The Best Star Trek Games Available Right Now

Star Trek has to be one of the longest lived and compelling media franchises ever and shows no signs of slowing down or giving up. After more than 50 years boldly going where no man has gone before, the rich pool of novels, TV shows, games and movies are still coming.

One of the best mediums for Star Trek is the computer game. Like all franchises, Star Trek includes the good and the bad. There is some mediocre in there but we quickly forget about those. As a big fan myself, I tend to at least try any new Star Trek game to see if it is any good on release. Unfortunately, most of the time they are not but occasionally, they are. With that in mind, here are what I think are the best Star Trek games available right now.

Star Trek Voyager – Elite Force – 2000 PC/PS2

Star Trek Voyager – Elite Force was released 17 years ago on both the PC and PlayStation 2. It is probably the best Star Trek game out there despite its age. With good production values, great writing, good graphics, challenging enemies and interesting levels, there is everything here the gamer needs to have a good time.

While Voyager didn’t get the accolades it deserved, it was still a credible series and this game took the best of that.

Star Trek Online – 2010 PC

Whatever your opinion of missed opportunities, Star Trek Online is still going 7 years after launch. While it wasn’t what we all wanted from an MMO and certainly not from a Star Trek MMO, it wasn’t that bad either. With solid RPG elements, good character progression and excellent space battles, there is a lot to like about this game. A few cameos and voiceovers from the casts helps build atmosphere too.

Star Trek The Next Generation A Final Unity – 1995 PC/Mac

The catchy title isn’t the only thing to like about Star Trek The Next Generation A Final Unity. It was a credible Next Generation game that took a story-driven approach. It’s a point and click RPG where you play as Captain Picard who is tasked with investigating some goings on between Romulans and an as-yet unmet species. It was intriguing, well written and a serious time sink.

Star Trek Bridge Commander – 2002 PC

Until Star Trek Bridge Crew arrives, Star Trek Bridge Commander is the closest you will ever be to sitting in the captain’s chair on the Enterprise. You captain the USS Dauntless and have to investigate the explosion of a nearby sun and solve an issue with the Cardassians. Highlights include the great writing and voiceovers from both Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner as their respective characters.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine The Fallen – 2000 PC/Mac

Star Trek Deep Space Nine The Fallen takes on another series that didn’t do quite as well as it should have done. However the game is much better. This is a third person action game with RPG elements. You play as either Captain Sisko, Major Kira or Lt. Commander Worf and have to find three red orbs with the power to destroy the universe. Fortunately, the actual game is much better than that premise!

Star Trek Starfleet Command – 1999 PC

Star Trek Starfleet Command was a board game conversion that took Star Fleet Battles and made them real. It’s a ship-based game where you play solo or multiplayer and is still one of my favorite Star Trek games to date. Not only was this a great game, it launched a community and hundreds of mods that kept the game going far longer than anticipated. To my mind it was one of the first games that continued to live on thanks to community dedication.

Star Trek The Next Generation Birth of the Federation – 1999 PC

Long before Stellaris brought us huge universes and made us try to control it all, Star Trek The Next Generation Birth of the Federation had us doing it all in the Alpha Quadrant. This game was huge and included the usual shipbuilding, tech, diplomacy, resource management and more. It also integrated all our Star Trek favorites into the mix.

Star Trek Klingon Academy – 2000 PC

Star Trek Klingon Academy took Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and ran with it. It developed Commander Chang and put you in the shoes of the Klingons instead of the Federation for once. The result is a 3D starship combat game that included video of equal quality to the movie. The game follows Commander Chang as he rises to power and teaches the next generation of Klingon warriors in the art of space warfare.

Star Trek Armada -2000 PC

Star Trek Armada takes space battles up a level. Rather than being a mere captain controlling a ship, you are now an admiral controlling a fleet of them. This is a real time strategy with tactical space combat that sees you fighting the Borg, Romulans and the Dominion. The highlight is definitely taking on the Borg but the game as a whole is pretty good and includes ships from three series including The Next Generation.

Star Trek Starfleet Command III – 2002 PC

Star Trek: Starfleet Command III took lessons learned from Star Trek: Starfleet Command and II and built a solid game out of them. It’s a good mix of ship management, strategy and customization. A new UI made the whole experience much better and the ability to customize and change the look and feel of the ship was excellent. With the RPG element of character development, the game had all the ingredients necessary to make it well worth playing.

Star Trek Bridge Crew – 2017 PC

While the title says ‘The best Star Trek games available right now’, I couldn’t help but include what must be the most exciting news in Star Trek games in over a decade. A new game, Star Trek Bridge Crew is coming this year and will be available in VR. It’s a multiplayer game where you take the position of bridge officer during a series of missions. You can play alone but it looks like you need three other players to get the full experience. I can’t wait!