Alien Friends is an action indie casual game for PC in which players control an alien in a flying saucer that lands on Earth to collect biomass from waves of human enemies across multiple historical eras.
Gameplay
The core loop centers on repeated landings where the saucer beams up defeated humans as biomass while fending off constant attacks. Earth forces escalate from primitive weapons like spears and arrows through cavalry, muskets, tanks, and drones, with the crowd growing denser over time. Each human appears as a small pixel cluster that contributes to the resource pool when collected. Death sends the player back to orbit, where biomass funds permanent upgrades on a large grid that improves damage, reach, weapon count, and other capabilities. Nearly every landing yields new options on this grid.
Progression includes advancing through time by purchasing gates to later eras. The saucer powers down during these intervals while the planet evolves below, awakening to fresh threats and corresponding new tools. Eight distinct alien weapons each excel in particular periods and feature chain reaction effects that multiply kills. Examples include a tentacle lash that hurls bodies into crowds, a Tesla coil that arcs lightning between targets, a disintegrator that creates spreading acid pools, and a singularity that forms merging dark stars to consume groups. Additional options cover scatter shots, lasers, plasma cannons, and a nanite swarm that expands with each elimination.
Notable historical figures such as Cleopatra, Caesar, and Napoleon appear at the edges of battles. They flee without attacking and express reactions through comic symbols. Capturing them adds to a personal trophy collection. A bestiary tracks every enemy type encountered, awarding medals for complete eliminations of each variant.
Game Modes
The experience revolves around a single continuous play structure without separate named modes. Players drop into fields repeatedly, survive escalating hordes, collect biomass, and return to orbit for upgrades. The same framework supports all eras, allowing seamless shifts between time periods once gates are purchased. Replay value comes from the expanding upgrade grid and the need to adapt weapon choices to each era's enemy compositions and new armaments.
Progression and Features
Thirteen eras span from early mammoth hunters to a post-human future, each introducing distinct enemy types and weapons. In total, 154 enemy varieties appear, often with thousands visible simultaneously during intense waves. The upgrade system consists of one fixed grid containing 186 nodes. Every selection remains permanent with no random elements or resets, giving full control over build direction. A bestiary records progress against each enemy kind and grants medals upon full clearance.
Weapon variety encourages experimentation across eras, as each tool performs differently against the changing threats. The biomass economy ties directly into both immediate survival and long-term power growth, creating a steady rhythm of landing, harvesting, dying, and improving.
Is It Worth Playing?
Alien Friends suits players who enjoy incremental upgrade systems combined with horde survival and era-based progression. The permanent grid choices and chain-reaction weapons reward careful planning and repeated attempts. Those who prefer structured campaigns or multiplayer options may find the focused single-player loop less appealing. The game delivers consistent mechanical depth through its verified features of eras, enemy counts, and upgrade nodes, making it a solid choice for fans of deliberate, replay-driven action indie titles.
