Computed from player tags · Not ranked by quality
24 games like Duke Nukem Forever (2026)
Every game below overlaps with Duke Nukem Forever on things players said about it rather than on our opinion of what feels alike. Each entry shows what it matched on, so you can throw out the ones matching on the part you did not care about.
The short version
- Closest match: Borderlands, which made by the same studio, Gearbox Software.
- Duke Nukem Forever is tagged FPS, Action, Nudity, Shooter, Aliens, Singleplayer, Comedy, Multiplayer by Steam players. Those tags are what the matching runs on.
- 24 games qualify, each with at least fifty player reviews behind its sentiment figure.
- 7 are from the same studio: Borderlands, Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced, Borderlands 2, Half-Life: Opposing Force, Borderlands Game of the Year, Half-Life: Blue Shift, Battleborn.
How these were matched
Steam tags carry the most weight, because players apply them and they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Souls-like, Atmospheric and Cozy exist as tags and as nothing else, which is exactly the vocabulary this question needs. Formal genres count for less, themes and a shared studio for more.
Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are thrown out before matching. Nearly everything is tagged Singleplayer, so matching on it is matching on nothing. That cutoff is computed from the catalogue rather than fixed, so it moves as the catalogue grows.
All 24, closest first
- 1
Borderlands
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Gearbox Software; both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 8 player tags including FPS, Shooter and First-Person; released around the same time (2009).
Discover the original co-op shooter-looter, crammed with new enhancements! As one of 4 trigger-happy mercenaries with RPG progression, equip bazillions of guns to take on the desert planet Pandora.
Borderlands at a glance Released 2009 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 81% positive of 27,781 Price $29.99 FPSShooterFirst-PersonDark HumorComedyGoreSci-fiFunny
- 2
Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Gearbox Software; both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 8 player tags including FPS, Shooter and First-Person.
Discover the original co-op shooter-looter, crammed with new enhancements! As one of 4 trigger-happy mercenaries with RPG progression, equip bazillions of guns to take on the desert planet Pandora.
Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced at a glance Released 2023 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 81% positive of 27,784 Price $29.99 FPSShooterFirst-PersonDark HumorComedyGoreSci-fiFunny
- 3
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Why it matched: both science fiction; shares 10 player tags including FPS, Shooter and Gore; released around the same time (2009).
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is a visually upgraded and fully Steam supported remake version of the original high-adrenaline single-play and 16-player co-operative arcade-action FPS which was Gamespot's Game of the Year 2001 and which scored overall of 87% on Metacritic!
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter at a glance Released 2009 Studio Croteam Player sentiment 93% positive of 8,940 Price $14.99 FPSShooterGoreComedyClassicFirst-PersonOld SchoolAliens
- 4
Borderlands 2
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Gearbox Software; both science fiction; shares 8 player tags including Shooter, FPS and First-Person; released around the same time (2012).
The Ultimate Vault Hunter’s Upgrade lets you get the most out of the Borderlands 2 experience.
Borderlands 2 at a glance Released 2012 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 90% positive of 312,170 Price $19.99 ShooterFPSFirst-PersonFunnyComedyDark HumorMemesSci-fi
- 5
Half-Life: Opposing Force
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Gearbox Software; both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Classic and Sci-fi.
Return to the Black Mesa Research Facility as one of the military specialists assigned to eliminate Gordon Freeman. Experience an entirely new episode of single player action. Meet fierce alien opponents, and experiment with new weaponry. Named 'Game of the Year' by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
Half-Life: Opposing Force at a glance Released 1999 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 95% positive of 28,900 Price $4.99 FPSClassicSci-fiShooterFirst-PersonAliensGore
- 6
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 8 player tags including Gore, FPS and First-Person; published by the same company.
Step into the boots of Grayson Hunt after a crash landing on an old resort planet forces him to make a hard choice: survival or revenge. Execute masterful kills with Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition’s unique combat system that rewards you for performing the most creative and deadly kills imaginable.
Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition at a glance Released 2017 Studio People Can Fly Player sentiment 89% positive of 9,652 Price $39.99 GoreFPSFirst-PersonShooterComedySci-fiFunnyDark Humor
- 7
Serious Sam II
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 8 player tags including FPS, Comedy and Shooter; released around the same time (2012).
Serious Sam II is a shot of adrenaline to the hearts of first-person shooter fans across the world. This is serious!
Serious Sam II at a glance Released 2012 Studio Croteam Player sentiment 90% positive of 14,188 Price $9.99 FPSComedyShooterFirst-PersonGoreFunnyClassicSci-fi
- 8
Unreal Gold
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including Classic, FPS and Sci-fi; published by the same company; released around the same time (2008).
