Insurgency: Sandstorm is a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter.
This is the second installment in the Insurgency series, and like its bestselling predecessor, it was developed by New World Interactive. Insurgency: Sandstorm was released in 2018.
The game’s action takes place in fictional territories in the Middle East, where intense armed skirmishes occur between two factions: “Security” and “Insurgents.” Players take on the roles of members of the battling teams, where teamwork is more important than individual skills.
Insurgency: Sandstorm is as excellent as its predecessor, if not slightly better. It includes a significant number of improvements in many aspects of the game, and the realism it offers provides players with an exciting and tension-filled atmosphere.
Criteria of selection
Like any game, Insurgency: Sandstorm has its supporters and critics. However, if you belong to the former group and are wondering if there’s an interesting alternative to this title — you’ve come to the right place!
Below, we have prepared a list of games similar to Insurgency: Sandstorm. We considered various similarities such as graphics, gameplay mode, or atmosphere (something for everyone). Did we choose correctly? Well… you better find out for yourself! Enjoy!
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
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 | Ground Branch | 2018-08-14 | Indie | BlackFoot Studios |
 | Rising Storm Game Of The Year Edition | 2013-05-30 | Adventure | Tripwire Interactive |
 | Day Of Infamy | 2017-03-23 | Indie | New World Interactive |
 | Squad | 2015-12-14 | Action & Shooter | Offworld Industries |
 | Zero Hour | 2020-08-12 | Action | M7 Productions |
 | Hell Let Loose | 2019-06-06 | Indie | Team17 |
 | Arma 3 Digital Deluxe Edition | 2013-09-12 | Strategy | Bohemia Interactive |
 | Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising | 2009-10-07 | Action | Codemasters Studios |
 | Verdun | 2015-04-28 | Action & Shooter | M2H |
 | War Of Rights | 2018-12-03 | Indie | Campfire Games |
 | Starship Troopers Extermination | 2023-05-18 | Action | Offworld Industries |
 | Battlebit Remastered | 2023-06-15 | Shooter | OkiGames |
 | Tom Clancys Rainbow Six Siege Deluxe Edition | 2015-12-01 | Action | Ubisoft Montreal |
 | Ready Or Not | 2021-12-18 | First-Person | VOID Interactive |
 | Six Days In Fallujah | 2023-06-22 | Shooter | Konami |
Six Days in Fallujah
| Release date: | 2023-06-22 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Konami |
Six Days in Fallujah is probably the most anticipated FPS game on our list.
The game’s first release date was announced for (attention!) 2010! Unfortunately, the subject and circumstances were deemed controversial and uncomfortable, leading to financial troubles for Atomic Games and production suspension. Work on the game resumed in 2016, this time under the flag of Highwire Games, but so far, the game is only available in early access.
The game’s action refers to real events that took place in November 2004 during the Second Battle of Fallujah (Iraq War). During the game, we have the opportunity to play as soldiers of different nations, and our task is to fight Iraqi insurgents and Al-Qaeda forces.
Although work on the game began in 2009, it must be admitted that Six Days in Fallujah matches Insurgency: Sandstorm in realism. Additionally, like our titular game, it is heavily focused on cooperation, on which your fate will depend. Will you take the risk?
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Ready or Not
| Release date: | 2021-12-18 |
| Genre: | First-Person |
| Developer: | VOID Interactive |
Ready or Not is a first-person tactical shooter highly acclaimed by players and critics, released in 2023 by Void Interactive.
In Ready or Not, the action takes place in the fictional American city of Los Sueños. Players take on the role of a SWAT unit member, and their task is to fight crime on the city streets.
This time, we move from the battlefield to the urban jungle, where streets are engulfed in chaos and violence. The cooperative mode, of course, focuses on collaboration, but what attracts shooter enthusiasts to Ready or Not is the incredible realism, and that is why this title is on our list.
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Squad
| Release date: | 2015-12-14 |
| Genre: | Action & Shooter |
| Developer: | Offworld Industries |
Squad is a team-based tactical FPS developed and released in 2020 by Canadian developer Offworld Industries.
