Dive into the legendary world of Half-Life, a groundbreaking game series that revolutionized first-person shooters and storytelling in gaming. From the mysterious scientist Gordon Freeman to the iconic crowbar and the catastrophic resonant cascade, this quiz challenges your knowledge of one of gaming’s most influential franchises.
Whether you’re a seasoned fan reliving the thrilling moments or a newcomer eager to explore the Half-Life universe, these questions will test how well you know its development, story, and spin-offs. Put your skills to the test and see if you can unlock the secrets behind Valve’s masterpiece.
Once you’ve mastered this quiz, don’t stop there! Challenge yourself with general knowledge trivia, sharpen your wits on video game trivia, or delve into the future with science fiction trivia. Adventure awaits in every quiz!
Who developed and published Half-Life?
Blizzard
Blizzard
Valve
Valve
Bethesda Game Studios
Bethesda Game Studios
id Software
id Software
When was the first Half-Life game released?
December 25, 1999
December 25, 1999
October 31, 1998
October 31, 1998
November 19, 1998
November 19, 1998
May 1, 1997
May 1, 1997
What type of games are Half-Life games classified as?
Role-playing games
Role-playing games
First-person shooter games
First-person shooter games
Action-adventure games
Action-adventure games
Real-time strategy games
Real-time strategy games
What is the name of the scientist whose perspective the player takes in Half-Life?
Eli Vance
Eli Vance
Isaac Kleiner
Isaac Kleiner
Gordon Freeman
Gordon Freeman
Barney Calhoun
Barney Calhoun
What is an iconic melee weapon in Half-Life?
The Crowbar
The Crowbar
The Stun Baton
The Stun Baton
The Gravity Gun
The Gravity Gun
The Knife
The Knife
What visual symbol corresponds to the name Half-Life?
The Greek letter lambda
The Greek letter lambda
A biological hazard symbol
A biological hazard symbol
A stylized eye
A stylized eye
The letter G
The letter G
What is the series logo for Half-Life?
A green skull
A green skull
An orange lambda
An orange lambda
A blue crowbar
A blue crowbar
A red target icon
A red target icon
Where is Half-Life set?
City 17 in Eastern Europe
City 17 in Eastern Europe
Area 51 in Nevada, USA
Area 51 in Nevada, USA
Aperture Science Laboratories in Michigan, USA
Aperture Science Laboratories in Michigan, USA
Black Mesa Research Facility in New Mexico, USA
Black Mesa Research Facility in New Mexico, USA
What catastrophic event occurs in Half-Life, opening a portal between Earth and Xen?
Dimensional Rift Collapse
Dimensional Rift Collapse
Resonance Cascade
Resonance Cascade
Black Mesa Incident
Black Mesa Incident
Portal Storm
Portal Storm
Who is the mysterious figure who regularly appears in Half-Life, monitoring Freeman’s progress?
The G-Man
The G-Man
Odessa Cubbage
Odessa Cubbage
Dr. Arne Magnusson
Dr. Arne Magnusson
Wallace Breen
Wallace Breen
How does Half-Life tell its story?
Via a narrator explaining the plot
Via a narrator explaining the plot
Mainly through journal entries and audio logs
Mainly through journal entries and audio logs
Through scripted sequences integrated into the game rather than cutscene intermissions
Through scripted sequences integrated into the game rather than cutscene intermissions
Entirely through pre-rendered cutscenes
Entirely through pre-rendered cutscenes
What new engine did Valve develop for Half-Life 2?
Unreal Engine 4
Unreal Engine 4
id Tech 4
id Tech 4
Havok Engine
Havok Engine
Source
Source
When was Half-Life 2 released?
March 10, 2004
March 10, 2004
November 16, 2004
November 16, 2004
September 22, 2005
September 22, 2005
February 3, 2003
February 3, 2003
What does Half-Life 2 focus on?
Building and managing a research facility
Building and managing a research facility
Exploring outer space and alien civilizations
Exploring outer space and alien civilizations
A more dystopian setting, stronger focus on characters, and physics-based gameplay
A more dystopian setting, stronger focus on characters, and physics-based gameplay
Large-scale military combat and tactics
Large-scale military combat and tactics
How many years after Half-Life is Half-Life 2 set?
Ten years
Ten years
Twenty years
Twenty years
Fifty years
Fifty years
Five years
Five years
What are the names of the two episodic sequels to Half-Life 2?
Portal and Portal 2
Portal and Portal 2
Episode One and Episode Two
Episode One and Episode Two
Raising the Bar and The Final Hours
Raising the Bar and The Final Hours
Half-Life: Blue Shift and Half-Life: Opposing Force
Half-Life: Blue Shift and Half-Life: Opposing Force
When was Half-Life 2: Episode One released?
