What is the best game similar to Payday 3?

The closest game to Payday 3 is PAYDAY 2, scoring 92/100 on our similarity scale. They share 12 gameplay attributes, including shooter, first-person shooting and deep RPG systems. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.

What are the top games like Payday 3?

The three closest games to Payday 3 are: 1. PAYDAY 2 (92/100, 12 shared attributes) 2. Call of Duty: World at War (83/100, 11 shared attributes) 3. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands (85/100, 11 shared attributes). All share Payday 3's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 14 dimensions.

Is Call of Duty: World at War similar to Payday 3?

Yes, very much so — Call of Duty: World at War scores 83/100 similarity to Payday 3. They share 11 attributes, including shooter and first-person shooting. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.

What Shooter games are similar to Payday 3?

The best Shooter games similar to Payday 3 are PAYDAY 2, Call of Duty: World at War, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. All share the Shooter genre alongside other key Payday 3 attributes like shooter, first-person shooting and deep RPG systems.

How is similarity to Payday 3 calculated?

We compare Payday 3 against every game in our catalog using 14 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 Payday 3 experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.

Are there free games similar to Payday 3?

Yes — Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike 2 and War Thunder are free and score well on similarity to Payday 3. They're a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.

50 Games like Payday 3 that you should try

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Ranking compiled by Lluis Enric Mayans, Founder & Head of ContentUpdated May 19, 2026How this is calculatedOrdered by an attribute-similarity model, not editorial opinion.

Few titles capture what makes Payday 3 unique: shooter, melee combat and co op. After measuring 14 attributes across over 6,700 games, these are the 50 most faithful alternatives. PAYDAY 2, Call of Duty: World at War and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands top the ranking, with PAYDAY 2 at number one (92/100).

iRank54/ 100

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GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

Top games similar to Payday 3

50 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Payday 3. Each one has been evaluated across 14 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.

#1PAYDAY 2Closest overall match

iRank78

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

Co-opSoloMultiplayerOnlineTacticalMeleeRangedStealthFirst Person

Steam👍 89%· 672KRAWG👍 62%· 2.2KMC79IGDB75· 17

Year 2013Dev 505 GamesPlaytime ~9hOn PC · Xbox · Linux

✓ Fits the tactical first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and deep RPG systems

≠ Stands apart with deep simulation and loot and gear systems, while skipping adventure storytelling

The gang is back, and they have bigger and better plans. Objective based cooperative FPS became more complicated. The classic group of Hoxton, Dallas, Chains and Wolf got reinforcement, and now Payday Gang consists of 21 heisters, some of which are based on movie characters or even Youtubers.

It predates Payday 3 by 10 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Visuals69

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Steam Epic Xbox

#2Call of Duty: World at War

iRank88

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineTacticalMeleeStealthFirst Person

Steam👍 92%· 53KIGDB80· 7

Year 2008Dev Treyarch · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC

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

≠ Stands apart with survival mechanics, horror tension and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep RPG systems

It predates Payday 3 by 15 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat87Game mode84Visuals69

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Steam

#3Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands

iRank76

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineTacticalStealthMeleeFirst Person

Steam👍 80%· 104KIGDB73· 20OC72· 132

Year 2017Dev Ubisoft Paris · Ubisoft EntertainmentOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

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

≠ Stands apart with third-person shooting, survival mechanics and sandbox freedom, while skipping deep RPG systems

Genre100Game mode96Combat87Visuals54

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Steam Epic Xbox

#4Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

iRank84

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalMeleeStealthFirst Person

Steam👍 92%· 1.6KIGDB68· 3

Year 2001Dev Red Storm Entertainment · Ubi Soft EntertainmentOn PC · Mac

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

≠ Stands apart with deep simulation, punishing difficulty and historical setting, while skipping deep RPG systems

It predates Payday 3 by 22 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat87Game mode81Visuals69

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Steam GOG

#5Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2

iRank80

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineTacticalMeleeRangedStealthFirst Person

Steam👍 85%· 6.0KRAWG👍 73%· 317MC78IGDB82· 5

Year 2008Dev Ubisoft · Ubisoft EntertainmentPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are tactical first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and combat tactical

≠ Stands apart with offline, skill tree progression and loot and gear systems, while skipping deep RPG systems

The peak of the cover-based Rainbow Six era: squad orders are quick to issue, the rappel-through-window breach is still satisfying, and Terrorist Hunt is the mode that kept it alive for years. The story is throwaway and reuses locations from the first game, and the tactical depth is far shallower than the pre-Vegas entries.

