Did the Anunnaki, Arcturian and/or ET Reptilian races start out as free will projects like us?

This is quite true, and it is an aspect of the difficulty of the enterprise that of the four races, you included, only one is holding up. All of the other extraterrestrial races you speak of have become disconnected from the light. It was orchestrated by the fallen angels to darken their realm, darken their world, darken their being through disconnection, disinformation and many torments and temptations, both. Humans have resisted this predation, not perfectly, but still retain an awareness when things are not right and look for solutions—including an outreach to the divine for rescue, for support and healing. The other civilizations have abandoned that long, long ago and unless they return to that awareness and embrace the light and all it means, they eventually will perish. You can save them. If you save them, you will save yourselves. This is why your world is a tough place to be. It is also why there are so few worlds given this latitude—because the risks are great and carry with it a risk to the entirety of the universe. The other side of the same coin is that the possibilities are equally profound and equally tremendous—but in the positive sense of future achievement, a return to a state of joy and bliss stemming from one’s own thoughts and actions. Human-level achievements are rightly appreciated, respected and praised. Divine achievements are far greater in meaning and significance. You can experience them in a small way as physical humans. You will experience them in large scale divine proportions in the future if you pass the test before you here and now.