Best Games Like Helldivers 2

Here are 10 games like Helldivers 2, from tactical shooters to alien-slaying action RPGs.

Platform(s) : PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Developer : Arrowhead Game Studios
Publisher : Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date :
8 February 2024
Genre : Third-person shooter
Where to play : Steam

Helldivers 2 took the cooperative shooter genre by storm, proving that teamwork, chaos, and satire can coexist in glorious harmony. Arrowhead Game Studios delivered a rare mix of explosive third-person combat, sharp political humor, and intense coordination that rewards true cooperation over lone-wolf heroics. Every mission feels like controlled mayhem, where friendly fire, orbital bombardments, and sudden alien swarms turn victory into a hard-earned triumph.

If you’re looking for games like Helldivers 2, whether you crave that same sense of squad-based camaraderie, the thrill of desperate firefights against overwhelming odds, or the satisfaction of earning victory through teamwork and precision, there are several excellent options.

Deep Rock Galactic

Platform(s) : PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Developer : Ghost Ship Games
Publisher : Coffee Stain Publishing
Release Date : May 13, 2020
Genre : FPS
Where to play : Steam

✅ Squad-based cooperative structure: Deep Rock Galactic and Helldivers 2 both revolve around small, tightly coordinated squads overcoming chaotic alien threats. Success depends on teamwork, communication, and quick adaptation under pressure.

✅ Procedural mission design: Deep Rock Galactic’s caves and objectives change every run, offering the same replayability and unpredictability that keeps Helldivers 2’s missions fresh and challenging. Both games embrace controlled chaos as part of their identity.

✅ Destructive, high-stakes environments: Whether it’s collapsing tunnels or orbital bombardments, both games make the environment an active part of the tension. Every mission feels like a gamble where things can turn bad fast, creating constant excitement.

📉 Scale and tone: Deep Rock Galactic’s tone is more comedic and contained, while Helldivers 2 delivers large-scale planetary warfare with a satirical military edge. Both succeed in their own way, but the emotional texture is quite different.

Similarity score : 9/10

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Platform(s) : PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Developer : Saber St. Petersburg
Publisher : Focus Entertainment
Release Date : 9 September 2024
Genre : Third-person shooter
Where to play : Steam

✅ Militaristic power fantasy: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 captures the same essence of over-the-top sci-fi warfare that defines Helldivers 2. Both games glorify battle against impossible alien odds while maintaining a tongue-in-cheek reverence for duty and sacrifice.

✅ Weighty, satisfying combat: Like Helldivers 2, Space Marine delivers visceral, grounded combat that blends gunplay and melee with a sense of heft and brutality. Every encounter feels physical and impactful.

✅ Shared thematic DNA: The tone of martial zeal, endless war, and grim heroism runs strong in both games. Helldivers 2’s “managed democracy” satire feels like it could exist within the Warhammer 40K universe without missing a beat.

📉 Gameplay structure: Space Marine is more linear and campaign-focused, lacking the procedural missions and cooperative replayability that define Helldivers 2. It’s a tighter, more narrative-driven experience, but with similar spirit.

Similarity score : 8/10

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

Platform(s) : PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Developer : Fatshark
Publisher : Fatshark
Release Date : 30 November 2022
Genre : FPS
Where to play : Steam

✅ Grim cooperative warfare: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide captures the same sense of desperate teamwork under pressure that defines Helldivers 2. Four players face relentless hordes of enemies, where coordination, positioning, and ammo management make the difference between victory and annihilation.

✅ Weighty, grounded combat: Both games combine satisfying ranged and melee combat, with a focus on impact and teamwork over individual heroics. Every hit feels heavy, and every mistake costly.

✅ Shared aesthetic of militarized dystopia: The oppressive industrial environments of Darktide echo the fascist sci-fi satire of Helldivers 2. Both worlds portray ordinary soldiers caught in the machinery of endless war.