It predates Payday 3 by 15 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat100Game mode84Visuals66

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Steam Xbox PS

#6Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

iRank79

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineMeleeTacticalRangedStealthFirst Person

Steam👍 80%· 1.7KRAWG👍 69%· 272MC85IGDB86· 4

Year 2006Dev Ubisoft · Ubisoft EntertainmentPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of tactical first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with third-person shooting, punishing difficulty and offline, while skipping deep RPG systems

The sixth game in a series of action-packed books/games about special forces from the maestro of the genre Tom Clancy. The plot of the game has nothing to do with the previous parts.

It predates Payday 3 by 17 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat100Game mode84Visuals69

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Steam Xbox PS

#7STAR WARS™ Republic Commando™

iRank85

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeRangedTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 96%· 17KRAWG👍 88%· 530MC78IGDB81· 5OC70· 23

Year 2005Dev LucasArts Entertainment · Disney InteractivePlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

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

≠ Stands apart with strong narrative focus, setting scifi and setting space, while skipping deep RPG systems

The game is set in the Star Wars universe during the Old Republic era. The player assumes the role of a Republic commando who leads his group of four Clone troopers, the Delta Squad, through various military missions.

It predates Payday 3 by 18 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat82Game mode78Visuals69

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Steam GOG Xbox

#8Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

iRank86

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineMeleeTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 89%· 39KIGDB81· 9

Year 2011Dev Sledgehammer Games · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac

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

≠ Stands apart with vibe casual, strong narrative focus and historical setting, while skipping deep RPG systems

It predates Payday 3 by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode83Visuals69Combat62

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineMeleeTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 90%· 14KIGDB78· 3

Year 2005Dev Croteam · Take-Two InteractiveOn Linux · PC

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

≠ Stands apart with dark, oppressive atmosphere, setting scifi and setting space, while skipping deep RPG systems

It predates Payday 3 by 18 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode83Combat61Visuals55

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalRangedMeleeFirst Person

Steam👍 78%· 329KRAWG👍 81%· 175IGDB84· 2OC82· 59

Year 2023Dev VOID InteractivePlaytime ~6hOn PC

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

≠ Where it differs: brings deep simulation, horror tension and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep RPG systems

Ready or Not is an intense, tactical, first-person shooter that depicts a modern-day world in which SWAT police units are called to defuse hostile and confronting situations. Please remember that the Beta build is still an incomplete version of the game.

Genre100Game mode81Combat80Visuals69

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Steam

#11Hired Ops

iRank52

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerOnlineSoloCo-opRangedTacticalMeleeFirst Person

Steam👍 68%· 16KRAWG👍 28%· 32

Year 2016Dev Absolut SoftPlaytime ~2hOn PC

✓ Both are tactical first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and deep RPG systems

≠ Where it differs: brings strong narrative focus, setting modern and historical setting, while skipping adventure storytelling

Hired Ops is a session-based online shooter dedicated to fierce conflicts between rival mercenary groups battling on a global scale from Russian developer AbsolutSoft.

