Few first-person shooters can match the sheer fear and adrenaline-fueled gameplay Escape from Tarkov provides. It takes the most compelling systems from survival games and incorporates them into an addictive shooter.
Looting supplies, shooting Scavs and players, all while upgrading your base of operations make Tarkov's core gameplay loop extremely hard to match. With that said, there are a few games that provide similar experiences for those who tire of Tarkov's punishing learning curve or extreme punishments for dying. Whether you love PvE content or are a masochist, here are FPS titles you should play if you like Escape from Tarkov.
Updated November 29, 2021 by Josh Griffiths: We’ve updated our list to remove a few games that fell behind and replace them with games that do a great job capturing the elements that make Escape from Tarkov great. Many of them are new, but some are older classics that have found a thriving new community. We’ve also added a good mix of single-player and multiplayer games, so there’s a little something for everyone. If you’re looking for games like Escape from Tarkov, you have plenty of options.
15 Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus might focus its story on a sci-fi narrative, but the same kind of tension and military mechanics are at play. Equal parts slow-moving and fast-paced exciting, it's the kind of game that blends an arcade-style atmosphere with the need to think tactically in order to survive.
The focus on sandbox survival gameplay is a nice element that Tarkov players will appreciate. Supplies are low, and stealth is key to traversing hostile locations without blowing one's cover and attracting unwanted attention.
14 Battlefield 2042
While Battlefield 2042 may currently have a low rating on Steam, don’t let that fool you. Dice may not be the most consistent developer, but when they’re on their A-game, they’re great. The latest entry in the Battlefield series has a solid foundation, and in a few weeks, 2042 will be a solid online shooter.
Taking elements from other modern shooters and setting the game in the near future, Battlefield 2042 has a lot of great options from a gameplay perspective. While lacking a single-player campaign, and featuring a more bright and vibrant setting than Tarkov, it does have an active online community and features the series’ emphasis on more strategic, team-based gameplay than other triple-A shooters.
13 Hell Let Loose
If World War II is more your thing, then Hell Let Loose is the perfect game for you. Inspired by Call of Duty 2’s old online mode, Hell Let Loose is a basic online deathmatch shooter with a heavy reliance on team-based combat and support roles. But ‘basic’ isn’t an insult in this regard.
Stripping all the fancy death streak perks and super customizable weapons, Hell Let Loose is all about the gameplay, and that’s why it shines. Gunplay feels fast yet precise, and each map feels like it was expertly crafted. This is a barebones shooter in all the best ways.
12 Payday 2
If you’re looking for a purely PvE squad-based shooter, then Payday 2 is a classic. Join up to three friends to rob banks and fight off the cops as you amass a fortune. It doesn’t have strict survival elements, but it is a good alternative Escape from Tarkov for several key reasons.
More than any game on this list, PayDay 2 requires teamwork. It can be played alone, but it is infinitely better with teammates – teammates that you need to constantly communicate with. Nobody has much health, and you’re always outnumbered and outgunned. There’s also some flexibility in how you approach jobs, as you can start out guns blazing, or you can sneak your way to your target before the fireworks go off.
11 Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30
Tarkov players love the game for its tactical-based gameplay, and if they don't mind a different style, they'll definitely appreciate what the original Brothers in Arms has to offer. This WWII FPS title differed heavily from other games of its kind, thanks to a focus on tactics over the gunfire.
The player could control teammates to set up suppressing fire, chokepoints, and flanking maneuvers in order to open up gaps in the enemy's line. Difficult to learn, but fun to master, Brothers in Arms is renowned for its authenticity and commitment to realism.
10 Arma 3
Similar to Escape From Tarkov, Arma 3 is a military-focused third-person shooter that acts more as simulation than anything else.
This game has campaigns and levels players can experience, but these act more as tutorials than indicative of the game's content. Like Tarkov, Arma is a massive sandbox with a variety of tools for players to use and exploit. Whether you like flying helicopters or sniping enemies thousands of yards away, Arma 3 has a little something for everyone.
9 Miscreated
Like most survival games, Miscreated is about scavenging items to survive in a harsh, post-apocalyptic wasteland. Few games are as tense as this, however.
Mutated enemies are the large threat in this game, chasing the player down while you scavenge for sparse supplies. Food, water, and radiation are serious concerns in Miscreated, creating an oppressive atmosphere that can be both captivating and frustrating. Masochists who love Tarkov's punishing learning curve might want to try Miscreated.
