Play Alien's Return Online

Game Overview

Alien’s Return is one of those weird little Atari 2600 games that somehow slipped under the radar—probably because it only got a PAL release under the ITT Family Games label. You’re this lone space dude (or maybe a robot? The graphics leave it up to interpretation) running around an alien planet, blasting weird creatures and dodging obstacles that look suspiciously like colored blocks.

The controls are dead simple—move, shoot, don’t die—but like most Atari games, it’s way harder than it looks. One wrong jump and you’re toast. The aliens move in these weird, unpredictable patterns, so you end up memorizing their routes after a few frustrating deaths. It’s got that classic early-80s vibe where everything’s abstract enough that your brain fills in the gaps. That floating blob? Definitely a hostile alien. That zigzag platform? Clearly a futuristic energy bridge.

Not gonna lie, it’s no Pitfall or Adventure, but there’s something charming about its janky, low-budget sci-fi aesthetic. If you’re into retro gaming curiosities, it’s worth a quick play just to see how developers squeezed creativity out of those chunky pixels. Just don’t expect a deep storyline—your mission begins and ends with “shoot the thing.”