Best Games Like Fortnite

Fortnite has spent the last few years positioning itself as the quintessential battle royale game through consistent updates, an ever-changing world map, and multiple crossovers with popular franchises. It’s also one of the few games that appeal to a broad range of players, including children, adults, casuals, and even more competitive gamers.

With all that being said, there comes a point in any game where you feel you simply need a break. And although Fortnite’s blend of building and shooting mechanics is somewhat unique, there are plenty of titles that scratch the same itch, albeit in different ways. Here, highlighting the best games like Fortnite to play in 2023.

Many of these games are either directly influenced by Fortnite or explore similar ideas. Make sure to check back as we continue to update this list with new entries.

Lastly, while you’re here, consider reading through our other curated lists for more gaming recommendations:

Related:Best Competitive Games 2023Best Looter Shooter Games 2023Best Battle Royale Games 2023

Apex Legends continues to prove itself within the battle royale arena, with many putting it right beside or even above Epic’s game. Of course, the game’s top-notch quality isn’t so surprising when you factor in its created by Respawn, who is by now a seasoned veteran in the shooter space with two Titanfall games under their belt.

After dropping squads of three players onto a map, the game quickly becomes a mad dash to find the best weapon and gear you can as a circle closes in around you. Additions like solo matchmaking, teammate respawning, and cinematic kill screens make every elimination feel just as enticing valuable as your first kill.

It’s a lot more grounded in realism than Fortnite when it comes to graphics but still delivers rewarding gameplay. Respawn is still supporting Apex by adding new heroes called “Legends,” along with introducing a new map at the start of each season.

Before Fortnite stole its shine, there was a solid window where PUBG dominated as the most played battle royale, resulting in its early adoption as an eSport. And although console and PC lobbies remain populated to this day, the existence of a free-to-play mobile version of PUBG has been a prominent factor in the game’s continued relevance.

While that may seem like a knock against PUBG, it’s more of an indicator of the game’s targeted demographic. Since PUBG uses projectile ballistics instead of hitscan, it’s an overall much more demanding shooter that relies heavily on skill rather than luck.

If you feel like you’ve mastered every technique Fortnite has to offer and want something more challenging, why not try and win yourself a chicken dinner.

Call of Duty: Warzone is the franchise’s second attempt at rallying behind the popularity of battle royales, with Black Ops 4: Blackout being the first. However, this time around, it’s a standalone game that’s free to play even if you don’t own a copy of Modern Warfare. Matches consist of up to 150 players spread out across a massive map split into five sectors.

Where Warzone differs from other battle royales is its addition of the Gulag, a prison where players spawn after they’ve been killed. Here, you can compete in 1-v-1 battles to the death, with the victor granted a chance to respawn and join their team.

Combine this with the ability to bring back teammates by spending in-game cash at Buy Stations, and your squad’s chances of winning are significantly increased.

At first glance, Tetris and Fortnite may not appear to have much in common. After all, one is a 2D puzzle game, and the other is a 3D shooter. What brings them closer together is Tetris 99‘s unique spin on traditional Tetris gameplay, in which up to 99-players battle to clear lines and send “garbage rows” to rival players’ game boards.

Taking things even further, you could make a case that stacking tetrominoes isn’t too far off from constructing builds in Fortnite. Matches can ramp up pretty quickly and end up feeling a lot more intense than you would expect from a puzzle game.

Tetris 99 is exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online and includes free DLC that adds CPU Battles and an endless marathon mode.

Overwatch may not be a battle royale game, but its vibrant cartoony art style makes it a good alternative for Fortnite fans who need a break from the usual formula. Each match sees 6v6 teams competing in a variety of objective-based modes such as Assault, Escort, or Control. The 30+ characters that make up the game’s roster are broken up into four classes: Damage, Defense, Support, and Tank.

While there’s room to strategize and queue up with a full stack of teammates, you’ll find Overwatch is pretty enjoyable even on its surface. Heroes all have interesting playstyles and you’re guaranteed to find at least one you enjoy. And if eSports is your thing, Overwatch has one of the most active competitive scenes around, with regular tournaments held and even a full league comprised of teams from around the globe.

Now in 2023, the MMO-inspired first-person shooter Destiny 2 is more similar to Fortnite than ever before.

The game is now free to play, supports cross-save functionality, and features a season-based battle pass. Many of these changes can be attributed to the current gaming landscape, something that Fortnite and Epic played a pivotal role in shaping.

Regardless, if you enjoy the ‘looter shooter’ aspects of Fortnite, you’re sure to get a kick out of Destiny 2, since it dives even further into cool-looking gear with unique perks.

While it may not include a battle royale mode, there are a variety of PvP game modes that take advantage of Destiny 2‘s superb shooting mechanics and diverse class-based abilities.

Initially released as an April Fool’s Day joke, Totally Accurate Battlegrounds has amassed a cult following of players who can’t seem to get enough of the game’s ridiculous physics-based antics. Serving as a spin-off to developer Landfall’s over-the-top war sim Totally Accurate Battle Simulator (or TABS), the game provides a satirical take on battle royales that’s surprisingly satisfying.

In true battle royale design, players are tasked with traversing a map with a shrinking safety net as they search for weapons and fight to be the last one standing.

Where the game truly shines is its implementation of the TABS physics engine, which has a habit of causing exaggerated character movements. Its effects vary greatly and can range from flailing arms while running to characters getting blown back from weapon recoil.

