Some of the best stories come in the form of an adventure, allowing viewers to embark on a journey of mystery and wonder through their TV screens. Video games, in particular, are great at evoking a sense of thrill and wonder, since the player has full control of where their journey goes. Titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Legend of Zelda highlight some of the best adventures in gaming.
However, sci-fi and adventure pair perfectly with each other, creating a single gaming experience that brings out the best in the two genres. That is why this list will rank the ten best sci-fi adventure video games of all time based on gameplay, design, narrative, visuals, sense of adventure, world, lore, scale, critical acclaim, fan opinion, and overall quality. Pack your things and get ready to take off on the journey of a lifetime!
10 'Stray' (2022)
Image via Blue Twelve StudioAdventures are usually planet-spanning grand journeys with danger at every corner, but our feline friends get up to many mini-adventures on their own, and that is exactly what Stray explores. Set in a subterranean cyberpunk world, the player controls a cat who must work alongside a friendly droid to make its way back up to the surface.
Stray may not be the first game fans think about when imagining the best sci-fi adventures, but quests can be any size, and this grounded scale offers a much more charming and intimate experience. The feline perspective offers new gameplay elements that alter how gamers play the game, with the environmental storytelling adding to the lore of the world that builds a low-stakes yet engaging adventure.
9 'Star Wars Jedi: Survivor' (2023)
Image via Respawn EntertainmentStar Wars is arguably the biggest movie franchise with the best video games, with this list containing two of them, including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Years after the first game, Cal Kestis, played by Cameron Monaghan, has given up hope. However, when he discovers a planet free of the Empire, he bands together with his old team to secure a route there, hoping to make it a haven for others like him.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor blends many genres, which is why it is among the best soulslike games and metroidvania experiences. With more options to customize, a larger world to explore, and more stances to use for combat, everything about this game is bigger and better. While there aren't many planets, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has one really fleshed-out world that brings out the sense of adventure.
8 'No Man's Sky' (2016)
Image via Hello GamesMany anticipated video games ended up being bad, such as No Man's Sky, but after years of continued support, Hello Games finally brought their vision to life, and it is one of the best sci-fi adventures. With countless procedurally generated planets at the player's fingertips, they are let loose to explore the cosmos with unparalleled freedom and learn about the lore of these worlds.
No Man's Sky is also a survival game, which makes the adventure feel more immersive and authentic; even the dull moments are necessary and compelling. To give the sense of being in an actual universe, there are billions of planets with biomes to explore, making it the largest-scale ambitious video game ever. No Man's Sky focuses on learning and traveling, two things that adventure is all about.
7 'The Outer Worlds 2' (2025)
Image via Obsidian EntertainmentThe first game was good, but the sequel was even better. This isn't common for video games, but The Outer Worlds 2 proved it true. The Arcadia Planetary System has been taken over by a mega-corporation, and now it is up to the player, an agent from Earth, to discover the cause of the dimensional rifts that threaten to tear apart the colony during a time of war.
The Outer Worlds 2 does almost everything better than its predecessor, including visuals, gameplay, narrative, and design. Players may be forced into things, but this progression limitation is a deliberate design choice that makes choices have weight, adding to the meaning of every step in the adventure. From having some of the best visuals in video games to the branching dialogues that alter the narrative, The Outer Wilds 2 is a reactive journey that adheres to the players' decisions.
6 'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' (2003)
Image via LucasArtsEarlier, we mentioned that there were multiple Star Wars games on this list, and the best one is arguably Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Set during the Old Republic era, an amnesiac Jedi reawakens to a perilous war. Jumping right into the combat, they lead the charge against the Sith Lord Malak, but that will bring some unwanted memories with it.
It may not have a massive open world to explore, but Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic creates its adventure through a masterful narrative that takes players to new planets with imperative plot points. It isn't just a game; it is a genuine experience with cinematic visuals, a complex morality system, and a medium-defining plot twist that round out one of the greatest adventures in gaming history.
Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz
Which Force User
Are You?
Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between
The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.
🔵Jedi Master
🟡Padawan
🔴Sith Lord
⚫Inquisitor
⚪Grey Jedi
IGNITE YOUR SABER →
01
What is the Force to you? Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.
AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control. BSomething vast and mysterious I'm only beginning to understand. CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride. DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don't.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do? The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.
AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering. BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they're not the enemy. CBury them. Emotion is a liability I can't afford to indulge. DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.
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03
The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You: How you handle authority reveals your alignment.
AFollow it. The Council's wisdom surpasses my own perspective. BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision. CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right. DIgnore it. The strong don't answer to committees.
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04
You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You: The dark side's pull is never more than a choice away.
ARefuse without hesitation. There is no cost worth that price. BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers. CFeel the pull but walk away — for now. DAccept it. Power justifies the method used to obtain it.
