Attack of the Earthlings

Attack of the Earthlings has a cinematic premise, mixing XCOM-style gameplay with Alien-like monsters and Monty Python-esque comedy.

79%Game Brain Score

humor, story

replayability, optimization

86% User Score Based on 416 reviews

Critic Score 68%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

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About

Attack of the Earthlings is a single player turn-based strategy game with comedy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Team Junkfish and was released on February 8, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In "Attack of the Earthlings," players lead a hostile alien race to eliminate human intruders on their planet. By strategically deploying units and managing resources, players must thwart the humans' expansion efforts. With dark humor and turn-based strategy, players must outwit and devour humans to ensure their alien species' survival.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 416 reviews

humor223 positive mentions

replayability21 negative mentions

Engaging and humorous writing that adds charm to the gameplay.
Fun and simple turn-based tactics with a unique premise of playing as aliens.
Variety of units and abilities that encourage different strategies during missions.

Short campaign length (around 7-9 hours) with limited replayability.
Some gameplay mechanics feel simplistic and lack depth compared to other tactical games.
Technical issues such as clunky controls and occasional bugs that disrupt the experience.

humor
223 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Attack of the Earthlings" is widely praised for its dark, tongue-in-cheek style, with many players finding it genuinely funny and engaging throughout the game. While the writing is simple, it effectively balances silliness with clever quips, making the experience enjoyable despite the game's short length. However, some reviewers noted that the humor can be hit or miss, with certain jokes feeling clichéd or overdone.
- “The somewhat ghastly premise is balanced by the rather silly villains and humorous scripted events.”
- “Great fun and loved the tongue-in-cheek humor found throughout the game.”
- “A cute little game with lots of sarcasm and dark humor.”
story
200 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
75%
2%
The story is a comedic take on an alien invasion, where players control aliens fighting against human oppressors aboard a mining spaceship. While the humor and writing are generally well-received, the narrative is considered straightforward and linear, with limited replayability due to its fixed mission structure. Players appreciate the unique premise and engaging banter, but many express a desire for more content and dynamic storytelling elements.
- “The premise is quite unique, and the writing is good, so I wish they would actually develop the game further, with more missions and some additional mechanics to go with the more strategic perspective.”
- “The story is drip-fed to you through intercom banter, where the two human leaders mostly play off each other's incompetence as you thwart their plans.”
- “Each level is different and has various objectives; it all ties to the story that is actually very funny - this game is also a comedy with plentiful hilarious moments!”
- “The story is a relatively by-the-books alien invasion one, although playing as the aliens (who are being invaded by humans) is a cool twist on the formula, and the humor is pretty good, in my opinion very rarely falling flat.”
- “Despite being a tactical turn-based sim, the game has next to zero replayability because you're playing through a scripted narrative short campaign where each mission you start anew, with your single unit.”
- “The story is always the same, and there are no (or almost no) consequences that carry over from prior missions.”
gameplay
163 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
The gameplay of "Attack of the Earthlings" is a turn-based strategy experience that emphasizes stealth and tactical positioning, drawing comparisons to XCOM but with a lighter, humorous twist. While the mechanics are solid and allow for engaging ambush setups and unit upgrades, many players find the gameplay to be somewhat simplistic and the overall experience short, with only seven levels that lack random generation or additional content. Despite its charm and humor, some reviewers express a desire for deeper mechanics and more substantial replayability.
- “The gameplay is great and it's also very funny.”
- “I highly recommend Attack of the Earthlings for its engaging turn-based stealth gameplay and dark humor.”
- “The gameplay feels very polished and each level plays quite differently, making each new encounter feel very fresh.”
- “The gameplay is very shallow; the characters you play as have no depth, no reason to care, and the gameplay itself is trifling.”
- “There just isn’t enough meat on the bone gameplay-wise.”
- “Had this wishlisted for years because tactics are my thing, but this gameplay felt more like I was playing a 2009 browser puzzle game on Kongregate.”
replayability
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
58%
37%
The game has been widely criticized for its low to nonexistent replayability, primarily due to its linear design and scripted narrative structure, which offers little variation in gameplay upon replay. With a total playtime of around 6-9 hours and only a handful of missions, players find that the lack of randomization and dynamic elements significantly diminishes the incentive to revisit the game, unless pursuing achievements. Overall, while the gameplay can be enjoyable, the absence of replay value is a notable drawback.
- “While it's fairly short and has very limited replay value, the time you spend with it is genuinely fun.”
- “This feels like a bit of a missed opportunity by the devs to either change the campaign a bit to be more dynamic and have some level of strategic gameplay, or, failing that, add in a procedural mission creator / campaign generator to significantly bump up play time and replayability.”
