5 Best Video Games Like Alien: Isolation

While it’s one of the most iconic sci-fi horror properties of all time, the scariest title in the “Alien franchise isn’t a movie. Instead, it’s the 2015 video game “Alien: Isolation,” which follows Ellen Ripley’s adult daughter Amanda as she’s stalked by a xenomorph in a space station. The gameplay relies heavily on players hiding from the xenomorph, tracing its movements with a motion tracker to avoid detection. Sega and its subsidiary studio Creative Assembly are currently working on a sequel, though no release date has been confirmed.

While we wait for “Alien: Isolation 2,” there are plenty of similar games to play in the interim. The games that we’re highlighting this time are other first-person perspective titles that often rely on stealth and evasion instead of constant combat. The enemies in these titles are also nightmarishly relentless, with players usually unable to adequately defend themselves if they try to stand their ground. 

These are the five best video games like “Alien: Isolation,” each offering their own chilling experiences.

Outlast

The most propulsively paced game on this list, “Outlast” keeps players on the move, especially when they’re found by their enemies. The 2013 game has investigative journalist Miles Upshur visit a remote psychiatric hospital accused of conducting sinister experiments on its patients. Once inside, Miles discovers that the allegations are true, and he is now trapped in the facility and pursued by its murderous residents. Miles can use the night-vision function on his camera to peer through the dark, but once he’s detected, must outrun the enemies chasing him.

“Outlast” is one of those games that you should never play alone, especially once the stakes escalate. Once a chase begins, players have to move quickly, moving past obstacles while finding a route to elude their pursuers. That means there is scarcely a dull moment in the game, taking Miles, and players, on the thrill ride of a lifetime. There have been several follow-ups in the subsequent series, but there’s still something about the original “Outlast” that keeps us coming back for more.

If you’re looking for another video game that you should never play by yourself, “Soma” certainly qualifies on that score. The 2015 game centers on protagonist Simon Jarrett, who finds himself in an undersea research facility and seemingly transported to the 22nd century. Simon tries to discover why he’s been taken to this futuristic station while trying to avoid the monsters prowling its halls. While uncovering clues strewn around the station and solving puzzles to progress, Simon proceeds stealthily, hiding from the monsters.

With “Soma,” Frictional Games takes a slightly more narratively driven experience compared to its successful “Amnesia” series. The emphasis on first-person terror and evasion over combat are still here, but the developers deliberately omit some of the features from “Amnesia” for a more focused approach. The game is so scary that the developers added a mode after its launch that prevented monsters from actually killing the player, so they could see the whole story. With the game set to receive a spiritual successor in “Ontos” next year, fans should revisit “Soma” to prepare for it.

Amnesia: The Bunker

Speaking of “Amnesia,” Frictional Games has been developing titles in the series similar to “Alien: Isolation” since before the Sega game was released. This includes the franchise’s most recent release, 2023’s “Amnesia: The Bunker,” serving as a prequel of sorts to “Amnesia: Rebirth.” Set during World War I, the game’s protagonist is Henri Clément, who is trapped in an underground bunker with a monster. With the monster sensitive to light, Henri can use flares and other tools to temporarily drive it back as he searches for a way to escape.

“Amnesia: The Bunker” is another solid entry in the series while offering its own unique mechanics. This includes players needing to conserve fuel for the generators within the bunker, lest they want it to be plunged into total darkness. This emphasis on light helps set the game apart from its predecessors and makes it feel a bit more like “Alien: Isolation” in regard to the xenomorph’s avoidance of fire. We’d love another entry in the “Amnesia” series, because “The Bunker” proves there are plenty of exciting things that can be done with the franchise.

Still Wakes the Deep

The indie developer The Chinese Room created the psychological horror game “Still Wakes the Deep” in 2024. Set in the 1970s, the game opens with protagonist Caz McLeary getting trapped on a deep sea drilling rig in the North Sea. A horrific accident results in the rig being overtaken by Lovecraftian monsters, which kill or transform the personnel into deadly creatures. Caz tries to find a way to escape from the oil rig with his surviving friends and avoid the monsters prowling the platform.

Like many of the games on this list, Caz can’t really fight back against the monsters and instead has to avoid them at all costs. Similar to stories in the “Alien” franchise, “Still Wakes the Deep” features a premise fueled by corporate malfeasance, a recurring element in both it and “Alien: Isolation.” The game received an epilogue the following year, involving a crew investigating what happened to the rig, only to witness its horrors for themselves. A terrifying indie title perfect to complete over a weekend, “Still Wakes the Deep” is all killer, no filler.

Silent Hill: Townfall

After the rise and fall of “Silent Hill,” it felt like we wouldn’t get any new games in Konami’s psychological horror franchise. Fortunately, Konami successfully revived the series in 2024 with a remake of the acclaimed “Silent Hill 2,” steadily releasing new games ever since, including this year’s “Silent Hill: Townfall.” Developed by Screen Burn Interactive, the game takes place in a small Scottish coastal town, with protagonist Simon Ordell finding himself trapped in the eerie community. As the town transforms into a twisted version of itself filled with monsters, Simon realizes that its mysteries are tied to his repressed memories.

“Silent Hill: Townfall” is the first major entry in the series to be played entirely from a first-person perspective, offering a more immersive experience. The game also places a huge emphasis on stealth, with Simon using a portable CRTV to track enemies around him. These clear similarities reflect some of the Screen Burn team previously working on “Alien: Isolation,” prior to creating their own studio. A thoroughly frightening game in the series that bears more than a passing resemblance to “Alien: Isolation,” “Silent Hill: Townfall” continues the series’ resurgence.