Alien has a rich history going back decades. Aside from Star Trek and Star Wars, no other sci-fi franchise has been so prolific or ever-present in pop-culture. Since the series' humble beginnings in 1979, there have been six mainline films, a number of spin-offs, and countless tie-in books, comics, and video games.
The Alien franchise has gone back and forth between being horror and action. The original film plays like a classic monster flick with a terrifying creature hunting down helpless humans one by one. The sequel, 1986's Aliens, dialed back the horror and ramped up the action. The film gave the protagonists high-grade weaponry and increased the number of creatures on screen, turning the once singular threat into cannon-fodder, albeit very deadly cannon-fodder.
Given the rich horror and action present throughout the franchise, its no surprise that a large number of video games have been made over the years that feature the deadly Xenomorph. Some emphasize the horror of the original while others embrace the action of the first sequel, but all involve alien killing in some form or another. Here is every Alien and Aliens video game.
Alien (Atari 2600)
Alien on the Atari was the first game ever made based off the series and it released in 1982. Players control a human member of the Nostromo as they find and destroy eggs while being chased by Xenomorphs. The gameplay is a carbon copy of Pac-Man with the eggs functioning the same as that game's dots and the Xenomorphs acting just like the Pac-Man ghosts. There are even power-ups, pulsars, that allow the player to kill the Xenomorphs in the same manner that power pills empower Pac-Man to take out the ghosts.
Alien (1984)
A mix of strategy and adventure, the second adaption of the 1979 film came out on the Commodore 64 ZX Spectrum. Unlike the prior Atari game, this adaptation adapts the narrative of the film, at least to some extent. Players take command of the entire Nostromo crew and oversee them as they try to hunt down the Xenomporh. Not only must players order the characters around a grid-like map but they also must monitor their emotional state. If a character becomes too distressed they are unable to take commands, adding to the game's strategic feel.
Aliens
Three video game adaptations based on Aliens were released around the film's debut. The first, called Aliens The Computer Game, was developed and released by Activision in 1986. It's an adventure style game that follows the plot of the 1986 film with dialogue sequences separated by various mini-games, all action focused.
The next game, also called Aliens the Computer Game, came out a year later. Developed by Software Studios, the game is a first-person strategy game where players command six marines from a central base. The third game only came out in Japan on the MSX console. Called Aliens: Alien 2, the game is an action side-scroller with an emphasis on shooting.
Aliens (Aracde)
Released in 1990 by Konami, this game adaption turned the 1986 film into a run-and-gun shoot'em up akin to Contra. Players took control of either Ripley or Corporal Hicks as they mow down waves of enemies while navigating 2d environments.
Alien 3
Like with Aliens before it, Alien 3 had a few games coincide with its theatrical release. Probe Software developed a 2d action game, akin to Konami's Aliens, that was released on all the major systems of the time, from the Game Gear to SNES. A Game Boy port was even made by Bits Studios. Aside from this side-scrolling game, a rail-shooter developed by Sega for arcades came out in 1993. It is appropriately called Alien 3: The Gun.
Alien Vs Predator
While not part of the main Alien series, its impossible to talk about Alien video-games without bringing up this popular spin-off. Initially beginning as a comic series in 1989, Alien vs Predator became a hit with its wacky plot line involving Predators hunting Aliens. The series would eventually spawn multiple films and video-games. The first game, Alien vs Predator, released in 1993 on SNES and is a side-scrolling beat'em up where players play only as a Predator.
Since that game there have 10 games in the franchise (not including any of the many mobile games) with most allowing players to play as both Alien and Predator. Most of the games, starting with Rebellion Development's Alien vs Predator on the Atari Jaguar in 1994, would be FPS games. The most recent in the franchise is 2010's Aliens vs Predator, also made Rebellion Development. If all of these games were included, this list would contain 33 Alien video games, not 23.
Aliens: A Comic Book Adventure
A point and click adventure game released in 1995, Aliens: A Comic Book Adventure draws off of the popular Alien Labyrinth comic series that is set after the events of Aliens. In the game, players control ex-marine Henry Hericksen as he and his men investigate a distress signal on an outpost. Over the course of the game, players engage in puzzle solving and grid-based combat.
Alien Trilogy
A first-person shooter by Probe Entertainment, Alien Trilogy retells the events of the original three films, altering their stories to make them more action focused. Whereas Aliens is the only film with multiple Aliens, Alien Trilogy has every location swarming with Xenomorphs to shoot. The story is primarily told via brief text prompts, allowing the game to keep its action focus for its entire 30 mission duration.
