Star Wars is composed of dozens of different stories, many of which have been told outside of the mainline movies. One of the most prominent sources since the franchise’s creation has been video games, with studios reimagining Star Wars’ existing stories and characters or creating new ones across dozens of gaming genres, including racing games, shooters, flight simulators, and role-playing games. And the addition of new stories in the Star Wars universe hasn’t slowed down. In the next few years we’re expecting entries across a diverse range of genres, including the racing game Star Wars: Galactic Racer, the turn-based-tactics game Star Wars: Zero Company, and the narrative adventure Star Wars Eclipse.
In addition to video games, lots of tabletop games, board games, and card games have let players craft their own adventures in the Star Wars universe. For the purposes of this list, we’ve primarily focused on video games, but we’ve included a handful of tabletop games as well for good measure. Also, this list is arranged chronologically, from the long, longest ago to modern day.
Looking ahead, there are many other Star Wars games in development that could shake this list up in the future as well. Star Wars is just going to keep growing, and we’re here for it.
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Developer Totally Games’ Star Wars: TIE Fighter is a flight simulator meets space combat game set in the Star Wars universe that wowed fans back in 1994 and surprisingly still holds up in several ways today. It begins immediately following the events of The Empire Strikes Back and continues until the final battle of Return of the Jedi, having you play as a talented TIE pilot charged with going after pirates or traitors to the Galactic Empire. It’s a shame that TIE Fighter is no longer canon, as it tells a superb story about what it was like to be an Imperial during the events of the original Star Wars trilogy. The game provides insight into “the bad guys” of Star Wars, showing that most Imperial soldiers weren’t Emperor Palpatine-level evil. It’s a perspective that other Star Wars video games–like Battlefront II and Squadrons–have tried to replicate, but have never quite done as well as TIE Fighter. Star Wars: TIE Fighter is available for PC.
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
Now this is podracing. In the effort to merchandise the absolute poodoo out of the cinematic event that was Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, the film’s memorable podracing scene was turned into a white-knuckle racing game. The movie depicts podracing as, essentially, a soapbox connected to two jet engines, and who wouldn’t want to try that? The game lets you play as Anakin or Sebulba, the two rivals from the movie, along with a bunch of the other weird-looking characters who raced alongside them. Like podracing in the film, you’re looking to beat other racers to the finish line while also avoiding obstacles that can damage your remarkably fragile vessel, and you can pause for repairs but it will cost you valuable time. It’s a fun, different take on the arcade racer.
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
Developer Raven Software’s Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is the third game in the Jedi Knight series, which began with 1995’s Dark Forces. The series follows Kyle Katarn, a mercenary-turned-Jedi who briefly embraces the Dark Side and thus can use all manner of Force abilities. In Jedi Outcast, Kyle has forsaken the Force, only to learn that he needs to reconnect with his Force sensitivity in order to combat a threat posed to the New Republic. Jedi Outcast is the point in the Jedi Knight series where combat fully transitions to a hybrid of shooter and lightsaber combat. That, along with the really good single-player campaign, makes Jedi Outcast the best of the Jedi Knight games. Jedi Outcast also sees Kyle meet with several popular Star Wars characters, like Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian, providing a look at their lives (admittedly, one that is no longer canon) after the events of Return of the Jedi. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is available for PS4, Switch, Xbox, GameCube, and PC.
See our Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast review.
