Amidst the assortment of superhuman abilities, few capture the imagination quite like telekinesis, mind-reading, or straight-up brain-bending domination. Games that hand players psychic abilities scratch the fantasy of hurling objects, warping reality itself, and outsmarting enemies simply by taking over their brains.
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Some games approach this task with comic-book flair, while others are more eerie and unsettling, but they all give players the thrill of being an unstoppable force whose weapon isn’t muscle alone. These games showcase not only the potential of psychic powers in gameplay but also narratively explore what it means to wield them. Here are several great games where players step into the shoes of extraordinary psychics.
Second Sight
Seeing Double Is Just The Start
Second Sight
- Released
- September 3, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox (Original), GameCube
A blend of third-person stealth with supernatural abilities in a story that balances espionage with psychic experimentation, Second Sight has players take control of John Vattic, a psychic who wakes up in a medical facility with no memory. The game cleverly alternates between flashback sequences of military missions and the present day, slowly unraveling how John ended up as a test subject.
While it mostly focuses on cover-based sneaking, the psychic toolkit keeps enemy encounters unpredictable. It’s possible to pull a guard off a ledge or throw a crate across a room without breaking stealth. This combination of grounded military thriller and surreal power fantasy sets Second Sight apart from other mid-2000s shooters.
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
Mind Over Matter, Literally
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy
- Released
- June 14, 2004
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Midway Games
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, a fondly remembered cult classic, gives players an arsenal of psychic powers that somehow feel physical. Telekinesis lets them pick up enemies and throw them into walls, pyrokinesis can light up whole squads, and remote viewing allows scouting behind walls. It feels more like a toybox of psychic mayhem than a shooter.
The story revolves around a war against a rogue psychic organization, and though it received mixed reactions, the rest of the game more than makes up for it. What's stuck with players all these years and why Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is remembered so fondly is how the gameplay felt satisfyingly tactile, especially when compared to other shooters from 2004. Even today, it comes up in the discussion of "Why don't they make more games like this?"
Control
The Bureau Of Strange Happenings
Control
- Released
- August 27, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Mature: Blood, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Remedy Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action, Third-Person Shooter, Supernatural
Jesse Faden turns psychic powers into a stylish spectacle in Control. As the newly appointed director of the Federal Bureau of Control, players navigate the surreal architecture of the Oldest House. Telekinetic abilities are the star of the show, allowing players to rip out concrete chunks from the walls and fling them at enemies, take flight, or shield themselves with debris.
Along with the mechanics, the game also sticks the landing in tone. Bureau files and cryptic conversations ground the absurdity, but the real fun is still in dashing mid-air and raining rocks, chairs, and tables upon foes in a super-powered tantrum.
Psychonauts
A Trip Inside The Mind
Psychonauts
- Released
- April 19, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Double Fine
- Genre(s)
- 3D Platformer
Psychonauts uses its psychic concept for humor and imagination rather than gritty fantasy. As a runaway circus acrobat named Razputin, players dive into the minds of a whole host of eccentric characters. Each mental world is a reflection of its host: a conspiracy nut’s paranoia becomes a maze of shifting streets, while an artist’s noodle becomes a neon velvet theater.
The gameplay integrates powers like levitation, telekinesis, and pyrokinesis into movement and puzzle solving for a fleshed-out platforming adventure. What makes Psychonauts a timeless classic is the creativity with which it ties psychic powers into not just its gameplay but also the story and environment. Every brain that players enter has its own personality, and Raz’s growing mastery of his abilities feels as much about gaining empathy as acquiring power.
Galerians
Painful Gifts Come At A Cost
Galerians
- Released
- March 29, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Polygon Magic
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Horror
As a contrast to Psychonauts’ playful charm, Galerians takes bleakness to the extreme. Released on PlayStation in 1999, the story follows Rion, a boy who discovers he has devastating psychic abilities. Unlike other titles, though, the powers here carry risk, with every ability causing physical strain. Overusing them can cause Rion to collapse, making gameplay a constant balancing of risk and reward.
The powers themselves are destructive and disturbing, too, from spontaneously combusting enemies to hurling them across rooms like ragdolls. With a unique survival horror pacing and grim cyberpunk story about human experimentation, Galerians frames psychic powers not as fun and exciting but as something dangerous and dehumanizing.
Destroy All Humans! (2020)
Brain Waves, Laser Beams
Destroy All Humans!
- Released
- July 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Black Forest Games, Pandemic Studios
For a less dark experience, look towards Destroy All Humans!. Cryptosporodium-137, aka "Crypto," has both alien tech and a knack for mind tricks, using them all to terrorize 1950s America. Read minds, levitate cows, or, most devilish of all, force humans to dance against their will! The tongue-in-cheek chaos will have players rubbing their hands with glee, thinking of new ways to cause trauma and mayhem.
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Psychic powers aren’t just a secondary add-on to the arsenal of weapons at Crypto's disposal; they’re central to the charm. Letting players mix alien weaponry with absurd mental domination, Destroy All Humans! May be the only game that lets players throw a tank into a herd of cows while listening to a farmer think about pie.
Scarlet Nexus
Red Strings Attached
Scarlet Nexus
- Released
- June 25, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Scarlet Nexus decorates psychic powers with anime flair. Or rather, in this world, they’re psionic powers called “psychokinesis.” As one of two playable characters, Yuito or Kasane, players battle grotesque mutants known as Others using a mix of weapon attacks and tossing environmental objects mid-fight with psychic abilities. Chairs, cars, and vending machines are all part of the arsenal, turning every battle into a stylish, destructible set piece.
What sets the game apart is the party system that lets players borrow the psychic abilities of teammates to expand their moveset. Layering powers like teleportation or invisibility adds strategy to the debris-tossing madness. Paired with its dual-story campaign and futuristic setting, Scarlet Nexus delivers on both depth and spectacle.
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