Few games carry as much history as this one. Atari paid heavily for the rights to Steven Spielberg's film and gave designer Howard Scott Warshaw, fresh from Yars' Revenge and Raiders of the Lost Ark, about five weeks to finish it for the 1982 holiday season. Millions of unsold and returned cartridges ended up buried in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico, in 1983, a story that became legend until a 2014 excavation dug some of them back up.
The game is more ambitious than its reputation suggests. As E.T., you search a set of connected screens for the three pieces of an interplanetary phone, many hidden at the bottom of pits, while a scientist and an FBI agent try to catch you. An energy meter drains with every step, Reese's Pieces restore it, and Elliott can help. Icons at the top of the screen tell you which power the fire button will trigger in each spot. Once the phone is complete you call home and race to the landing zone.
Tips for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Watch the zone icon at the top of the screen; it shows what pressing fire will do in that area.
To climb out of a pit, hold fire and push up to levitate, then move sideways before letting go.
Energy runs out fast, so eat Reese's Pieces as you find them and avoid unnecessary walking.
How to Play Et The Extra Terrestrial
Click Play Now to launch Et The Extra Terrestrial directly in your browser — no downloads or plugins needed. Arrows move E.T., and Z activates the power shown by the current zone icon, including levitating out of pits. Enter resets the game. You can also connect a USB or Bluetooth gamepad for a more authentic feel.
Save states let you save your progress at any point. Create a free account to sync saves across devices. Press F11 for fullscreen mode.
Click the "Play Now" button to start playing Et The Extra Terrestrial directly in your browser. No downloads or installations are needed — the game runs instantly using our built-in emulator.
Is Et The Extra Terrestrial free to play?
Yes, Et The Extra Terrestrial is completely free to play on RetroVault.GG. Just visit the game page and start playing in your browser.
What console is Et The Extra Terrestrial for?
Et The Extra Terrestrial is a Atari 2600 title. Our browser-based emulator lets you experience it exactly as it was on the original hardware — no console required.
What genre is Et The Extra Terrestrial?
Et The Extra Terrestrial is a action game. It was made for the Atari 2600.
Can I play Et The Extra Terrestrial on my phone?
Et The Extra Terrestrial is fully playable on mobile devices. Open this page in your phone's browser and tap Play Now — touch controls appear automatically.