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Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders

48 Games like Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders that you should try

Games like Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders · Find similar →

Looking for games like Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders? The NextGameLike editorial team analyzed its gameplay DNA — shooting mechanics, dark, oppressive atmosphere and ranged combat — against over 6,700 titles. These 48 alternatives are ranked by real similarity, not marketing tags. Hexen: Beyond Heretic leads with 78/100, followed by the rest of the list.

NextGameLike84/ 100

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GenreShooterSubgenreFPS
Tags
DarkSoloMultiplayer
Year 1994Dev id Software

Quick answer

The closest game to Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is Hexen: Beyond Heretic — scoring 78/100 on our similarity scale. Quake II and Iron Grip: Warlord follow close behind.

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Top games similar to Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders

48 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders. 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.

1

Hexen: Beyond Heretic

78
NGL72
Hexen: Beyond Heretic
Closest overall match
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerMeleeRangedDarkFantasyFirst Person
Year 1995Dev Raven Software · id SoftwarePlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Apple Macintosh

Same family as Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders: dark, oppressive atmosphere, melee combat and fantasy world. Both also lean on multiplayer gameplay and a first-person view. The distance is in game mode and setting — its own ground is horror setting and offline play.

Genre100Tone100Visuals100Combat84Setting68Game mode52
2

Quake II

74
NGL89
Quake II
Closest on combat
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opRangedMeleeDarkFirst Person
Dev Head Games PublishingOn PC

What brings it close to Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is dark, oppressive atmosphere, ranged combat and single-player focus, and the two track each other on genre, combat and game mode. The common ground extends to a first-person view. Where the two diverge is setting: horror setting.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone100Visuals100Setting0
3

Iron Grip: Warlord

77
NGL76
Iron Grip: Warlord
Closest on setting
ShooterFPS
Co-opSoloMultiplayerMeleeRangedFantasyFirst Person
Year 2008Dev ISOTXPlaytime ~1hOn PC

It meets Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders on melee combat, fantasy world and co-op play. Both also lean on a first-person view. The distance is in visuals — its own ground is an isometric view.

Released 14 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Setting81Visuals67
4

Left 4 Dead 2

72
NGL91
Left 4 Dead 2
ShooterFPS
MultiplayerCo-opSoloRangedMeleeDarkFirst Person
Year 2009Dev Valve Software · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~9hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

If Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders worked for you because of dark, oppressive atmosphere, ranged combat and multiplayer gameplay, the same is here. Both also lean on a first-person view. The distance is in setting — its own ground is horror setting.

Released 15 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Combat100Tone100Visuals100Game mode85Setting0
5

Quake

71
NGL92
Quake
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opRangedMeleeDarkFirst Person
Year 1996Dev id Software · SEGAPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

With Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders it shares dark, oppressive atmosphere, ranged combat and single-player focus. To that it adds a first-person view. They part company on setting: this one brings horror setting.

Same studio: id Software.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode87Tone84Setting0
6

DOOM 3

73
NGL85
DOOM 3
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeRangedDarkFirst Person
Year 2004Dev id Software · Bethesda SoftworksPlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS · Xbox

It shares the essentials of what Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders does: dark, oppressive atmosphere, melee combat and single-player focus. To that it adds a first-person view. They part company on setting: this one brings horror setting.

Same studio: id Software.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Visuals100Tone78Setting0
7

Left 4 Dead

71
NGL90
Left 4 Dead
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeRangedDarkFirst Person
Year 2008Dev Valve Software · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~5hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

With Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders it shares dark, oppressive atmosphere, melee combat and single-player focus. The common ground extends to a first-person view. Where the two diverge is setting: horror setting.

Released 14 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode88Tone80Setting0
8

Aliens vs. Predator

71
NGL76
Aliens vs. Predator
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeRangedDarkFirst Person
Year 2010Dev SEGAPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox

Its point of contact with Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is dark, oppressive atmosphere, melee combat and single-player focus. To that it adds a first-person view. They part company on setting: this one brings a sci-fi setting.

Released 16 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100Combat86Tone81Setting0
9

World War Z

71
NGL78
World War Z
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeRangedDarkFirst Person
Year 2019Dev Saber Interactive · Focus EntertainmentOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

On paper it is what Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders is — dark, oppressive atmosphere, melee combat and single-player focus — though the resemblance is mostly at that level. The common ground extends to a first-person view. Where the two diverge is setting and visuals: horror setting and a third-person camera.

Released 25 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Combat100Tone100Game mode80Visuals61Setting0
10

The Expendabros

69
NGL85
The Expendabros
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeRanged
Year 2014Dev Free Lives · Devolver DigitalPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

With Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders it shares melee combat and single-player focus. Where the two diverge is visuals: 2D presentation.

Released 20 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Combat100Game mode87Visuals0
11

Killing Floor

71
NGL77
Killing Floor
ShooterFPS
Co-opSoloMultiplayerRangedMeleeDarkFirst Person
Year 2009Dev Tripwire InteractivePlaytime ~5hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

Held in common with Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders: dark, oppressive atmosphere, ranged combat and co-op play. To that it adds a first-person view. They part company on setting: this one brings horror setting.

Released 15 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Combat100Visuals86Game mode83Tone82Setting0
12

Singularity

68
NGL85
Singularity
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerRangedMeleeDarkFantasyFirst Person
Year 2010Dev Raven Software · ActivisonPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

With Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders it shares dark, oppressive atmosphere, ranged combat and fantasy world. The common ground extends to multiplayer gameplay and a first-person view. Where the two diverge is setting: a sci-fi setting.

Released 16 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Combat100Visuals100Game mode72Tone71Setting34
13

Borderlands 4

71
NGL72
Borderlands 4
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opFirst PersonSci-Fi
Year 2025Dev Gearbox Software · 2KOn Xbox · Switch · PC

It meets Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders on single-player focus and a first-person view. They part company on setting: this one brings a sci-fi setting.

Released 31 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Game mode100Visuals100Setting0
14

Resistance 2

67
NGL87
Resistance 2
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opDarkFantasyFirst Person
Year 2008Dev Insomniac Games · Sony Computer EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3

The thread back to Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders runs through dark, oppressive atmosphere, fantasy world and single-player focus. The common ground extends to a first-person view. Where the two diverge is setting: horror setting.

Released 14 years after Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders.

Genre100Tone100Visuals100Game mode77Setting37
15

Doom II: Hell on Earth

65
NGL91
Doom II: Hell on Earth
ShooterFPS
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeDarkFirst Person
Year 1994Dev id Software · ImagineerOn PC · Mac

Shelved next to Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders for good reason: dark, oppressive atmosphere, melee combat and single-player focus. Both also lean on a first-person view. The distance is in setting and combat — its own ground is horror setting.

Same studio: id Software.

Genre100Game mode100Tone100Visuals80Combat48Setting0

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Found one on the list you already love? Open its own list: the games that play most like it, ranked, with the reason for each.

Explore games similar to Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders by category

If Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders left you wanting more, this is where you narrow it down. Was it the dark or the fantasy that hooked you? There is a list of just that. And if you play on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Mobile, filter by platform and skip the games you could not play anyway.

Rankings in the same genre

Sometimes what you want is not a Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders look-alike but simply the best FPS Games there are. That is what these rankings are for: no comparison to anything, just the highest-rated games. And if you feel like widening the net, the Shooter Games ranking is a good way to run into something you were not expecting.