UFO 50 is a game of unprecedented scope. Where other video games “go tall” with eye-watering budgets and overstuffed open worlds, UFO 50 goes wide with a collection of 50 titles, each with its own objectives, mechanics, and charms. It’s a phenomenal effort that offers something unique for gamers of all ilks.
I gushed about the collection in my UFO 50 review, albeit only at the highest of levels. This is a massive catalog, and half the fun is discovering its intricacies for yourself. Out of respect for the creators—and for the sake of brevity—I kept my review short and sweet.
This piece isn’t bound by the same rules. Having played all 50 games in the collection (and completed and/or cherried many more), I have thoughts and am ready to share them. In this article, you’ll find mini-reviews of each game in the collection, so you can prioritize the best UFO 50 games to play.
Some ground rules: Given these aren’t full-fledged reviews, I’ve deviated from our site’s typical review scale. Instead of scoring from 1.0 to 10, I’m sticking to a good old 5-star scale:
- 5 stars = a must-play game for all UFO 50 owners
- 4 stars = recommended for fans of the genre
- 3 stars = has limited appeal; your mileage may vary
- 2 stars = not recommended for most
- 1 star = try it once and forget it
I wrote these mini-reviews as I played through UFO 50, and have presented them in the same order. (Scroll to the bottom of the article for the chronological order of the games, plus a list of all UFO 50 games ranked from best to worst.)
Let’s get to it!
Quick Mini-Reviews of Every UFO 50 Game
Contemplating whether UFO 50 is for you? Bought the game, but not sure where to start?
I journaled my experiences playing through each UFO 50 game so that you don’t have to. Check out my bite-sized reviews of each UFO 50 game, and decide for yourself whether a title is worth your time. (A reminder that these ratings are subjective and based on personal preference. YMMV!)
Want to hop to a specific game review? Use this list to get started:
- Barbuta
- Bug Hunter
- Ninpek
- Paint Chase
- Magic Garden
- Mortol
- Velgress
- Planet Zoldath
- Attactics
- Devilition
- Kick Club
- Avianos
- Mooncat
- Bushido Ball
- Block Koala
- Camouflage
- Campanella
- Golfaria
- The Big Bell Race
- Warptank
- Waldorf’s Journey
- Porgy
- Onion Delivery
- Caramel Caramel
- Party House
- Hot Foot
- Divers
- Rail Heist
- Vainger
- Rock On! Island
- Pingolf
- Mortol II
- Fist Hell
- Overbold
- Campanella 2
- Hyper Contender
- Valbrace
- Rakshasa
- Star Waspir
- Grimstone
- Lords of Diskonia
- Night Manor
- Elfazar’s Hat
- Pilot Quest
- Mini & Max
- Combatants
- Quibble Race
- Seaside Drive
- Campanella 3
- Cyber Owls
Bushido Ball (#14)
What it is: Pong gameplay meets Street Fighter character match-ups
How it plays: Run around your side of the field to drive a ball past your opponent.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus and co-op
Review: A simple concept with tons of hidden depth. Each character has its own power, speed, and special abilities. Great candidate for some friendly brackets.
Score: 5 stars
Barbuta (#1)
What it is: Animal Well but even more obtuse
How it plays: Walk around a dreary castle in search of coins and secrets, while avoiding traps and monsters.
Mode: Single-player
Review: Barbuta is the “oldest” game in UFO 50′s fictional catalog, and it shows. Paying homage to games like the original Legend of Zelda, Barbuta explains little to the player and expects you to figure it out. I still haven’t yet. (It doesn’t help that your character moves slow as molasses.) A slow burn, and yet, I’m intrigued by what lies within.
Score: 3 stars
Rock On! Island (#30)
What it is: A tower defense game where the towers are cavemen and the enemies are dinosaurs.
How it plays: Place stationary cavemen armed with various weapons (bows, rocks, etc.) along a winding path. Defend your village against waves of dinos, and slowly upgrade your troops between rounds.
Mode: Single-player
Review: Isn’t the most innovative of games, but the gameplay is crunchy and satisfying. To keep things interesting, you can walk around and fight dinos too. Some rock-solid fun. (See what I did there?)
Score: 4 stars
Onion Delivery (#23)
What it is: Crazy Taxi gameplay in the style of Grand Theft Auto II.
How it plays: Drive your car around, delivering onions to the denizens of your alien planet.
Mode: Single-player
Review: A “been there, done that” concept made worse by terrible controls. First clunker of my UFO 50 experience.
Score: 1 star
Star Waspir (#39)
What it is: If a shoot-em-up could embody the Kylo Ren “MOOOOORE!!” meme.
How it plays: Choose one of three pilots, then frantically blast alien ships and stack power-ups to survive increasingly difficult waves of enemies.
Mode: Single-player
Review: Fun! Also, hard! You only get two ships to start, and enemy bullets litter the screen. I have a feeling this game is a bit of a parody, given the goofy ship guns and gluttony of on-screen icons. Still, there’s surprising depth to the action, and I have a feeling I’ll be back for more.
Score: 3 stars
Warptank (#20)
What it is: Metroid vibes with pixel-perfect puzzle gameplay.
How it plays: Drive your tank (yes, tank) to one of several “sectors” (i.e., levels). Use positioning, combined with your tank’s gun, to break blocks, warp past obstacles, and make your way to the exit.
Mode: Single-player
Review: A surprisingly smart and unique puzzler. Each level (of which there are many) is sharply designed, with a specific solution that feels challenging, yet rarely unfair. The more levels you beat, the more you open up of your space station hub to explore. There’s a staggering amount of content—an incredible feat, given the breadth of this collection. Flickering visuals and cumbersome controls detract, but it’s still a blast.