Aliens Online
An online only FPS released in 1998 called Aliens Online. In it, players fought against each other playing as either colonial marines or Xenomorphs. The game was innovative for the time with different class specifications and even some light RPG elements.
Alien Resurrection
Originally intended to be released alongside the 1997 film, Alien Resurrection got delayed multiple times until it arrived on store shelves in 2000 for the PlayStation, exclusively. The game is a first-person shooter akin to Alien Trilogy, and once again puts players in the worn-out boots of Ripley as she must gun down the Xenomorph threat. The game changes things up occasionally, allowing players to control different characters such as Call and Distephano, each of whom has their own unique weapon set.
Aliens : Thanatos Encounter
A 2001 Game Boy Color game, Thanatos Encounter puts the player in the role of one of five colonial marines, each with their own attributes and skills. The game is a shooter with a top-down perspective and is broken up into 12 levels, all of which have a set number of civilians to rescue and Xenomporphs to kill.
Aliens: Unleashed
Unleashed is a 2003 mobile fps developed by Sorrent. Players take control of a nameless marine who is going through boot camp fighting synthetic Xenomorphs for training. The synths malfunction and start killing for real, so they basically become the real thing.
Aliens: Extermination
Set long after the events of Alien 3, but before Alien Resurrection, this arcade game released by Global VR follows two marines as they return to Hadley's Hope, the iconic settlement in Aliens, to rid the site of all renaming Xenomorphs. Like Alien 3: The Gun, it is a rail-shooter.
Aliens: Infestation
Released in 2011 for the Nintendo DS, Aliens Infestation is a metroidvania game by Wayforward Technologies where players must backtrack in order find important upgrades and combat enemies. The game is set soon after the events of Alien 3 and has players exploring important locations from the franchise like the U.S.S. Sulaco from Aliens.
Aliens: Colonial Marines
A direct sequel to Aliens, Colonial Marines is a FPS that follows a group of soldiers as they try to rescue survivors from the overrun Sulaco space-ship. The game released to much hype in 2013 thanks to the esteem of its developer, Gearbox. Unfortunately, Colonial Marines ended up becoming infamous as, like Duke Nukem Forever, it was in development hell for years, garnered hype, and ultimately disappointed fans.
Response was so bitter that fans even launched a lawsuit against Gearbox and publisher Sega, saying they had falsely advertised the game. The negativity hasn't stopped modders from trying to improve the game, though. In 2018, someone released a mod that drastically improved Colonial Marines' enemy AI.
Alien: Isolation
A survival horror game, Isolation is a direct sequel to the original 1979 Alien and takes place 15 years after the film. Players control Amanda Ripley as she investigates the mystery behind her mother's disappearance. The game is unique for the franchise as it goes back to the series' roots. The game features only one Xenomorph and prioritizes stealth as the player cannot directly engage the Alien until the end of the game. Upon release, Isolation received divisive reviews, with the game getting scores as low as 5 out of 10 from major outlets, while others gave it “Game of the Year” awards.
Aliens: Armageddon and Alien: Covenant
The most recent action games in the Alien franchise are arcade rail-shooters akin to Extermination and Alien 3: The Gun. Armageddon, released in 2014, tells the story of a devastated earth where the debris of an infected ship crashed onto the surface and caused a Xenomorph outbreak. Players must fight their way through hordes of enemies as they try to reach a ship and escape. Covenant, like the name suggests, is an arcade inspired by the 2017 film though it doesn't tell a parallel story, or much of a story at all.
Alien: Covenant in Utero and Alien: Offworld Colony Simulator
Now, these games are strange. Alien: Covenant in Utero is a VR game on Steam that recreates the birth of the Neomorph in the film, Alien: Covenant. The sequence plays out from the point of view of the creature, so, basically, players get an intimate look at the birth of an Alien. Then Alien: Offworld Colony Simulator is an obscure strategy game released exclusively for Amazon's Alexa in 2018.
Alien Blackout
The newest game in the franchise, Alien Blackout, is a sequel to Alien Isolation, despite being exclusively a mobile game. Players once again follow Amanda Ripley as she must, yet again, deal with a hungry Xenomorph. Unlike the prior game, this isn't a straight horror game with stealth elements. Rather, players control the environment instead, trying to lead the crew to safety and the Xenomorph out to space.
Since Alien began in 1979 the franchise has never slowed down, releasing countless spin-offs and adaptations. Even now more games are planned, as Cold Iron Studios is making a game set in the Alien universe. Not much is known about the game, and its been in development for years, but thanks to the studio being recently acquired by Daybreak games, the game has a future. Bring on the Xenomorphs!