- “I do worry that the gameplay is simplistic enough that the replay value may suffer without additional content.”
- “Quite a short game with no real replay value.”
- “The game is only eight or so maps with the first handful being painfully linear introductory levels; the enemies and such are all in premeditated locations so there's not much replay value at all besides a mass of achievements designed to trick you into perfecting the levels.”
- “Despite being a tactical turn-based sim, the game has next to zero replayability because you're playing through a scripted narrative short campaign where each mission you start anew, with your single unit.”
graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
50%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the polished artwork and charming art style, while others criticize it for resembling a low-budget title or a mobile game. Although the visuals are generally considered decent, they are accompanied by occasional glitches and a cartoonish aesthetic that may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate for an indie title, contributing to the game's character without being groundbreaking.
- “The artwork, visuals, and map layouts are just so damn polished.”
- “The game offers some nice graphics; although there are some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same.”
- “Love this simple art style, and the music and gameplay give this game a very good feel just to play.”
- “The graphics/music production are neither exceptional nor doing anything risque.”
- “The art style is the only props I'll give to this game.”
- “The art style is a bit cartoonish for me, but that’s more of a personal preference.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the sound design and ambient noise for enhancing gameplay, while others find the soundtrack repetitive and lacking standout tracks. Although the music fits the game's aesthetic, many reviewers feel it could benefit from more variety and stronger compositions. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, it does not leave a lasting impression.
- “Animation, sound, music... all perfect and fitting.”
- “I love the music (from Mikolai Stroinski).”
- “Love this simple art style, and the music and gameplay give this game a very good feel just to play.”
- “The soundtrack was okay, but there was not a single head-banger in there unfortunately.”
- “So soundtrack choices could be improved.”
- “- repetitive music”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
49%
38%
Overall, the optimization of the game is considered solid, with performance-based upgrades for units that enhance gameplay. However, the reliance on a points system for upgrades has been criticized as a poor mechanic, detracting from the experience.
- “I think it's a pretty solid performance.”
- “Your units are all characterless but can get upgrades based on points you earn from performance (bad mechanic).”
- “- Mutagen: upgrade resource that's awarded at the end of a mission; you get more the better your mission performance was (fewer turns, no losses, etc.).”
- “Carlos missed his performance review.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it is largely bug-free and complete, players have reported issues with constant freezes and crashes. Some minor graphical glitches are present, but they do not significantly detract from the experience. Users suggest waiting for patches before purchasing to avoid these stability concerns.
- “The game is complete, bug-free (as best I could tell), and easily approachable.”
- “I would recommend this game, but I would rather wait a little while before buying, to stay clear of the constant freezes and crashes.”
- “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the game's plot is engaging and missions are challenging, the grinding aspect can feel tedious, particularly for players who dislike turn-based mechanics and stealth gameplay. The slow pace inherent in these elements may deter some players, making it essential to consider personal preferences before diving in.
- “Unless you're one of those people that find turn-based games and stealth mechanics tedious, in which case you will be better off avoiding it because there's no way around the slow pace resulting from that combination.”
- “Stealthy approaches are tedious.”
- “Stealthy approaches are tedious.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game has been criticized for being predictable and lacking depth, with some players feeling that the design choices hint at a clichéd and potentially embarrassing narrative. Overall, the character arcs do not seem to resonate well with the audience, leading to disappointment in their evolution throughout the story.
- “The character development feels shallow and predictable, making it hard to invest in their journeys.”
- “The story fails to provide meaningful growth for the characters, leaving them feeling one-dimensional.”
- “Despite the intriguing character designs, the narrative does not deliver on their potential, resulting in a lackluster experience.”

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68%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

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8h Median play time

6h Average play time

2-8h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Attack of the Earthlings is a turn-based strategy game with comedy and science fiction themes.

Attack of the Earthlings is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Attack of the Earthlings.

Attack of the Earthlings was released on February 8, 2018.

Attack of the Earthlings was developed by Team Junkfish.

Attack of the Earthlings has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its humor but disliked it for its replayability.

Attack of the Earthlings is a single player game.

Similar games include Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest, Hard West 2, SteamWorld Heist, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, Reverse Crawl and others.

Attack of the Earthlings

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