Score: 4 stars
Magic Garden (#5)
What it is: A much, much harder Pac-Man.
How it plays: Collect cute critters (“oppies), then drop them off on starred squares for points. Avoid the blue enemies, unless you get a magic potion, which lets you clear them for instant points.
Mode: Single-player
Review: A fun, if simple, take on a classic. There’s a surprising amount of detail, from the ways enemies’ eyeballs telegraph their movements, to the clever use of a cat within the UI. Tough as nails, though. Good luck getting that “Save 200 oppies” trophy!
Score: 3 stars
Waldorf’s Journey (#21)
What it is: A short, surprisingly mesmerizing game about a dreaming walrus.
How it plays: Fling Waldorf the walrus across a Mario-esque level filled with floating platforms, pits, and power-ups. Eat fish to give your flippers the power to fly—briefly. The goal is to make it to the end of the level without falling (and waking up from your slumber).
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: At first glance, I wrote this game off. It’s a simple shtick, I thought. Fast-forward a few runs, however, and I found myself 75% of the way to the end of the level. The music gave me comfort, while the flinging mechanic (reminiscent of a golf game), had just enough of a hook to propel me. After about 25 minutes, I’d cracked it—and discovered quite a memorable ending. Much like Waldorf’s dream, this one is enjoyable, if fleeting.
Score: 3 stars
Ninpek (#3)
What it is: Mario gameplay with the aesthetic of Ninja Gaiden.
How it plays: Hurl shurikens at enemies while dodging various obstacles in order to survive.
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: A sidescroller with tired ideas and boring execution. The presence of a double jump provides a welcome spin, but Ninpek simply doesn’t have the creative juices to hold one’s interest for long.
Score: 1 star
Pingolf (#31)
What it is: Like real-life golf, except somehow even harder.
How it plays: Shoot your ball through a pinball-inspired set of holes to try (likely unsuccessfully) to hit par or lower. In midair, you can tap the A button to “dunk” your ball for added precision and momentum.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: Great potential, squandered by a ridiculous difficulty curve. The mechanics are fun, but the courses themselves feel like kaizo levels. The lack of customization options doesn’t help. I can’t practice a specific hole? Seriously? I have to play all ~20 sequentially, every time? How about a handicap or mulligan mode? Bushido Ball had plenty of custom settings, so the absence here is baffling.
Score: 2 stars
Attactics (#9)
What it is: Advance Wars in an alternate universe.
How it plays: Move troops laterally (or backward) across your side of a battlefield. Every few seconds, troops on both sides of the battlefield advance. First player to break the enemy’s fortress wins.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: An awesome riff on old-school tactics games. The countdown nature of the turns keep the action breezy, while the constant introduction of new troops adds plenty of strategic layers, ensuring the campaign never gets stale. Add in multiplayer, and this is a no-brainer recommendation.
Score: 5 stars
Night Manor (#42)
What it is: UFO 50′s take on an old-school, spooky point-and-click.
How it plays: Navigate the rooms of a dreary mansion in search of tools to aid your escape. Just make sure you don’t fall prey to a terrifying monster…
Mode: Single-player
Review: A short but savory point-and-click. Took me about an hour to roll credits, but there’s a “true” ending I’ve yet to explore. Not a big fan of the controls (UFO 50 is exclusively a keyboard affair, meaning no mouse!), and escaping the monster became a chore after a while. Still, there’s plenty of charm to be found here.
Score: 4 stars
Mini & Max (#45)
What it is: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids! but starring a young girl and her dog.
How it plays: Shrink down to the size of an ant, and explore your storage closet. While miniature, you’ll encounter bug NPCs, collect currency, buy tools, and navigate treacherous obstacles. Revert to normal size to travel faster and access difficult-to-reach heights.
Mode: Single-player
Review: An interesting concept, bogged down by finicky platforming and poor hit detection. There’s a fun adventure to be had here, and plenty of content to see and do, but this isn’t exactly one I’m rushing back to finish.
Score: 3 stars
Grimstone (#40)
What it is: A tough-as-nails RPG that meshes Final Fantasy gameplay with the aesthetic of Wild Arms.
How it plays: Rescue your party from the flames of a saloon fire, then embark on an epic quest to save yourselves from hell.
Mode: Single-player
Review: This one’s right in my wheelhouse. Turn-based battles, XP progression, towns and monsters… Grimstone has it all. Though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel as far as RPGs go, it’s still incredible to me that we can see a game of such breadth and depth be included in an already massive collection.
Score: 4 stars
Campanella (#17)
What it is: A cute-looking game about an UFO that’s anything but cute to play.
How it plays: Gingerly move your spaceship around obstacles as you aim to complete 50 levels. Slash enemies, collect coins, and complete other mini-tasks for extra point—and valuable 1-ups that’ll keep you alive.
Mode: Single-player
Review: Campanella gets points for its charming demeanor and soothing music. Gameplay wise, however, it’s an exercise in patience. The game expects pinpoint precision, which tends to frustrate more than it thrills. Getting to level 18 felt like a chore; I can’t imagine completing all 50! Thankfully, Campanella has two sequels that I’m hopeful will fare better.
Score: 2 stars
Paint Chase (#4)
What it is: Splatoon meets Pac-Man.
How it plays: Drive your race car around a track, painting the ground under you as the opposing team does the same. Once the timer stops, have the requisite percentage of the track painted your color to proceed.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: An excellent game that boils down what makes Splatoon so fun, applies it to a top-down perspective, and adds the ability to steamroll your opponent. Great fun against AI, and also a bonafide party hit with friends. What’s not to love?