Your prison ship has crash-landed on the fastest, sleekest, most dangerous 3D world ever created. Look around, crystal clear water shimmers, shadows dance and shift, alien architecture fades into the horizon.
Unreal Gold at a glance Released 2008 Studio Epic Games, Inc. Player sentiment 89% positive of 2,569 Price Not listed ClassicFPSSci-fiShooterFirst-PersonOld SchoolGore
- 9
Borderlands Game of the Year
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Gearbox Software; both science fiction; shares 8 player tags including FPS, Shooter and First-Person.
Get ready for the mind blowing insanity! Play as one of four trigger-happy mercenaries and take out everything that stands in your way! With its addictive action, frantic first-person shooter combat, massive arsenal of weaponry, RPG elements and four-player co-op, Borderlands is a breakthrough experience that challenges all the...
Borderlands Game of the Year at a glance Released 2023 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 90% positive of 31,877 Price $29.99 FPSShooterFirst-PersonComedySci-fiFunnyDark HumorGore
- 10
Shadow Warrior
Why it matched: both atmospheric; shares 9 player tags including FPS, Gore and Comedy; released around the same time (2013).
Shadow Warrior is a bold reimagining of the classic 3D Realms’ shooter from independent developer Flying Wild Hog (Hard Reset) starring the legendary and quick-witted warrior Lo Wang.
Shadow Warrior at a glance Released 2013 Studio Flying Wild Hog Player sentiment 92% positive of 26,723 Price $29.99 FPSGoreComedyFirst-PersonShooterOld SchoolDark HumorFunny
- 11
Serious Sam 3: BFE
Why it matched: both science fiction; shares 9 player tags including FPS, Gore and Comedy; released around the same time (2011).
Serious Sam 3: BFE is a prequel to the original indie fast action FPS and Game of the Year sensation - Serious Sam: The First Encounter!
Serious Sam 3: BFE at a glance Released 2011 Studio Croteam Player sentiment 88% positive of 28,656 Price $29.99 FPSGoreComedyAliensShooterFirst-PersonOld SchoolFunny
- 12
Half-Life: Blue Shift
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Gearbox Software; both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 6 player tags including FPS, Sci-fi and Shooter.
Made by Gearbox Software and originally released in 2001 as an add-on to Half-Life, Blue Shift is a return to the Black Mesa Research Facility in which you play as Barney Calhoun, the security guard sidekick who helped Gordon out of so many sticky situations.
Half-Life: Blue Shift at a glance Released 2001 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 93% positive of 21,191 Price $4.99 FPSSci-fiShooterAliensClassicFirst-Person
- 13
Portal
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including First-Person, Sci-fi and Comedy; released around the same time (2007).
Portal™ is a new single player game from Valve. Set in the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories, Portal has been called one of the most innovative new games on the horizon and will offer gamers hours of unique gameplay.
Portal at a glance Released 2007 Studio Valve Player sentiment 99% positive of 198,682 Price $9.99 First-PersonSci-fiComedyFunnyClassicDark HumorFPS
- 14
BioShock Infinite
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 6 player tags including FPS, Shooter and First-Person; published by the same company; released around the same time (2013).
Indebted to the wrong people, with his life on the line, veteran of the U.S. Cavalry and now hired gun, Booker DeWitt has only one opportunity to wipe his slate clean. He must rescue Elizabeth, a mysterious girl imprisoned since childhood and locked up in the flying city of Columbia.
BioShock Infinite at a glance Released 2013 Studio 2K Player sentiment 93% positive of 145,518 Price $7.49 FPSShooterFirst-PersonSci-fiGoreLinear
- 15
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Classic and Shooter; released around the same time (2007).
World War II rages and nations fall. The Nazis are twisting science and the occult into an army capable of annihilating the Allies once and for all. As US Army Ranger William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, pierce the black heart of the Third Reich and stop them...or die trying.
Return to Castle Wolfenstein at a glance Released 2007 Studio Gray Matter Studios Player sentiment 93% positive of 9,299 Price $4.99 FPSClassicShooterFirst-PersonGoreSci-fiOld School
- 16
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Shooter and Gore; released around the same time (2015).
Wolfenstein®: The Old Blood™ is a standalone prequel to the critically acclaimed first-person action-adventure shooter, Wolfenstein®: The New Order. This adventure spans eight chapters and features the hallmarks of MachineGames – thrilling action, immersive story, and intense FPS combat.
Wolfenstein: The Old Blood at a glance Released 2015 Studio MachineGames Player sentiment 90% positive of 23,595 Price $19.99 FPSShooterGoreFirst-PersonSci-fiMatureFunny
- 17
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Gore and Shooter; released around the same time (2009).
