While the genre remains relatively niche, with a handful of exceptional titles making up the available stock, we’re seeing something of a renaissance. Whether you’re gaming solo or rallying the squad for weekly sessions, horde shooters offer that perfect blend of chaos and camaraderie. Here are the best horde shooters your squad should be playing this year!
Best Horde Shooters Worth Playing
The horde shooter is characterized by massive waves of enemies blocking your path as you attempt to complete an objective. Your objective varies, depending on the game. You might be activating a superweapon, looking for an escape route, or following orders. At the end of the day, you and a few friends will be knee-deep in slain enemies with the best horde shooters worth playing:
John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando
Saber Interactive is, as you’ll see soon enough, one of the most prominent studios within the horde shooter genre. They’re on this list a few times, and rightfully so. But the studio’s upcoming game, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, might be the most over-the-top horde game coming to the market.
You and up to three friends set out to save the world the only way possible: by obliterating hordes of monsters with a variety of weapons, vehicles, and abilities. Thanks to Saber’s Swarm Engine, which is prominent in World War Z and Space Marine 2, the horde doesn’t ease up. It’s completely chaotic, and you’ll hold down the trigger until you hear that oh-so-terrifying click of an empty mag.
But wait! Your buddy is on the way in a repurposed ambulance, ready to smash through dozens of mutants! That’s Toxic Commando at its core.
World War Z
With a mid-range retail price point of $29.99, with occasional sales dropping the price further, World War Z is an accessible, entertaining horde shooter that primarily focuses on its campaign. The story mode, which you can complete in co-op, spans numerous vital locations worldwide, such as New York City, Moscow, and Israel.
That said, the campaign is relatively short. My wife and I finished the entire story mode, except the new Arizona campaign, in approximately 10 hours. You can likely do it much quicker, though.
But the story isn’t the only game mode in World War Z. After you finish working through each scenario, there’s Horde Mode and XL. These are wave-based defense missions where you and your co-op pals will erect defenses, stock up on ammunition and grenades, and then defend critical points on a small map from hordes of zombies. It’s entertaining!
Left 4 Dead 2
First and foremost, if you don’t already own Left 4 Dead 2, you’re one of the last remaining people on the planet who don’t have the game. It regularly goes on sale for a dollar or two, and I’m pretty sure Valve gave copies away at one point. It’s the iconic horde shooter—the reigning king against whom all other horde shooters are compared.
While it launched in 2009, making it older than some people currently playing the game, Left 4 Dead 2 holds up exceptionally well. Its graphics don’t appear too outdated, the gameplay is still responsive and exciting, and each level remains fresh despite many of us knowing the general layout by memory.
It’s also one of the most accessible horde shooters to dive into, primarily due to its price point, but because it’s generally a simple game. No complex mechanics, loot boxes, battle passes, or modern gaming trends are weighing down the experience. Just boot it up, invite your friends to play, and jump straight into the fray!
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
While still receiving ‘Mixed’ reviews on Steam, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is unlike any other horde shooter due to its immersive yet claustrophobic setting. It’s from developer Fatshark, who are most known for their work on Warhammer: Vermintide 2. This time, they’ve set their sights on the grimdark future of the universe. Here, cultists, Psykers, and Ogrin dominate battlefields.
Instead of the swords and maces of the fantasy setting, Darktide introduces the iconic Thunderhammer, Bolters, Lasguns, and Autoguns. Yes, there’s even a Chainsword and Chainaxe!
Above all else, the defining characteristic of Darktide is its oppressive nature. The environment hugs you tight, the enemies draw near, and hordes almost constantly surround you, pressing you against a wall as you frantically fight for every inch with your pals by your side.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2
For the most part, the horde shooter genre revolves around providing you with a high-power firearm and then letting you loose against hordes of zombies. It’s always zombies of some type. But Warhammer 40,000: Vermintide II shakes up the genre by introducing players to the world of fantasy Warhammer. It’s a setting still as grimdark as its futuristic counterpart but with more swords, bows, and magic.