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05
Your approach to training and learning is: A student's habits become a master's character.
ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters. BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline. CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one. DRelentless and brutal. Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.
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06
In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects: Combat is the purest expression of a Force user's philosophy.
ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit. BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements. CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance. DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin.
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07
A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You: Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.
AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly. BNeutralize them permanently. I can't afford loose ends. CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks. DOffer them a chance to surrender. Every being deserves that.
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08
The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds: The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.
AThe Code is right. Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering. BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong. CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master's mission. DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.
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09
Why do you use the Force at all? What's the point? Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.
ATo learn. I'm still figuring out what I'm capable of. BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift. CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having. DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins? In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?
AThe light. I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier. BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle. CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality. DThe dark. Power is the only thing that's ever actually been real.
REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT →
Your Alignment Has Been Determined Your Place in the Force
The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.
🔵 Jedi Master
🟡 Padawan
🔴 Sith Lord
⚫ Inquisitor
⚪ Grey Jedi
Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.
You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn't whether you have what it takes — it's whether you'll be patient enough to find out.
You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side's cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.
You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.
You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don't fully trust you. The Sith think you're wasting your potential. They're both partially right. But so are you.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
5 'Half-Life 2' (2004)
Image via ValveBefore they became the largest PC software company, Valve released games like any studio, including some heavy hitters, such as Half-Life 2. Set years after the first game, where Gordon Freeman accidentally let aliens into Earth via a portal, the world has now been taken over by the extraterrestrials. However, Freeman rallies together the people of City 17 to fight against their alien oppressors.
Half-Life 2 does so many things right that it is hard to pick just one, but adventure is another aspect it gets right, even if it isn't the primary focus. As one of the best video games of the century, it used the revolutionary narrative design from the first one and perfected it. The gravity gun is an inventive mechanic that allowed players to experiment with the in-depth physics system they built.
4 'Cyberpunk 2077' (2020)
In a similar situation to No Man's Sky, Cyberpunk 2077 was initially released to horrible reviews due to the bugs and glitches. However, years later, fans can play it the way it was intended. V is one of many street punks in Night City, but they are the only one with a cyber chip that contains the mind of a terrorist. When the chip is accidentally implanted in their head, V must travel around the city to find a cure.
Night City is the best urban location in gaming history, with the entire world dedicated to the massive living and breathing urbanscape. It is densely packed with worldbuilding, story moments, side quests, and environmental storytelling, resulting in a truly fascinating area to explore. Cyberpunk 2077 takes the adventure one step further with branching storylines that react to player choice.
3 'Metroid Prime' (2002)
Image via NintendoNintendo doesn't have many sci-fi franchises, but their best is easily Metroid, and the best game in that series is probably Metroid Prime. After receiving a distress signal from a nearby planet, Samus Aran goes to investigate. When there, she learns that the ancient planet was taken over by space pirates and used as a genetic testing facility. Now, it is up to her to stop it.
Super Metroid is just as good, but the 3D environment in Metroid Prime really brings the adventure to life, especially with the first-person view. Metroidvanias are absolutely incredible, and this one in particular understands how to design it through a 3D lens. Metroid Prime makes the journey feel familiar and easy to navigate while also making sure there are new areas to explore, with the player progressing in each new section.
2 'Outer Wilds' (2019)
Image via Mobius DigitalIndie games are getting much more impressive over the years, with three entries on this list being made by independent developers, including Outer Wilds. Controlling an astronaut in a newly discovered solar system, the player must rush to translate the ruins and lore of the planets before the sun explodes, but luckily there is a 22-minute loop to try and get everything down.
Adventure is all about freedom, but games still need progression systems, which are usually handled by gates and keys, inherent obstacles that make the progression more constrictive. Outer Wilds uses a knowledge-based progression system, which feeds into the sense of adventure and makes learning important. Outer Wilds, not to be confused with The Outer Worlds 2, is an imaginative masterpiece that captures its sense of wonder through innovative ways.
1 'Mass Effect Trilogy' (2007-2012)
Image via Electronic ArtsIt may be unfair to include an entire trilogy of games, but the three Mass Effect games are treated as a collective experience, and the adventure from each one to the next is simply sublime. When an ancient race of machines, the Reapers, begins to devour life in the galaxy, Commander Shepard leads the charge to unite the factions of the galaxy and stop this threat.
Since the second and third games remember the save data from the previous entries, the trilogy feels like one connected adventure that carries over. Mass Effect builds a narrative masterclass through emotional storytelling, political intrigue, and lore galore, with some of the best worldbuilding in video games. The technical and narrative achievement here is remarkable, building one of the greatest adventures in gaming history.
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