Summary

  • Arena Breakout: Infinite is a stable alternative to Tarkov with high realism and skill challenges.
  • DayZ offers realistic survival with post-apocalyptic themes and challenges players with trolls and cheaters.
  • Hunt: Showdown 1896 focuses on hunting while incorporating a Western bayou setting with supernatural creatures.

Escape from Tarkov is a great game for people who enjoy the thrill of landing in the unknown, and high-stakes challenges where there's a great chance to go back home empty-handed.

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And for those thrill-seekers who are searching for alternatives to Tarkov, there are a few titles available on the market with similar mechanics, similar gameplay, and most importantly: lots of guns to try. So, here are 8 of the best games to play for those who love Escape from Tarkov.

8 Arena Breakout: Infinite

A Good Alternative To Tarkov

Arena Breakout: Infinite
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Extraction
FPS
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Released
September 15, 2025
Developer(s)
Morefun Studios
Platform(s)
PC
Genre(s)
Extraction, FPS

Arena Breakout: Infinite is similar to Tarkov in multiple ways. Its mechanics, setting, and design style are perfectly aligned with Battlestate Games' extraction shooter, and the objectives are the same as well: Get in, get the loot, get out. Everything that happens when players deploy will be up to their skills, and to the level of preparation they have before landing there.

The good aspect is that the game is quite stable. The bad is that it requires a high level of skill, and involves a deep level of realism that will force players to suture their wounds mid-battle, something that is not always possible since hyper-realism also means that one bullet might be enough to kill them.

7 DayZ

A Realistic Survival Nightmare

DayZ
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Released
December 13, 2018
Developer(s)
Bohemia Interactive
Platform(s)
PC, Xbox One, PS4
Genre(s)
Survival
OpenCritic Rating
Weak

DayZ has evolved considerably since it branched out from Arma 3 over a decade ago, but it still offers that feeling of thrill most extraction shooters and survival games have. With its Frostline DLC, the game is more alive than ever though some of the old habits of certain players haven't faded out at all.

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As many survival games based on a post-apocalypse setting, they tend to draw the worst of human nature, so players better prepare to be received by countless trolls, campers, and if luck is not on their side: cheaters. But, it's all in a day's work for people who enjoyed Escape From Tarkov, if they're up to the challenge, then this game could be their new home.

6 Delta Force

A Good FPS With Several Game Modes

Delta Force
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FPS
Tactical
MMO
Extraction Shooter
Looter Shooter
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Released
December 4, 2024
Developer(s)
Team Jade
Genre(s)
FPS, Tactical, MMO, Extraction Shooter, Looter Shooter

With three different game modes, Delta Force is one of the latest contenders to enter the extraction shooter/FPS market, and considering the many positive aspects this game has to offer, it is a good alternative to Escape from Tarkov.

Players can play its extraction mode (Tactical Turmoil) to earn loot, cash, and other rewards. Their progress will be kept separately from the other game modes and unlocks, so it is a good alternative if players are too tired of playing its Havoc Warfare mode with operators.

5 Off The Grid

A Fun Extraction Shooter, Mind The Falls Though

Off the Grid
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Battle Royale
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ESRB
M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Cash Rewards, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
Developer(s)
Gunzilla Games
Genre(s)
Battle Royale

Among all the available extraction shooters on the market, Off The Grid might be the quirkiest one, with its cyberpunk setting and transhumanistic focus. All players deployed are equipped with bionic enhancements, which can be looted as any of the weapons, and kept if they manage to extract. So that's one of its main attractive aspects.

On the other hand, landing upon being deployed is quite harsh, and if players don't time it well, they will break their bionic legs and be left on the ground even before they have a slight chance to do anything. So, if players are looking for a game as challenging as Escape From Tarkov (plus the fun bloopers) then this game is for them. It is still in Early Access, so mind the falls and the bugs.

4 Hunt: Showdown 1896

One Of The Most Challenging And Rewarding Extraction Shooters

Hunt: Showdown 1896
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First-Person Shooter
Extraction
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Released
February 22, 2018
Developer(s)
Crytek
Genre(s)
First-Person Shooter, Extraction
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is the direct successor to the previous game, which abandoned its Early Access stage and included a lot of positive changes like better optimization, improved matchmaking, and more character personalization options. Unlike many extraction shooters where looting is the main aspect, this game focuses on hunting down dangerous supernatural creatures, removing trophies from them, and then extracting them to collect the rewards.

But, other players can not only interrupt the teams attempting to "exorcise" these demons but lay down in ambush and kill them when they're weakened after a tough fight, stealing their bounty. It has a Western style with a bayou setting, heavily inspired by southern US folklore and scenario designs.

3 SCUM

A Zombie Survival With Similar Elements To Tarkov

SCUM
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Released
June 17, 2025
Developer(s)
Croteam, Gamepires
Publisher(s)
Devolver Digital
Platform(s)
PC
Genre(s)
Open-World, Survival

SCUM is a strange game: it is built as a zombie survival game, similar to DayZ and Fear The Wolves, but it also integrates many aspects of games similar to Tarkov and Vigor. One of the special things about this game is that it is a high-stakes survival, with great payoffs for those who know how to manage their resources.

But unlike other survival game s (except Project Zomboid), in SCUM players need to be extremely careful and mind their metabolism and body health, taking into consideration diet, body mass, muscle factors, and other complex aspects. If they are not in peak condition, they won't survive for long, and that adds an extra layer of challenge which makes the game quite fun to play.

2 Vigor

An Unlikely Extraction Shooter

Vigor
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Survival
Looter Shooter
Third-Person Shooter
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Released
August 19, 2019
Developer(s)
Bohemia Interactive
Genre(s)
Survival, Looter Shooter, Third-Person Shooter
OpenCritic Rating
Weak

Vigor is a special kind of survival/extraction shooter with a high-stakes gameplay style, where players need to enter a post-apocalyptic Norway scenery scavenge fast, and get out even faster if they don't want to fall prey to other players. With an upgradeable "safe zone" (similar to the one in Escape from Tarkov) where players have access to everything they need from crafting to weapon and loot management.

On the other hand, dynamic weather events in the cruel Northern European lands can be tricky, and players might find themselves lost in an Encounter Zone due to the mist or rain. That makes it even more dangerous since they never know when a camper might be aiming at them from the high ground

1 Gray Zone Warfare

Rivals Tarkov In Hyper-Realism And War Simulation

Gray Zone Warfare
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Released
April 30, 2024
Developer(s)
Madfinger Games
Platform(s)
PC
Genre(s)
FPS, Survival, Open-World

Gray Zone Warfare ​​​​​​is one of those games that is challenging to the maximum level. A hyper-realistic combat simulation engine, where players are dropped into a dangerous zone full of evil AI-empowered enemies that seem to have a special sense to detect every small movement or noise they make. Stealth is of the utmost importance here since there's a 100% chance of death if they are surrounded by AI enemies in a small house.

Similar to Escape from Tarkov in both gameplay, gun handling, and combat, the game also adds an extra layer of difficulty since there are three factions that players can join. Once they join one, they will need to shoot to kill any other member from enemy factions, but also be aware of the friendly fire that has no tags or indicators. The only way to distinguish enemy from foe is by examining their uniform through the scope of a rifle and paying attention to the GPS.

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