What is the best game similar to Contra III: The Alien Wars?

The closest game to Contra III: The Alien Wars is Gears of War 3, scoring 95/100 on our similarity scale. They share 9 gameplay attributes, including shooter, third-person shooting and offline. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.

What are the top games like Contra III: The Alien Wars?

The three closest games to Contra III: The Alien Wars are: 1. Gears of War 3 (95/100, 9 shared attributes) 2. Gears of War 2 (97/100, 9 shared attributes) 3. Rogue Trooper (95/100, 9 shared attributes). All share Contra III: The Alien Wars's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 12 dimensions.

Is Gears of War 2 similar to Contra III: The Alien Wars?

Yes, very much so — Gears of War 2 scores 97/100 similarity to Contra III: The Alien Wars. They share 9 attributes, including shooter and third-person shooting. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.

What Shooter games are similar to Contra III: The Alien Wars?

The best Shooter games similar to Contra III: The Alien Wars are Gears of War 3, Gears of War 2, Rogue Trooper and Risk of Rain 2. All share the Shooter genre alongside other key Contra III: The Alien Wars attributes like shooter, third-person shooting and offline.

How is similarity to Contra III: The Alien Wars calculated?

We compare Contra III: The Alien Wars against every game in our catalog using 12 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 III: The Alien Wars experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.

50 Games like Contra III: The Alien Wars that you should try

Games like Contra III: The Alien Wars · Find similar →

More about this game →

If Contra III: The Alien Wars left you wanting more, this list of 50 similar games is for you. Each one shares part of its essence — shooter, setting scifi and offline — and is ranked by a similarity score computed across 12 attributes. Gears of War 3 comes closest (95/100).

iRank81/ 100

Did you find what you were looking for?

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

Top games similar to Contra III: The Alien Wars

50 similar games foundUpdated July 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Contra III: The Alien Wars. Each one has been evaluated across 12 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1Gears of War 3

iRank97

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opSci-FiPost-ApocalypticThird Person

IGDB97· 4

Year 2011Dev Epic Games · Microsoft Studios

✓ Same family of third-person shooters: shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Its own twist: dark, oppressive atmosphere, horror setting and loot and gear systems, while skipping adventure storytelling

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opSci-FiPost-ApocalypticThird Person

IGDB90· 5

Year 2008Dev Epic Games · Microsoft Game Studios

✓ Both are third-person shooters — sharing shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Stands apart with melee combat and ranged combat, while skipping adventure storytelling

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

MultiplayerOfflineSoloCo-opSci-FiPost-ApocalypticThird Person

Steam👍 95%· 516RAWG👍 73%· 59MC69IGDB76· 3

Year 2006Dev RebellionPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of third-person shooters: shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Its own twist: melee combat, stealth mechanics and ranged combat, while skipping adventure storytelling

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

MultiplayerCo-opSoloOfflineSci-FiThird Person

Steam👍 94%· 347KRAWG👍 85%· 696MC82IGDB87· 6OC86· 34

Year 2020Dev Hopoo Games · Gearbox PublishingPlaytime ~8hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of third-person shooters: shooter, third-person shooting and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: roguelike runs, survival mechanics and punishing difficulty, while skipping post-apocalyptic world

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opSci-FiThird Person

IGDB83· 27OC85· 155

Year 2016Dev The Coalition · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox

✓ Fits the third-person shooters cluster, with shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting, while skipping adventure storytelling

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opSci-FiThird Person

IGDB84· 3

Year 2006Dev Epic Games · Microsoft Game Studios

✓ Fits the third-person shooters cluster, with shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere, ranged combat and horror setting, while skipping adventure storytelling

Details →

Xbox

#7Ikaruga

iRank89

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerSci-FiIsometricThird Person

Steam👍 95%· 2.3KRAWG👍 84%· 88MC84IGDB90· 1OC88· 28

Year 2001Dev Treasure · SEGAPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of third-person shooters: shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Where it differs: brings punishing difficulty, ranged combat and melee combat, while skipping adventure storytelling

Details →

Steam Epic Xbox

#8Gears of War: Judgment

iRank77

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opSci-FiThird Person

IGDB77· 9

Year 2013Dev People Can Fly · Microsoft Studios

✓ Both are third-person shooters — sharing shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Its own twist: loot and gear systems and skill tree progression, while skipping adventure storytelling

Details →

Xbox

#9Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

iRank78

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerCo-opSci-FiThird Person

IGDB78· 18

Year 2015Dev Epic Games · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox

✓ Both are third-person shooters — sharing shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Its own twist: dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting, while skipping adventure storytelling

Details →

Xbox

#10ARC Raiders

iRank86

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

MultiplayerCo-opSci-FiPost-ApocalypticThird Person

Steam👍 84%· 395KIGDB89· 4OC87· 95

Year 2025Dev Embark StudiosOn Xbox · PC · PS5

✓ Same family of third-person shooters: shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Where it differs: brings skill tree progression and crafting mechanics, while skipping adventure storytelling

Details →

Steam Epic Xbox

#11Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal

iRank80

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

OfflineSoloMultiplayerSci-FiThird Person

IGDB80· 1

Year 2004Dev Insomniac Games · Sony Computer Entertainment

✓ Fits the third-person shooters cluster, with shooter, third-person shooting and adventure storytelling

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming and exploration and discovery, while skipping post-apocalyptic world

Details →

#12Splatoon 2

iRank83

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opSci-FiThird Person

IGDB83· 17OC83· 118

Year 2017Dev Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Fits the third-person shooters cluster, with shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, while skipping adventure storytelling

Details →

Nintendo

#13Splatoon 3

iRank82

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opSci-FiThird Person

IGDB82· 6OC83· 124

Year 2022Dev Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 5 · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Both are third-person shooters — sharing shooter, third-person shooting and setting scifi

≠ Its own twist: precision platforming and skill tree progression, while skipping adventure storytelling

Details →

Nintendo

#14Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

iRank95

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opThird PersonFantasy

IGDB95· 8

Year 2009Dev Naughty Dog · Sony Computer EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3

✓ Fits the third-person shooters cluster, with shooter, third-person shooting and adventure storytelling

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, fantasy world and historical setting, while skipping setting scifi

Details →

#15Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

iRank93

GenreShooterSubgenreTPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opThird PersonFantasy

IGDB93· 8

Year 2011Dev Naughty Dog · Sony Computer EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3

✓ Both are third-person shooters — sharing shooter, third-person shooting and adventure storytelling

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, fantasy world and historical setting, while skipping setting scifi

Details →

Complete list of Contra III: The Alien Wars alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Contra III: The Alien Wars, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.