Some of the very first video games ever made were based on sci-fi concepts, from defending the Earth from incoming harmful objects inAsteroids(1979) to depicting potential warfare to come inSpacewar!(1962). The medium continues to be one of the best ways of portraying futuristic environments grounded within their own scientific or pseudo-scientific worlds, as evidence by recent hits like theHorizon Zero DawnandMass Effectseries, to name but a few.
While a lot of these science fiction games take themselves extremely seriously, a lot of them are also inspired to take these stories into more wacky directions. These humorous titles are reminiscent of radio plays likeThe Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy(1979) or films likeSpace-Balls(1987). This list seeks to bring together a collection ofscience-fiction gamesthat will provide players with thrilling future visions that will also make them laugh their socks off.
10Destroy All Humans!
Destroy All Humans!sees the player take on the role of Cryptosporidium, also known as Crypto, as he attempts to achieve exactly what it says on the front cover: Destroy All Humans!
This game pokes fun at plenty of mid-century sci-fi tropes. Crypto is depicted as a classic “gray” type alien, cows are randomly snatched up into spaceships, and the very setting of the game is a pastiche and parody of 1950s Americana. This game, both in its original and remake forms, is sure to make bringing the human race to its knees a riot of a time.
9Duke Nukem 3D
Many sci-fi movies feature some kind of scumbag hero, who turns out to reveal a heart of gold by the end of the story. Han Solo of theStar Warsfilms and Tony Stark in the MCU are some of the best examples.
RELATED:Star Wars: The Most Powerful Sith Lords From The Lore
Duke Nukem 3Ddoesn’t quite flip this trope on its head, but rather does away with it entirely. The eponymous main character starts out with little regard for the humans he is saving, viewing the people around him as foot-stools for his own ego. He ends the story with just as much disregard, and an even bigger ego after having saved the planet.
8Rex Nubular and the Cosmic Gender Bender
Rex Nubular and the Cosmic Gender Bender’s main setting is a planet that depicts the “what-if” scenario of a world where the female sex of a species establishes an oppressive matriarchal society over the males. It’s a classic sci-fi trope, usually found in the 1950s and 1960s.
However, as Rex Nubular himself finds out, this situation comes with a slight twist, and it is this twist that provides much of the subversive comedy of the game. The females of the planet can no longer give birth, and so transform the male “Stock” into breeders capable of giving birth, using the titular “Gender Bender.” What follows is a tale that feels both ahead of its time, andvery much of its own era.
7Orion Burger
Sci-fi stories have always been used as allegories for real-world issues. From films like the originalGodzilla(1954) to video games likeFinal Fantasy VII(1997),the varying messages and themes of these pieces can reflect heavily on real-world events.
RELATED:Doctor Who: Things We Want To See In The 60th Anniversary Episode
This is what makesOrion Burgerso much fun. It is both a legitimate commentary on the real-world meat industry, but remains self-aware of its own allegorical message. It is able to make fun of itself and other sci-fi works with serious messages.
6Portal 2
ThePortalseries is essentially one big parody of the"Evil Corporation"trope that is prevalent in many dystopian sci-fi works. The company Aperture Science is depicted with massive disregard for professional work safety, human life, and ethics in science. It’s so over the top that in many fans' minds, it is the funniest example of this trope.
The series also pokes fun at the idea of “rogue A.I.“Portal 2’s two main antagonists are a misanthropic killer A.I in the form of G.L.A.D.O.S, and a power-hungry robot with the capacity for betrayal in the form of Wheatley.
5South Park: The Stick of Truth
South Park: The Stick of Truthis, for the most part, a parody of fantasy RPGs rather than of sci-fi. Yet, one of the most iconic (and with no doubtmost controversial) moments of the game is a parody of the idea of “Alien Probing.”
The sequence, which shows the main character being abducted by aliens and then being brutally probed, proved so offensive that some countries, like Australia, refused to release the game unless the moment was heavily censored.
4The Space Quest Series
TheSpace Questseries ofpoint-and-click adventure gamesis essentially one long parody of many, many sci-fi tropes. Indeed, almost every single screen acts as some sort of joke or reference to a larger trope within the genre.
Some highlights from the series include a parody of Mos Eisleycantina fromStar Warsin the original game, a tricky sequence fromSpace Quest IIIwhere the player has to outrun what is essentially a robotic Arnold Schwarzenegger from theTerminatorseries, to heavily spoofing William Shatner in the series' 5th installment. If a sci-fi fan can think of it, this series has probably parodied it.
3Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrivespends most of its time being an outrageously fun, over-the-top, and intentionally mindlessromp of a third-person shooter. But hidden in front of all the noise, it takes a blatant critical look at the powers that corporations have in our society.
Despite being overtly critical, the game decides to parody its rather serious subject matter. This works to prevent the plot of the game from clashing too much with the silliness and all-out absurdity of its gameplay.
2The Space Bar
It is a shame thatThe Space Barseems to have become arather forgotten title. Many contemporary reviews it was hailed as extremely ahead of its time, with its non-linear approach to storytelling and incredible sense of humor.
RELATED:Doctor Who: Underrated Stories From The Classic Series
The game functions as one big parody of the Mos Eisley Cantina scene fromStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,itself being the prime example of the “Bar Full of Aliens” trope. The titular space bar functions as a home to many wacky and wild characters that the player needs to interact with to solve the game’s central mystery. In turn, each character acts as a parody of an individual sci-fi trope. It’s essentially a detective game, and is a big hit with fans of games likeReturn of The Obra Dinn.
1Adventures In The Galaxy Of Fantabulous Wonderment
Sadly, this title is an unreleased gem. In his Let’s Play series “Let’s Drown Out,” video game critic, author, and game developer Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw stated that he did not completeAdventures In The Galaxy of Fantabulous Wondermentbecause it just wasn’t the right time in his life.The fact that this game was never completed is a true shame, as it contains an interesting mix between space-faring adventure game, SIM ship management, and the comedy that would go on to define Croshaw’s later novels.
The game was truly an ambitious undertaking for a solo developer, but what really drives home the disappointment of this game never being finished is the glimpses of hilarious parody ofTV shows likeStar Trekand video games likeElite Dangerous.While technically unavailable, it’s possible to get a sense of the overall comedy in this game from the creator’s own playthrough on the YouTube Channel,Yahtzee19.
