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Painkiller: Hell & Damnation

50 Games like Painkiller: Hell & Damnation that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentHow this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

If Painkiller: Hell & Damnation left you wanting more, this list of 50 similar games is for you. Each one shares part of its essence — shooter, dark, oppressive atmosphere and melee combat — and is ranked by a similarity score computed across 10 attributes. Doom II: Hell on Earth comes closest (88/100).

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GenreShooterSubgenreFPS
Tags
DarkSoloMultiplayer
Year 2012Dev The Farm 51
Stores

Quick answer

The closest game to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation is Doom II: Hell on Earth — scoring 88/100 on our similarity scale. Cry of Fear and Left 4 Dead 2 follow close behind.

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Top games similar to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation

50 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation. Each one has been evaluated across 10 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.

#1Doom II: Hell on Earth
Doom II: Hell on Earth
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 95%· 9.1KIGDB84· 2
Year 1994Dev id Software · ImagineerOn PC · Mac

✓ Both are first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, setting scifi and post-apocalyptic world

It predates Painkiller: Hell & Damnation by 18 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone100Visuals80Setting54
#2Cry of Fear
Cry of Fear
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 89%· 84K
Year 2013Dev Team PsykskallarOn PC

✓ Fits the first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and strong narrative focus

Genre100Combat100Setting100Visuals100Game mode92Tone71
Left 4 Dead 2
ShooterFPS
MultiplayerCo-opSoloMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 98%· 1.0MRAWG👍 85%· 3.4KMC89IGDB89· 5
Year 2009Dev Valve Software · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~9hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

✓ Same family of first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Stands apart with survival mechanics, ranged combat and online features

Everything the first game did plus melee weapons, daylight campaigns and special infected that force the team apart rather than just damage it. The AI Director still shapes every run. It absorbed the original so completely that the community split never healed, and the campaigns lean on finale set pieces that become rote once you know the safe corners.

Genre100Tone100Setting100Visuals100Game mode86Combat62
Left 4 Dead
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 96%· 67KRAWG👍 87%· 1.7KMC89IGDB85· 7
Year 2008Dev Valve Software · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~5hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Stands apart with survival mechanics, strong narrative focus and ranged combat

The AI Director is the whole design: it places hordes and items based on how well you are doing, so no two runs of a campaign play the same and tension stays authored without being scripted. Four campaigns only, which is thin, and the sequel superseded it so completely that finding populated servers now takes patience.

Genre100Visuals100Game mode88Tone82Setting71Combat62
DOOM 3
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 89%· 8.3KRAWG👍 77%· 632MC87IGDB86· 6
Year 2004Dev id Software · Bethesda SoftworksPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Stands apart with survival mechanics, tower defense planning and turn-based strategy

DOOM 3 is a first-person shooter, the third installment in the series, serving as a reboot to the previous games. ###Plot As the game is set in a science fiction universe, the events span accordingly.

It predates Painkiller: Hell & Damnation by 8 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100Tone80Setting73Combat54
F.E.A.R. 3
ShooterFPS
Co-opSoloMultiplayerMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 71%· 14KIGDB76· 5
Year 2011Dev Day 1 Studios · WB GamesOn PlayStation 3 · PC

✓ Both are first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, strong narrative focus and setting scifi

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode89Tone81Setting76
Back 4 Blood
ShooterFPS
Co-opSoloMultiplayerMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 69%· 73KIGDB79· 10OC76· 138
Year 2021Dev Turtle Rock Studios · Warner Bros. Interactive EntertainmentOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Same family of first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Where it differs: brings survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and roguelike runs

On reception: its Steam reviews are mixed, against mostly positive for Painkiller: Hell & Damnation.

Released 9 years after Painkiller: Hell & Damnation.

Genre100Combat100Tone100Setting100Visuals100Game mode68
World War Z
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 83%· 31KIGDB74· 12OC71· 129
Year 2019Dev Saber Interactive · Focus EntertainmentOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Both are first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Its own twist: third-person shooting, adventure storytelling and survival mechanics

A co-op horde shooter whose swarm tech is the draw: hundreds of zombies climb over each other into structures, and the class system rewards coordinating rather than scattering. Levels are short and replayable. The shooting itself is functional but unremarkable, and the campaign chapters are thin connective tissue between the set-piece swarm moments.

