# Games like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter

> The closest matches to Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter: Serious Sam 3: BFE, Quake, DOOM II, Blood™ Fresh Supply, and Hard Reset Extended Edition. Ranked by imho.run from Steam co-play data, shared tags and reviews.

## Similar games, ranked

The full ranked list, 24 games, best match first (the HTML page shows the top 8 as cards).

1. [Serious Sam 3: BFE](https://imho.run/games/41070/serious-sam-3-bfe) — Shares wave based combat with Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 5,833 Steam reviews, 86% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/41070/)
2. [Quake](https://imho.run/games/2310/quake) — Shares secret hunting with Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 9,755 Steam reviews, 96% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2310/)
3. [DOOM II](https://imho.run/games/2300/doom-ii) — Also Gore and Old School, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 5,339 Steam reviews, 95% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2300/)
4. [Blood™ Fresh Supply](https://imho.run/games/1010750/blood-fresh-supply) — Also Old School, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 4,790 Steam reviews, 94% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1010750/)
5. [Hard Reset Extended Edition](https://imho.run/games/98400/hard-reset-extended-edition) — A frequent pick in Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter players' libraries, and another Action. 1,852 Steam reviews, 82% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/98400/)
6. [Insurgency: Sandstorm](https://imho.run/games/581320/insurgency-sandstorm) — Also Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 59,257 Steam reviews, 86% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/581320/)
7. [Shadow Warrior](https://imho.run/games/233130/shadow-warrior) — Also Gore and Old School, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 8,059 Steam reviews, 93% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/233130/)
8. [Half-Life](https://imho.run/games/70/half-life) — Also Aliens and Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 57,390 Steam reviews, 96% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/70/)
9. [Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour](https://imho.run/games/434050/duke-nukem-3d-20th-anniversary-world-tour) — Also Aliens and Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 3,174 Steam reviews, 81% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/434050/)
10. [Painkiller Hell & Damnation](https://imho.run/games/214870/painkiller-hell-damnation) — Also Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 976 Steam reviews, 72% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/214870/)
11. [Ion Fury](https://imho.run/games/562860/ion-fury) — Shares secret hunting and weapon variety with Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 4,339 Steam reviews, 94% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/562860/)
12. [Killing Floor 2](https://imho.run/games/232090/killing-floor-2) — Shares wave based combat with Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 41,923 Steam reviews, 88% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/232090/)
13. [Dread Templar](https://imho.run/games/1334730/dread-templar) — Shares secret hunting with Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 707 Steam reviews, 82% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1334730/)
14. [Wolfenstein: The New Order](https://imho.run/games/201810/wolfenstein-the-new-order) — Also Gore and Old School, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 25,503 Steam reviews, 90% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/201810/)
15. [Rise of the Triad](https://imho.run/games/217140/rise-of-the-triad) — Also Gore and Old School, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 1,407 Steam reviews, 68% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/217140/)
16. [Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition](https://imho.run/games/501590/bulletstorm-full-clip-edition) — Also Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 3,474 Steam reviews, 86% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/501590/)
17. [HELLDIVERS™ Dive Harder Edition](https://imho.run/games/394510/helldivers-dive-harder-edition) — Same stressful mood as Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 10,139 Steam reviews, 92% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/394510/)
18. [Left 4 Dead 2](https://imho.run/games/550/left-4-dead-2) — Also Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 226,496 Steam reviews, 98% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/550/)
19. [Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun](https://imho.run/games/2005010/warhammer-40-000-boltgun) — Shares secret hunting with Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 10,885 Steam reviews, 91% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2005010/)
20. [Prodeus](https://imho.run/games/964800/prodeus) — Also Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 4,068 Steam reviews, 93% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/964800/)
21. [Sanctum 2](https://imho.run/games/210770/sanctum-2) — Shares level design with Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 4,330 Steam reviews, 92% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/210770/)
22. [EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 5](https://imho.run/games/1007040/earth-defense-force-5) — Also Aliens, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 5,573 Steam reviews, 96% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1007040/)
23. [Aliens vs. Predator™](https://imho.run/games/10680/aliens-vs-predator) — Also Aliens and Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 7,954 Steam reviews, 90% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/10680/)
24. [High Hell](https://imho.run/games/673000/high-hell) — Also Gore, like Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter. 807 Steam reviews, 85% positive. [Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/673000/)

## Machine-readable

The same ranked list as JSON from the imho.run API for AI assistants (GET, no key, same site as this page):

- Top 20: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=41000&n=20
- Co-op games only: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=41000&n=20&coop=true
- Free games only: https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=41000&n=20&free=true
- Facts about this game: https://imho.run/api/agent/game-facts?q=41000
- This page as markdown: https://imho.run/md/game/41000
- API docs: https://imho.run/developers (OpenAPI: https://imho.run/openapi.json, MCP: https://imho.run/mcp)

## About Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is a 2009 action remake developed by Croteam and published by Devolver Digital. The game features wave-based combat where players face spawning hordes of enemies across designed levels that include traps and hidden secrets. Players can tackle the challenging campaign solo or with up to 16 players in online co-operative mode. Players describe the experience as intense and stressful, with reviewers highlighting the level design as a key feature and the weapon variety as well-balanced. The activity of mowing down waves and hunting for secrets emerges as particularly engaging according to player feedback. The title holds a 91% positive rating from 2,396 Steam reviews and is classified as playable on Steam Deck. The game offers a sit-down session of medium length.

## Game info

- **AppID:** 41000
- **Developer:** Croteam
- **Publisher:** Devolver Digital
- **Genres:** Action, Indie
- **Categories:** Multi-player, Partial Controller Support, Single-player, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Shared/Split Screen, Steam Leaderboards, Steam Trading Cards, Online PvP, Shared/Split Screen PvP, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Remote Play Together, PvP, Family Sharing, Co-op
- **Released:** Nov 24, 2009
- **Free to play:** no
- **Metacritic:** 68
- **Platforms:** windows

## Links

- [Full page with filters and more lists](https://imho.run/games/41000/serious-sam-hd-the-first-encounter)
- [The same list as JSON, no key](https://imho.run/api/agent/games-like?q=41000&n=20) — the API for AI assistants, see https://imho.run/developers
- [Steam store](https://store.steampowered.com/app/41000/)
- [Personalized recommendations](https://imho.run/) — sign in with Steam or paste a SteamID for a library-aware ranking

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