8 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow Of Chernobyl
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series takes the Chernobyl catastrophe and amplifies it to eleven. Various factions fight over Pripyat and try to survive in the irradiated world.
Unlike franchises like Metro or Fallout, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is more focused on a large sandbox and player decisions than telling a compelling story or exploring a wacky landscape. It also contains paranormal elements like mutated enemies and energy rifts that keep you on your toes, making this game replicate the terrifying uncertainty Tarkov provides.
7 Back 4 Blood
From the creators of Left 4 Dead comes Back 4 Blood, a spiritual successor to their original game with a few new tweaks. Another PvE shooter like PayDay 2, Back 4 Blood also requires constant teamwork as you fight off wave after wave of enemies. Unlike PayDay 2 however, this game follows more in-line with the apocalyptic survival setting of Tarkov.
Back 4 Blood features a unique card system, where you can pick up and swap out randomized cards that will give you different buffs throughout each playthrough. You can also find copper in matches that you can use to make new weapons, adding an extra layer of tactics. Back 4 Blood also has a versus mode, allowing players to take on the roles of humans and zombies.
6 Fallout 4
Fallout 4 has some of the best gameplay in the franchise. Its world is sprawling and full of interesting detail, lore, and things to do. You can play this game and its suite of DLC for months and still find new things you never knew were in this game. The drawback is that its story doesn’t quite live up to its predecessors.
Still, if you’re looking for an open-world, immersive survival shooter in a single-player setting, you can’t do better than Fallout 4. Add in some killer mods like Frost, Horizon, and Sim Settlements, and you can transform the game into a true survival simulator.
5 Rust
Escape From Tarkov is an interesting mix between arcade-based shooters and punishing survival games. The closest game that replicates the hybrid is Rust. While Tarkov has a large focus on gunfights and resource management, Rust is more focused on player manipulation and griefing.
You spawn into the world naked with only a stone in your hand. From there, you progress in typical survival fashion, cutting down trees and building shelters until you create modern technology. Except in Rust, much of the game is about psychologically manipulating players into helping you, only to then stab them in the back and take their goods. In terms of replicating the rather bizarre interactions Tarkov can offer, Rust is easily the closest game that replicates those experiences.
4 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, otherwise known as PUBG, is the video game that popularized the Battle Royale genre. While games like H1Z1 and DayZ started the trend, it was PUBG that truly brought the genre to the mainstream.
It sounds strange recommending a Battle Royale game if you enjoy tense simulator-esque shooters, but Battle Royale games offer the same sense of intensity and enjoyment as the best simulator-lite games can provide. You drop into a massive map and have to scavenge weapons and ammo to survive. It's less about the reward for winning and more about the fun journey. BR games are known for their deep sandboxes, and PUBG is no exception.
3 7 Days To Die
The PvE experience in Escape From Tarkov can be blood-pumping at first, but it rapidly grows formulaic and stale. The game's Scavs are either crack shots or incompetent and serve more as alarms for nearby players than terrifying threats.
When those engagements get tense, however, few games can replicate that sheer sense of fear. One such game that gets close is 7 Days To Die, a first-person zombie survival game that asks players to survive as long as they can. Unlike traditional zombie games, 7 Days To Die intelligently balances zombies to always be a threat. Slow zombies can act as alarms for faster, more deadly variants. If you make it to the seventh night, prepare for an onslaught of bloodthirsty nightmares to rush to your location. No other survival game has PvE content this engaging.
2 Insurgency: Sandstorm
Not everyone can get behind Escape from Tarkov's extreme punishments for death. If you just want an intense military FPS without the loot-loss baggage, Insurgency: Sandstorm might be up your alley.
Combining the tense moments of military simulators with the frantic and refined gunfights of more casual shooters, Insurgency: Sandstorm thrives off of making players invested in each gunfight yet terrified of the outcome. Gunshots fly by your head as the sound of explosions shakes your very being, yet the core gameplay loop is accessible and captivating without the common simulator baggage like managing hunger and stamina meters.
1 Hunt: Showdown
If you think the setting for Tarkov is too modern but love everything else, Hunt: Showdown is the best alternative you can possibly find.
Just like Tarkov, Hunt is focused on small-scale engagements where your character's gear is on the line. The 1890's era of weaponry and cultish equipment gives the game a distinct style that separates it from the more blaze military setting Tarkov embraces. Satisfying gunplay, meaningful PvE engagements, and losing all of your gear on death make this a comparable experience but unique enough to experience on its own.