📉 Performance and pacing issues: While Darktide nails atmosphere and moment-to-moment tension, it struggles with technical hiccups and uneven mission flow. Helldivers 2 feels more polished and balanced in its chaos.

Similarity score : 8/10

Alienation

Platform(s) : PS4
Developer : Housemarque
Publisher : Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date : April 26, 2016
Genre : Shooter
Where to play : PlayStation

✅ Top-down squad shooter roots: Alienation was a precursor to Helldivers 2’s formula. With fast-paced twin-stick shooting, randomized loot, and cooperative missions, it shares the same DNA of explosive, teamwork-driven gameplay.

✅ Tight co-op design: Both games shine in 2-4 player squads where coordination and role balance are key. Reviving allies, managing resources, and synergizing loadouts define success.

✅ Progression and replayability: Like Helldivers 2, Alienation rewards players with deep progression systems, customizable classes, and challenging difficulty scaling that keeps the loop addictive.

📉 Tone and presentation: Alienation is more arcade-like and loot-driven, focusing on quick action over world-building or satire. Helldivers 2 offers a more cinematic, narrative layer, though the feel of combat remains strikingly similar.

Similarity score : 7.5/10

Risk of Rain 2

Platform(s) : PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
Developer : Hopoo Games & Gearbox Software
Publisher : Gearbox Publishing
Release Date : August 11, 2020
Genre : Third-person shooter
Where to play : Steam

✅ Chaotic cooperative intensity: Risk of Rain 2 channels the same sense of escalating chaos as Helldivers 2, with players fighting off waves of enemies that grow stronger the longer you survive. Both games reward quick decision-making and teamwork under pressure.

✅ Synergistic team play: Just as squad coordination is key in Helldivers 2, Risk of Rain 2 shines when players combine unique abilities and builds to handle increasingly overwhelming odds. Every run becomes a test of adaptability and resource management.

✅ Progression through risk: Both games share a “push your luck” design philosophy. In Risk of Rain 2, time spent looting increases enemy strength, whilst in Helldivers 2, every minute in the field invites more danger. The tension between greed and survival feels strikingly familiar.

📉 Perspective and tone: While Helldivers 2 is a cinematic third-person shooter grounded in sci-fi militarism, Risk of Rain 2 delivers its intensity through stylized visuals and roguelike runs. The emotional texture differs, but the gameplay loop evokes similar thrills.

Similarity score : 7.5/10

Earth Defense Force 6

Platform(s) : PC, PS4, PS5
Developer : SANDLOT
Publisher : D3PUBLISHER
Release Date : August 25, 2022
Genre : Third-person shooter
Where to play : Steam

✅ Overwhelming alien onslaughts: Earth Defense Force 6 mirrors Helldivers 2’s scale of chaos, throwing players into massive battles against swarms of alien creatures and mechanical invaders. Both games revel in excess, turning every encounter into an explosive spectacle.

✅ Co-op and destructive mayhem: Like Helldivers 2, EDF 6 thrives in multiplayer chaos, where allies rain destruction across sprawling maps. Friendly fire, explosive chain reactions, and sheer absurdity are part of the fun in both experiences.

✅ Weapon variety and freedom: Hundreds of weapons and tools in EDF 6 echo Helldivers 2’s customizable stratagems and loadouts, letting players approach missions in wildly different ways.

📉 Tone and polish: EDF 6 embraces campy humor and low-budget absurdity, while Helldivers 2 delivers its satire with cinematic flair and tighter gameplay balance. Both are self-aware, but Helldivers 2 feels more refined.

Similarity score : 7/10

Left 4 Dead 2

Platform(s) : PC, MacOS, Xbox 360
Developer : Valve
Publisher : Valve
Release Date : November 17, 2009
Genre : FPS
Where to play : Steam

✅ Tight, cooperative mission structure: Left 4 Dead 2 set the standard for squad-based shooters built around teamwork, situational awareness, and intense enemy swarms. Helldivers 2 builds on that same DNA, emphasizing survival through cooperation and coordination.