Score: 5 stars
Planet Zoldath (#8)
What it is: A Zelda-esque adventure game with the premise of Pikmin and procedural generation of No Man’s Sky.
How it plays: Navigate an alien overworld in search of the three map pieces needed to get your ship home. As you explore, you’ll find tools needed to solve puzzles, do battle with hostile lifeforms, and even barter with locals.
Mode: Single-player
Review: One of the more inventive titles in UFO 50′s slate, Planet Zoldath lives and dies by its roguelike premise. Everything, from the scarcity of certain resources to the hostility of different alien races, is randomized between rounds, meaning every quest to return home is wholly unique. There’s even a timer to track progress—perfect for Games Done Quick.
Unfortunately, Zoldath is held back by a curious design decision: You can only hold two items at once. Given there are eight in total, most of which are mandatory to make progress, this leads to a lot of needless backtracking. Still, in the right hands (and with the luck of the draw), this can be a fun time.
Score: 3 stars
Velgress (#7)
What it is: The mechanics of Downwell, combined with the aesthetics and badass heroine of Metroid.
How it plays: Ascend through four different biomes with only your arm blaster and double jump to guide you. “Down” isn’t an option, and footholds are scarce, disintegrating beneath you if you wait too long. Trust your instincts, trust your aim, and work your way to the top.
Mode: Single-player
Review: An extremely difficult, yet equally rewarding, survival platformer. The focus on verticality and constant movement immediately reminded me of Downwell (which makes sense, given the Downwell creator is part of the UFO 50 team). And though this game is about 10 times as tough, its mechanics are just as smooth. A few frustrating deaths couldn’t detract from the guilty grin I had while playing for an hour straight.
Score: 4 stars
Bug Hunter (#2)
What it is: UFO 50′s bug-squashing take on Into the Breach.
How it plays: Each turn, you have a toolbox of “modules” that allow you to move and shoot a set number of tiles on your grid-based battlefield. By collecting energy blocks, you can swap out an existing module for a more powerful one—like the ability to warp to higher ground.
Use your wits to exterminate the enemy bugs before they have a chance to hatch their eggs, and before your turn counter hits its limit.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: The second chronological game in UFO 50′s catalog, Bug Hunter is turn-based strategy at its finest. Like Into the Breach, you have a variety of ways to tackle individual scenarios, and the ability to acquire new modules keeps things fresh. Add in the ever-pressing need to beat the turn counter, and this is a rewarding (if somewhat unoriginal) entry in the UFO-verse.
Score: 5 stars
Kick Club (#11)
What it is: A soccer game that plays like a platform-fighter.
How it plays: Kick a soccer ball around an enclosed arena, eliminating enemies from other spots (tennis, track, etc.) before the timer runs out. Charge up your kick for extra power, or perform a headbutt or slide kick to keep momentum going.
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: A decent arcade platformer that sounds better than it plays. Each level is smartly crafted, and there are four worlds in total to conquer, but the controls (particularly in the air) feels stiff compared to other UFO experiences. Maybe I just need to “git gud,” but at the surface level, I’m not blown away.
Score: 3 stars
Camouflage (#16)
What it is: A meticulous puzzle game that rewards a clear head and plenty of patience.
How it plays: Navigate a chameleon along colored tiles while avoiding detection from predators. Tap a button on a particular tile, and you’ll adopt its color as camouflage. Get seen with the wrong color on a tile, and it’s game over.
Mode: Single-player
Review: A fun puzzler that feels a bit like staring at a Where’s Waldo poster, in all the best ways. Get ready to tap the “reveal” button ad nauseum as you explore enemy vantage points and plan your way forward. Trial, error, and death are inevitable, but a handy undo feature makes Camouflage surprisingly accessible next to UFO 50′s more cutthroat games. Once it clicks, this one is hard to put down.
Score: 4 stars
Party House (#25)
What it is: A clever riff on card games that’ll test your deduction skills (and luck).
How it plays: Invite increasing numbers of people to your rager. Each person has unique properties that’ll either net you popularity or earn (or cost) you money. As you accrue resources, use popularity to recruit stronger party-goers and spend cash to expand your available space. Work toward each scenario’s win condition, but be careful—too many rowdy partygoers will get the cops called on you.
Mode: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: A terrific thinking game that’ll have you channeling your inner Slay the Spire skills. No, it’s not a card game, but it has the same flavor—chauffeurs who summon specific partygoers (i.e., tutors), synergies between different people, powerful snowball effects… it’s all here. It’s challenging, it’s addicting, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
Score: 5 stars
Block Koala (#15)
What it is: A block-pushing puzzle game that looks cute but will have your head spinning.
How it plays: Push a series of numbered blocks to create a path between you and the goal, then guide your star block to the goal to complete the level.
Modes: Single-player, level editor
Review: Block Koala sounds simple, but trust me, it isn’t. There are a ton of additional rules—bigger blocks move smaller blocks, blocks can be combined when pushed together, etc.—that add quite a bit more complexity than fellow UFO puzzler Camouflage. A handy undo function keeps the action speedy, but the learning curve is nonetheless steep.
It isn’t as easy to pick up and play as other games in the collection, but for those willing to learn its intricacies, Block Koala has its charms. And with 50 levels—and even a custom editor—there’s plenty of brain-teasing to do.
Score: 3 stars
Golfaria (#18)
What it is: Golf gameplay meets Zelda-like world design.
How it plays: Hit yourself (yep, you’re the ball) to navigate a sprawling overworld. Drop into holes to explore caves, discover upgrades, and more.