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Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II
The sim-like cockpit action of the TIE Fighter and X-Wing games were fantastic on PC, but for GameCube, the Rogue Squadron games were among the best Star Wars action you could find. The second game, Rogue Leader, let you pilot a variety of iconic Star Wars vessels like the X-Wing and Millenium Falcon, alongside deeper cuts like the B-Wing and T-16 Skyhopper. It even had unlockable missions that let you take the yoke as Darth Vader and shoot down rebel scum. The Rogue Squadron games were known for their quick dogfighting action and impressive setpieces, and Rogue Leader is the best of the bunch.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Developer BioWare’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is beloved by Star Wars fans as one of the best (if not the best) Star Wars games ever made. Set thousands of years prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, KOTOR sees you exploring the Star Wars galaxy in an effort to find a way to stop Darth Malak, a Sith who killed his master, Darth Revan, to take over the Sith armada and launch an invasion against the Galactic Republic and a fractured Jedi Order. Along the way, you recruit new allies, learn Force abilities, and make meaningful choices that influence both how the story ultimately ends and whether you embrace the Light or Dark Side of the Force. KOTOR also introduces some of the best Star Wars characters ever created, such as Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, Twi’lek street urchin Mission Vao, and assassin droid HK-47. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is available on Xbox, Switch, PC, and both Android and iOS devices. A KOTOR remake is currently in development, though release plans have not been announced.
See our Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic review.
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Star Wars: The Old Republic
Developer BioWare Austin’s Star Wars: The Old Republic has come a long way since its launch in 2011–this massively multiplayer online role-playing game is still kicking too, with a thriving playerbase several expansions. Taking place hundreds of years after the events of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, The Old Republic allows you to play through eight distinct storylines during the ongoing conflict between the Sith Empire and Galactic Republic. Each storyline sees you recruiting different squadmates, responding to different moral-based dialogue choices, wielding different weapons and abilities, meeting different characters, and having the chance to fall in love with different romance options. So you basically have eight different story-driven RPGs here, all of which feature missions you can tackle alongside well-written NPC companions or real-world players. Star Wars: The Old Republic is available for PC.
See our Star Wars: The Old Republic review.
Star Wars: Battlefront II
Developer DICE’s Star Wars: Battlefront II (not to be confused with Pandemic Studios’ 2005 game Star Wars: Battlefront II) made an extremely rough first impression in 2017–there aren’t many games that can claim to have a microtransaction controversy prior to their official launch on par with this one. But to the credit of DICE (and support studios Criterion Games and Motive Studios), Battlefront II got substantial post-launch content, balancing updates, bug fixes, and (most importantly) adjustments to how the in-game economy works. It’s now a rewarding game to play, with a decent-but-not-fantastic single-player campaign about an elite Galactic Empire special forces trooper defecting to the New Republic, and an expansive online multiplayer experience with plenty of awesome modes to play. Star Wars: Battlefront II is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
See our Star Wars: Battlefront II review.
Star Wars Tabletop Games
While there are a few different ways to play Star Wars at the table and tell a story of your own alongside friends and some dice, the one that will likely be the easiest to convince your friends to play is Star Wars 5e. As its name implies, Star Wars 5e is an overhaul of Wizard of the Coast’s widely popular Dungeons & Dragons 5e. If you know how to play D&D 5e or 5.5e–which is a pretty good chance if you’re a TTRPG person given the prominence of the game in the hobby–you already have a good understanding of how this free, fan-made reimagining works. In terms of getting a group of friends together to play Star Wars, this is the best option for no other reason than it’s awfully hard to pull D&D diehards away from the system they love so dear. If you’re looking to play in an adventure as long as the stories seen in the likes of The Old Republic, this is the system for you. The focus on granular character creation allows you to create almost any type of person within the Star Wars mythos that you can imagine.
Star Wars 5e
That said, if your group of friends are willing to be more adventurous than D&D, and you’re on the lookout for a system that’s a little bit more official than a fan-made spin-off, Evil Hat Productions legally-distinct Scum and Villainy is a personal favorite of mine. If you liked the idea of Star Wars Outlaws but, like me, were disappointed in the execution of its story, Scum and Villainy is 100% the game you want to jump into, utilizing the simple-to-learn Forged in the Dark engine to deliver tense stories of a motley crew of scoundrels struggling to survive in a galaxy consumed by a civil war between a rebel alliance and a cruel empire, and where strange mystics can attune to a powerful energy that’s within all living things to perform telekinetic feats and sense hidden intent. The focus on quick, session-long stories and the stricter limitations on character creation means this isn’t the best choice for planning a campaign meant to last years and in which the players can literally play as anyone, but it’s perhaps the best option for emulating small arcs that can link together into longer storylines, akin to Star Wars Rebels.
