X-COM: UFO Defense
X-COM: UFO Defense is a 1994 turn-based tactics game developed by Mythos Games and MicroProse, also known as UFO: Enemy Unknown. Players run a secret global organization defending Earth from an alien invasion, managing bases, research, manufacturing and finances while leading squads through tense, turn-based tactical battles against extraterrestrial threats.
The game masterfully combined a strategic layer, in which players intercepted UFOs, researched captured alien technology and balanced a budget funded by member nations, with gripping tactical combat where soldiers had limited action points, line of sight mattered and permanent death gave every mission real weight. Its blend of long-term planning, base management and nerve-wracking, often deadly firefights created a uniquely tense and rewarding experience whose difficulty became legendary.
X-COM: UFO Defense became a beloved cult classic and the foundation of an enduring franchise. It remains available through digital storefronts, and a modern reboot series has carried its distinctive formula to new audiences.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to X-COM: UFO Defense, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
XCOM 2
€ 49,99The acclaimed modern reboot with deep tactics and strategy layers.
XCOM 2 runs on PC, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Verified.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
€ 14,99The 2012 reboot, and the only modern XCOM that also runs on phones and tablets.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown runs on PC, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Mac, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
Phoenix Point
€ 23,99Julian Gollop's own return to the genre he created, with free aiming and mutating aliens.
Phoenix Point runs on PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox. Not available on Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Switch. It is Steam Deck Verified.
OpenXcom
FreeA free, open-source engine reimplementing the original (game files required).
OpenXcom runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam Deck.
Xenonauts 2 Indie
€ 34,99An indie turn-based tactics game reviving the original X-COM formula.
Xenonauts 2 runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
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