The popular ’90s seriesThe X-Filesis one of those shows that never goes out of style. Its themes include paranormal activity, supernatural beings, and justice. As part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Fox Mulder and Dana Scully have seen it all, but arehumbled by the universearound them.
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Fans want to see the twelfth season of the show since season eleven proves that they never really got over its ending.The X-Fileshas transcended popularity, earning acclaim from critics everywhere. Here are some video games to play thatdabble in the paranormaland are along the same lines asThe X-Files.
Updated on June 06, 2025, by Terrence Smith:The X-Files helped create a whole generation of UFO enthusiasts. Given the recent revelations that the Pentagon indeed acknowledgesthat UFOs exist, The X-Files' story of two investigators uncovering an extraterrestrial conspiracy is now more relevant than ever before. If the Pentagon’s official statement on the matter is not enough, then here are some games that spooky Fox Mulder himself might approve of.
15Prey (2006)
Before there wasPrey, there was, well,Prey. Developed by the late Human Head Studios,now a part of Bethesda,Preyfollows Tommy, a Cherokee man, as he, his girlfriend, and his grandfather are abducted by a savage alien race. Now Tommy must navigate a labyrinthine ship to rescue his girlfriend and take revenge on the aliens who killed his grandfather.
The alien abduction scenario is familiar territory for anyone who has watched theX-Files. The fact that the central protagonist is a man of indigenous descent parallelsTheX-Filesas well, as members of the Navajo play a critical role in the show’s Mythology Arc.
14Alan Wake
Alan Wakeis essentially a Stephen King simulator. A moody writer goes on vacation with his wife in a small town in the American northwest, where his wife is abducted by a witch and spooky things start happening.
The setup for this game is much like a case Fox Mulder and Dana Scully would take up. The town of Bright Falls feels appropriately isolated for such a supernatural occurrence. Several quirky characters inhabit it. Its citizens are possessed by a supernatural force connected to a local legend. This sounds like a job for the FBI’s Most Unwanted.
13The Darkside Detective
When things go bump in the night at Twin Lakes, it is up to Francis McQueen to investigate.The Darkside Detectiveis a collection of six cases for McQueen, the head and sole member of the town’s Darkside Division.
The setup for this game is pure X-Files, from the underfunded paranormal investigator to the nature of each case scenario. Cases tackle paranormal occurrences like interdimensional doorways, ghost trains, and a haunted library. The pixel art gives off a warm nostalgicvibe of the point-and-clicksfrom yesteryear. The game also doesn’t take itself too seriously either. One of the puzzles involves settling an argument between the ghosts of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft on who has the scariest writing, only to be horrified by a teen paranormal romance.
12Control
Controlis anX-Filesgame in every way except in name. Set in the same universe as Remedy’sAlan Wake, this game follows Jesse Faden, who explores the Federal Bureau of Control, which has been invaded by a paranormal force. Throughout the game, Jesse will acquire supernatural powers that will assist her in vanquishing the enemy threat.
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The Federal Bureau of Control is what Mulder’s X-Files department would be if it had legitimate funding. The organization is also riddled with bureaucracy, something Mulder and Scully have had to deal with on more than one occasion. The ghost of former Director Northmoor, Jesse’s guide in the adventure, has a particular vice for smoking cigarettes as well, something reminiscent of a certain cigarette-smoking man inThe X-Files.
11Perfect Dark
Goldeneye 007may have laid the groundwork for first-person shooters on the Nintendo 64, butPerfect Dark, well, perfected them. Joana Dark is an agent for the Carrington Institute, sent to rescue a scientist from the dataDyne Corporation, which has ulterior motives.
What follows isan adventure of espionage and conspiracy. Joana Dark ends up finding herself in an intergalactic war between two alien races: the Skedar, who work with dataDyne, and the Maians, who more closely resemble the archetypal depictions of aliens shown in pop culture andThe X-Files. The game has enough cover-ups for the most seasoned skeptic, and Joana gets to hang out with the coolest alien in this galaxy: a Maian who calls himself Elvis.
10Alien: Isolation
As one of the most divisive games on this list,Alienfans will either love or hateAlien: Isolation. Although it contains an intriguing story with spine-tingling horror elements, it’s like a sophisticated game of hide and seek.
In most cases, players don’t have weapons to defend themselves against the extraterrestrial. They need to hide to progress through the game.Alien: Isolation, however, is a must-play for paranormal enthusiasts.
9Slender: The Arrival
Based on a creepypasta internet meme, Slender Man is a faceless humanoid figure who starred in a video game.Slender: The Arrivalsurpasses expectations with a tremendous amount of detail andhorrific jump-scare sequences.
This creepy game falls under the paranormal category, making it a must-play for fans of television shows likeThe X-Files. The gameplay ofSlender: The Arrivaldoes get tedious at times, but there are unique chapters to keep the game engaging.
8Half-Life 2
Widely considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time,Half-Life 2tells a science-fiction story. The game is both immersive and jam-packed with action. It was a hugely positive outlier when it was released.
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Half-Life 2has yet to join the remake club, but fans have taken the initiative of developing remakes for the first game. According topolygon.com,“Crowbar Collective is selling the game with the blessings of franchise creators at Valve.” This game has many of the hallmarks of the classic series. Among these include a fight against an invading alien entity and a mysterious man in a nice suit who looms in the background pulling strings. Mulder would have plenty of questions for the Vortigaunts.
7Prey
Preyis not necessarily a horror game, but it does contain horrific elements. It’s from the first-person shooter genre, but it’s so much more than a basic FPS.
It’s a game that provokes thought and has immersive storytelling.Preytakes place on a space station in the near future. Protagonist Morgan Yu will have to defend themselves against extraterrestrials as they find a way to get off the overrun space station. The thing aboutPreyis that nothing is what it seems. What can be a simple chair or coffee mug could easily be a deadly ink entity. Even what Yu thought was their ordinary life turns out to be a fabrication. The game has enough twists and turns for X-Files fans and lovers of good conspiracies alike.
6F.E.A.R.
This game stood out when it was released and the gameplay still holds up today. The Armacham Technology Corporation’s greed is what fuels the plot of this game. Alma Wade, the main antagonist ofF.E.A.R.,is considered one of the greatest video game villains of all time.
Her ominous presence is occurring throughout the game, but at the same time, those who go through this journeysympathize with her.These conflicting emotions are part of whyF.E.A.R.is a masterpiece.