Modes: Single-player
Review: Golfaria is a tough one to review. On the one hand, it’s got a great hook, and its open world offers far more interesting scenarios than anything found in Pingolf. On the other hand, it’s extremely slow to get going. You start with 20 strokes and slowly discover more, but at the beginning, expect to restart constantly. The game’s wonky swing meter and pesky water hazards don’t help matters.
There’s a solid game for those willing to stick with it. Just be ready for a slow, slow burn.
Score: 3 stars
The Big Bell Race (#19)
What it is: A fun, if easy, riff on Mario Kart.
How it plays: Pilot your UFO around a winding race course while avoiding collisions and collecting power-ups. Be the first to complete eight laps to nab first place—then rinse and repeat for eight courses.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: This one is good, simple fun. The UFO team takes the laser-precise gameplay of Campanella and applies it to a Mario Kart-style competitive cup—to solid results. If there’s a rub, it’s that the game is on the easier (and shorter) side compared to other UFO games. I cherried it on my first try, and it only took me 11 minutes. Of course, YMMV.
Score: 3 stars
Devilition (#10)
What it is: A devilishly fun Rube Goldberg machine.
How it plays: Clear demons from a grid-based board by setting a series of explosives that trigger from a central detonation point. Aim to set up a clean chain reaction that eliminates your foes and avoids innocent townspeople. Survive 10 randomly generated rounds to win.
Modes: Single-player
Review: A lighter puzzle game that prioritizes wit, recall, and a healthy amount of luck. Each explosive has a distinct area of effect, and you only have access to three at once, which challenges you to work with the pieces you’re given. Unfortunately, the game lacks any sort of “reminder” view—once you plant an explosive, you’ll have to remember exactly what it does. A bit of an odd design choice given how user-friendly other UFO 50 games are, but far from a deal-breaker.
Score: 4 stars
Mooncat (#13)
What it is: A bizarre, frustrating, yet pretty platformer.
How it plays: Walk, dash, and jump around various biomes in search of “the egg.”
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: The self-proclaimed spiritual successor to Barbuta, Mooncat isn’t quite as mysterious as the inaugural game in the UFO 50-verse, but that’s not to say it doesn’t bewilder. An unorthodox control scheme tasks the player with using opposite sides of the control to move left and right. Feels a bit like left brain, right brain, which is about as cumbersome—and frustrating—as you might expect.
It’s pretty to look at and has some excellent tunes, but Mooncat and its crazy platforming struggle to leave a lasting impression.
Score: 2 stars
Fist Hell (#33)
What it is: Streets of Rage… that’s about it.
How it plays: Walk, run, and dash your way around a city ransacked by zombies, punching your enemies and pile-driving them into oblivion. Use basic combos to clear various stages while accruing cash you can use to buff your character’s stats.
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: A relatively standard beat ‘em up. Unlike many UFO 50 games, which take a genre and flip it on its head, Fist Hell seems content to stick to the status quo. This is the same “grab enemies, clear screen, find pizza” loop you’ve played in any barcade. A bit disappointing, given the myriad directions in which the team could have taken this one.
Score: 3 stars
Avianos (#12)
What it is: A masterful mashup of Risk and Starcraft.
How it plays: Pray to various dinosaur gods to build bases, amass resources, and muster troops. Deploy your army strategically, then capture and hold four fortresses at once for two consecutive turns to beat your opponent.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: Just when I thought UFO 50 had revealed all its tricks, in comes yet another terrific tactics game to wow me all over again.
If you’ve ever played a real-time strategy game or resource-gathering board game, you’ll pick up the mechanics immediately. Neat tricks like initiating sneak attacks or razing your own bases to the ground add a unique flavor to the experience, tied together by a wonderfully creative dinosaur aesthetic.
Score: 5 stars
Hot Foot (#26)
What it is: Backyard Baseball meets your high school dodgeball class.
How it plays: Draft a team to duke it out with fellow classmates. Pick up beanbags that your teacher throws out onto the court, then hurl them at the opposing team for points. Carefully dodge incoming fire to charge up devastating super moves, from tidal waves to explosives. First to 15 wins.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus and co-op
Review: A terrific sports game that plays like butter. If you ever played elimination games in gym class, you know what to expect here—ball hogging, come-from-behind wins… even some cheating. Each character has their own special attributes, which adds to the replayability and ensures no two matches play out exactly the same. This is UFO 50 at its finest.
Score: 5 stars
Porgy (#22)
What it is: Dave the Diver, minus the sushi and anime waifus.
How it plays: Pilot your anthropomorphic submarine to dangerous depths, fending off enemies as you search for fuel tanks and other upgrades. The more tools you find, the more powerful your sub becomes—allowing access to deeper levels and more dangerous mysteries.
Mode: Single-player
Review: A fun exploration game that shares quite a bit with 2023’s hit indie-but-not-indie Dave the Diver. Like Nexon’s game, Porgy focuses on managing resources, searching for secrets, and challenging boss battles.
Unfortunately, where Dave the Diver struck the perfect balance between challenge and fun, this one can be too difficult for its own good. Enemies hit hard, Porgy starts off weak, and upgrades can be a chore to track down. It doesn’t help that there are no quests or waypoints to guide you.
Still, when Porgy hits its stride, it refuses to let you go. Add in some great music, and this is a slow burn that’s worth a genuine try.
Score: 4 stars
Caramel Caramel (#24)
What it is: A shoot-em-up with a unique twist and unrelenting difficulty curve.
How it plays: Guide a cute blimp through candy-inspired levels, taking out enemies Galaga style. While you have a trusty gun and charge move, you also have something far less sinister—a camera. Snap shots of enemies in the distance to freeze them, giving you a crucial opening. Other objects in the environment react to your camera differently, so be sure to experiment!
