5 Best Video Games Like Helldivers

“Helldivers” offers some of the most intense, rewarding, and cooperative gameplay that you’ll find anywhere. While it’s a completely PvE experience, you still feel like you’re playing a multiplayer game thanks to the plot, which tasks you and every other player with fending off an alien invasion of Super Earth. Due to this unique plot and blend of genres, it can be difficult to find another game similar to “Helldivers,” but there are certainly some out that are worth your time.

When it comes to searching for these other games, though, you’ll have to know exactly what it is that keeps driving you to play “Helldivers,” and that includes both the original and sequel. Whether it’s the co-op gameplay, the intense PvE loop, or the constant progression in “Helldivers,” several games offer rewarding playthroughs with these elements at the forefront. There are five games that stand out from the rest of the crowd, however, and you can see which games are most similar to “Helldivers” in the list below.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

“Warhammer 40,000: Darktide” might have the closest experience to the moment-to-moment gameplay in “Helldivers.” It’s a co-op, PvE game where you have an overarching goal always present during the story. However, the gameplay features individual missions that you and your teammates can complete to earn additional upgrades for your character. These missions consist of different maps, enemies, and objectives, and none of them are easy to get through.

Of course, you have your teammates by your side if you get into trouble, and you’ll need them to survive certain parts of the maps, as venturing off solo can have dire consequences. As you progress in “Warhammer 40,000: Darktide,” though, you’ll continue to upgrade your character through unique traits and skills that are unlocked as part of your specific class. 

The combat in “Warhammer 40,000: Darktide” is much grittier and closer-range than it is in “Helldivers,” but the basics are easy enough to get the hang of until you start learning more in-depth strategies. If you’re looking for a co-op game that’s structured essentially the same as “Helldivers,” “Warhammer 40,000: Darktide” is arguably the best choice.

Deep Rock Galactic

Visually, you’ll notice some major differences between “Deep Rock Galactic” and “Helldivers.” “Deep Rock Galactic” is more of an animated game set in Dwarven mines, with vibrantly colored maps and textures. If you take a deeper look at the game, though, the similarities with “Helldivers” begin to appear. “Deep Rock Galactic” can be played solo or in a party of up to four players, and the best experience sees you playing with at least one friend.

In any case, the game features procedurally generated levels where your goal is to exterminate an alien force by any means necessary. However, the aliens are a lot stronger than they seem, and your initial weapons that you start with usually won’t be enough to get the job done. Luckily, “Deep Rock Galactic” lets you mine, forage, and gather reons and gear

Using everything at your disposal, you’ll gun down the alien enemies in a fast-paced, first-person environment where each level presents unique challenges and opportunities for survival. If you can past the cartoonish graphics, “Deep Rock Galactic” is one of the best gaming experiences in the modern era, especially in co-op.

Warframe

“Warframe,” one of the best free-to-play games of all-time, is a futuristic MMO looter shooter that can be played solo, but the game emphasizes co-op as the premier way to play. The gameplay in “Warframe” flows much differently than it does in “Helldivers,” as you have access to several open world areas as well as a social hub where you can interact with other real players. However, the game still offers unique missions where you have a set objective against PvE enemies that you can take on by yourself or with friends/strangers.

At the start of “Warframe,” you’ll design a character, also called a Tenno, and pick a certain class that determines your skills and overall playstyle. You can upgrade your character throughout the course of the game, which progresses as you complete story missions and take part in free-to-play expansions that arrive

“Warframe” offers frantic and fast-paced third-person gameplay featuring a large number of enemies and some tough-to-beat bosses. You’ll certainly find some similarities to “Helldivers” when playing “Warframe,” but it’s more of a live-service game that you won’t ever truly finish. 

Borderlands 2

If the co-op aspect of “Helldivers” is what you enjoy most about the game, then why not play one of the best co-op games of all-time? “Borderlands 2,” released way back in 2012, has remained one of the most celebrated open-world games, even a decade after its launch. While it’s a solo game by default, you can complete an entire playthrough in a co-op party of four players or two players in local splitscreen co-op.

The theme, gameplay, and graphics in “Borderlands 2” don’t offer many similarities to “Helldivers.” “Borderlands” as a franchise has become iconic for its humorous dialogue, quirky characters, and unique animated graphics. While that might put off a “Helldivers” player who enjoys the dark and military-based gameplay of the series, all “Borderlands 2” needs is a shot to capture your interest. The story is immediately gripping, the class-based characters make combat unique, and the open-world exploration makes your time in the game fly by. Not to mention, you’ll receive more weapons, gear, and equipment than you’ll know what to do with.

Arc Raiders

“Arc Raiders” is in a unique spot if you’re looking for a game similar to “Helldivers.” On one hand, “Arc Raiders” is a co-op third-person extraction shooter with gun-based combat and PvE elements. However, on the other hand, “Arc Raiders” also features PvP combat, meaning you can run into other real players who can kill you, take your loot, and leave you without any exfil options.

While “Arc Raiders” has been rumored to add a PvE-only mode for some time, that currently isn’t in the game. If you can manage to deal with some PvP, though, “Arc Raiders” is an extremely rewarding and enjoyable shooter that is best played in a group with two other friends. Either solo or with your team, you drop into one of several maps, forage around for loot, complete objectives, eliminate AI enemies, and exfil before the timer runs out. 

Outside of a match, you can hang around your personal base, which allows you to customize your character and manage loot. It’s a similar experience to “Helldivers” overall, but with an added PvP element that’s always present.