427 games
The best sci-fi games on Nintendo Switch
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 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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2 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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3 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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4 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
- Sci-fi setting
Stranded on the alien world Viewros, Samus explores ancient ruins in first person, scanning her surroundings and using new psychic powers to open up blocked paths. It is an atmospheric sci-fi adventure that blends shooting, exploration and environmental puzzles.
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5 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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6 Soma
- Sci-fi setting
A harrowing combat-free horror journey through a ruined deep-sea research station that confronts you with unsettling questions about consciousness and identity. Its philosophical story lingers long after the credits roll.
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7 The Outer Worlds
- Sci-fi setting
Obsidian's satirical space RPG drops you into a corporate-run colony where your dialogue choices and allegiances decide the fate of its factions. Biting humor, likeable companions and first-person gunplay define the experience.
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8 Star Wars Outlaws
- Sci-fi setting
As scoundrel Kay Vess and her critter companion Nix, you roam an open Star Wars galaxy, playing crime syndicates against each other while mixing stealth, blaster fights, speeder rides and space dogfights. Its appeal is the authentic smuggler-adventure fantasy across several richly detailed planets.
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9 Portal
- Sci-fi setting
A tight first-person puzzler where you bend space with a portal gun through physics-based test chambers, all while the passive-aggressive AI GLaDOS taunts you with pitch-black humor. Brilliant mechanics, perfect pacing and an iconic twist make it a classic.
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10 Warframe
- Sci-fi setting
A fast free-to-play co-op shooter where you play a space ninja, flipping, slashing and gunning across the solar system while collecting and modding dozens of Warframes. Beneath the deep grind lies a surprisingly strange and memorable story.
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11 XCOM 2
- Sci-fi setting
Turn-based tactics against an alien occupation, with permanent death for your soldiers.
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12 Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
- Sci-fi setting
As Star-Lord you lead the bickering Guardians through a linear, cinematic space adventure packed with banter and an '80s soundtrack. In combat you direct your team's special moves. Its real strength is a heartfelt, funny story about a found family.
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13 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
- Sci-fi setting
You play a towering Space Marine carving through colossal Tyranid swarms with chainsword, bolter and well-timed parries, a bombastic grimdark spectacle that shines solo or with a co-op squad.
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14 Borderlands 2
- Sci-fi setting
A loud, cel-shaded loot shooter packed with countless randomly generated guns, irreverent humor and one of gaming's most memorable villains, Handsome Jack. It shines brightest as a chaotic four-player co-op hunt for ever better loot.
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15 Star Wars: Republic Commando
- Sci-fi setting
A squad-based tactical shooter where you lead a four-clone commando team through the Clone Wars, issuing context-sensitive orders on the fly. Its gritty soldier's-eye tone and the banter of Delta Squad make it a standout Star Wars game.
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16 NieR:Automata
- Sci-fi setting
Androids fight in an abandoned world, with stylish action and a story that unfolds over several playthroughs.
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17 Ghostrunner
- Sci-fi setting
A blisteringly fast first-person parkour slasher where one hit kills you and you wall-run, deflect bullets and slice enemies apart as a cyber-ninja. Constant death-and-retry loops set to a pounding synthwave score turn every arena into a precise reflex puzzle.
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18 Metroid Dread
- Sci-fi setting
Samus Aran's 2D return pairs fluid, fast movement and precise melee counters with classic Metroidvania exploration. Tense escapes from the near-invincible E.M.M.I. robots and demanding boss fights keep the pressure high.
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19 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Sci-fi setting
BioWare's classic Star Wars RPG lets you walk the light or dark side millennia before the films, backed by a crew of memorable companions and one of gaming's most famous plot twists.
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20 High on Life
- Sci-fi setting
A brightly colored first-person shooter drenched in Rick and Morty-style humor, where you fight an alien drug cartel alongside talkative, sassy living guns. Jokes and inventive weapon abilities take priority over challenge.
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21 LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Sci-fi setting
All nine Star Wars episodes retold with LEGO slapstick humor, playable in any order. Explorable planet hubs full of collectibles, simple puzzles and combat, and a huge roster of unlockable characters make for relaxed fun, including in co-op.
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22 Observer
- Sci-fi setting
You play a neural detective who hacks into the memories and minds of others while prowling a decaying, dystopian future Poland. Disturbing hallucinations, thick atmosphere and a paranoid crime story make it a bleak cyberpunk nightmare.
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23 Axiom Verge
- Sci-fi setting
A retro-styled Metroidvania in which a scientist wakes up in a strange biomechanical world. It thrives on a labyrinthine map, offbeat weapons and abilities, and the thrill of uncovering secrets.
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24 Terminator 2D: No Fate
- Sci-fi setting
A retro run-and-gun in the style of classic 16-bit action games that recreates scenes from Terminator 2 in pixel art, adding original stages and multiple endings. Fast, demanding shootouts and plenty of film atmosphere define it.
What matters with Sci-fi games
Sci-fi covers a lot of ground, and this list shows it: brainy puzzlers, slow-burn horror, loot-driven shooters and sprawling sandboxes all share the same backdrop of space stations, alien worlds and unsettling technology. The best way to choose is to decide what mood you want. Do you want to think, to be scared, to laugh, or to wander? Then consider whether you play alone or with a friend, and how much time you want to sink in.
If you want something you can finish and love, Portal 2 pairs clever portal puzzles with sharp comedy from GLaDOS and Wheatley, plus a separate two-player co-op campaign. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the pick for atmospheric first-person exploration, and it is the one game here made only for Switch. Horror fans should look at Alien: Isolation, where an unkillable Alien hunts you through Sevastopol station, or Soma, which skips combat entirely in favor of a haunting story about consciousness. For open-ended play, No Man's Sky lets you hop between procedurally generated planets at your own relaxed pace.
Want more of a challenge or a long-term hobby? XCOM 2 is demanding turn-based tactics where fallen soldiers stay dead. Borderlands 2 and Warframe are built for co-op sessions and endless gear hunting, while The Outer Worlds suits players who like dialogue choices and satire.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best co-op sci-fi games on Nintendo Switch?
Portal 2 has a dedicated two-player co-op campaign, and Borderlands 2 shines as a four-player loot hunt. Warframe and No Man's Sky also support co-op if you want something longer-running.
Which sci-fi horror games on Switch are worth playing?
Alien: Isolation delivers constant dread as you hide from an unkillable Alien. Soma is combat-free and focuses on psychological horror and a thought-provoking story.
Is there a free sci-fi game on Switch?
Warframe is free-to-play, offering fast co-op space-ninja combat and a deep grind for collecting and modding Warframes.
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