Key Takeaways

• MindJack poorly executes mind control in a drab third-person shooter.
• Bioshock offers fun mind control mechanics through plasmids.
• Streets of Rogue provides creative freedom with alien mind control.

Games with mind control powers are a rarity, but there are some fantastic depictions of the power if you know where to look.

If you want to use your opponents to do your dirty work, here’s a selection of games that do it best.

10 MindJack

Do We Really Need To Talk About This One?

MindJack is a sci-fi shooter that Square Enix likely wishes they had never published. For the record, I think the game is atrocious. However, mind control is a big part of it, so let’s take a look.

In many ways, MindJack feels like a game desperate to hop on the Gears of War craze. There are waist-high walls galore, and you even snap to cover.

You can “down” enemies just like Gears, but the difference is you can use your Mind Slave ability to make them stand up and fight for you. Alternatively, you can “Mind Jack” them to gain complete control over their actions.

It sounds great as a premise, but the execution is laughably poor. The controls feel terrible, the levels are uninspired, there are bugs galore, and the graphics are drab and uninspired.

Thankfully, plenty of other games with mind control are worth your time and money.

9 Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

An Underrated Gem

I’m not using this entry to rag on MindJack again, but the funniest part about that title is there was a game from the previous console generation that’s similar but better in every way.

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy is an impressive 3D sci-fi adventure game on the PlayStation 2. You play as Nick Scryer, a gifted soldier with amnesia.

Sure, the premise isn’t original, but Nick’s powers are so fun to use that it doesn’t even matter. Nick has telekinetic abilities, and levels are full of stuff he can throw at enemies. He can even pick his foes up and shoot them in mid-air!

It’s twisted when you think about it, but Nick can even control the minds of his opponents and coax them into walking off ledges. If you don’t mind going back in time for your sci-fi mind-controlling shenanigans, you can’t do much better than this.

8 Bioshock

The Power Of Plasmids

Bioshock is an FPS masterpiece set in the haunting underwater city of Rapture.

The hulking drill-armed brutes that roam Rapture are called Big Daddies, and there’s a Plasmid (ability) in the game simply called “Hypnotize Big Daddy.”

You can guess the rest. Big Daddies fiercely protect Rapture’s Little Sisters, and that loyalty is briefly passed on to you instead.

There’s nothing better than a mobile tank as a friend when Splicers are about, and why fight them when you can use them to do your dirty work?

Mind control in Bioshock is a bit basic, hence the low placement, but it is fun and satisfying nonetheless.

Bioshock is full of fun mechanics thanks to its Plasmid system, and absolutely worth playing if you’ve not done so already.

7 Streets of Rogue

The World Is Your Playground

Streets of Rogue is a fantastic Roguelite, offering a level of freedom you rarely see in the genre.

In Streets of Rogue, you’re tasked with simple objectives like stealing an item or eliminating a specific target. Kill missions are straightforward but risky. Sure, you could do it yourself or bribe someone to do your dirty work, but Streets of Rogue always rewards creative thinking.

For example, the alien has a special ability where you gain complete control over an NPC’s actions. You can use them to commit mass murder and break into safes. You could also act like a normal person, head to the bar, and grab something to eat.

You can devise all sorts of nefarious schemes in Streets of Rogue, and Alien mind control is one of many ways to get the job done.

6 Inside

Spoilers Incoming

Inside is an incredible 2D adventure game by Playdead Studios. I debated putting it on the list as we’re delving into spoiler territory, so you may want to skip this one if you haven’t played.

Many aspects of Inside are left to interpretation, but your mind control abilities are a huge part of the game.

Whenever you don a specific helmet, nearby creatures will obey your every command. You can use them to help with heavy doors, and they can even throw you over pitfalls and obstacles. People under your influence move when you do, and you must think outside the box to ferry them to the right place at the right time.

The most intricate puzzles involve controlling multiple people simultaneously, and you’ll need all the help you can get to survive Inside‘s twisted world.

