Defense Grid: The Awakening

17 Games with a sci-fi setting like Defense Grid: The Awakening that you should try

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We filtered the 50 games similar to Defense Grid: The Awakening down to the 17 that fit the “Sci-Fi” category. Harvest: Massive Encounter, Gratuitous Tank Battles and Infested Planet top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Defense Grid: The Awakening.

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GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

Tags

Solo

Year 2008Dev Hidden Path Entertainment

Stores

Steam ↗Epic ↗

Quick answer

Within the “Sci-Fi” category, the closest game to Defense Grid: The Awakening is Harvest: Massive Encounter — scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. Gratuitous Tank Battles and Infested Planet follow close behind.

#1Harvest: Massive Encounter97 #2Gratuitous Tank Battles97 #3Infested Planet94 #4StarCraft88 #5Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time86

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The best games with a sci-fi setting like Defense Grid: The Awakening

17 similar games foundUpdated July 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Defense Grid: The Awakening. Each one has been evaluated across 7 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1Harvest: Massive Encounter

97

Harvest: Massive Encounter

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloSci-FiBase Building

Steam👍 79%· 162

Year 2008Dev Oxeye Game StudioPlaytime ~2hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Same family of tower defense games: tower defense planning, real-time strategy and setting scifi

≠ Its own twist: base building, while skipping deep simulation

#2Gratuitous Tank Battles

97

Gratuitous Tank Battles

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloSci-Fi

Steam👍 52%· 103MC69

Year 2012Dev Positech GamesPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Nearly identical: deep simulation, tower defense planning and setting scifi.

≠ Missing: real-time strategy.

#3Infested Planet

94

Infested Planet

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalSci-FiIsometricMelee

Steam👍 94%· 3.0KRAWG👍 59%· 44MC75OC77· 10

Year 2013Dev Rocket Bear GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with real-time strategy, tower defense planning and combat tactical

≠ Stands apart with melee combat, visual topdown and visual 2d, while skipping deep simulation

88

StarCraft

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalSci-FiIsometricMultiplayer

Year 1998Dev Blizzard EntertainmentOn PC · Mac

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with real-time strategy, tower defense planning and combat tactical

≠ Stands apart with melee combat, multiplayer gameplay and loot and gear systems, while skipping deep simulation

#5Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time

86

Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalSci-FiMultiplayerDark

IGDB80· 1

Year 2013Dev PopCap Games · Electronic ArtsOn Android · iOS

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with real-time strategy, tower defense planning and combat tactical

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep simulation

86

Oil Rush

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloSci-FiIsometricMultiplayerPost-Apocalyptic

Steam👍 58%· 535RAWG👍 13%· 54MC67IGDB50· 2

Year 2012Dev UniginePlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with real-time strategy, tower defense planning and setting scifi

≠ Its own twist: post-apocalyptic world and multiplayer gameplay, while skipping deep simulation

#7Revenge of the Titans

85

Revenge of the Titans

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloSci-FiIsometricMeleeHardcore

Steam👍 82%· 1.3KRAWG👍 38%· 94MC79IGDB70· 1

Year 2010Dev Puppygames · Puppy GamesPlaytime ~2hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with tower defense planning, real-time strategy and setting scifi

≠ Its own twist: punishing difficulty, melee combat and visual pixel, while skipping deep simulation

#8Gratuitous Space Battles

84

Gratuitous Space Battles

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalSci-FiIsometricMultiplayer

Steam👍 70%· 877RAWG👍 24%· 42MC72IGDB65· 2

Year 2009Dev Positech GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Same family of tower defense games: deep simulation, real-time strategy and tower defense planning

≠ Stands apart with turn-based strategy, sandbox freedom and punishing difficulty

#9Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

83

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalSci-FiIsometricMultiplayer

Steam👍 90%· 9.2KRAWG👍 83%· 225MC85IGDB85· 4

Year 2007Dev Electronic Arts Los Angeles · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of tower defense games: real-time strategy, deep simulation and tower defense planning

≠ Its own twist: strong narrative focus, melee combat and post-apocalyptic world

#10Unstoppable Gorg

83

Unstoppable Gorg

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloSci-FiIsometricMeleeCasual

Steam👍 79%· 307MC73IGDB73· 2

Year 2012Dev FuturemarkPlaytime ~1hOn PC · iOS · Apple Macintosh

✓ Same family of tower defense games: tower defense planning, setting scifi and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual, melee combat and setting space, while skipping deep simulation

#11Anomaly: Warzone Earth

83

Anomaly: Warzone Earth

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloSci-FiIsometricMeleeFantasy

Steam👍 87%· 4.7KRAWG👍 45%· 226MC80IGDB85· 5

Year 2011Dev 11 Bit Studios · Microsoft StudiosPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are tower defense games — sharing real-time strategy, tower defense planning and setting scifi

≠ Where it differs: brings melee combat, fantasy world and historical setting, while skipping deep simulation

#12AI War: Fleet Command

82

AI War: Fleet Command

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalSci-FiIsometricCo-op

Steam👍 82%· 1.6KRAWG👍 26%· 50MC80IGDB90· 1

Year 2009Dev Arcen GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Same family of tower defense games: real-time strategy, deep simulation and tower defense planning

≠ Where it differs: brings turn-based strategy, punishing difficulty and open world exploration

#13Sol Survivor

82

Sol Survivor

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloSci-FiMultiplayerCo-opDark

Steam👍 90%· 439MC75

Year 2010Dev Cadenza InteractivePlaytime ~5hOn PC

✓ Fits the tower defense games cluster, with tower defense planning, setting scifi and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: survival mechanics, roguelike runs and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep simulation

82

Robowars

GenreStrategySubgenreTower Defense

SoloTacticalSci-FiIsometricCo-op

Steam👍 46%· 290

Year 2014Dev N-Game Studios · KissPlaytime ~3hOn PC

✓ Same family of tower defense games: tower defense planning, real-time strategy and combat tactical

≠ Where it differs: brings card game strategy, melee combat and setting cyberpunk, while skipping deep simulation

#15XCOM: Chimera Squad

53

XCOM: Chimera Squad

GenreStrategySubgenreTurn-Based Strategy

SoloTacticalSci-FiThird Person

Steam👍 71%· 23KIGDB78· 9OC78· 75

Year 2020Dev Firaxis Games · 2KOn PC

✓ Like Defense Grid: The Awakening, it's known for combat tactical, setting scifi and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings turn-based strategy and visual third person, while skipping tower defense planning

Complete list of games with a sci-fi setting like Defense Grid: The Awakening

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Defense Grid: The Awakening, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.

Plague Inc.

Plague Inc.

RTS · Simulation

X-COM: UFO Defense

X-COM: UFO Defense

Turn-Based Strat · Roguelike

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