2005
2005
2006
2006
2007
2007
2004
2004
When was Half-Life 2: Episode Two released?
2007
2007
2005
2005
2008
2008
2006
2006
What other game series is set in the same universe as Half-Life?
Left 4 Dead series
Left 4 Dead series
Portal series
Portal series
Team Fortress series
Team Fortress series
Counter-Strike series
Counter-Strike series
When was the first Portal game released?
October 10, 2007
October 10, 2007
April 19, 2011
April 19, 2011
March 23, 2020
March 23, 2020
November 16, 2004
November 16, 2004
When was Portal 2 released?
September 2, 2009
September 2, 2009
April 19, 2011
April 19, 2011
October 10, 2007
October 10, 2007
March 23, 2020
March 23, 2020
What is Half-Life: Alyx?
A fighting game
A fighting game
An online multiplayer arena game
An online multiplayer arena game
A real-time strategy game
A real-time strategy game
A virtual reality (VR) game
A virtual reality (VR) game
Who is the protagonist of Half-Life: Alyx?
Barney Calhoun
Barney Calhoun
GLaDOS
GLaDOS
Gordon Freeman
Gordon Freeman
Alyx Vance
Alyx Vance
What is Half-Life: Alyx a prequel to, and by how many years?
Half-Life 2: Episode Two, two years
Half-Life 2: Episode Two, two years
Half-Life, ten years
Half-Life, ten years
Portal, one year
Portal, one year
Half-Life 2, five years
Half-Life 2, five years
What game did Valve release on March 23, 2020?
Half-Life: Alyx
Half-Life: Alyx
Portal 3
Portal 3
Half-Life 3
Half-Life 3
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 2
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 2
What new engine was Half-Life: Alyx developed using?
Unreal Engine 5
Unreal Engine 5
Source 2 engine
Source 2 engine
Unity Engine
Unity Engine
Fox Engine
Fox Engine
What military force is dispatched to cover up the incident in Half-Life?
Black Ops
Black Ops
Unified Protection Force
Unified Protection Force
Hazardous Environment Combat Unit (HECU)
Hazardous Environment Combat Unit (HECU)
Combine Overwatch
Combine Overwatch
What computer games, novella, and TV episode inspired Half-Life’s plot?
Deus Ex and Bioshock, Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End, and Star Trek episode ‘The City on the Edge of Forever’
Deus Ex and Bioshock, Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End, and Star Trek episode ‘The City on the Edge of Forever’
System Shock and Unreal, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, and The Twilight Zone episode ‘The Invaders’
System Shock and Unreal, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, and The Twilight Zone episode ‘The Invaders’
Fallout and S.T.A.L.K.E.R., H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, and Doctor Who episode ‘Blink’
Fallout and S.T.A.L.K.E.R., H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, and Doctor Who episode ‘Blink’
Doom and Quake, Stephen King’s The Mist, and The Outer Limits episode ‘The Borderland’
Doom and Quake, Stephen King’s The Mist, and The Outer Limits episode ‘The Borderland’
Who developed and expanded the plot of Half-Life?
Ken Birdwell
Ken Birdwell
Marc Laidlaw
Marc Laidlaw
Erik Wolpaw
Erik Wolpaw
Gabe Newell
Gabe Newell
What modified version of the Quake engine does Half-Life use?
Source
Source
id Tech 3
id Tech 3
GoldSrc
GoldSrc
LithTech
LithTech
What engine did Valve Software license from id Software for Half-Life?
Build engine
Build engine
Doom engine
Doom engine
Wolfenstein 3D engine
Wolfenstein 3D engine
Quake engine
Quake engine
Who is the main playable protagonist introduced in the original Half-Life?
Adrian Shephard
Adrian Shephard
Gordon Freeman
Gordon Freeman
Barney Calhoun
Barney Calhoun
Eugene Victor Tooms
Eugene Victor Tooms
Who is Gordon Freeman’s academic background?
Recent MIT graduate in theoretical physics
Recent MIT graduate in theoretical physics
Stanford dropout in computer science
Stanford dropout in computer science
Caltech PhD in mechanical engineering
Caltech PhD in mechanical engineering
Harvard post-doc in quantum mechanics
Harvard post-doc in quantum mechanics
Who does Gordon Freeman destroy in Half-Life to close the dimensional rift?
Big Momma
Big Momma
The Tentacles
The Tentacles
Gonarch
Gonarch
Nihilanth
Nihilanth
You can do better
Not bad
Great!
Think you’re a Half-Life expert? Put your knowledge to the test and then try our general knowledge trivia, video game trivia, and science fiction trivia for even more fun challenges!
