What is the best game similar to Payday: The Heist?

The closest game to Payday: The Heist is Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 10 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 Payday: The Heist?

The three closest games to Payday: The Heist are: 1. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (97/100, 10 shared attributes) 2. Commandos 2: Men of Courage (96/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. Delta Force (95/100, 8 shared attributes). All share Payday: The Heist's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 11 dimensions.

Is Commandos 2: Men of Courage similar to Payday: The Heist?

Yes, very much so — Commandos 2: Men of Courage scores 96/100 similarity to Payday: The Heist. 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 Payday: The Heist?

The best Shooter games similar to Payday: The Heist are Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Commandos 2: Men of Courage, Delta Force and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield. All share the Shooter genre alongside other key Payday: The Heist attributes like shooter, first-person shooting and single-player focus.

How is similarity to Payday: The Heist calculated?

We compare Payday: The Heist against every game in our catalog using 11 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: The Heist experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.

Are there free games similar to Payday: The Heist?

Yes — War Thunder and World of Warships are free and score well on similarity to Payday: The Heist. They're a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.

50 Games like Payday: The Heist that you should try

Games like Payday: The Heist · Find similar →

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Payday: The Heist is hard to replace: few games combine shooter, punishing difficulty and melee combat in quite the same way. We compared Payday: The Heist against over 6,700 titles across 11 gameplay attributes and found 50 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Commandos 2: Men of Courage and Delta Force lead the list, with Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon reaching a 97/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Payday: The Heist special.

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GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

Top games similar to Payday: The Heist

50 similar games foundUpdated July 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Payday: The Heist. Each one has been evaluated across 11 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.

#1Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

iRank84

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalMeleeStealthHardcoreFirst 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 punishing difficulty

≠ Stands apart with deep simulation, adventure storytelling and historical setting, while skipping online features

Details →

Steam GOG

#2Commandos 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 combat tactical

≠ Where it differs: brings real-time strategy, adventure storytelling and historical setting, while skipping punishing difficulty

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 90%· 673

Year 1998Dev NovaLogicOn PC

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

≠ Where it differs: brings historical setting and visual third person, while skipping punishing difficulty

Details →

Steam GOG

#4Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield

iRank89

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalMeleeFirst Person

Steam👍 92%· 2.1KIGDB82· 3

Year 2003Dev Red Storm Entertainment · Ubisoft EntertainmentOn PC · Mac

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

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

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

Co-opSoloMultiplayerOnlineTacticalMeleeStealthFirst 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 combat tactical

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, deep simulation and ranged combat, while skipping punishing difficulty

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalMeleeStealth

Steam👍 88%· 25KIGDB67· 11

Year 2012Dev Rebellion Developments · 505 GamesOn PlayStation 3 · PC

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

≠ Its own twist: third-person shooting, historical setting and visual third person, while skipping punishing difficulty

Details →

Steam Xbox

#7Star 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 melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, third-person shooting and setting scifi, while skipping punishing difficulty

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opStealthTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 91%· 75KIGDB82· 14OC83· 143

Year 2018Dev IO Interactive · WB GamesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of tactical first-person shooters: shooter, first-person shooting and stealth mechanics

≠ Its own twist: adventure storytelling and visual third person, while skipping punishing difficulty

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeTacticalStealthFirst Person

Steam👍 77%· 11KIGDB74· 9

Year 2010Dev Danger Close · Electronic ArtsOn PlayStation 3 · Linux · PC

✓ Fits the tactical first-person shooters cluster, with shooter, first-person shooting and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings historical setting and setting modern, while skipping punishing difficulty

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

MultiplayerOnlineCo-opTacticalMeleeFirst Person

Steam👍 81%· 75KIGDB83· 6OC78· 16

Year 2012Dev Rogue Planet Games · Daybreak Game CompanyOn PS4 · PC

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

≠ Stands apart with deep RPG systems, open world exploration and setting scifi, while skipping punishing difficulty

Details →

Steam PS

#11SWAT 4

iRank85

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalStealthFirst Person

IGDB85· 2

Year 2005Dev Irrational Games · Vivendi UniversalOn PC

✓ Nearly identical: shooter, first-person shooting and combat tactical.

