Polygon’s piece on how Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is reshaping Captain Kirk made one thing clear: the franchise has more confident creative voices than it has had in twenty years, and the appetite for sitting in the captain’s chair is back. Most of that pull lives in TV episodes, which is a tough thing to scratch when we want to actually do something. The desktop Star Trek catalogue is wider than a quick search suggests, but it leans on a few flagships plus a deep cult library. We ranked seven Star Trek games available for Windows (most also on macOS and Linux through Steam Play) from the modern MMO to the classics that still hold up.
What to look for in a Star Trek game
Star Trek games split into a few honest categories, and picking by category beats picking by year:
- Captain’s chair simulators where the loop is bridge command, away missions, and diplomacy.
- Tactical or grand-strategy games where the federation is one faction among many.
- Tie-in shooters and adventure titles that use the IP for setting and story.
- Older catalogue gems that still run cleanly on modern Windows or through dedicated patches.
A few practical notes for 2026: most current Star Trek games are Windows-first. Linux and macOS support is uneven, and the older catalogue often needs Steam Play, ScummVM, or a community patch.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Year | Free | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Trek Online | Free Star Trek MMO | 2010 | Yes (F2P) | F2P + cosmetics |
| Star Trek: Resurgence | Narrative adventure | 2023 | No | $39.99 |
| Star Trek: Infinite | Grand strategy (Stellaris core) | 2023 | No | $39.99 |
| Star Trek: Bridge Crew | Co-op bridge sim (VR or flat) | 2017 | No | $29.99 |
| Star Trek: 25th Anniversary | Classic adventure | 1992/2015 | No | $9.99 |
| Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force | FPS in the Trek universe | 2000 | No | $9.99 |
| Star Trek: Bridge Commander | Tactical bridge sim | 2002 | No | $9.99 (GOG) |
1. Star Trek Online — Best free way into Star Trek
Star Trek Online is the long-running free-to-play MMO that still gets new featured episodes built around the current shows. The 2026 season ties into Strange New Worlds and gives us a captain to run from the Discovery, TNG, or DS9 eras.
Where it falls short: The economy nudges hard toward the C-store, and the older systems show their age in places.
Pricing: Free to play. Optional ship and cosmetic purchases from the C-store. Most content opens up at level cap without paying.
Platforms: Windows. Works on macOS and Linux through Crossover or Proton with minor tuning.
Download: Star Trek Online site · Steam
Bottom line: Pick Star Trek Online if a free starting point with hundreds of hours of content sounds right.
2. Star Trek: Resurgence — Best modern narrative
Star Trek: Resurgence is a Telltale-style narrative adventure built by ex-Telltale staff at Dramatic Labs. The story sits between Nemesis and Picard and follows a first officer aboard the U.S.S. Resolute, with choice-driven dialogue and occasional action beats.
Where it falls short: Eight to ten hours per playthrough. The visual fidelity is uneven across scenes.
Pricing: $39.99 on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Platforms: Windows. macOS via Crossover with mixed results.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Resurgence for a well-written modern Trek story we can finish in a weekend.
3. Star Trek: Infinite — Best grand strategy
Star Trek: Infinite is built on the Stellaris engine by Paradox subsidiary Nimble Giant. We pick the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, or Cardassians, and the galactic neighbourhood is mapped out with familiar species in the right corners.
Where it falls short: Lighter than Stellaris itself. Players who already own Stellaris with the Star Trek New Horizons mod may not find enough new here.
Pricing: $39.99 standard. Frequent Paradox-sale discounts.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Infinite if Stellaris-style 4X play sounds right and we want a curated Trek galaxy out of the box.
4. Star Trek: Bridge Crew — Best for co-op bridge play
Star Trek: Bridge Crew puts four players in seats on the bridge of the Aegis or the original Enterprise, each running a station. The flat-screen mode works fine, but the game shines in VR with three friends.
Where it falls short: Servers are sparse outside scheduled play. Finding randoms is unreliable.
Pricing: $29.99 on Steam. The Next Generation DLC adds the Enterprise-D and runs $14.99.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick Bridge Crew for a co-op night with three friends who agree to commit ahead of time.
5. Star Trek: 25th Anniversary — Best classic adventure
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary is the 1992 point-and-click adventure that put us in command of the original Enterprise across a season’s worth of episode-shaped missions. The 2015 re-release on Steam runs cleanly on modern Windows and includes both DOS and CD-ROM versions.
Where it falls short: Combat scenes age the worst. The mouse interface feels of its era.
Pricing: $9.99 on Steam. Frequently under $3 in sales.
Platforms: Windows. Runs on macOS and Linux via ScummVM with manual setup.
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick 25th Anniversary if classic Trek storytelling matters more than current graphics.
6. Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force — Best Trek shooter
Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force is the Quake III-engine FPS where we play a member of Voyager’s elite Hazard Team. The voice cast includes most of the original Voyager actors, and the missions feel like proper episode plots.
Where it falls short: Modern resolution requires community patches. Multiplayer servers are nearly empty.
Pricing: $9.99 on GOG. Bundles drop it lower.
Platforms: Windows. Linux via Proton or native source ports.
Download: GOG
Bottom line: Pick Elite Force for a shooter that respects Voyager more than most tie-ins respected their shows.
7. Star Trek: Bridge Commander — Best tactical ship combat
Star Trek: Bridge Commander lets us captain a Galaxy-class or Sovereign-class ship in tactical first-person bridge combat. We give orders to the helm, weapons, and engineering, and the bridge crew runs them. The community has kept the game alive with engine patches and ship mods.
Where it falls short: Original installer needs community patches to run cleanly on modern Windows. Not on Steam.
Pricing: $9.99 on GOG. Community mods are free.
Platforms: Windows. Linux through Proton with patches.
Download: GOG
Bottom line: Pick Bridge Commander for the cult-classic captain’s chair simulation that everyone still asks for a remake of.
How to pick the right one
If we want a free starting point: Star Trek Online.
If we want one strong story over a weekend: Star Trek: Resurgence.
If we want grand strategy: Star Trek: Infinite.
If we have three friends and a VR headset: Star Trek: Bridge Crew.
If we want a slower, story-first classic: Star Trek: 25th Anniversary.
If we want to play a Trek FPS that respects its source: Voyager - Elite Force.
If we want to sit in the captain’s chair: Bridge Commander.
FAQ
What is the best free Star Trek game? Star Trek Online. It runs free-to-play, gets new featured episodes regularly, and there is enough content to never need to spend a dollar.
Are there modern Star Trek games? Yes. Star Trek: Resurgence (2023) and Star Trek: Infinite (2023) are the two most recent. Star Trek Online continues to release seasonal content.
Is Star Trek Online on Mac? No native Mac client. It runs on macOS through CrossOver or Whisky with manual setup, and on Apple Silicon through Game Porting Toolkit with mixed results.
Are the classic Star Trek games on GOG? Yes. Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, Star Trek: Judgement Rites, Star Trek: Starfleet Command series, and Star Trek: Bridge Commander are all on GOG.
What Star Trek game lets me captain a ship? Star Trek Online, Star Trek: Infinite, and Star Trek: Bridge Commander each give us a ship to command. Bridge Commander is the most direct captain’s chair simulation.
