Half-Life (Series) AlternativesFirst-Person Shooters and other similar apps like Half-Life (Series)

Half-Life is described as 'Science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Software, the company's debut product and the first in the Half-Life series' and is a very popular first-person shooter in the games category. There are more than 10 games similar to Half-Life for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Steam, Linux and Xbox apps. The best Half-Life alternative is Doom. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Fortress Forever or Hexen II. Other Half-Life like games are Quake, Prodeus, Shadow Warrior (Reboot) and Black Mesa.

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Half-Life alternatives are mainly First-Person Shooters but may also be Horror Games or Action Games.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Half-Life.
Half-Life iconHalf-Life
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Half-Life is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Software, the company's debut product and the first in the Half-Life series.

More about Half-Life
Half-Life alternatives page was last updated Nov 20, 2023
  1. Doom icon
     60 likes

    Doom is a science fiction horror-themed first-person shooter video game in which players assume the role of a space marine, popularly known as "Doomguy", who must fight his way through the hordes of invading demons from Hell.

    60 Doom alternatives
    Doom screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Steam
    • Nintendo Switch Online
    • Xbox
    • Stadia

    Doom Features

    1.   Game Series
    2.  Single player
    3.  Multiplayer
    4.  First person view
    5.  Sci-fi
    Doom iconHalf-Life Icon

    Doom VS Half-Life

    Is Doom a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
    • Doom is the most popular Windows alternative to Half-Life.

    • Doom is the most popular commercial alternative to Half-Life.

    • Doom is Paid and ProprietaryHalf-Life is also Paid and Proprietary
  2. Quake icon
     93 likes

    Quake is a classic first-person shooter game that revolutionized the genre with its fast-paced action and innovative multiplayer modes. Originally released in 1996, it continues to be a beloved title among gamers.

    53 Quake alternatives
    Quake I

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Steam

    Quake Features

    1.   Game Series
    2.  Multiplayer
    3.  Local multiplayer
    4.  Sci-fi
    Quake iconHalf-Life Icon

    Quake VS Half-Life

    Is Quake a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
    • Quake is the most popular Mac & Linux alternative to Half-Life.

    • Quake is Paid and ProprietaryHalf-Life is also Paid and Proprietary
  3. Prodeus icon
     2 likes

    Prodeus is a first-person shooter of old, re-imagined using modern rendering techniques and technology. Experience the quality you’d expect from a modern AAA game, designed with retro aesthetics and gameplay that invoke the tech-imposed limits of older hardware.

    45 Prodeus alternatives
    Prodeus screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Steam
    • GOG.com
    • Playstation
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Xbox
    • Humble Bundle

    Prodeus Features

    1.  DRM Free
    2.  Single player
    3.  Multiplayer
    4.  Crowdsourced
    Prodeus iconHalf-Life Icon

    Prodeus VS Half-Life

    Is Prodeus a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
  4. Fortress Forever icon
     2 likes

    Fortress Forever is a free game inspired by the earlier versions of the Team Fortress series (Team Fortress Classic and QuakeWorld Team Fortress).

    16 Fortress Forever alternatives
    Fortress Forever screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Fortress Forever Features

    1.  Multiplayer
    2.  Player vs Player
    Fortress Forever iconHalf-Life Icon

    Fortress Forever VS Half-Life

    Is Fortress Forever a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
    • Fortress Forever is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Half-Life.

    • Fortress Forever is Free and Open SourceHalf-Life is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Shadow Warrior (Reboot) icon
     1 like

    Shadow Warrior is a series of first-person shooter video games that focuses on the exploits of Lo Wang, a modern ninja warrior who fights through hordes of demons.

    48 Shadow Warrior (Reboot) alternatives
    Shadow Warrior (Reboot) screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Playstation
    • Xbox

    Shadow Warrior (Reboot) Features

    1.   Game Series
    2.  Single player
    3.  Multiplayer
    4.  DRM Free
    5.  First person view
    6.  Sci-fi
    Shadow Warrior (Reboot) iconHalf-Life Icon

    Shadow Warrior (Reboot) VS Half-Life

    Is this a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
  6. Black Mesa icon
     6 likes

    Black Mesa is a re-envisioning video game of the classic science fiction first person shooter, Half-Life.

    5 Black Mesa alternatives
    Black Mesa screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux

    Black Mesa Features

    1.  First person view
    2.  Sci-fi
    3.  Mods
    Black Mesa iconHalf-Life Icon

    Black Mesa VS Half-Life

    Is Black Mesa a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
  7. The Darkness II icon
     4 likes

    The Darkness II is an intense first person shooter that puts you in the role of Jackie Estacado, don of a New York crime family and wielder of an ancient force of chaos known as The Darkness.

    19 The Darkness II alternatives
    The Darkness II screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    The Darkness II Features

    1.  Single player
    2.  Multiplayer
    3.  Gore
    The Darkness II iconHalf-Life Icon

    The Darkness II VS Half-Life

    Is The Darkness II a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
  8. Hexen II icon
     6 likes

    The Hammer of Thyrion project is a cross-platform source port effort of Raven Software's Hexen. Last updated 2018-06-06.

    28 Hexen II alternatives
    Hexen II screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • MS-DOS

    Hexen II Features

    1.  First person view
    Hexen II iconHalf-Life Icon

    Hexen II VS Half-Life

    Is Hexen II a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
  9. Clive Barker's Undying icon
     9 likes

    The game begins in 1923, after World War I veteran Patrick Galloway receives an urgent letter from his friend Jeremiah Covenant. Covenant, well aware of Galloway's reputation for dealing with occult matters, is in failing health and raves about a curse that has destroyed his...

    40 Clive Barker's Undying alternatives
    Clive Barker's Undying screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    Clive Barker's Undying Features

    1.  Single player
    2.  Gore
    Clive Barker's Undying iconHalf-Life Icon

    Clive Barker's Undying VS Half-Life

    Is this a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
  10. Clive Barker's Jericho icon
     4 likes

    Jericho's core gameplay consists of leading the game's seven-man team codenamed Jericho, allowing control of all team members by jumping to each character during certain points in the game, through various environments that have been warped by the Firstborn while...

    40 Clive Barker's Jericho alternatives
    Clive Barker's Jericho screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Clive Barker's Jericho Features

    1.  Single player
    2.  Gore
    Clive Barker's Jericho iconHalf-Life Icon

    Clive Barker's Jericho VS Half-Life

    Is this a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
  11. Singularity icon
     2 likes

    Singularity is a first-person shooter with survival-horror elements. A main gameplay device is an artifact known as the Time Manipulation Device (TMD). The TMD is powered by an E-99 core, and can manipulate time.

    22 Singularity alternatives
    Singularity screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Steam

    Singularity Features

    1.  Multiplayer
    2.  Single player
    Singularity iconHalf-Life Icon

    Singularity VS Half-Life

    Is Singularity a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
  12. We Happy Few icon
     Like this app

    From the independent studio that brought you Contrast, We Happy Few is an action/adventure game set in a drug-fuelled, retrofuturistic city in an alternative 1960s England. Hide, fight and conform your way out of this delusional, Joy-obsessed world.

    15 We Happy Few alternatives
    We Happy Few screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Windows

    We Happy Few Features

    1.  Psychological horror
    We Happy Few iconHalf-Life Icon

    We Happy Few VS Half-Life

    Is We Happy Few a good alternative to Half-Life?
     
12 of 20 Half-Life alternatives