Mars, a new home for the human race, is not as life-less as we thought. The player in UFO: Afterlight will have to conquer various Mars territories, fight alien armies, research new technologies and extra-terrestrial artifacts and slowly turn Mars into a green and living planet. The compelling story-line presents several routes for the player to take, with possibility to form alliances in the strategy part of the game, and fight alien forces in turn-based tactical battles.