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Metal Slug X

45 Games like Metal Slug X that you should try

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Metal Slug X is hard to replace: few games combine shooter, punishing difficulty and melee combat in quite the same way. We compared Metal Slug X against over 6,700 titles across 12 gameplay attributes and found 45 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, Helldivers and Nuclear Throne lead the list, with Clone Drone in the Danger Zone reaching a 95/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Metal Slug X special.

iRank84/ 100

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GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreArena FPS
Tags
HardcoreSoloMultiplayer
Year 1999Dev SNK

Quick answer

The closest game to Metal Slug X is Clone Drone in the Danger Zone — scoring 95/100 on our similarity scale. Helldivers and Nuclear Throne follow close behind.

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Top games similar to Metal Slug X

45 similar games foundUpdated July 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Metal Slug X. 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.

Clone Drone in the Danger Zone
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeHardcorePixel Art
Steam👍 96%· 38KRAWG👍 90%· 57
Year 2016Dev Doborog GamesPlaytime ~5hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the arena shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and punishing difficulty

≠ Its own twist: fighting mechanics, deep simulation and deep RPG systems, while skipping precision platforming

Helldivers
ShooterFPSArena FPS
Co-opOfflineMultiplayerSoloMeleeHardcore
Steam👍 90%· 33KIGDB84· 6OC83· 45
Year 2015Dev Arrowhead Game Studios · Sony Computer EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · PC

✓ Same family of arena shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and punishing difficulty

≠ Where it differs: brings survival mechanics, setting scifi and setting space, while skipping precision platforming

Nuclear Throne
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineMeleeHardcorePixel Art2D
Steam👍 96%· 20KRAWG👍 83%· 301IGDB84· 4OC86· 24
Year 2015Dev VlambeerPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

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

≠ Its own twist: roguelike runs, deep RPG systems and procedural generation, while skipping precision platforming

Doom
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeHardcore
Steam👍 96%· 218KIGDB87· 28
Year 2016Dev id Software · Bethesda SoftworksOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Fits the arena shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and punishing difficulty

≠ Where it differs: brings roguelike runs, horror tension and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping precision platforming

Cuphead
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineMeleeHardcore2D
Steam👍 96%· 209KRAWG👍 91%· 2.0KMC87IGDB87· 17OC88· 214
Year 2017Dev Studio MDHR · StudioMDHR EntertainmentPlaytime ~6hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of arena shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and precision platforming

≠ Stands apart with action RPG combat, deep RPG systems and ranged combat, while skipping visual pixel

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeHardcore
Steam👍 93%· 8.8KIGDB74· 2
Year 2009Dev Croteam · Devolver DigitalOn PC

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

≠ Stands apart with dark, oppressive atmosphere, setting scifi and online features, while skipping precision platforming

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloCo-opMultiplayerOfflineMeleeHardcorePixel Art2D
Steam👍 97%· 392KRAWG👍 87%· 1.2KMC86IGDB95· 2OC87· 27
Year 2014Dev NicalisPlaytime ~31hOn PC · PS · Xbox

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

≠ Its own twist: roguelike runs, deep RPG systems and puzzle design, while skipping precision platforming

Enter the Gungeon
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineMeleeHardcorePixel Art2D
Steam👍 95%· 89KRAWG👍 82%· 1.1KMC84IGDB83· 13OC84· 79
Year 2016Dev Dodge Roll · Devolver DigitalPlaytime ~6hOn PC · PS · Xbox

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

≠ Where it differs: brings roguelike runs, deep RPG systems and cozy, relaxing feel, while skipping precision platforming

Returnal
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloCo-opMultiplayerMeleeHardcore
Steam👍 81%· 10KIGDB90· 19OC86· 201
Year 2021Dev Housemarque · Sony Interactive EntertainmentOn PC · PS5

✓ Same family of arena shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and punishing difficulty

≠ Stands apart with roguelike runs, third-person shooting and horror tension, while skipping precision platforming

Brotato
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineMeleeHardcore2D
Steam👍 96%· 114KRAWG👍 84%· 142OC75· 6
Year 2022Dev BlobfishPlaytime ~5hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Same family of arena shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and punishing difficulty

≠ Where it differs: brings roguelike runs, survival mechanics and deep RPG systems, while skipping precision platforming

Ultimate Chicken Horse
ShooterFPSArena FPS
MultiplayerOfflineCo-opSoloMeleeHardcore2D
Steam👍 96%· 52KRAWG👍 89%· 228IGDB79· 5OC79· 23
Year 2016Dev NVIDIA Lightspeed Studios · Clever Endeavour GamesPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the arena shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and precision platforming

≠ Where it differs: brings racing gameplay, vibe casual and competitive edge, while skipping visual pixel

Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineMeleeHardcore
Steam👍 96%· 3.4KRAWG👍 85%· 603MC87IGDB83· 3
Year 2001Dev Croteam · Devolver DigitalPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Nintendo

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

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere, ranged combat and setting scifi, while skipping precision platforming

Postal
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerMeleeHardcoreNarrative
Steam👍 92%· 14K
Year 1997Dev Running With Scissors · Ripcord GamesOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ Fits the arena shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and punishing difficulty

≠ Its own twist: horror tension, strong narrative focus and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping precision platforming

SCP: Secret Laboratory
ShooterFPSArena FPS
MultiplayerCo-opMeleeHardcoreOnline
Steam👍 91%· 230K
Year 2017Dev Northwood StudiosOn PC

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

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, horror tension and survival mechanics, while skipping precision platforming

Roboquest
ShooterFPSArena FPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeHardcore
Steam👍 95%· 24KRAWG👍 84%· 44IGDB83· 3OC85· 12
Year 2020Dev RyseUp StudiosPlaytime ~4hOn PC

✓ Both are arena shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and punishing difficulty

≠ Where it differs: brings roguelike runs, procedural generation and ranged combat, while skipping precision platforming

Complete list of Metal Slug X alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Metal Slug X, 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.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Metal Slug X?
The closest game to Metal Slug X is Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, scoring 95/100 on our similarity scale. They share 8 gameplay attributes, including shooter, first-person shooting and single-player focus. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Metal Slug X?
The three closest games to Metal Slug X are: 1. Clone Drone in the Danger Zone (95/100, 8 shared attributes) 2. Helldivers (96/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. Nuclear Throne (95/100, 11 shared attributes). All share Metal Slug X's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 45 candidates across 12 dimensions.
Is Helldivers similar to Metal Slug X?
Yes, very much so — Helldivers scores 96/100 similarity to Metal Slug X. They share 8 attributes, including shooter and first-person shooting. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Shooter games are similar to Metal Slug X?
The best Shooter games similar to Metal Slug X are Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, Helldivers, Nuclear Throne and Doom. All share the Shooter genre alongside other key Metal Slug X attributes like shooter, first-person shooting and single-player focus.
How is similarity to Metal Slug X calculated?
We compare Metal Slug X 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 Metal Slug X experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.