Splatoon 2 is another non-battle royale shooter that employs a cartoonish art style that may appeal to fans of Fortnite. Developed by Nintendo exclusively for the switch, the game sees 4v4 teams competing in a variety of modes centered on using ink-powered weapons and gadgets. In the main mode, Turf Wars, the goal is to cover as much terrain with your team’s ink color while racking up eliminations in the process. Additionally, maps, modes, and gear are regularly rotated to help keep things fresh.

While you’ll find iterations of PvP staples like King of the Hill and Capture the Flag, Splatoon 2 introduces some clever new ones along the way. For example, Salmon Run is a PvE mode that sees a squad of players working together to survive waves of powerful bosses and mobs with distinct weaknesses. You could compare it to Fortnite‘s Save the World mode, only with fish standing in for zombies.

It’s still too early to tell where Hyper Scape will end up landing on the battle royale totem pole, but Fortnite fans should definitely keep it on their radar. Ubisoft is off to a strong start, launching free to play with Twitch integration and some defining features to help Hyper Scape stand out from the competition. The most obvious difference is the cyberpunk-inspired look of the game’s map and characters.

Everything has a futuristic, cutting edge look to it that’s further backed up by fast-paced gameplay. There’s an emphasis on verticality, with quick character movement and combat centered on double-jumps, auto-mantling, and flashy abilities.

If you’ve been with Fortnite for a long time and want something that feels fresh and exciting, consider stepping into Hyper Scape‘s neo-urban arena.

Another battle royale that was intended to be one big joke, Cuisine Royale is still pretty popular in 2023. The game takes the genre in some weird yet interesting directions while providing robust PvP combat with realistic guns, magical traps, and the ever-elusive satanic rituals. Players spawn on a random part of the map before setting off to find weapons and armor (represented as kitchenware).

In addition to providing some extra protection, wearing excessive armor will cause your character to make more noise as various pots and pans bang against each other.

The game features drivable vehicles, loot boxes in the form of refrigerators, and enough HP-restoring baguettes to keep any belly full. If you like the more insane, ridiculous aspects of Fortnite, then you just might like Cuisine Royale.

A lot of players cite Minecraft as the game that got them to check out Fortnite in the first place or vice versa. After all, the two share many commonalities beyond just their use of building mechanics. Artistically, they both emphasize bright and upbeat colors, with Minecraft using blocks to render its world while Fortnite‘s features smoother edges and more organic shapes.

And although Minecraft may not have an out of the box battle royale mode, this can be remedied by joining a custom PC server where survival games are held.

The names differ from “Hunger Games” to “Last Man Standing” to simply “Battle Royale,” but the rules stay mostly the same as Fortnite. Certainly, the movement, building, and fighting may not be as good as Fortnite‘s smooth controls, but it’s close enough and you might even make some new buddies within one of the numerous close communities.

Currently, in Early Access on Steam, Super Animal Royale offers a unique 2D take on the genre where players can select from one of many furry digital avatars ranging from a bloodthirsty fox to a murderous panda to a deadly sloth. After picking your character, the game drops you on an exotic island littered with a variety of death-dealing weapons such as automatic rifles, machine guns, grenades, and more.

Matches support up to 64-players and offer a lot more gameplay variety beyond just shooting and looting enemies. For one, there’s a camouflage system called “fog of war” that allows you to sneak your way around the island’s biomes.

There are several hidden items to collect by exploring fields of tall grass and locations spread across the map.

Often accused of being an Overwatch clone, Paladins actually has a lot more in common with Fortnite if you can look past the minute-to-minute gameplay. Both games are free to play, feature vibrant and cartoonish maps/characters, and offer free/premium battle pass tiers. Although it may be a first-person shooter, the TTK (time to kill) is also on par with that of Fortnite’s, making it easy to switch between the two.

Besides that, Paladins is one of the best entry points into the shooter/MOBA subgenre. Objectives are straight-forward and the game includes 40+ playable characters dubbed “Champions,” with diverse playstyles.

And just like in Fortnite, players can customize their look with different character/weapon skins and mounts. While there’s a bit more depth when it comes to constructing loadouts, the game can still be enjoyed at the casual level.

You could make a case that Spellbreak is basically just Fortnite with magic spells instead of guns and building. While the game employs a similar art style to Fortnite, it’s heavily fantasy-themed in terms of both characters and environments. The battle royale mode sees you developing your skills as a “Breaker,” powerful mages with the ability to cast spells using magic-embedded gauntlets.

Spells are broken up into different categories and possess unique effects based on their elemental nature. For example, poison will deal damage over time; fire will cause enemies to burn, etc. Each ability operates on a cooldown and can be swapped out or modified on the fly by picking up new ones throughout the map.

It’s very similar to looting in Fortnite and encourages you to try out different powers until you find the perfect set-up.

Released in August 2020, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is a platformer that looks to offer an interesting twist on the battle royale genre. In it, up to 60-players participate in game-show style obstacle courses while controlling cute and chubby creatures wearing colorful bodysuits. Each round introduces new, increasingly difficult obstacles designed to whittle down contestants until there’s only one left standing.

While there’s none of the shooting or building Fortnite fans have come to adore, Fall Guys is not without its challenges. The characters you play as have disproportionally short legs, making movement both tricky and unpredictable at times.

Couple this with complex obstacles, over-saturated visuals, and the ability to customize your avatar with various cosmetics, and you have the making for a hilarious and over-the-top battle royale reminiscent of Fortnite.