In Squad, you will not find a storyline. The game’s premise is to represent modern warfare in the most realistic way possible, involving two factions: paramilitary and military.
The creators of Squad focused heavily on realism, and this is our main common factor with Insurgency: Sandstorm. Both games also offer excellent multiplayer fun.
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GROUND BRANCH
| Release date: | 2018-08-14 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | BlackFoot Studios |
GROUND BRANCH is considered one of the most realistic simulators in the first-person shooter genre. Since 2018, the game has been available in early access, and the full release date is still unknown.
In the game, players take on the roles of elite paramilitary SAD members who are part of the CIA. Their task is to participate in difficult covert missions around the world.
As in Insurgency: Sandstorm, to achieve the goal, you need to cooperate with other players. Realism in every aspect, however, makes it not a game for everyone.
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Zero Hour
| Release date: | 2020-08-12 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | M7 Productions |
Zero Hour is an online multiplayer first-person tactical shooter. Since 2020, the game has been in early access, and the release date of the full version is still a mystery.
The game’s action takes place in various fictional locations in Bangladesh, and players take on the roles of combat groups.
As in Insurgency: Sandstorm, you won’t find a specific storyline in Zero Hour. Instead, you will undoubtedly find realistic gameplay where tactical sense will come in handy.
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Arma III
| Release date: | 2013-09-12 |
| Genre: | Strategy |
| Developer: | Bohemia Interactive |
Arma III is the third installment in the tactical shooter series called Arma. As in the previous part, the title was developed by the Czech studio Bohemia Interactive.
In the game, we move to the near future (around 2035) on a small Mediterranean island. Our hero is a NATO soldier, Ben Kerry, who, whether he likes it or not, is thrown into the middle of an armed conflict between the governments of Stratis and Altis.
This is another realistic shooter on our list of games similar to Insurgency: Sandstorm. In addition to the multiplayer mode, where cooperation may be necessary, we get a three-part single-player campaign in Arma III.
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Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
| Release date: | 2015-12-01 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Ubisoft Montreal |
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege is another part of the tactical shooter series from the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series by Ubisoft.
The game was based on the canceled installment Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Patriots.
The storyline serves merely as a backdrop to the training missions. In the game, we take on the roles of special forces operators from Rainbow, who have been called to stop a wave of terrorist attacks organized by the enigmatic group White Mask.
Close cooperation is the only key to success in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege; without it, we stand little chance against an organized group. And this, alongside the extraordinary realism, is the common point with Insurgency: Sandstorm.
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BattleBit Remastered
| Release date: | 2023-06-15 |
| Genre: | Shooting |
| Developer: | OkiGames |
BattleBit Remastered is a multiplayer shooter from three independent developers gtOkiDoki, Vilaskis, and TheLiquidHorse.
Since 2023, it has been available in early access, but the full version release is planned for 2025.
The game focuses on team gameplay and PvP battles, so it does not have a specific storyline. Competing teams represent the Armed Forces of Russia and the Armed Forces of the United States. The main task of players is to eliminate enemies and complete mission objectives.
The common point of BattleBit Remastered and Insurgency: Sandstorm is simply excellent shooter fun in the company of other players from a first-person perspective.
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Starship Troopers: Extermination
| Release date: | 2023-05-18 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Offworld Industries |
Starship Troopers: Extermination is a first-person shooter set in a science fiction atmosphere. The game’s release is scheduled for October 11, 2024, and it is developed and published by Offworld Industries.
The inspiration for the game was the 1997 film “Starship Troopers,” so as you can easily guess, just like in the movie, the players’ opponents will be cosmic bugs that have taken over the planet Valaka. Only victory will give us a chance to regain the United Citizen Federation colony.
At the end of our list, we have a game with a slightly different atmosphere than its predecessors. However, since it is a multiplayer shooter where the success of the mission will depend on player cooperation, its presence here is well-deserved.
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Summary
Undoubtedly, the realism of the gameplay and the possibility of multiplayer play are features that have attracted many supporters to Insurgency: Sandstorm.
And these are the features we mainly considered when examining interesting alternatives to the discussed game. Did we hit your taste? Well, you won’t know if you don’t check it out yourself!