Rank 01Why this
Shares wave based combat with Serious Sam 3: BFE.
- $14.99 (Price checked Nov 4)
- Deck Playable
- 2009
Games like Serious Sam 3: BFE
- 28 games
- Updated May 4, 2026
Players who liked Serious Sam 3: BFE also play
The closest matches to Serious Sam 3: BFE: Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter, Quake, Insurgency: Sandstorm, and EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
- Rank 01
Rank 02Why this
Also Split Screen and Gore, like Serious Sam 3: BFE.
- $5.99 (Price checked Oct 31)
- 2019
Rank 03
Rank 04 
Insurgency: Sandstorm
Why this: Same stressful mood as Serious Sam 3: BFE.
Rank 05 
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5
Why this: Also Split Screen and Aliens, like Serious Sam 3: BFE.
Rank 06 
Rank 07 
Rank 08 
The full ranked list: top 24 games like Serious Sam 3: BFE
Best match first, as plain text. The same list for AI assistants:
- 1Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
Shares wave based combat with Serious Sam 3: BFE.
- 91% of 2,396 reviews
- 2Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter
Also Split Screen and Gore, like Serious Sam 3: BFE.
- 95% of 572 reviews
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- Released: 2011
- Developer: Croteam
- Price: $29.99checked Nov 4
- Steam Deck: Deck Playable
- 86% of 5,833 reviews
- Genres: Action, Indie
- Metacritic 72
- Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Players highlight
- Visceral and satisfying combat
- Intense
- Stressful
- Reflex based shooting
- Wave based combat
- Weapon switching
More games like Serious Sam 3: BFE, sliced differently
Reviewers mention these as similar to Serious Sam 3: BFE
Surfaced from review text: when other players write 'if you liked X, try Y', we catch the name and resolve it back to a Steam game.
Shadow Warrior 2
Why this: Same intense mood as Serious Sam 3: BFE.
Painkiller
Why this: Also Gore and Old School, like Serious Sam 3: BFE.
Cheaper alternatives
Games in the same vein priced at least 40% below Serious Sam 3: BFE at current Steam store prices.
Aliens vs. Predator™
Why this: Also Aliens and Gore, like Serious Sam 3: BFE.
Hard Reset Extended Edition
Why this: Same intense mood as Serious Sam 3: BFE.
Killing Floor
Why this: Same stressful mood as Serious Sam 3: BFE.
109 new reviews this week- Trending
More from Croteam
Other recommendable Steam games by Croteam, ranked by review count so the studio's hits land first.
Serious Sam Classics: Revolution
Why this: Also Gore and Old School, like Serious Sam 3: BFE.
About Serious Sam 3: BFE
The closest matches to Serious Sam 3: BFE: Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter, Quake, Insurgency: Sandstorm, and EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.
If Serious Sam 3: BFE is your kind of game, the closest matches are Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter and Quake — picked from the ranked list below. Reviewers describe it as intense and stressful, and single out its reflex based shooting and wave based combat. Each pick is ranked by what players of this game also play, shared genres and tags, and review-mined similarity — not a generic popularity list.
Serious Sam 3: BFE is a 2011 first-person shooter from Croteam published by Devolver Digital. Players engage in reflex-based shooting through wave-based combat scenarios against alien hordes, with weapon-switching serving as a core mechanic. The action-oriented experience supports online cooperative multiplayer, offering both co-op and competitive multiplayer modes. Players describe the combat as intense and stressful, with reviewers highlighting that tactical positioning matters in encounters and that the combat feels visceral and satisfying. The game carries a challenging difficulty rating and a medium length campaign designed for dedicated sit-down play sessions. It is priced at $29.99 USD and is marked as playable on Steam Deck, holding an 86% positive rating from over 5,800 Steam reviews.
About Serious Sam 3: BFE: Serious Sam 3: BFE is a prequel to the original indie fast action FPS and Game of the Year sensation - Serious Sam: The First Encounter!
Is Serious Sam 3: BFE worth buying?
Players recommend it
A summary of what players say, not a promise you'll like it. Every signal is listed below.
- 86% of 5,833 Steam reviews are positive.
- Last 30 days: 89% positive across 64 new reviews, in line with its all-time score.
- Price: $29.99 (checked Nov 9).
- People who recommend it had played a median of 13 h when they wrote their review.
- Critics had played a median of 9 h before their negative review.
- Steam Deck Playable: works, with some rough edges.
What fans praise · Themes mined from positive reviews
- Visceral and satisfying combat
Top critical reviews
The most up-voted negative English reviews in our sample, quoted as written.
“I've played SS:FE, SS:2ndE, and SS4 before this. This doesn't feel like a Serious Sam game at all. Feels like a 2010's Call of Duty type of game. I love these games, but skip this one. Couldn't bring myself to finish it.”
People who play it also play: Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter, Quake
Frequently asked about Serious Sam 3: BFE
Can I run it?
Does Serious Sam 3: BFE run on Steam Deck?
Serious Sam 3: BFE is rated Playable on Steam Deck — it runs, but expect some manual adjustments (control remapping, text size, or graphics settings) for the best experience.
How much does Serious Sam 3: BFE cost?
Serious Sam 3: BFE is listed on Steam at 29.99 USD (current store price; Steam sales may reduce this temporarily).
Does Serious Sam 3: BFE have multiplayer or co-op?
Yes — Serious Sam 3: BFE supports multi-player play according to its Steam store listing (Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer, Online PvP).
What games are most similar to Serious Sam 3: BFE?
Based on Steam play patterns and shared genres/tags, the games most often recommended alongside Serious Sam 3: BFE are Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, Serious Sam Classic: The Second Encounter, Quake.
Who developed Serious Sam 3: BFE?
Serious Sam 3: BFE was developed by Croteam and published by Devolver Digital.