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The King of Fighters '97

53 Games like The King of Fighters '97 that you should try

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The King of Fighters '97 is hard to replace: few games combine fighting mechanics, melee combat and offline in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 6 gameplay attributes and found 53 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Roof Rage, Injustice 2 and Domiverse lead the list, with Roof Rage reaching a 97/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes The King of Fighters '97 special.

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GenreFightingSubgenre2D Fighter
Tags
OfflineSolo
Year 1997Dev SNK

Quick answer

The closest game to The King of Fighters '97 is Roof Rage — scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. Injustice 2 and Domiverse follow close behind.

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Games like The King of Fighters '97

53 similar games foundUpdated May 2026
Roof Rage
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 89%· 691
Year 2018Dev Early Melon · Plug In DigitalPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Nintendo

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, vibe casual and visual pixel

Injustice 2
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 86%· 24KIGDB86· 18OC87· 157
Year 2017Dev NetherRealm Studios · WB GamesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with strong narrative focus

Domiverse
Fighting2D Fighter
MultiplayerOfflineSoloMelee2D
Steam👍 96%· 80
Year 2019Dev Haunted TiePlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, melee combat and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, punishing difficulty and setting scifi

Mortal Kombat X
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 86%· 60KIGDB84· 18OC84· 94
Year 2015Dev NetherRealm Studios · WB GamesOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Both are 2D fighting games — sharing fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: dark, oppressive atmosphere, competitive edge and strong narrative focus

Mortal Kombat 11
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 88%· 114KIGDB80· 12OC83· 164
Year 2019Dev NetherRealm Studios · WB GamesOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings dark, oppressive atmosphere, competitive edge and strong narrative focus

SoulCalibur VI
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 83%· 14KIGDB84· 14OC84· 135
Year 2018Dev Project Soul · Bandai Namco EntertainmentOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: competitive edge, fantasy world and PvP competition

Nidhogg
Fighting2D Fighter
OfflineMultiplayerSoloMelee2D
Steam👍 90%· 7.8KRAWG👍 87%· 361MC81IGDB84· 6OC81· 36
Year 2014Dev MesshofPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Apple Macintosh

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, melee combat and offline

≠ Where it differs: brings sports simulation, competitive edge and PvP competition

Street Fighter 6
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 83%· 74KIGDB93· 8OC91· 185
Year 2023Dev CapcomOn Xbox · PS4 · Switch

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Where it differs: brings adventure storytelling, deep RPG systems and action RPG combat

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
Fighting2D Fighter
MultiplayerOfflineSoloMelee2D
Steam👍 94%· 15KRAWG👍 87%· 440MC86OC87· 165
Year 2022Dev Tribute Games · DotEmuPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are 2D fighting games — sharing fighting mechanics, melee combat and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Stands apart with adventure storytelling, vibe casual and strong narrative focus

Slap City
Fighting2D Fighter
MultiplayerSoloOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 95%· 2.9KRAWG👍 79%· 29IGDB85· 1
Year 2018Dev LudosityPlaytime ~3hOn PC

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, melee combat and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, co op and early access

Killer Instinct
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 87%· 5.6KIGDB71· 8OC77· 42
Year 2013Dev Iron Galaxy Studios · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox

✓ Both are 2D fighting games — sharing fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with dark, oppressive atmosphere, competitive edge and PvP competition

TEKKEN 7
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 84%· 95KRAWG👍 83%· 780MC82IGDB85· 17OC82· 131
Year 2015Dev BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America · Bandai Namco EntertainmentPlaytime ~7hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Stands apart with sports simulation, competitive edge and PvP competition

GigaBash
Fighting2D Fighter
OfflineMultiplayerSoloMeleePvP
Steam👍 94%· 2.0KOC71· 21
Year 2022Dev Passion Republic GamesPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Fits the 2D fighting games cluster, with fighting mechanics, melee combat and offline

≠ Stands apart with battle royale tension, shooter and vibe casual, while skipping visual 2d

Ultra Street Fighter IV
Fighting2D Fighter
MultiplayerSoloOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 90%· 17KRAWG👍 80%· 205MC80IGDB79· 14OC76· 24
Year 2014Dev CapcomPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, melee combat and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Its own twist: competitive edge and PvP competition

Rivals of Aether
Fighting2D Fighter
SoloMultiplayerOfflineMelee2D
Steam👍 96%· 38KRAWG👍 77%· 114
Year 2017Dev Dan FornacePlaytime ~4hOn PC · Xbox · Nintendo

✓ Same family of 2D fighting games: fighting mechanics, melee combat and single-player focus

≠ Its own twist: precision platforming, competitive edge and co op

Games like The King of Fighters '97

Rankings in the same genre

Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to The King of Fighters '97?
The closest game to The King of Fighters '97 is Roof Rage, scoring 97/100 on our similarity scale. They share 6 gameplay attributes, including fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like The King of Fighters '97?
The three closest games to The King of Fighters '97 are: 1. Roof Rage (97/100, 6 shared attributes) 2. Injustice 2 (97/100, 6 shared attributes) 3. Domiverse (93/100, 6 shared attributes). All share The King of Fighters '97's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 53 candidates across 6 dimensions.
Is Injustice 2 similar to The King of Fighters '97?
Yes, very much so — Injustice 2 scores 97/100 similarity to The King of Fighters '97. They share 6 attributes, including fighting mechanics and single-player focus. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What Fighting games are similar to The King of Fighters '97?
The best Fighting games similar to The King of Fighters '97 are Roof Rage, Injustice 2, Domiverse and Mortal Kombat X. All share the Fighting genre alongside other key The King of Fighters '97 attributes like fighting mechanics, single-player focus and multiplayer gameplay.
How is similarity to The King of Fighters '97 calculated?
We compare The King of Fighters '97 against every game in our catalog using 6 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 The King of Fighters '97 experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.
Are there free games similar to The King of Fighters '97?
Yes — Brawlhalla is free and scores well on similarity to The King of Fighters '97. It's a great way to test whether the play style clicks before investing in other paid titles.