Best Sci-fi indie games under $20
These are the best sci-fi indie games you can buy for under $20. indielist lists 35 paid sci-fi games with a list price at or below $20, ranked by Steam review count so the most-validated picks lead. The average list price here is $14.79, and the cheapest is Natural Selection 2 at $4.99. The most reviewed is ARK: Survival Evolved with 579,234 Steam reviews. Beyond the budget end, this wider list adds 26 mid-price picks between $10 and $20 that a stricter under-$10 list leaves out. Every price is the tracked Steam list price, not an estimate, and each game links to a white-box sales estimate you can open and audit rather than a black-box number. This is a value list: a sensible price crossed with real player validation, so you can find a sci-fi game that is actually good, not just affordable. Free-to-play titles are excluded here; this is about paid games that punch above their price.
Games
35
Avg list price
$14.79
Cheapest
$4.99
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ARK: Survival Evolved
2017 · Action
$14.99 579,234 reviews · 83% positive
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Lethal Company
2023 · Action
$9.99 409,614 reviews · 97% positive
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Black Mesa
2020 · Action
$19.99 132,752 reviews · 95% positive
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Starbound
2016 · Action
$14.99 120,582 reviews · 90% positive
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Outlast
2013 · Action
$14.99 101,554 reviews · 96% positive
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Dyson Sphere Program
2021 · Indie
$19.99 82,685 reviews · 97% positive
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Katana ZERO
2019 · Action
$14.99 65,392 reviews · 98% positive
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FTL: Faster Than Light
2012 · Indie
$9.99 62,078 reviews · 95% positive
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Bright Memory: Infinite
2021 · Action
$19.99 36,072 reviews · 92% positive
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CARRION
2020 · Action
$19.99 28,491 reviews · 95% positive
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Hyper Light Drifter
2016 · Action
$19.99 18,724 reviews · 93% positive
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Into the Breach
2018 · Indie
$14.99 18,620 reviews · 94% positive
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CrossCode
2018 · Action
$19.99 18,028 reviews · 93% positive
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Viscera Cleanup Detail
2015 · Indie
$12.99 17,841 reviews · 92% positive
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Natural Selection 2
2012 · Action
$4.99 13,342 reviews · 85% positive
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Cosmoteer: Starship Architect & Commander
2022 · Simulation
$19.99 12,626 reviews · 94% positive
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Iron Lung
2022 · Adventure
$7.99 10,767 reviews · 92% positive
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Spaceflight Simulator
2022 · Indie
$14.99 9,144 reviews · 97% positive
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5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel
2020 · Indie
$11.99 8,862 reviews · 97% positive
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Turbo Overkill
2023 · Action
$19.99 7,288 reviews · 94% positive
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Axiom Verge
2015 · Action
$19.99 6,513 reviews · 90% positive
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Job Simulator
2016 · Action
$19.99 5,370 reviews · 91% positive
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Metal Garden
2025 · Action
$5.99 3,489 reviews · 97% positive
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Angels Fall First
2015 · Action
$17.99 2,801 reviews · 82% positive
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Megaton Rainfall
2017 · Action
$15.99 2,233 reviews · 72% positive
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ZeroRanger
2018 · Action
$11.99 2,166 reviews · 96% positive
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Endless Alice
2025 · Action
$8.99 2,079 reviews · 91% positive
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NIMRODS
2024 · Action
$9.99 1,794 reviews · 85% positive
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The Last Starship
2026 · Indie
$19.99 1,523 reviews · 75% positive
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BLADECHIMERA
2025 · Action
$14.99 1,370 reviews · 89% positive
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Close To The Sun
2020 · Adventure
$19.99 1,300 reviews · 74% positive
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Metal Bringer
2025 · Action
$19.99 1,139 reviews · 89% positive
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Ex-Zodiac
2022 · Action
$11.99 1,040 reviews · 94% positive
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Don't Escape Trilogy
2019 · Adventure
$4.99 736 reviews · 99% positive
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Backrooms: Extractions
2025 · Action
$6.99 693 reviews · 73% positive
Frequently asked questions
- What are the best sci-fi indie games under $20?
- indielist lists 35 paid sci-fi indie games priced at or below $20, ranked by Steam reviews, led by ARK: Survival Evolved (579,234 reviews). The cheapest is Natural Selection 2 at $4.99.
- How is this "under $20" list built?
- By a data filter, not opinion: a paid sci-fi game qualifies if its tracked Steam list price is at or below $20. The list is ranked by review count and updates as prices and the catalog change. Free-to-play games are excluded.