≠ Missing: punishing difficulty.

Details →

#12Halo 5: Guardians

iRank84

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opTacticalMeleeFirst Person

IGDB84· 19OC84· 123

Year 2015Dev 343 Industries · Microsoft StudiosOn Xbox

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

≠ Its own twist: setting scifi and visual third person, while skipping punishing difficulty

Details →

Xbox

#13Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

iRank79

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opOnlineMeleeTacticalStealthHardcoreFirst 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 punishing difficulty

≠ Stands apart with third-person shooting, ranged combat and offline

Details →

Steam Xbox PS

#14Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood

iRank82

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeTacticalFirst Person

Steam👍 87%· 1.1KIGDB73· 4

Year 2005Dev Gearbox SoftwareOn PC · Mac

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

≠ Stands apart with historical setting, while skipping punishing difficulty

Details →

Steam GOG

#15Transformers: War for Cybertron

iRank84

GenreShooterSubgenreFPSSub-subgenreTactical FPS

SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeTactical

Steam👍 90%· 1.6KIGDB71· 8

Year 2010Dev High Moon Studios · ActivisionOn PlayStation 3 · PC

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

≠ Its own twist: third-person shooting, adventure storytelling and setting scifi, while skipping punishing difficulty

Details →

Steam

Complete list of Payday: The Heist alternatives

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

Killzone 3

Shooter · FPS

Star Wars: Squadrons

Shooter · FPS

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2

Shooter · FPS

Star Wars: Battlefront II

Shooter · FPS

World of Tanks

Shooter · FPS

Star Wars: Battlefront

Shooter · FPS

Blazing Chrome

Shooter · FPS

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

Shooter · FPS

Sniper Elite

Shooter · FPS

Battlefield 2

Shooter · FPS

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty: World at War

Shooter · FPS

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Shooter · FPS

Perfect Dark

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Shooter · FPS

War Thunder

Shooter · FPS

Freedom Fighters

Shooter · FPS

Halo 2

Shooter · FPS

Delta Force

Shooter · FPS

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Shooter · FPS

Medal of Honor: Airborne

Shooter · FPS

Serious Sam 3: BFE

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Shooter · FPS

Halo 3: ODST

Shooter · FPS

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty: Finest Hour

Shooter · FPS

Rainbow Six Siege

Shooter · FPS

World of Warships

Shooter · FPS

Battlefield Vietnam

Shooter · FPS

Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix

Shooter · FPS

Insurgency

Shooter · FPS

Medal of Honor

Shooter · FPS

Call of Duty 3

Shooter · FPS

Destiny

Shooter · FPS

Heroes & Generals

Shooter · FPS

Explore games similar to Payday: The Heist by category

Rankings in the same genre

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Payday: The Heist?: The closest game to Payday: The Heist is Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 10 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 Payday: The Heist?: The three closest games to Payday: The Heist are: 1. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (97/100, 10 shared attributes) 2. Commandos 2: Men of Courage (96/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. Delta Force (95/100, 8 shared attributes). All share Payday: The Heist's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 11 dimensions.
Is Commandos 2: Men of Courage similar to Payday: The Heist?: Yes, very much so — Commandos 2: Men of Courage scores 96/100 similarity to Payday: The Heist. 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 Payday: The Heist?: The best Shooter games similar to Payday: The Heist are Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Commandos 2: Men of Courage, Delta Force and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield. All share the Shooter genre alongside other key Payday: The Heist attributes like shooter, first-person shooting and single-player focus.
How is similarity to Payday: The Heist calculated?: We compare Payday: The Heist against every game in our catalog using 11 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: The Heist experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.
Are there free games similar to Payday: The Heist?: Yes — War Thunder and World of Warships are free and score well on similarity to Payday: The Heist. They're a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.