✅ Dynamic enemy waves: The unpredictability of enemy spawns in Left 4 Dead 2 echoes Helldivers 2’s escalating waves of aliens and automatons. Both games keep tension high through pacing and sudden, chaotic encounters.

✅ Shared focus on replayability: Every run feels different, whether you’re fighting through zombie hordes or alien invasions. Randomized events and team synergy ensure lasting appeal.

📉 Scale and arsenal: Left 4 Dead 2’s grounded, close-quarters design contrasts with Helldivers 2’s large maps and heavy firepower. The former excels in claustrophobic tension, while the latter thrives on overwhelming spectacle.

Similarity score : 7/10

The Forever Winter

Platform(s) : PC
Developer : Fun Dog Studios
Publisher : Fun Dog Studios
Release Date : September 24, 2024 (early access)
Genre : Third-person shooter
Where to play : Steam

✅ Oppressive atmosphere and tactical survival: Forever Winter channels a similar sense of grim, large-scale conflict as Helldivers 2, but with a slower, more horror-inflected tone. Both immerse players in desperate battles against overwhelming forces where survival feels earned, not guaranteed.

✅ Squad-based tension: Like Helldivers 2, teamwork is critical. Every bullet and decision matters, with coordination under stress being the key to enduring hostile encounters.

✅ Shared themes of militarism and futility: Both games explore the idea of soldiers as expendable assets in massive wars. The bleak tone of Forever Winter mirrors Helldivers 2’s satirical take on totalitarian heroism, though with less humor and more dread.

📉 Pacing and focus: Forever Winter emphasizes atmosphere and fear over bombastic spectacle. It’s slower, quieter, and more psychologically tense compared to the chaotic adrenaline rush of Helldivers 2.

Similarity score : 6.5/10

FBC: Firebreak

Platform(s) : PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Developer : Remedy Entertainment
Publisher : Remedy Entertainment
Release Date : 17 June 2025
Genre : FPS
Where to play : Steam

✅ Tactical squad play: Firebreak, like Helldivers 2, emphasizes coordinated team tactics and situational awareness in the face of unpredictable combat scenarios. Success relies on smart positioning, resource use, and team roles.

✅ Environmental strategy: Firebreak’s destructible and reactive environments add a layer of depth similar to Helldivers 2’s chaotic battlefields, where terrain and hazards constantly reshape the fight.

✅ High-intensity objectives: Both games mix defensive stand-offs and assault missions that reward precision under pressure, creating an adrenaline-fueled sense of accomplishment when things go right.

📉 Tone and scope: Firebreak trades Helldivers 2’s bombastic, satirical militarism for a more grounded tactical focus. It captures the same intensity but without the large-scale absurdity or dark humor that define Helldivers 2.

Similarity score : 5/10

Helldivers 1

Platform(s) : PC, PS3, PS4, PS Vita
Developer : Arrowhead Game Studios
Publisher : Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date : 3 March 2015
Genre : Third-person shooter
Where to play : Steam

Top-down, old school, but still a gem, Helldivers 1 cannot be left off this list.

✅ Shared DNA and core mechanics: Helldivers 1 laid the foundation for everything its sequel perfected. The twin-stick shooting, procedural missions, stratagem system, and brutal friendly fire mechanics are all direct predecessors to Helldivers 2’s gameplay loop.

✅ Pure cooperative challenge: Both games are built entirely around teamwork and coordination. Calling down reinforcements, juggling objectives, and surviving extractions feel just as tense in the first game as in the sequel.

✅ Tone and humor: The satirical “managed democracy” propaganda that defines Helldivers 2 began here. Its blend of parody and patriotic absurdity remains a defining element of the series’ identity.

📉 Presentation and scope: Compared to Helldivers 2, the original feels more arcade-like and less immersive due to its top-down perspective and simpler visuals. Yet its design remains remarkably timeless and addictive.