Best Browser Alien Games to Play Free Online

Aliens have been invading video games since the arcade era, and they still make great company. The best alien games either put you in the flying saucer or put you between the saucer and the planet. This list covers free browser games for both sides, from a cute UFO tractor beam adventure to the classic shooters, plus a few space games for when you want to visit the aliens yourself.

Quick picks

If you want…	Play
To be the alien	Alien Game
The original alien shooter	Space Invaders
Swooping alien formations	Galaga
Flying saucers in an asteroid field	Asteroids
Defending cities from the sky	Missile Defense
A calm space adventure	Space Game or Astronaut Game

1. Alien Game

Alien Game flips the usual story. You are a little green alien flying a flying saucer low over the countryside at night, using your tractor beam to collect cows, sheep, hay bales and lost space junk, then flying each load up to the mothership before the farmers spot you.

Why it’s good: The beam has real weight to it. Space junk lifts almost at once, but a cow needs well over a second of steady beam, and cargo swings as you fly. Farmers sweep the sky with searchlights, and hot-air balloons drift across the middle of the sky, so you plan each run around them. There are 15 levels, an endless mode and upgrades for a bigger beam, a faster saucer and cloaking. Nobody gets hurt: every animal is flown home safe at the end of the level. Controls: Arrow keys or WASD to fly, hold Space to beam, C to cloak. Phones get a virtual stick and buttons. Best for: Anyone who wants the best UFO game on this list.

2. Space Invaders

Space Invaders is the game that started it all. Taito released the arcade original in 1978, and it set the template for the fixed shooter: a laser cannon slides along the bottom while rows of aliens march down toward it.

Our Space Invaders keeps that formula. The formation steps down each time it reaches the edge of the screen, and a UFO crosses the top for bonus points. Controls: Left and Right or A/D to move, Space or click to fire. You get three lives. Best for: Anyone who wants the purest alien arcade shooter.

3. Galaga

Galaga is Namco’s 1981 arcade shooter, the sequel to Galaxian. Where Space Invaders aliens march in lines, Galaga aliens break formation and dive at you.

Our Galaga has formations of swooping aliens across stages. Enemies peel off and swoop toward your ship, and the boss aliens in the top row are worth the most points. Controls: Left and Right or A/D to move, Space, click or tap to fire. Best for: Players who found Space Invaders too predictable.

4. Asteroids

Atari’s 1979 Asteroids puts your ship in an asteroid field that is periodically crossed by flying saucers. Our Asteroids keeps the vector-style drifting physics and the saucers. A UFO shows up from time to time and shoots back, and once your score passes 5,000 a smaller UFO can appear.

Why it’s good: You rotate and thrust rather than steer directly, so momentum is everything. Hyperspace can pull you out of a tight spot. Controls: Left and Right to rotate, Up to thrust, Space to fire, Shift or X for hyperspace. Best for: Players who like a physics challenge with their alien encounters.

5. Missile Defense

There are no little green men in Missile Defense, but it has the same “last line of defense” feel as an alien invasion game. You guard six cities from waves of falling missiles, firing interceptors from three bases that burst into blast rings.

Why it’s good: Blast rings take a moment to grow, so you have to lead your shots, and each base only has 10 interceptors per wave. Chain reactions from destroyed missiles reward smart placement. It is inspired by Atari’s 1980 Missile Command. Best for: Players who want a strategic sky-defense game.

6. Space Game

Want to meet the aliens on their own turf? Space Game is a mining and trading game set across five star sectors. You break asteroids apart with your laser, scoop up the ore and sell it at space stations to pay for upgrades.

Why it’s good: Flight uses drift, with almost no friction, so you brake before you arrive. The goal is to earn enough for a jump drive at the Far Rim and head for deep space. Best for: Players who prefer exploring and upgrading to shooting.

7. Astronaut Game

Astronaut Game is a zero-gravity spacewalk repair game. You float outside a space station on a tether, steer with short thruster puffs, and fix panels, tighten bolts and plug in cables before your oxygen runs low.

Why it’s good: It teaches real zero-gravity movement: every puff keeps you drifting until another push stops you. Best for: Calm, thoughtful play and curious kids.

8. Moon Lander

Moon Lander is a vector-style arcade game inspired by Atari’s 1979 Lunar Lander. You guide a small lander onto a flat pad with limited fuel, landing upright and slowly enough to stay in one piece.

Why it’s good: Narrow pads score higher multipliers, and leftover fuel adds a bonus, so you can play it safe or go for big points. Best for: Players who like precision and a bit of tension.

9. Rocket Game

Before you can visit another planet, you need a rocket. Rocket Game lets you build one from fuel tanks, engines, fins and boosters, then stage it up through the atmosphere toward space at 100 km and orbit.

Best for: Budding engineers who want to understand thrust, stages and stability.

10. Solar System

Solar System is an educational space game and planet quiz. Tap the Sun, the planets, the Moon and Pluto for NASA facts, put the planets in order and compare their sizes.

Best for: Kids who want to know which worlds an alien might come from.

How to choose the right alien game

• Play as the alien: Alien Game is the clear pick, and the most family-friendly UFO game here.
• Fight off an invasion: Start with Space Invaders, move on to Galaga when you want faster, swooping enemies.
• Dodge saucers with physics: Asteroids, where momentum matters as much as aim.
• Defend the ground: Missile Defense rewards planning over reflexes.
• Explore space peacefully: Space Game, Astronaut Game and Moon Lander have no invaders at all.

Tips for alien shooters and UFO games

• Thin the edges in Space Invaders. The formation steps down when it reaches the side of the screen, so clearing the outer columns gives you more time.
• Keep moving in Galaga. Diving aliens swoop toward where you are, so a moving ship is harder to hit.
• Break big rocks carefully in Asteroids. Keep an eye on the pieces before you shoot the next one, and keep your ship drifting slowly so you can turn to face the saucer when it arrives.
• Fly high in Alien Game. Searchlights cannot reach the very top of the sky. Travel high, drop down over your target, beam it up and climb back.
• Lead your shots in Missile Defense. Aim a little ahead of a falling missile so the blast ring is fully grown when it arrives.

How we picked these games

We started with games that genuinely feature aliens or UFOs: playing as one, or fighting off invaders and saucers. We then added space games for players who enjoy the setting more than the shooting. Every pick runs in a standard browser with no download, and all are cartoon or retro arcade in style.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alien game to play online for free?

For playing as the alien, Alien Game is the best pick, with 15 levels of UFO tractor beam missions. For classic alien shooting, Space Invaders and Galaga are the best-known arcade choices.

Are there UFO games where you play as the alien?

Yes. In Alien Game you fly a flying saucer, beam up farm animals and space junk, and deliver them to the mothership while avoiding the farmers’ searchlights.

What was the first alien video game?

Space Invaders, released by Taito in 1978, is the most famous early alien game. It was the first fixed shooter and set the template for the genre.

Are these alien games okay for kids?

Yes. Alien Game is built for families, and the animals are always flown home safe. The arcade shooters are simple retro graphics, and the space games have no combat at all.

Beam yourself in

The best alien games are quick to learn and easy to replay. Take the saucer out for a night in Alien Game, defend Earth in Space Invaders, then try Galaga when you want a tougher wave. When you need a break from outer space, the T-Rex is waiting in the Chrome Dino game.