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: A quirky, super creative take on classic side strollers. The camera mechanic encourages you to look ahead and preview enemy patterns; look away from your ship too long, however, and you’re a goner.
Multitasking is the name of the game, and you better be good at it. Caramel Caramel is one of the more ruthless titles in UFO 50, requiring pinpoint precision, reflexes, and coordination. The steep, steep learning curve makes it a tough recommendation for just anyone, but once you’re locked in, good luck putting it down.
Score: 4 stars
Divers (#27)
What it is: A minimalist RPG with shades of EarthBound, Fire Emblem, and Subnautica.
How it plays: Explore the ocean depths with a party of three divers. Defeat creatures to earn gold, experience, and various trinkets. Exchange your currency at the surface for better gear, and outfit your characters accordingly for your next trip.
Modes: Single-player
Review: If Grimstone represents the more traditional Final Fantasy RPG, then Divers is more experimental. Navigation takes place from a side-scrolling perspective, with battles shifting to first-person, turn-based encounters. Each weapon you equip has certain elemental affinities, which can be exploited against your enemies. At the same time, these items have a set number of “uses,” a la Fire Emblem, which forces you to be particularly strategic before embarking for the depths.
The result is a clever, if simplistic, RPG. Level grinding abounds, especially in the first hour of play, and battling is all there really is to do. The exploration component lacks the same intrigue as, say, fellow underwater game Porgy, and I much prefer the story-based allure of Grimstone. Still, if you like your RPG on the slow-burn side, there’s plenty of appeal here.
Score: 3 stars
Valbrace (#37)
What it is: Dungeon Master meets Punch-Out!!
How it plays: Navigate the floors of a dangerous castle in first person, battling enemies, evading traps, and discovering secrets. Where traditional dungeon crawlers leverage turn-based combat, Valbrace throws a faint and opts for real-time, bob-and-weave combat.
Modes: Single-player
Review: Now we’re talking! In truth, I’ve never had much of an appetite for dungeon crawlers; they’re slow, dark, dreary, and frankly boring.
Valbrace eliminates that fourth modifier, eschewing turn-based combat for reaction-based gameplay. Move left and right of enemies as you wait for them to drop their guard, then return to center and let them have it. It’s Punch-Out!! in everything but name, from the controls to the exaggerated enemy reactions as you wallop them.
My main complaint: Each level is far too long. Where most UFO 50 games are great for quick pick-up-and-play sessions, this is one you’d best sit down with for a few hours. It’s also a bit obtuse with its finer mechanics, which can make the early hours tedious.
Score: 4 stars
Mortol (#6)
What it is: Super Mario if every life truly counted.
How it plays: Jump through 2D levels, with a big twist: Dying is necessary to progress. You start with 20 lives, but must sacrifice your men via one of three “rituals” to make progress.
The arrow ritual flings you horizontally—perfect for creating footholds in walls. The stone ritual gives you a foothold over spikes and other hazards, while the bomb ritual helps clear enemies and debris.
As your lives dwindle, you’ll have opportunities to accrue new lives through 1UP-esque pickups. But be careful—they’re in short supply, and your lives carry over from one level to the next.
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: Yet another brilliant example of UFO 50 blending two genres to create something new: the puzzle platformer. You can mix and match the three rituals to create unique moves, like flinging yourself as an arrow and following up with a well-timed explosion. (I feel I’ve only scratched the surface of this mechanic.)
As with much of this collection, this game is hard. Part of the fun is replaying past levels, working to optimize your strategy to save/earn as many lives as possible. But that takes patience, and if you aren’t big on platformers to begin with, that grace might wear thin.
Thankfully, Mortal has a very user-friendly level select screen that shows you exactly where you’ve lost the most lives across particular levels—a welcome tool when you inevitably take a break and come back later.
Score: 4 stars
Vainger (#29)
What it is: Metroid with a gravity-defying twist.
How it plays: Explore various sectors aboard an alien-infested space station, acquiring new suit and weapon upgrades that unlock access to new areas. (Sound familiar?)
Here’s where things zag: You can shift gravity at any time (similar to Warptank), which is required to overcome various challenging platforming sequences
Modes: Single-player
Review: Just when I think UFO 50 has shown me everything, it continues to innovate. If you liked the premise of Warptank but didn’t like actually controlling the tank, here’s a more conventional Metroidvania to scratch that itch.
Shifting gravity isn’t the only trick in this one’s bag. Vainger also features a surprisingly robust progression system, where you manually select where you want to apply upgrades for different benefits.
For instance: Like in Metroid, you acquire a heat upgrade early on. Unlike Samus’s adventure, however, you can either apply the upgrade to your suit to prevent heat damage, or you can apply it to your weapon to trigger explosives and deal extra damage. You can even apply upgrades to your gravity ability, opening up a third string of potential options.
The result is a fresh, creative take on the Metroidvania that feels just right difficulty wise. An easy recommendation for those with even a cursory interest in the genre.
Score: 5 stars
Campanella 2 (#35)
What it is: Campanella 1 on steroids.
How it plays: Guide your UFO around a 2D map, picking up stars that allow you to progress to the next level. Find coins scattered around the environment to exchange for power-ups, and land your hovercraft to enter shops, caves, and other explorable areas.
Modes: Single-player
Review: Where Campanella 1 plays more like an arcade shooter, the sequel doesn’t fit neatly into a box. The basic flying mechanics feel just like the original, as does the game’s approach to damage (basically, don’t hit shit).
Where the sequel stands out is in its more open-ended structure. Levels are far bigger than they were before, often with unique ways to complete them. The presence of an NPC shop gives the game more of a roguelike feel, and the ground controls (complete with a blaster) add a welcome variety to the core piloting gameplay.