You and your co-op partners will select one of multiple heroes specializing in various playstyles with unique abilities and weapons. You have a flame sorceress, a dwarven engineer, a ranger with a fast-firing bow and arrow, and the iconic knight-like Markus Kruber—a fan favorite.
This is one you can play solo, but the classes often synergize with each other, making defeating hordes of Skaven (rat-like beings) easier. That said, the boss at the end of each round frequently proves challenging to tackle alone, so bring a friend or two.
Killing Floor 2
As perhaps one of the oldest entries on this list, besides the obvious king up top, Killing Floor 2 hasn’t lost any charm or entertainment value. It’s probably more enticing now than ever, considering Killing Floor 3, unfortunately, sort of bombed at release.
If you’ve never played Killing Floor 2, it’s genuinely very straightforward. You choose a character, load into one of many unique maps with nothing but a pistol, and then you start slaying abominations. You can play every map solo, but it’s pretty challenging during the end stages, even in a lower-difficulty setting. This is one horde shooter meant for cooperative play.
You can do what my wife and I always do in KF2 and turn each round into a competition to see who can score the most kills. I usually win, much to her great annoyance, but it’s still enjoyable to pop heads and upgrade your weapons to more powerful variants.
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Back 4 Blood
On launch, Back 4 Blood was a terrible game, according to many. It was buggy, broken, and unfun. Since then, it’s still pretty buggy and broken in spots, but it’s also much more fun than it was on release.
Perhaps the most significant barrier is its price tag. After all these years, the poor review scores, and a severe lack of a player base, Back 4 Blood still sells for $59.99 retail. It does go on sale frequently, though. I recommend you wait to pick up a copy if you’re interested in its gameplay.
While I don’t recommend it as a daily horde shooter, it’s good fun with the squad for a weekend or two.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Of course, perhaps the most well-known recent horde shooter is none other than Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Is there anything more memorable or epic than facing off against countless xenomorphs?
You, stepping into the up-armored boots of an Ultramarine, fight back against a planetary invasion by the unsightly Tyranid. Alongside up to two friends for three-player co-op, Space Marine 2 features massive hordes of enemies, all thanks to the same tech that developer Saber Interactive used to craft the undead hordes in World War Z!
Horde Shooter FAQs
What makes a game a horde shooter?
Horde shooters are cooperative games in which players face off against overwhelming waves of enemies while completing objectives. The core appeal is the power fantasy of mowing down massive groups of enemies alongside your friends.
Can you play horde shooters solo?
Absolutely! Most horde shooters can technically be played entirely solo, but they’re often designed from the ground up for cooperative play. Some games, such as Vermintide 2 and Killing Floor 2, often scale difficulty for solo players. But in the end, playing alone means you’ll miss out on class synergies and the social experience that makes the genre so unique.
Which horde shooter is best for beginners?
The simple answer? The one that interests you the most. If you have a setting or aesthetic you enjoy, like grimdark (Darktide 2) or the zombie apocalypse (World War Z), then opt for that game. But for the most beginner-friendly horde shooter, I would recommend Left 4 Dead 2 for its straightforward mechanics, low price point, and forgiving difficulty options.
Do horde shooters require a large time investment?
No! Unlike most popular titles today, many of which are live-service model games, horde shooters offer satisfying experiences within 30-60 minute sessions. Games such as Vermintide 2 or Killing Floor feature self-contained matches perfect for more casual gameplay experiences.
Which horde shooter has the best replayability?
In terms of replayability, almost every horde shooter is designed with this core principle in mind. However, Vermintide 2 and Darktide lead the pack in terms of replayability, thanks to their class variety, loot systems, and varying difficulty tiers. Alternatively, Left 4 Dead 2’s AI Director dynamically adjusts enemy spawns and item placement, making each playthrough feel unique.