Assume the role of Special Forces Sgt. Becket as your routine mission quickly turns into a fight for survival against the wrath of Alma Wade. As Alma's terrifying power surges out of control, your squad is forced to battle through an apocalyptic landscape in search of clues for how to destroy her!
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin at a glance Released 2009 Studio Monolith Player sentiment 85% positive of 9,496 Price $14.99 FPSGoreShooterFirst-PersonClassicSci-fiNudity
- 18
Battleborn
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Gearbox Software; both science fiction; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Shooter and First-Person.
FREE PVP TRIAL AVAILABLE NOW! A tremendous band of badass heroes fight to protect the universe’s very last star from a mysterious evil in this Hero Shooter by the creators of Borderlands.
Battleborn at a glance Released 2016 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 63% positive of 9,719 Price Not listed FPSShooterFirst-PersonComedySci-fiFunnyMemes
- 19
Half-Life: Alyx
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Shooter and First-Person.
Half-Life: Alyx is Valve’s VR return to the Half-Life series. It’s the story of an impossible fight against a vicious alien race known as the Combine, set between the events of Half-Life and Half-Life 2. Playing as Alyx Vance, you are humanity’s only chance for survival.
Half-Life: Alyx at a glance Released 2020 Studio Campo Santo Player sentiment 98% positive of 105,097 Price $59.99 FPSShooterFirst-PersonSci-fiAliensMemesGore
- 20
Half-Life
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Classic and Sci-fi.
Named Game of the Year by over 50 publications, Valve's debut title blends action and adventure with award-winning technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players must think to survive. Also includes an exciting multiplayer mode that allows you to play against friends and enemies around the world.
Half-Life at a glance Released 1998 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 96% positive of 163,786 Price $9.99 FPSClassicSci-fiShooterFirst-PersonAliensGore
- 21
Quake
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Classic and Shooter.
Developed by the award-winning id Software, Quake® is the ground-breaking, original dark fantasy first-person shooter that inspires today’s retro-style FPS games. With Quake (Enhanced), experience the authentic, updated, and visually enhanced version of the original.
Quake at a glance Released 1996 Studio Nightdive Studios Player sentiment 96% positive of 16,302 Price $9.99 FPSClassicShooterFirst-PersonOld SchoolGoreSci-fi
- 22
Quake III Arena
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Classic and Shooter.
The greatest warriors of all time and space have been summoned to battle for the amusement of an ancient alien race. Wield a variety of guns and power-ups as you fight for glory against ruthless combatants in this fast-paced single-player and multiplayer FPS.
Quake III Arena at a glance Released 1999 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 96% positive of 4,100 Price $14.99 FPSClassicShooterFirst-PersonGoreSci-fiOld School
- 23
Quake II
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Classic and Shooter.
You are humanity’s last hope to stop the Strogg, a hostile alien race waging war against Earth. Play this military sci-fi FPS, now upgraded for modern platforms with improved visuals, new campaign content, online multiplayer/co-op, and more.
Quake II at a glance Released 1997 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 95% positive of 10,370 Price $9.99 FPSClassicShooterSci-fiGoreFirst-PersonOld School
- 24
Black Mesa
Why it matched: both science fiction and atmospheric; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Sci-fi and First-Person.
Relive Half-Life.
Black Mesa at a glance Released 2020 Studio Crowbar Collective Player sentiment 95% positive of 144,554 Price $19.99 FPSSci-fiFirst-PersonShooterClassicAliensGore
Common questions
What game is most like Duke Nukem Forever?
Borderlands, on the evidence we have. It made by the same studio, Gearbox Software. That is a statement about overlap, not a promise you will like it as much: two games can share every tag and still feel different to play.
How is "similar to Duke Nukem Forever" decided?
By overlap on the tags Steam players applied to each game, the formal genres, the themes both sit in, and whether the same studio made them. Tags carry the most weight because players write them, so they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are ignored: matching on "Singleplayer" is matching on nothing. Every entry below shows exactly what it matched on.
Are these ranked by quality?
No. They are ordered by how much they overlap with Duke Nukem Forever. Where two games overlap equally, the better received one goes first, but that only moves a game a place or two. Each entry shows its own player sentiment so you can weigh that separately.
What else did the makers of Duke Nukem Forever do?
Borderlands, Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced, Borderlands 2, Half-Life: Opposing Force, Borderlands Game of the Year, Half-Life: Blue Shift, Battleborn are also from Gearbox Software, and appear in the list below for that reason as well as on tag overlap.
Do you get paid for these recommendations?
No. The order is computed from tag and genre overlap and nothing else. No placement here can be bought, and a game appearing high on this page is a statement about resemblance rather than an endorsement.