Computed from player tags · Not ranked by quality
24 games like Serious Sam 3: BFE (2026)
Every game below overlaps with Serious Sam 3: BFE 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: Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, which made by the same studio, Croteam.
- Serious Sam 3: BFE is tagged FPS, Action, Co-op, Gore, Comedy, Online Co-Op, Multiplayer, Aliens 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.
- 1 are free to download, so you can test the resemblance yourself at no cost.
- 3 are from the same studio: Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, Serious Sam II, Serious Sam 4.
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
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Croteam; both science fiction and difficult; shares 12 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 FPSShooterGoreComedyOnline Co-OpFirst-PersonOld SchoolIndie
- 2
Serious Sam II
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Croteam; both science fiction and difficult; shares 10 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-PersonGoreFunnyIndieSci-fi
- 3
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 10 player tags including Online Co-Op, Aliens and Sci-fi.
It's a fight for the future of the planet between the Ravagers, a merciless swarm of alien invaders, and the Earth Defense Force (EDF) in this third-person shooter.Play as four different classes in over 80 missions with a range of 800 weapons at your disposal.Co-op play supported.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair at a glance Released 2016 Studio SANDLOT Player sentiment 95% positive of 10,527 Price $19.99 Online Co-OpAliensSci-fiLocal Co-OpSplit ScreenFunnyShooterComedy
- 4
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 9 player tags including Online Co-Op, Aliens and Shooter.
Stand and fight for humanity. This arcade shooter takes place in the year 2022, as the Earth Defense Force fends off an all-out attack by unknown life forms. Become an EDF soldier, battle against endless hordes of immense enemies, and restore peace to the earth.
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5 at a glance Released 2019 Studio SANDLOT Player sentiment 94% positive of 11,522 Price $59.99 Online Co-OpAliensShooterLocal Co-OpSci-fiSplit ScreenFunnyDifficult
- 5
Duke Nukem Forever
Why it matched: both science fiction; shares 9 player tags including FPS, Shooter and Aliens; released around the same time (2011).
The King arrives with an arsenal of over-the-top weapons, giant explosions and pure unadulterated fun!
Duke Nukem Forever at a glance Released 2011 Studio Gearbox Software Player sentiment 69% positive of 11,615 Price $19.99 FPSShooterAliensComedyFirst-PersonSci-fiFunnyGore
- 6
DOOM + DOOM II
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Old School and Shooter; released around the same time (2007).
Developed by id Software, and originally released in 1993 and 1994, the definitive, newly enhanced versions of DOOM + DOOM II are available as a combined product.
DOOM + DOOM II at a glance Released 2007 Studio id Software Player sentiment 97% positive of 28,979 Price $9.99 FPSOld SchoolShooterGoreFirst-PersonSci-fiDifficult
- 7
Alien: Isolation
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Sci-fi, Aliens and First-Person; released around the same time (2014).
Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger.
Alien: Isolation at a glance Released 2014 Studio Creative Assembly Player sentiment 93% positive of 66,658 Price $11.99 Sci-fiAliensFirst-PersonDifficultFPSGoreShooter
- 8
HELLDIVERS Dive Harder Edition
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op and Sci-fi; released around the same time (2015).
HELLDIVERS™ is a hardcore, cooperative, twin stick shooter. As part of the elite unit called the HELLDIVERS, players must work together to protect SUPER EARTH and defeat the enemies of mankind in an intense intergalactic war.
HELLDIVERS Dive Harder Edition at a glance Released 2015 Studio Arrowhead Game Studios Player sentiment 90% positive of 33,376 Price $19.99 Online Co-OpLocal Co-OpSci-fiShooterComedyFunnyDifficult
- 9
Sanctum
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Indie and Sci-fi; released around the same time (2011).
You think Tower Defense games are all about building? You thought wrong. Sanctum is not your average Tower Defense title. When the havoc starts, you get to join the fray! As one of the world’s first First Person Shooter - Tower Defense games, Sanctum has taken the best of both worlds to deliver an epic, one-of-a-kind experience.
Sanctum at a glance Released 2011 Studio Coffee Stain Studios Player sentiment 89% positive of 3,359 Price $1.99 FPSIndieSci-fiFirst-PersonOnline Co-OpShooterDifficult
- 10
Serious Sam 4
Why it matched: made by the same studio, Croteam; both difficult; shares 7 player tags including Gore, FPS and Shooter.
Serious Sam 4 reignites the classic FPS series in a high-powered prequel loaded with an explosive arsenal, intergalactic carnage, and perfectly timed one-liners.
Serious Sam 4 at a glance Released 2020 Studio Croteam Player sentiment 83% positive of 17,689 Price $39.99 GoreFPSShooterComedyFirst-PersonIndieDifficult
- 11
Cortex Command
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Indie, Local Co-Op and Sci-fi; released around the same time (2012).
Choose between different factions, with their own set of expendable soldiers, mechas, and weapons. Protect your brain, mine gold, and destroy the enemy cortex in his bunker complex!
Cortex Command at a glance Released 2012 Studio Data Realms Player sentiment 72% positive of 6,034 Price $19.99 IndieLocal Co-OpSci-fiLocal MultiplayerDifficultGoreSplit Screen
- 12
Sanctum 2
Why it matched: both science fiction; shares 8 player tags including FPS, Sci-fi and Indie; released around the same time (2013).
