Category: Sci-Fi

Metal War Online

Metal War Online is a free-to-play sci-fi PvP shooter built around fast, arcade-style tank combat. Matches drop you into compact battlefields where teams fight for objectives, earn resources, and funnel those rewards back into vehicle upgrades and consumables. With modes like Assault on Base, Capture the Flag, Control Points, and Team Death Match, it is designed as a match-based MMO experience rather than a story-driven campaign.

Publisher: GDTeam Limited
Playerbase: Low
Type: Shooter
PvP: Death Match / Capture / Turret
Release Date: Dec 13, 2015
Pros: +Good selection of match types. +Distinct tank roles with class identity. +Clan support for organized play.
Cons: -Little to no onboarding for new players. -Monetization can impact competitive balance.

Ryzom

Ryzom is a science-fantasy MMORPG built around sandbox progression, where your character grows by improving skills across four broad schools: Magic, Combat, Harvesting, and Crafting. Instead of locking you into a traditional class, the game encourages experimentation, letting you combine disciplines to create a flexible build that fits whatever role you want to play in the world.

Publisher: Winch Gate
Playerbase: Low
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: September 19, 2004
Pros: +Loyal, helpful community. +Classless progression with lots of freedom. +Player-made zones and tools.
Cons: -Systems can feel overcomplicated. -Aging visuals and interface. -Occasional animation glitches.

MechWarrior Online

MechWarrior Online is a multiplayer vehicular combat title focused on piloting towering BattleMechs in tactical 12v12 matches. Between battles you fine-tune your machine with weapons, modules, and equipment, then take that build into team fights where positioning, heat management, and coordination matter as much as raw firepower. Wins and solid performances translate into experience and in-game currency, which you can reinvest into new chassis and better loadouts.

Publisher: Piranha Games
Playerbase: Medium
Type: Vehicular Combat
Release Date: September 17, 2013
Pros: +Deep mech building and loadout options. +Methodical, position-driven combat. +Strong emphasis on squad and team play.
Cons: -Steep onboarding for new pilots. -Just three core modes. -Tutorial does not prepare you well.

Dreadnought

Dreadnought is a free-to-play, third-person sci-fi shooter focused on capital ship combat, not nimble starfighters. Matches revolve around trading heavy laser fire, missiles, and artillery while managing your ship’s direction, cooldowns, and team positioning across a range of maps and modes.

Publisher: Grey Box
Playerbase: Medium
Type: Sci-Fi Shooter
Release Date: Oct 14, 2018 (Beta 2016)
Pros: +Varied ship classes with distinct roles. +Deep ship loadout and appearance customization. +Several match types to rotate through. +Smart play and coordination are rewarded.
Cons: -Interface can feel clunky. -Balance can be inconsistent.

Skyforge

Skyforge is a 3D, third person online RPG that mixes sleek science fiction with fantasy themes and fast paced action combat. The adventure unfolds on Aelion, a planet built from both persistent open regions and private instanced missions. Players begin as powerful immortals and, with enough progression, can eventually ascend to full godhood.

Publisher: My.com
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: July 16, 2015
PvP: Duels / Arenas
Pros: +Beautiful sci-fi world and environments. +Flexible, distinctive skill and progression system. +Multiple structured PvP modes. +Strong multi class character system.
Cons: -Story and lore feel relatively weak. -Unusual interface can be hard to use. -Weekly experience and progression caps.

Entropia Universe

Entropia Universe is a long-running MMO “virtual universe” built around a real-cash economy where your gear, resources, and even property can carry real-world value. You can spend your time hunting creatures, mining claims, crafting, trading, or investing in deeds across a sci-fi setting that spans six planets, but almost every activity ties back to managing resources and cost.

Publisher: MindArk
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMO Virtual Universe
Release Date: January 30, 2003
Pros: +Massive multi-planet universe to live in. +Player-driven economy with real stakes. +Deep avatar creation and crafting systems.
Cons: -Lengthy onboarding and lots to learn. -Very steep learning curve. -Heavily pay to win due to cash economy.

Robocraft

In Robocraft, you construct combat-ready robots out of voxel blocks, then take those creations into fast online team battles. The hook is the freedom to experiment, you can bolt on guns, wings, thrusters, wheels, and armor plates to make anything from a clunky tank to a fragile flyer, then iterate after each match based on what gets blown off first.

Publisher: Freejam Games
Playerbase: High
Type: Vehicular Combat & Creative Building
Release Date: July 8, 2014
Pros: +Deep build variety and experimentation. +Developers stay involved with updates and community. +Matchmaking generally keeps tiers fair.
Cons: -Progression can feel grindy at higher tiers. -Matches can start to feel samey over time.

EVE Online

EVE Online is a long-running sandbox MMORPG with a hard sci-fi vibe and a reputation for letting players write the universe’s most memorable stories. Instead of pushing you down a theme park track, it drops you into New Eden with a ship, a skill plan, and the freedom to become anything from an industrial magnate to a pirate, spy, trader, or frontline fleet pilot.

Publisher: CCP Games
Playerbase: High
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: May 6, 2003
Pros: +Massive universe with real room to roam. +Deep PvP ranging from duels to massive wars. +Older, generally supportive community. +Economy largely shaped by players.
Cons: -Very demanding learning curve. -Solo play can turn into routine grinding. -UI and controls can feel dated and fiddly.

Star Conflict

Star Conflict is a 3D sci-fi space MMO built around quick, match-driven ship combat. It sits in a similar orbit to games like EVE Online in terms of factions, progression, and the long-term chase for better hardware, but it plays at a much more immediate, action-focused pace. Most of your time is spent dogfighting in instanced PvP and PvE, earning credits and materials, then reinvesting that income into new ships, modules, and upgrades.

Publisher: Gaijin Entertainment
Playerbase: Medium
Type: Shooter
Release Date: Feb 27, 2013
Pros: +Wide selection of distinct ships. +Deep ship loadouts and tuning. +Strong visuals with smooth handling. +Multiple PvP and PvE activities.
Cons: -Monetization can feel advantage-leaning. -Significant grinding to reach top ships and fully upgrade builds.

Ace Online

Ace Online, also known as AirRivals, is a sci-fi 3D aerial combat MMORPG that puts you in the cockpit for constant dogfighting instead of traditional ground-based questing. It has a very arcade-like feel that will remind a lot of players of Starfox-style space battles, with quick turns, target swapping, and burst damage. You pilot a customizable starfighter called a “gear” and take part in faction conflict that heavily emphasizes PvP, including large multi-player engagements. The game originally circulated under names like Space Cowboys Online in the West, but today the NA service is known as Ace Online.

Publisher: Suba Games
Playerbase: Low
Type: MMORPG
PvP: Duels / Faction Wars
Release Date: May 26, 2006 (NA/EU)
Pros: +Distinctive dogfighting combat loop. +Big faction PvP events. +Solid ship builds and customization.
Cons: -Early progression can feel easy and repetitive. -Localization quality is uneven.