Inside is an unforgettable title from start to finish and is short enough that you can enjoy it even on a busy schedule.

5 Second Sight

Another Free Radical Banger

Most gamers know Free Radical as the developers of the legendary Timesplitters series, but far fewer know about their impressive single-player title.

Second Sight puts you in the shoes of John Vattic, who has no memory of his past. During your adventure, you unlock a deadly array of psychic powers, including telekinesis. You can fling enemies around like rag dolls and even vanish with Vattic’s Charm ability.

John can also straight up “possess” people, granting him complete control of his victims. As long as he’s uninterrupted, he can cause complete carnage from relative safety, and the power even works on allies, too!

Second Sight is one of those fantastic hidden gems in the PlayStation 2 library, and you can see many Timesplitters influences in the character designs, animations, and music.

4 Super Mario Odyssey

Of Course It’s A Cute Hat With Eyes

Super Mario Odyssey is a phenomenal 3D platformer and a must-have for any Nintendo Switch owner.

There’s usually a gimmick in Super Mario games, and it’s his hat, Cappy, this time around. Mario can throw Cappy at enemies to take control of them, each with quirks and abilities.

For example, you can use Banzai Bills to fly across large areas and Podoboo to safely swim in lava. You can even control a T. rex because, of course, you can.

Each creature feels entirely different to use, and many collectibles are only obtainable through mastery of this new ability. Mind control is one of the main mechanics in Odyssey and offers countless ways to tackle obstacles and hazards.

3 Driver: San Francisco

An Underrated Driving Game

The Driver series may be infamous for one of the most hellish introductory levels in gaming history, but the PS3 entry proves the developers weren’t afraid to think outside the box.

Driver: San Francisco is a vehicular action game with a premise you won’t find in any other title in the genre. You play as Tanner, who’s put into a coma after a horrific car accident. When he recovers, Tanner awakens a supernatural ability called “shifting,” which allows him to control the consciousness of any driver in the city.

The Shift power means you can get behind the wheel of any car in the game at any time, and it’s awesome! The story takes full advantage of your new-found ability, and it’s a joy just roaming the city jacking people’s minds because you like their car.

The concept seems so wacky compared to the previous games that are grounded in realism, and it’s a tonal shift that we would never see any established IP take today.

2 Red Alert 2: Yuri’s Revenge

“Our” Mammoth Tank

I praised Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 in our Strategy Games for Beginners list as it’s a superb entry point to the genre. The DLC also features a powerful commander whose entire arsenal is based on mind control.

Yuri is a fearsome antagonist who governs a new faction in Red Alert 2. All of his units and structures are unique, with mind control at the forefront of his game plan.

You can literally steal enemy units as Yuri, and he can even appear on the battlefield himself as the omnipotent Yuri Prime.

Yuri isn’t phased by trivial things like morality. On top of his mind control powers, he deploys units like the Slave Miner to generate income and even uses mutated soldiers.

If that’s not a terrifying combination, I don’t know what is.

1 Oddworld Abe’s Exodus

Don’t Mess With A Mudukon

Oddworld: Abe’s Exodus may be older than New ‘n’ Tasty, but it still has some of the best mind control mechanics in gaming. I’ve included two Oddworld games because both are worthy of your time, but wow, Exodus is in a league of its own!

Abe’s possession abilities got a massive upgrade in his second outing. Abe can now possess wildlife, like Paramites and Scrabs. Don’t worry; the critters of Oddworld survive the mind-control, unlike Sligs in Oddysee.

He can even control Slogs (angry dogs with LOTS of teeth) and the Glukkons who run Soulstorm Brewery.

The best part about possession in Abe’s Exodus is how the power is woven into gameplay. Mind control puzzles are well-thought-out, and you can use the ability to approach the same scenario in multiple ways.

Oh, did I mention that Abe can possess explosive farts this time around? I’m dead serious.