Released 7 years after Painkiller: Hell & Damnation.

Genre100Tone100Game mode80Combat78Setting71Visuals61
Aliens vs. Predator
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 91%· 21KRAWG👍 62%· 422MC68IGDB74· 4
Year 2010Dev SEGAPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Its own twist: survival mechanics, adventure storytelling and strong narrative focus

Three separate campaigns — Marine, Alien and Predator — each rebuilding the game around a different body: the Marine's motion tracker and dread, the Alien's wall-crawling, the Predator's cloak and vision modes. The Marine campaign is the one that holds up. The other two are short and thin by comparison, and the multiplayer that carried it in 2010 is long dead.

Where it drifts furthest from Painkiller: Hell & Damnation: combat.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100Tone83Setting68Combat46
F.E.A.R. Extraction Point
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 94%· 19KIGDB73· 3
Year 2006Dev TimeGate Studios · Vivendi Universal GamesOn PC

✓ Fits the first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Its own twist: strong narrative focus and setting scifi, while skipping co op

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Setting92Tone82Game mode70
F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 94%· 19KIGDB70· 2
Year 2007Dev TimeGate Studios · Sierra EntertainmentOn PC

✓ Same family of first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Its own twist: strong narrative focus and setting scifi, while skipping co op

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Tone82Setting73Game mode70
Aliens: Colonial Marines
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 62%· 12KIGDB45· 14
Year 2013Dev Gearbox Software · SegaOn PlayStation 3 · PC

✓ Same family of first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Its own twist: survival mechanics, strong narrative focus and setting scifi

On reception: its Steam reviews are mixed, against mostly positive for Painkiller: Hell & Damnation.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Tone89Game mode73Setting52
Resident Evil: Revelations
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
IGDB75· 27OC71· 42
Year 2012Dev Capcom

✓ Both are first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and visual third person, while skipping horror tension

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone100Setting100Visuals72
Zombi
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
Steam👍 64%· 3.1KIGDB63· 5OC67· 39
Year 2015Dev Straight RightOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Fits the first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, survival mechanics and roguelike runs, while skipping co op

On reception: its Steam reviews are mixed, against mostly positive for Painkiller: Hell & Damnation.

Released 3 years after Painkiller: Hell & Damnation.

Genre100Combat100Setting100Visuals100Tone92Game mode67
Quake II
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkHorrorFirst Person
OC89· 25
Dev Head Games PublishingOn PC

✓ Same family of first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere

≠ Its own twist: ranged combat and setting scifi, while skipping horror tension

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Visuals100Setting69Combat58

Complete list of Painkiller: Hell & Damnation alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Painkiller: Hell & Damnation, 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 Painkiller: Hell & Damnation?
The closest game to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation is Doom II: Hell on Earth, scoring 88/100 on our similarity scale. They share 10 gameplay attributes, including shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Painkiller: Hell & Damnation?
The three closest games to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation are: 1. Doom II: Hell on Earth (88/100, 10 shared attributes) 2. Cry of Fear (88/100, 10 shared attributes) 3. Left 4 Dead 2 (85/100, 10 shared attributes). All share Painkiller: Hell & Damnation's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 10 dimensions.
Is Cry of Fear similar to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation?
Yes, very much so — Cry of Fear scores 88/100 similarity to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation. They share 10 attributes, including shooter and first-person shooting. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Shooter games are similar to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation?
The best Shooter games similar to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation are Doom II: Hell on Earth, Cry of Fear, Left 4 Dead 2 and Left 4 Dead. All share the Shooter genre alongside other key Painkiller: Hell & Damnation attributes like shooter, first-person shooting and horror tension.
How is similarity to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation calculated?
We compare Painkiller: Hell & Damnation against every game in our catalog using 10 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 Painkiller: Hell & Damnation experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.
Are there free games similar to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation?
Yes — theHunter Classic is free and scores well on similarity to Painkiller: Hell & Damnation. It's a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.