond drives the story.
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14 Dead Space 2
- Sci-fi setting
Isaac Clarke carves through a Necromorph-infested space station with strategic dismemberment while battling his own haunting hallucinations. It is a faster, more cinematic sequel that keeps the original's oppressive sci-fi horror intact.
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15 Deus Ex: Human Revolution
- Sci-fi setting
A cyberpunk immersive sim with a striking black-and-gold Renaissance aesthetic, where augmented agent Adam Jensen can tackle every mission through stealth, hacking, persuasion or brute force. Layered levels and a conspiracy plot about transhumanism reward curiosity and experimentation.
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16 Destiny 2
- Sci-fi setting
A free-to-play looter shooter with best-in-class gunplay, where you roam the solar system as a Guardian wielding space magic and chasing ever-better gear. It truly shines in demanding co-op raids with friends and in its PvP modes.
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17 Halo: Combat Evolved
- Sci-fi setting
The landmark shooter where Master Chief battles the alien Covenant across a mysterious ringworld, with smart enemy AI, vehicles and open combat sandboxes. An iconic soundtrack and split-screen co-op helped redefine console shooters.
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18 Titanfall 2
- Sci-fi setting
A lightning-fast shooter built on wall-running and double jumps, with a short but inventive campaign about the bond between a rifleman and his mech BT-7274. It pairs that with fluid multiplayer where pilots and Titans clash on the same battlefield.
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19 Halo 3
- Sci-fi setting
Master Chief closes out the war against the Covenant in an epic campaign of sandbox firefights and vehicle battles. It also offers a legendary multiplayer suite, four-player co-op, Forge and an iconic score.
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20 Deus Ex
- Sci-fi setting
The foundational immersive sim: as augmented agent JC Denton you unravel a global conspiracy and tackle every mission your way – sneaking, hacking, talking or shooting. Open-ended levels, meaningful choices and thought-provoking themes keep it a timeless classic.
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21 Mass Effect: Andromeda
- Sci-fi setting
As the Pathfinder, you explore open alien planets on foot with a jetpack and in the Nomad rover, searching for a new home for humanity in an uncharted galaxy. It pairs fast, mobile third-person combat built on freely mixed skill profiles with BioWare's trademark companion relationships.
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22 Dune: Awakening
- Sci-fi setting
A survival MMO on Arrakis where you battle thirst, sandstorms and sandworms, build bases and fight rival guilds over precious spice. Its draw is a faithful, atmospheric take on the Dune universe, including the lore's Mentat and Bene Gesserit skill paths.
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23 Alien: Isolation
- Sci-fi setting
A nerve-shredding survival horror game where, as Amanda Ripley, you are hunted through Sevastopol station by an unpredictable, unkillable Alien. Its faithful lo-fi retro-futurist look from the 1979 film and constant dread make hiding in lockers terrifying.
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24 Prey
- Sci-fi setting
A linear sci-fi shooter in which you play Cherokee mechanic Tommy aboard a giant alien mothership. Portals, shifting gravity and spirit walking create inventive puzzles and firefights.
What matters with Sci-fi games
Sci-fi games let you step into futures and far-off worlds that no other medium makes quite so tangible. The range on this list is wide: story-driven RPGs, physics puzzlers, tense shooters, real-time strategy and open-ended space sandboxes. The best way to choose is to decide what you want from the setting. Do you want a tightly authored story, a world to roam freely, or a competitive challenge? Also think about whether you play solo or with friends, and how much rough edges bother you.
If you love story and choices, the Mass Effect trilogy is the obvious pick, since decisions carry across all three games and Mass Effect 2's suicide mission decides who lives and dies. Cyberpunk 2077 offers a dense future city where missions can be approached in many ways. For something shorter and sharper, Portal 2 combines clever portal puzzles with genuinely funny writing and a separate two-player co-op campaign. Half-Life 2 remains a benchmark for cutscene-free storytelling and the Gravity Gun.
PC is where strategy and simulation fans are especially well served here: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty and Star Citizen are listed as PC-only. StarCraft II pairs an inventive campaign with demanding multiplayer, while Star Citizen offers astonishing detail but is still in development, so expect bugs. For a calmer space adventure, No Man's Sky lets you explore, build bases and play in optional co-op.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best sci-fi RPG on PC?
The Mass Effect trilogy is a top choice thanks to companions and choices that carry across all three games. Cyberpunk 2077 is the pick if you prefer an open world with many ways to tackle missions.
Which sci-fi games on PC can I play co-op with friends?
Portal 2 has a dedicated two-player co-op campaign, and No Man's Sky offers optional co-op exploration. Star Citizen lets you crew large multi-person ships together, though it is still in development.
Are the older sci-fi classics like Half-Life still worth playing?
Yes, Half-Life and Half-Life 2 are still celebrated for their seamless storytelling and physics puzzles, and Half-Life 2: Episode Two continues the story. StarCraft also holds up as a finely balanced strategy classic with a gripping campaign.
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