Sci-fi is one of the most popular genres in gaming. There are countless exceptional titles within it, ranging from FPS titans like Halo to iconic single-player masterpieces like BioShock. But while the big names in the space often get most of the attention, there are quite a few lesser-known sci-fi games that even the biggest fans of the genre will never have heard of.
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There are spacefaring adventures that take players across planets and galaxies, grounded narrative experiences that run parallel to reality, and even complex FPS thrill-rides that rival big-budget shooters. The genre has a lot to offer, and it doesn't matter how many games players may have played in the past: there will always be something else out there, regardless of whether they are looking for a slow-burn story or an action-packed journey to the farthest corners of space.
Space Pirates And Zombies
Arcade-Style Combat With A Huge Amount Of Depth
- Fast twin-stick shooting paired with grander strategy.
- Meaningful long-term progression.
Space Pirates and Zombies disguises a deeply strategic sci-fi experience beneath its colorful, arcade-style exterior. Players command a single customizable ship, managing an entire fleet and fending off any enemies that dare to fly too close. Every battle feels chaotic yet deeply satisfying, as players don't simply spam bullets in all directions; instead, they have to think about positioning and enemy behavior to have a chance at making it out alive.
What truly elevates the game is how its progression systems feed directly into combat. New ships, weapons, faction abilities, and fleet synergies continually reshape how battles unfold, giving players an incentive to push further that never diverges too far from the actual gameplay. This, combined with the evolving map full of faction wars, and the game manages to offer a surprisingly complex sci-fi sandbox in what is otherwise a fairly simplistic gameplay loop.
Astrometica
Surviving In A Hostile Void
- Realistic space survival systems.
- Emphasis on slower, more methodical exploration.
Astrometica delivers a quiet, grounded take on science-fiction survival, placing players alone in a fragile spacecraft surrounded by an unforgiving vacuum. Every system, from oxygen to temperature, must be carefully maintained while scavenging derelict stations and drifting wreckage for resources. The game derives much of its tension from stillness rather than action, all wrapped in an oppressive atmosphere that keeps things feeling dangerous throughout.
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Players will find themselves constantly driven forward by environmental storytelling rather than clearer routes of progression. This means that every excursion into the unknown feels purposeful, even if it is purely to scout out a new area to explore. Ship upgrades and crafting systems expand what is possible in the void, unlocking new traversal options and ways to survive against the increasingly harsh environments that players find themselves trapped in.
Severed Steel
Movement-Infused Cyberpunk Mayhem
- Advanced parkour and slow-motion gunplay.
- Creativity through movement rather than just loadouts.
Severed Steel strips the FPS genre down to raw motion and momentum, thrusting players into an incredibly fast shooter where acrobatics matter just as much as aim. Movement defines every encounter, as players can slide, run on walls, and dive into action, all while unleashing a storm of bullets at any enemy that steps into the line of fire.
The action feels relentless, as players constantly swap between different weapons on the move, ensuring that the pace never slows down. Add in destructible environments, and the level of depth skyrockets, allowing players to blast through walls and even floors to unlock different routes of attack while constantly chaining together different jumps and slides to take on the persona of an unstoppable cyberpunk warrior.
Space Run
High-Pressure Logistics In Space
- Strategic cargo management mixed with real-time defense.
- Turns space trading into a tense and challenging experience.
Space Run transforms the familiar concept of interstellar trading into a high-stakes strategy experience. Instead of simply flying between stars, players must actively defend their cargo ships from pirate ambushes by carefully placing turrets that target specific enemy weaknesses and ship types. Each rune becomes a balance between speed and safety. While making it to each destination alive is one thing, arriving in an intact ship is a whole other story.
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As new ship layouts, weapons, and enemy types are introduced, the challenges become more difficult to anticipate. The pressure comes from how the player's own preparation ties directly into the success of their mission. It doesn't matter how skillful they may be; if they don't have the right shields or a good set of weapons, one rogue missile is all it takes to ruin their day.
Technobabylon
Unraveling A Futuristic Conspiracy
- Rich world-building backed by a stellar narrative.
- Mature point-and-click adventure.
Technobabylon is an immersive cyberpunk narrative centered on surveillance and the rise of artificial intelligence. Told through multiple intersecting character perspectives, the story explores technology’s social and emotional consequences in a setting that has been explored at length in other pieces of media, but still manages to feel distinct in its own way.
The world feels alive, with corrupt corporations dominating the city, and moral questions being asked at every step along the way. Its atmospheric soundtrack and pixel-art style further strengthen the mood, transporting players to an environment that covers every single side of society, from the higher-ups at the top of skyscrapers to the everyday working people trying to make ends meet.
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