Scum and Villainy
Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
There are very few moments in Star Wars that capture how terrifying Darth Vader is–the final moments of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, his few appearances in Star Wars: Rebels Season 2, and his adventures in Kieron Gillen’s Star Wars: Darth Vader are the standouts. But that overwhelming sense of fear that many feel when standing in Darth Vader’s presence wasn’t fully-realized within video games until developer ILMxLAB’s Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series. You don’t quite realize just how imposingly tall and intimidating Vader is until he’s looming over you and threatening your life. The game’s story takes place in between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One, seeing you play as a smuggler who gets caught up in Darth Vader’s attempts to bring Padmé Amidala back to life. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series is available for Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, and PSVR.
Star Wars: Squadrons
Developer Motive Studios’ Star Wars: Squadrons is fantastic. Though the game’s single-player campaign–which sees you alternate between the newest members of the New Republic’s Vanguard Squadron and the Galactic Empire’s Titan Squadron following the events of Return of the Jedi–isn’t very good beyond acting as a decent story-driven tutorial, online multiplayer is a blast to play. Matches put you into fast-paced 5v5 dogfights where communicating with your team and managing how much energy you’re putting towards your shields, engines, or weapons is just as important as being a good shot. Squadrons is simple to learn but rewards commitment with a high skill ceiling–there are few things as satisfying as finally mastering an advanced maneuver and pulling it off at the end of a match to get the winning kill. Star Wars: Squadrons is available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The PS4 and PC versions can be played in VR.
See our Star Wars: Squadrons review.
Star Wars: Republic Commando Remastered
Developer LucasArts’ Star Wars: Republic Commando was one of the earliest stories to explore the identical faces but vastly different personalities of the soldiers that make up the Galactic Republic’s Clone Army. Aspyr Media’s enhanced port is the same excellent game but with prettier visuals, a better control scheme, and no multiplayer (though Republic Commando’s online multiplayer was never that good to begin with). Despite being an older game–Republic Commando first launched in 2005–it’s still wonderful to get to know the members of Delta Squad (Boss, Scorch, Fixer, and Sev) as the four take part in three special ops missions in between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Star Wars: Republic Commando Remastered is available for PS4 and Switch.
See our Star Wars: Republic Commando Remastered review.
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Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Multiple Lego Star Wars have been released over the years, but the latest iteration is the pinnacle of the sub-series. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker improves on the sturdy foundation that has been built ever since the first game in Traveller’s Tales sprawling Lego series–Lego Star Wars: The Video Game–released in 2005. The Skywalker Saga features a revamped combat system that makes gameplay feel fresh as well as more differentiated character types that add a ton of variety. Additionally, the visuals are markedly improved over previous Lego games. Yes, there are some visual bugs and performance issues that standout more on legacy platforms and Nintendo Switch, but overall The Skywalker Saga has a gorgeous world that’s a joy to explore.
Where The Skywalker Saga really stands out is in its scope. Containing condensed versions of all nine Skywalker Saga films that are grouped by their respective trilogies, this Lego game is a charming romp through more than 40 years of Star Wars stories that features hundreds of characters. The writing is humorous and fun, and it’s as fun as ever to play through cooperatively with family on the couch.
Read our Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga review.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was one of the best Star Wars games in a long time, so the expectations for its sequel were high. Thankfully, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor meets the mark, improving on the solid foundation laid by its predecessor and offering a more well-rounded and refined adventure. Survivor’s lightsaber combat is dynamic and varied thanks to new lightsaber stances and its rewarding parry system that prioritizes skill. A solid checkpoint system and optional hint feature keep platforming sequences and puzzles moving along as well, encouraging you to fully explore the game’s diversity of beautiful locations. All of this is wrapped up and delivered within an impactful narrative that does a much better job of adding depth to protagonist Cal Kestis his second time around, adding nuance to the classic good-versus-evil Star Wars fare. The game really makes you think about what it means to be a hero without losing sight of yourself in the process, a benchmark that all the best Star Wars stories hit.