Is it revolutionary? Far from. But Campanella 2 is quite unlike anything else in this collection, and for that alone, it’s a win.
Score: 4 stars
Quibble Race (#47)
What it is: The casino for those who are allergic to winning.
How it plays: Bet on quibbles (i.e., alien horses) in various races. Sponsor and train high-potential quibbles, then reap the benefits when they win. Or, bet on a longshot and run interference with the other quibbles (by drugging them, poisoning them… bad stuff!) to guarantee a win.
Modes: Single-player, two- to three-player versus
Review: This one’s just plain silly. If you like the RNG of Mario Party, minus all of the decent mini-games, you end up with Quibble Race. There’s little depth to be had here, and too much about whether your horse wins, staggers, or dies comes down to chance.
Are there fun moments? Sure. Seeing your 8:1 odds quibble pull it out because you fed crazy pills to a rival, causing it to collide with another, is some hilariously maniacal shit. Unfortunately, other elements—spontaneous inclement weather, clumsy horses that constantly fall—add far too much variance to give this game any strategy.
Fun at first, frustrating before long, Quibble Race is a cool concept that shows only glimmers of greatness.
Score: 2 stars
Hyper Contender (#36)
What it is: Smash Bros. except it plays absolutely nothing like Smash Bros.
How it plays: Select one of eight fighters to duke it out vis-a-vis on stages with various platforms. Be the first to collect five rings to win a round, and aim to beat each competitor in a tournament of champions.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: From the description, you might expect this to be a run-of-the-mill platform fighter. But trust me when I say it is anything but.
For one, each character plays drastically different from anything you’ve seen in Smash, MultiVersus, or PlayStation All-Stars. Some characters have dedicated jumps, whereas others can only move vertically by setting off bombs to propel them upward. Another fighter has a personal elevator—you heard that right!
Then, there’s the actual combat. Each character has a primary special, alternative special, guard, and physical attack. The guard and attack are relatively standard across fighters, serving to introduce some semblance of continuity. But the specials are just as bonkers as the navigation moves. One character can bounce a dagger horizontally across walls, while another flings axes in curved arcs (think Richter Belmont). Yet another attacks diagonally, only adding to the chaos.
Add in the ring system, which encourages offensive play, and Hyper Contender is a surprisingly robust fighter that is bound to make for some competitive Friday night gaming sessions.
Score: 5 stars
Elfazar’s Hat (#43)
What it is: A top-down arcade shooter that requires quick thinking and quick thumbs.
How it plays: After escaping a magician’s clutches, make your way through various levels, mowing down enemies on your way to a big boss battle. Along the way, gather pairs or triplets of various cards to gain their effects in battle.
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: Some decent fun, reminiscent of old NES arcade classics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Sadly, the mechanics here are hardly novel; heck, they’re outclassed elsewhere in UFO 50. Star Waspir is a stronger shooter with similar power-up mechanics, and Fist Hell is a more complete side-scroller.
It’s possible there’s more to see with this one, particularly in its two-player mode. For now, though, I can’t say I’ll be back soon.
Score: 2 stars
Pilot Quest (#44)
What it is: Zelda meets Cookie Clicker.
How it plays: After crash landing on the planet Zoldath (ring a bell?), farm resources and barter with various aliens to get the parts needed to fly home. Use your yo-yo to mine ore from a never-ending supply, and use the proceeds to unlock auto-farmers, stronger machinery, and other tools.
Modes: Single-player
Review: At first glance, Pilot Quest is a competent, if relatively standard, idle game. But what makes it stand out is its “wild” mechanic. By purchasing meat from an alien vendor, you can navigate an overworld for a finite period of time (120 seconds per piece of meat). In this overworld, you’ll battle enemies, discover items, take on side quests, delve into dungeons… it’s basically the original Legend of Zelda. Except here, everything you do ties back to improving the productivity of your hub area—and bringing you closer to repairing your UFO.
The overworld alone makes Pilot Quest intriguing. But layer on the Cookie Clicker elements, and you get an unorthodox action-adventure game that encourages you to play in short bursts—perfect for a breather between matches of Bushido Ball or levels of Mortol.
What’s particularly cool about Pilot Quest is that any crops you plant will automatically farm resources—even when you’re not actively playing. This means you hop to another UFO 50 title and come back to a plethora of shiny gems. (It does pause when you quit UFO 50 itself, probably for the sake of game balance.) It’s a small touch, but one that makes Pilot Quest the perfect palette cleanser between more strenuous UFO titles.
Score: 5 stars
Rail Heist (#28)
What it is: Steamworld Heist with the flair of Red Dead Redemption.
How it plays: Work your way through a high-speed train, with the goal of stealing crates of cash and getting out without being noticed and/or killed. Of course, lawmen are there to impede your progress. Whether you go quiet and spare them and go loud and take them all out is up to you.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: A decently fun stealth game with equal focus on planning and precision. Unlike Steamworld Heist, which is purely turn-based, Rail Heist gives you eight seconds to carry out various actions, such as moving, throwing objects, and loading/firing your gun.
Much like Attactics, turns go by in a blink, meaning you’ll need to think and act quickly. Unfortunately, here the result is a lot of trial and error. If enemies learn you’re there, they will fire if you’re in eyesight, which happens often, to quite a bit of frustration. The easiest path is to stealth it up for as long as possible, but when guns start blazing, the turn-based system shows its flaws.
Still, if you’re up for a challenging action-puzzle game that doesn’t hold your hand, Rail Heist has plenty of depth and charm.
Score: 3 stars
Rakshasa (#38)
What it is: A platformer with an interesting take on death.