Sanctum 2 is the sequel to the world’s first Tower Defense/FPS hybrid game. Pick from four unique character classes and embark on a mission to protect the oxygen-producing Cores from hordes of deadly aliens who are threatened by their existence.
Sanctum 2 at a glance Released 2013 Studio Coffee Stain Studios Player sentiment 90% positive of 14,389 Price $14.99 FPSSci-fiIndieOnline Co-OpFirst-PersonShooterAliensFunny
- 13
Half-Life
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Sci-fi and Shooter.
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 FPSSci-fiShooterFirst-PersonAliensGoreDifficult
- 14
Quake III Arena
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Shooter and First-Person.
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 FPSShooterFirst-PersonGoreDifficultSci-fiOld School
- 15
Borderlands
Why it matched: both science fiction; 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-PersonOnline Co-OpComedyGoreSci-fiFunny
- 16
SCP: Secret Laboratory
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including First-Person, Shooter and Online Co-Op.
Deep within a secure underground facility, a sudden containment breach allows many of the secured anomalies to escape from their chambers. Assist the Foundation in re-securing the facility, help the Insurgency in their goal to capture it, or wreak havoc as an SCP in a frantic bid to escape.
SCP: Secret Laboratory at a glance Released 2017 Studio Northwood Studios Player sentiment 91% positive of 234,020 Price Free First-PersonShooterOnline Co-OpFPSSci-fiDifficultIndie
- 17
Deathmatch Classic
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Shooter and First-Person.
Enjoy fast-paced multiplayer gaming with Deathmatch Classic (a.k.a. DMC). Valve's tribute to the work of id software, DMC invites players to grab their rocket launchers and put their reflexes to the test in a collection of futuristic settings.
Deathmatch Classic at a glance Released 2001 Studio Valve Player sentiment 83% positive of 3,320 Price $4.99 FPSShooterFirst-PersonOld SchoolSci-fiGoreDifficult
- 18
Polarity
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 7 player tags including First-Person, Indie and Local Co-Op.
Polarity takes it to the next level, demanding all of your wits and reflexes. Full-featured local co-op campaign.
Polarity at a glance Released 2016 Studio Bluebutton Games Player sentiment 79% positive of 4,668 Price $12.99 First-PersonIndieLocal Co-OpSci-fiFPSShooterDifficult
- 19
Tribes: Ascend
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 6 player tags including FPS, Shooter and Sci-fi; released around the same time (2012).
This edition packages weapon DLC from ten previous expansions as well new featured content.
Tribes: Ascend at a glance Released 2012 Studio Hi-Rez Studios Player sentiment 81% positive of 8,582 Price Not listed FPSShooterSci-fiFirst-PersonOnline Co-OpDifficult
- 20
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
Why it matched: both science fiction; shares 8 player tags including FPS, Gore and Sci-fi.
Having defeated the Campaigner, Turok throws the Chronocepter into a waiting volcano to destroy it. Unfortunately the blast awakens an even deadlier force - The Primagen. Once again a Turok is tasked with restoring peace to the land and stopping the Primagen from merging Earth with the nether world.
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil at a glance Released 1998 Studio Acclaim Studios Austin Player sentiment 90% positive of 2,835 Price $19.99 FPSGoreSci-fiShooterFirst-PersonSplit ScreenAliensLocal Multiplayer
- 21
Borderlands Game of the Year
Why it matched: both science fiction; shares 8 player tags including FPS, Shooter and Online Co-Op.
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 FPSShooterOnline Co-OpFirst-PersonComedySci-fiFunnyGore
- 22
Borderlands Game of the Year Enhanced
Why it matched: both science fiction; 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-PersonOnline Co-OpComedyGoreSci-fiFunny
- 23
Alien Rage - Unlimited
Why it matched: both science fiction and difficult; shares 6 player tags including Shooter, FPS and First-Person; released around the same time (2013).
Unleash a fury of powerful weapons as you blast your way through armies of Alien forces hell-bent on taking you down! Battle through 14 intense levels and prepare to face a barrage of beastly-sized bosses that will test your every skill. Each of your 10 weapons comes with two firing modes and you’ll need all of them!
Alien Rage - Unlimited at a glance Released 2013 Studio CI Games Player sentiment 68% positive of 3,581 Price $19.99 ShooterFPSFirst-PersonSci-fiAliensDifficult
- 24
Aliens vs. Predator
Why it matched: both science fiction; shares 7 player tags including FPS, Aliens and Sci-fi; released around the same time (2010).
Survive, hunt and prey in the deadly jungles and swamps in distinctly new and thrilling first person gameplay.
Aliens vs. Predator at a glance Released 2010 Studio Rebellion Player sentiment 91% positive of 21,551 Price $1.49 FPSAliensSci-fiShooterGoreFirst-PersonOnline Co-Op
Common questions
What game is most like Serious Sam 3: BFE?
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, on the evidence we have. It made by the same studio, Croteam. 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 Serious Sam 3: BFE" 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 Serious Sam 3: BFE. 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 Serious Sam 3: BFE do?
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, Serious Sam II, Serious Sam 4 are also from Croteam, 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.