Read our Star Wars Jedi: Survivor review.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
In the early days of first-person shooters, lots of games aped the style of Wolfenstein and Doom, to varying degrees of success. One of the better outings was Star Wars: Dark Forces, which put you in the role of hired gun Kyle Katarn as he uncovers a sinister plot by the Empire. Though Dark Forces looks very similar to other FPS games of the time, it had some unusual advancements like the ability to look around vertically, swim, duck, and jump. That allowed the level design to incorporate more verticality than usual, which facilitated some tricky environmental puzzles. The story helped make a star out of Katarn by making him instrumental in some events of the original trilogy, while also creating new elements that are still in-canon today like the Dark Trooper program. The recent PC remaster brings it back to life with new features like controller support and a weapon wheel, as well as a lovely facelift.
Star Wars Unlimited
Star Wars has had a storied history with tabletop card games, and the modern incarnation is Star Wars Unlimited. First launched in 2024, it has already seen a steady cadence of expansions, and it takes inspiration from games like Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana to create a TCG with its own space opera identity.
The centerpiece of Unlimited are Leader cards, heroic central characters that create build-around opportunities for your deck. These range from classic heroes like Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, villains such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett, and characters from TV and movie spin-offs like Ahsoka Tano and Cassian Andor. Leader cards are double-sided and can be flipped over to strategically deploy them into battle.
Each player also has their own singular Base card, with a health pool and sometimes its own special ability. Protecting your base, and attacking the enemy base, is the central mechanic of Unlimited play. Most cards also follow a basic color-coding system, with aspects that are often combined. Heroism is white and Villainy is black, and both of them often pair with Command (green), Cunning (yellow), or Vigilance (blue), respectively.
The vastness of the Star Wars universe means that expansions have had lots of room to explore, from Outer Rim scumbags in the Shadows of the Galaxy expansion to Jedi, Sith, and all Force users in between in the Legends of the Force expansion. More expansions have already been announced through the end of the year and it’s hard to imagine the pace will slow any time soon.
Star Wars Outlaws
Most Star Wars experiences, be they movies, games, or whatever else, tend to focus on the obviously cool heroes and villains at the forefront of the series: the Jedi and Sith, the iconic heroes and their classic counterparts. Star Wars Outlaws was made with the clear intention of getting away from that, much like recent Hollywood hits like Andor and Rogue One have done, and though this road less traveled isn’t a guarantee that it’ll be intriguing, Outlaws takes its premise of exploring the lightsaber-free seedy underbelly of Star Wars and runs with it, landing in a space that grew into something cool over time.
In Star Wars Outlaws, you play Kay Vess, who, alongside her “weird little guy” companion, Nyx, finds herself tied up in conflicts with enemies as big as the Empire itself–but more often, as small as a bartender who wants her tossed for disrupting the vibe, or a card shark who doesn’t like to be out-cheated at his own game. Outlaws is like Star Wars doing a grimier, slimier Ocean’s Eleven, complete with the assembly of your heist team and all the double-crossings and twists you’d expect from that sort of thing.
In gameplay terms, Outlaws wears the shape of a modern Tomb Raider, offering several open-world maps in between linear missions with explosive setpieces. It’s a Ubisoft game, so there are a lot of map icons to chase down, but unlike in some of the developer-publisher’s games, here these side attractions are a lot of fun and feel meaningful, as unlocking many of the game’s skills is tied to exploring every winding path across the galaxy.
Outlaws had its issues out of the gate, namely some stealth sections that were frustrating and some jankier bits that needed post-launch patches, but a few years on from that stumbly debut, it stands as an excitingly differently flavored Star Wars game. While many still mourn the idea of Star Wars 1313 never coming to fruition, Outlaws is a great consolation prize in the form of an adept third-person shooter full of personality.
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