How it plays: Choose from three different weapons, then walk, jump, and attack your way through a relatively straightforward side-scroller. Upon death, restore your spirit to your body while avoiding enemy spirits, and you’ll pick up where you left off. Unfortunately, each death ups the ante, bringing you closer to your inevitable fate.
Modes: Single-player
Review: Cool hook, but the platforming itself is terrible. Little depth to the “walk, attack, pick up coins” formula, and it doesn’t exactly help that your character moves slow as molasses. Add in frustrating bosses that feel designed to kill you, and this one’s tough to recommend.
Score: 2 stars
Mortol II (#32)
What it is: A tougher, more satisfying take on the original Mortol.
How it plays: Similar to the first game, sacrifice your troops in various rituals to unlock new areas of a sprawling map. Unlike Mortal, however, you now select one of five troops, each of which has its own dedicated move-set and ritual. For instance, the Soldier attacks up close and can turn into a block (an homage to the original) while the Ninja can double jump, throw shooting stars, and set up warp points.
Another big deviation from the original: no levels. Now, instead of saving progress, you must conquer one giant level in 99 lives or less, or face game over.
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: A massive shake-up that, similar to Campanella 1 vs. 2, breathes new life into the concept. Now, every life is even more strategic, with death bringing grave consequences if not carried out on your own terms. Not for the faint of heart, though—the enemies are no joke, and the map will have you wishing for photographic memory.
Definitely one that requires sinking your teeth into until you discover every single nook and cranny. Fail fast enough, and you’ll find an exciting adventure game waiting for you.
Score: 4 stars
Overbold (#34)
What it is: The toughest, snappiest, most addicting one-stick shooter you’ll ever play.
How it plays: Having escaped the pit of Velgress, space pirate Alpha now finds herself entered in a life-or-death tournament for some much-needed funds.
Each round, defeat a set number of enemies to claim their bounty. Use the money to buy upgrades to your weaponry, including health pick-ups, shields, and shrapnel-laden bombs. Play it safe with the game’s preselected enemies, or take on additional bounties for greater risk—and a greater payout.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: I didn’t expect much when I booted up Overbold for the first time. UFO 50′s twitch-heavy shooters haven’t impressed me nearly as much as the more “thinky” games, and I assumed this would be more of the same.
Oh, how wrong I was. A terrific bite-sized roguelike, Overbold runs take no more than 20 minutes (if you manage to complete one) but offer a surprising amount of depth. Each enemy has unique dangers and weaknesses, from passive critters that multiply to hearty flowers that die to one of your bombs.
The bounty mechanic is ingenious. It allows you to play at your own pace, but eventually you’ll need to “git gud” and ramp things up; otherwise, you’ll be ill-prepared for the final gauntlet. Thankfully, each power-up is more than worth the investment, and by the end of my runs, I felt like a proper juggernaut.
If I have one nitpick, it’s that Overbold would be even better if not confined to UFO‘s “two buttons, one joystick” design philosophy. You move and shoot with the same stick, and though holding down the button allows you to strafe, a second stick to shoot would have allowed for even more gameplay possibilities. Even with the constraint, this is a sublime game I’d love to see more from in the future.
Score: 5 stars
Lords of Diskonia (#41)
What it is: Fire Emblem meets billiards.
How it plays: Recruit bannermen at a tavern as you work to defeat an enemy army. Each time your forces meet on the battlefield, they engage as disks of various sizes, each with unique attack powers and hitboxes. Carefully shoot your disks into your opponent’s to get the strategic advantage.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: This one’s a weird one. On the one hand, the idea is brilliant; pool is great, and who wouldn’t want to see it adapted to the world of turn-based strategy? On the other hand, the execution leaves something to be desired.
Unlike Fire Emblem, there’s no “positioning” phase to combat. The game simply places your pieces wherever, then tells the opposing team to go nuts. Seems like a small misgiving, but when the AI is basically the next coming of Hal, seeing your pieces get surgically decimated with no opportunity to prep just feels plain bad.
Secondly, and arguably more annoying, the game doesn’t have a cancel button. If you select a disk, then decide you don’t wish to proceed… tough luck. It’s a massive oversight for a turn-based game, especially once like this where each turn is absolutely critical.
Combine this with campaign scenarios that are surprisingly long (and not in a great way), and Lords of Diskonia makes for a fun game that borders on frustrating from time to time.
Score: 3 stars
Seaside Drive (#48)
What it is: A side-scrolling shmup with an emphasis on vibing out and looking cool.
How it plays: Coast down the freeway in your hot-red sports car, mowing down everything from helicopters to ghost skulls and sentient cubes. One button fires to either side of your car, while the other fires above you. Stay in place too long, and your guns will lose their effectiveness. But good news! You can power them back up by drifting with reckless abandon.
Modes: Single-player, two-player co-op
Review: We’re so back. Not only is Seaside Drive a total blast, but it’s one practically any player can enjoy, regardless of skill level.
The game controls like butter, with carefully positioned enemies, satisfying controls, and clever boss battles. Each of its four stages sports a unique feel, with gorgeous vistas, plenty of enemy variety, and bussin’ music. And though the game isn’t much of a challenge—the cherry took me about 40 minutes—the sheer adrenaline of pulling off a near-flawless run is enough to make Seaside Drive worth experiencing. Can’t recommend it enough.
Score: 5 stars
Combatants (#46)
What it is: The RTS adaptation of A Bug’s Life.
How it plays: Amass an army of ants to overrun a rival colony and slay their queen.
Modes: Single-player, two-player versus
Review: A decent strategy game bogged down by sluggish movement and wonky friendly AI. I’m not exactly clear on all the game’s mechanics, and it’s frankly a pretty ugly game, but the wacky premise and quirky militant ants have pulled me in. This one’s a definite YMMV.
