
Contra is hard to replace: few games combine shooter, setting scifi and single-player focus in quite the same way. We compared Contra against over 6,700 titles across 9 gameplay attributes and found 50 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Splatoon 2, Splatoon 3 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves lead the list, with Splatoon 2 reaching a 97/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Contra special.
Did you find what you were looking for?
Quick answer
The closest game to Contra is Splatoon 2 — scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. Splatoon 3 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves follow close behind.
Help us build the best rankings
Community poweredVote on each result below — good match or not. Every vote directly shapes how we rank similar games for everyone.
Games like Contra

✓ Fits the third-person shooters cluster, with shooter, third-person shooting and precision platforming
≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, fantasy world and historical setting, while skipping setting scifi

✓ Both are third-person shooters — sharing shooter, third-person shooting and precision platforming
≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, fantasy world and historical setting, while skipping setting scifi

✓ Same family of third-person shooters: shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi
≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, open world exploration and exploration and discovery, while skipping precision platforming
Games like Contra

Gears of War: Judgment
shooter · TPS

Gears of War 4
shooter · TPS

Gears of War
shooter · TPS

Crab Champions
shooter · TPS

Rogue Company
shooter · TPS

Star Fox 64 3D
shooter · TPS

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
shooter · TPS

Ghostbusters: The Video Game
shooter · TPS

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
shooter · TPS

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
shooter · TPS

Contra
shooter · TPS

Rogue Trooper
shooter · TPS

Jet Force Gemini
shooter · TPS

Ikaruga
shooter · TPS

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
shooter · TPS

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
shooter · TPS

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
shooter · TPS

Tomb Raider
shooter · TPS

The Last of Us
shooter · TPS

Iron Brigade
shooter · TPS

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
shooter · TPS

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
shooter · TPS

Bionic Commando
shooter · TPS

Army of Two: The 40th Day
shooter · TPS

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
shooter · TPS

Stranglehold
shooter · TPS

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel
shooter · TPS

Dark Sector
shooter · TPS

Army of Two
shooter · TPS

Twisted Metal
shooter · TPS

Robocraft
shooter · TPS

Saints Row
shooter · TPS

Sunset Riders
shooter · TPS

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
shooter · TPS

Contra III: The Alien Wars
shooter · TPS
Rankings in the same genre
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best game similar to Contra?
- The closest game to Contra is Splatoon 2, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 8 gameplay attributes, including shooter, third-person shooting and precision platforming. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
- What are the top games like Contra?
- The three closest games to Contra are: 1. Splatoon 2 (97/100, 8 shared attributes) 2. Splatoon 3 (97/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (91/100, 7 shared attributes). All share Contra's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 9 dimensions.
- Is Splatoon 3 similar to Contra?
- Yes, very much so — Splatoon 3 scores 97/100 similarity to Contra. They share 8 attributes, including shooter and third-person shooting. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
- What Shooter games are similar to Contra?
- The best Shooter games similar to Contra are Splatoon 2, Splatoon 3, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and ARC Raiders. All share the Shooter genre alongside other key Contra attributes like shooter, third-person shooting and precision platforming.
- How is similarity to Contra calculated?
- We compare Contra against every game in our catalog using 9 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Contra experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.











