Xenonauts

Xenonauts is a strategy game in which you lead a multinational military organisation defending Earth during the Cold War from an alien invasion. You coordinate the planet’s defence, send interceptors to shoot down UFOs and direct persistent soldier squads in turn-based ground combat to eliminate aliens and recover their technology.

Ground combat

Missions take place on varied, destructible battlefields against almost 50 enemy variants. You might capture a crashed UFO or an alien base, or defend a city or Xenonaut facility from attack. Combat is asymmetric: your forces face intergalactic invaders with 1970s ballistic technology, while recovered alien technology can eventually give you new equipment.

Defend the planet

You manage the wider war and customise interceptors to engage alien UFOs. Funding nations have their own needs, while your resources are limited, so you must balance spending on battlefield equipment, scientists and expanding your coverage of the planet.

Research and soldiers

An extensive research tree contains almost 100 projects, each with its own description and painted artwork. Research reveals the invaders’ intentions and origins, and unlocks battlefield equipment, aircraft and vehicles as you adapt alien technology for your forces.

Your soldiers persist between missions, gaining ranks and improving their stats through combat experience. They can grow from rookies into veterans, but a single bad move can cost them their lives.

A changing invasion

Missions are not scripted; broad rules determine the pace of the invasion, so each campaign unfolds differently. The situation shapes the battles: shooting down a Scout UFO over a polar area creates a Crash Site mission in an Arctic tileset, while a nighttime mission limits your sight range. If aliens attack your base, you defend it on a faithful replica of the base itself.