Score: 3 stars
Campanella 3 (#49)
What it is: Star Fox, but so much better.
How it plays: Wipe out hordes of enemies in both 3D and 2D space. Shoot your gun forward to attack oncoming ships, or shoot your gun sideways (a la Seaside Drive) once enemies have reached striking distance.
Modes: Single-player
Review: And I thought Seaside Drive was good! Holy moly, is Campanella 3 the real deal. Each of its levels is lovingly crafted with beautifully choreographed enemy patterns; whereas I completed Seaside Drive mainly with my vertical gun, in Campanella 3 you’ll need to use every trick in your arsenal to get out ahead.
Part of the fun of C3 is the unique 3D perspective. The only UFO game to simulate 3D graphics, this one pulls off the feat with aplomb. Shooting down oncoming enemies is an exercise in extreme precision, while shooting down enemies in your 2D airspace is as much about reflexes as it is about puzzling your way out of a sticky situation.
It’s a more challenging, more complete, ultimately more rewarding shmup, and easily the best of the Campanella bunch. Do not miss out on this inventive, high-octane marvel.
Score: 5 stars
Cyber Owls (#50)
What it is: A globe-trotting, genre-bending epic.
How it plays: Where do we even begin? As a team of special agents, you must embark on four different missions across the globe, each with its own unique objective and gameplay mechanics. In Chicago, you’ll pulverize enemies in a TMNT-esque beat-em-up; in Moscow, you’ll sneak around like a Metal Gear game.
Beat a mission, and you’ll move on to the next. Lose, and you’ll have to rescue your lost companion in a quasi-turn-based, quasi-real-time stealth sequence. It’s nuts.
Modes: Single-player
Review: Cyber Owls is secretly five games in one: a beat-em-up, a shoot-em-up, a Contra-inspired third-person shooter, and the two aforementioned stealth games. It’s a crazy concept that only UFO 50 could deliver, and deliver it does.
Each level itself is fairly brief (think five to 10 minutes max), but the variety of challenge makes them instantly rewarding. Layer on the unique retrieval missions (which serve as a clever continue system), and you have a recipe for a spy caper like no other.
As UFO 50′s number five-o, Cyber Owl closes out this phenomenal collection with style and substance.
Score: 5 stars
UFO 50 Games by Chronology
UFO 50′s (surprisingly clever) narrative follows the fictional game company “UFO Soft” and its flagship LX consoles. From 1982 to 1989, UFO Soft released 50 titles, each helmed by different narrative, art, and programming leads. By playing the game chronologically, you can witness the gradual evolution of these LX systems from simple 2D arcade games to complex 3D adventures.
Here’s the full list of UFO 50 games by release order:
- Barbuta (1982)
- Bug Hunter (1983)
- Ninpek (1983)
- Paint Chase (1983)
- Magic Garden (1984)
- Mortol (1984)
- Velgress (1984)
- Planet Zoldath (1984)
- Attactics (1984)
- Devilition (1984)
- Kick Club (1984)
- Avianos (1985)
- Mooncat (1985)
- Bushido Ball (1985)
- Block Koala (1985)
- Camouflage (1985)
- Campanella (1985)
- Golfaria (1985)
- The Big Bell Race (1985)
- Warptank (1985)
- Waldorf’s Journey (1986)
- Porgy (1986)
- Onion Delivery (1986)
- Caramel Caramel (1986)
- Party House (1986)
- Hot Foot (1986)
- Divers (1986)
- Rail Heist (1987)
- Vainger (1987)
- Rock On! Island (1987)
- Pingolf (1987)
- Mortol II (1987)
- Fist Hell (1987)
- Overbold (1987)
- Campanella 2 (1987)
- Hyper Contender (1988)
- Valbrace (1988)
- Rakshasa (1988)
- Star Waspir (1988)
- Grimstone (1988)
- Lords of Diskonia (1988)
- Night Manor (1988)
- Elfazar’s Hat (1988)
- Pilot Quest (1988)
- Mini & Max (1989)
- Combatants (1989)
- Quibble Race (1989)
- Seaside Drive (1989)
- Campanella 3 (1989)
- Cyber Owls (1989)
UFO 50 Games Ranked From Best to Worst
Looking for the absolute best UFO 50 games, so you can cut right to the good stuff? Here’s my tier list of every UFO 50 game ranked from best to worst.
5-Star UFO 50 Games
- Campanella 3
- Overbold
- Bug Hunter
- Attactics
- Party House
- Avianos
- Bushido Ball
- Vainger
- Seaside Drive
- Hyper Contender
- Hot Foot
- Pilot Quest
- Paint Chase
4-Star UFO 50 Games
- Velgress
- Night Manor
- Cyber Owls
- Camouflage
- Warptank
- Rock On! Island
- Devilition
- Porgy
- Campanella 2
- Mortol II
- Mortol
- Caramel Caramel
- Valbrace
- Grimstone
3-Star UFO 50 Games
- Barbuta
- Star Waspir
- Magic Garden
- Rail Heist
- The Big Bell Race
- Mini & Max
- Waldorf’s Journey
- Kick Club
- Block Koala
- Golfaria
- Planet Zoldath
- Divers
- Lords of Diskonia
- Combatants
- Fist Hell
2-Star UFO 50 Games
- Campanella
- Quibble Race
- Elfazar’s Hat
- Pingolf
- Mooncat
- Rakshasa
1-Star UFO 50 Games
- Onion Delivery
- Ninpek
What Are Your Favorite UFO 50 Games?
Let me know in the comments below!
