9 Games Like Counter Strike
Our list of games like Counter Strike (CS:S and CS:GO) has free and paid multiplayer alternatives to the classic and popular competitive shooter.
Counter Strike is one of the original first person shooters to become wildly popular for online play due in part to simple core mechanics that made it accessible but still provided sufficient tactical depth. Not only did it attract countless players to online servers it also became a regular feature on the eSports scene and was among the small number of early games that saw competitive leagues.
The origins of Counter Strike go back to a modification of Half-Life and eventually was developed into several fully fledged titles that stayed true to the original premise of the game while innovating and updating as necessary. The staple of the Counter Strike series has always been the round based game between terrorists and counter terrorists though which requires the planting or defusing of a bomb at a particular map location. Once a player dies in a round they must wait for a new round to begin before respawning and in between rounds players have the option to purchase equipment based on their performance in the previous rounds.
The games like Counter Strike that you will find below focus on first player multiplayer experiences with simple core mechanics, healthy multiplayer communities and competitive eSports scenes.
Critical Ops
Focusing on a mobile multiplayer online experience Critical Ops takes plenty of inspiration from the popular Counter Strike franchise and brings it to the mobile arena (iOS and Android). With the increasing rise in mobile gaming over recent years players on this platform can now enjoy the high quality and balanced experience of titles that have long been confined to the PC space. With over 50 million downloads across the iOS and Android app stores Critical Ops also has a large community that bot...[Read Review]
Combat Arms
Combat Arms is a free to play shooter that delivers a fast paced multiplayer experience with plenty of game modes and weapons for players to experiment with. Originally launched in 2008 the game currently is split between Combat Arms: Reloaded and Combat Arms: Classic which have similar core mechanics. In Classic players return to the original version of Combat Arms while Reloaded is a modern and updated version that has upgraded itself with the times. The gameplay on offer in either Combat Arms...[Read Review]
Warface
Warface offers free to play shooting with classes and co-operative modes with an ever expanding number of maps. Originally launched in 2013 on Windows the game has since expanded to a range of console platforms alongside an Android spin off version. Despite operating in a highly competitive genre Warface has continued to grow and develop it’s offering which centres around the high quality first person shooter core with a free to play price tag that offers both PvE and PvP. Regardless of yo...[Read Review]
S4 League
S4 League is a stylish fast paced shooter with sci-fi and MMO elements at the heart of the game experience. With a catchy techno soundtrack combining with small map designs it offers a less tactical approach to the genre where you can jump into a game and instantly be in the thick of action. This highly stylised and quick paced experience has made S4 league a popular casual option but also goes beyond the casual crowd at the higher levels of skill due to the high mechanic skill cap associated wi...[Read Review]
CrossFire
CrossFire is a free to play shooter that focus on offering a depth of game modes and gun varieties to allow it to compete against the popular paid first person shooters. With a history spanning back to Korea in 2007 CrossFire has a clear competitive balance focus which still holds true today despite the expansion into other regions. In the current FPS environment CrossFire stands a top the genre in terms of player base and update frequency which makes it the clear choice for fans of the genre se...[Read Review]
Urban Terror
Urban Terror offers a free first person shooter that was developed off the Quake III Arena software and grew from mod like beginnings to eventually become is own independent game that continues to operate a decade later. While first released in 2000 Urban Terror achieved standalone game status in 2007 with continuous development since that time. Urban Terror has changed many times since these early days of development and these days resembles something akin to early Counter Strike releases that ...[Read Review]
Ironsight
Opting to offer futuristic warfare Ironsight has come from the East to North American and European players in 2018. Set in a universe only a few years ahead of our own (2025) where two factions fight resources you’ll join the fight with an arsenal of 100+ weapons across futuristic environments. Including all the features of most paid FPS titles with a free price tag Ironsight quickly captured a solid audience post release and continues to maintain a healthy playerbase. Praised by many in t...[Read Review]
Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour
Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour takes Gameloft’s franchise to new heights with amazing mobile graphics, tonnes of multiplayer improvements and a solid single player campaign to follow the foundations of the original games. While the mobile shooter genre has seen many Call of Duty clones in the day the Modern Combat franchise has consistently been able to deliver a top mobile experience where others have failed. Plot wise the game isn’t going to blow you away with players running across the globe to g...[Read Review]
Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 shifts the Overwatch franchise into a free to play adventure and shrinks the game matches down to 5v5 affairs compared to the original 2016 shooter. While presented as a new game with its own identity this 2022 version also features plenty of similarities that players will recognise. For those that have been under a rock for the past 6 years and unfamiliar with the formula Overwatch (and now Overwatch 2) serves as Blizzard’s addition to the fast and often frantic first person s...[Read Review]