'Aliens: The Video Games' author Mike Diver on overlooked Alien games, tracking down retro game developers, and the future of the Xenomorph (interview)

August 25, 2026 - 23:14

We recently sat down with author Mike Diver to talk about his new book, which attempts to catalog every single video game based on the Alien franchise. It is a massive undertaking, covering everything from the iconic Atari 2600 title to the more obscure and often forgotten entries. Diver, who has spent years in the gaming press, says the project started as a simple curiosity about the gaps in gaming history.

According to Diver, the most fascinating part of the research was tracking down the original developers of these retro games. Many of these people have left the industry, and some are hard to find. He described the process as detective work, involving old email addresses, forum posts, and even physical addresses from the 1980s. He was surprised by how open most developers were to talking, especially about projects that were commercial failures or critically panned at the time.

The conversation also turned to the future of the Xenomorph in gaming. Diver believes that the creature works best when it is a singular, unstoppable force, rather than a horde of enemies. He pointed to the upcoming Alien: Isolation sequel as a promising sign, noting that the tension of hiding from one perfect organism is far more terrifying than shooting dozens of them. He also mentioned that there are still many obscure titles, like the 1996 Sega Saturn game, that deserve a second look from modern audiences. The book aims to give those overlooked games their due, arguing that even the worst Alien game has a story worth telling.