Genre100Game mode96Combat81Visuals69

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Steam

#12Star Wars Battlefront II

iRank83

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerSoloCo-opOnlineMeleeTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 88%· 96KIGDB72· 17

Year 2017Dev EA Digital Illusions CE · Electronic ArtsOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

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

≠ Where it differs: brings third-person shooting, setting scifi and setting space, while skipping deep RPG systems

Genre100Game mode90Combat57Visuals54

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineMeleeStealthTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 93%· 41KIGDB73· 4

Year 2011Dev Overkill Software · Sony Online EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3 · PC

✓ Both are tactical first-person shooters — sharing shooter, first-person shooting and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings punishing difficulty, while skipping deep RPG systems

It predates Payday 3 by 12 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode100Combat85Visuals69

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Steam

#14Call of Duty: Black Ops II

iRank84

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerSoloCo-opOnlineMeleeTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 86%· 49KIGDB79· 17

Year 2012Dev Treyarch · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC

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

≠ Where it differs: brings survival mechanics, horror tension and strong narrative focus, while skipping deep RPG systems

It predates Payday 3 by 11 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Game mode84Visuals69Combat61

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Steam

#15Commandos 2: Men of Courage

iRank87

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

Co-opSoloMultiplayerTacticalStealthMelee

Steam👍 86%· 2.8KRAWG👍 88%· 220MC87IGDB90· 1

Year 2001Dev Pyro Studios · Merge GamesPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

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

≠ Where it differs: brings real-time strategy, historical setting and visual isometric, while skipping deep RPG systems

Set during the World War II, this isometric tactic game offers the player to lead an Allied commando squad through a series of secret military operations.

Where it drifts furthest from Payday 3: visuals.

It predates Payday 3 by 22 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat87Game mode81Visuals0

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Steam

Complete list of Payday 3 alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Payday 3, 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.

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III

Shooter · FPS

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Shooter · FPS

Destiny

Shooter · FPS

Serious Sam 3: BFE

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Shooter · FPS

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Shooter · FPS

Warface

Shooter · FPS

Hitman 2

Shooter · FPS

Counter-Strike 2

Shooter · FPS

PlanetSide 2

Shooter · FPS

Sniper Elite

Shooter · FPS

Brink

Shooter · FPS

Full Mojo Rampage

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Shooter · FPS

War Thunder

Shooter · FPS

Rainbow Six Siege

Shooter · FPS

DOOM II

Shooter · FPS

Halo 3: ODST

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Shooter · FPS

Transformers: War for Cybertron

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty: Vanguard

Shooter · FPS

Delta Force

Shooter · FPS

Medal of Honor

Shooter · FPS

Splitgate

Shooter · FPS

Black Squad

Shooter · FPS

Killzone 3

Shooter · FPS

Sniper Elite V2

Shooter · FPS

Star Wars: Squadrons

Shooter · FPS

Battlefield 3

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Shooter · FPS

World of Warships

Shooter · FPS

Escape from Tarkov

Shooter · FPS

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

Shooter · FPS

SWAT 4

Shooter · FPS

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield

Shooter · FPS

Explore games similar to Payday 3 by category

Rankings in the same genre

Best Tactical FPS Games Best FPS Games Best Shooter Games

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Payday 3?: The closest game to Payday 3 is PAYDAY 2, scoring 92/100 on our similarity scale. They share 12 gameplay attributes, including shooter, first-person shooting and deep RPG systems. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Payday 3?: The three closest games to Payday 3 are: 1. PAYDAY 2 (92/100, 12 shared attributes) 2. Call of Duty: World at War (83/100, 11 shared attributes) 3. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands (85/100, 11 shared attributes). All share Payday 3's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 14 dimensions.
Is Call of Duty: World at War similar to Payday 3?: Yes, very much so — Call of Duty: World at War scores 83/100 similarity to Payday 3. They share 11 attributes, including shooter and first-person shooting. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Shooter games are similar to Payday 3?: The best Shooter games similar to Payday 3 are PAYDAY 2, Call of Duty: World at War, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. All share the Shooter genre alongside other key Payday 3 attributes like shooter, first-person shooting and deep RPG systems.
How is similarity to Payday 3 calculated?: We compare Payday 3 against every game in our catalog using 14 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 Payday 3 experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.
Are there free games similar to Payday 3?: Yes — Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike 2 and War Thunder are free and score well on similarity to Payday 3. They're a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.