The best games like VALORANT

VALORANT has quickly become one of the fastest-rising video games on the market today with its intense first-person shooter gameplay, smart tactics, and varied agent selection. Whether you’re enjoying the game through its blossoming professional scene or battling your way out of elo hell in solo queue like me, this game will always be one of the most competitive titles out there.

There aren’t many games like VALORANT, since it focuses more on strategy since you only have one life per round and a very short time to kill. There’s minimal healing and shielding, and unlike other team-based shooters, your aim takes center stage instead of your abilities.

If you’re looking to take a break from VALORANT, however, there are a few titles that can give you a similar experience to help tide you over.

Games similar to VALORANT

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is the original tactical first-person shooter and my first love when it comes to the genre.

There is a good reason why CS:GO became—and continues to be—the most-played game on Steam. This five-versus-five shooter is reminiscent of VALORANT but without any rocket launchers, annoying turrets, or flying characters.

Instead of having different classes, every player has access to virtually the same tools as their opponents, with explosive grenades, molotovs, flashbangs, and smoke grenades as your utility to help you in battle.

Related: Here are the best CS:GO settings and launch options

In a similar way, CS:GO requires coordination, teamwork, and supreme aim over your opponent to win since time-to-kill is short. They also run off of a single-life, round-by-round system—but there are huge differences between each title. For example, you can’t place utility as easily in CS:GO compared to VALORANT, like how some agents can open up a computer to place down a smoke screen or throw a blinding projectile through a wall.

Instead, you must learn lineups, unique bounces, and jump throws to accurately execute onto a bomb site, making CS:GO much more technical than its Riot Games counterpart. The concept of CS:GO is simple, but that’s what makes it so beautiful. The game is relatively easy to pick up but very hard to perfect, especially at the highest levels where you must play like one cohesive unit to survive.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Rainbow Six Siege is one of the most exciting tactical first-person shooters out there, but even though it shares a couple of characteristics with VALORANT, it brings a very unique experience that cannot be found in any other title in its class.

Siege shares the same short time-to-kill, along with a similar game system with one life per round, with multiple rounds of attackers vs. defenders. Each five-player squad consists of unique Rainbow operators that head into battle with a variety of different abilities.

But unlike VALORANT or CS:GO, attackers aim to break into a building occupied by the defenders, while the defenders must remain inside the building at hand while they fight off their opponents. Where Rainbow Six Siege differs from its rivals is its verticality. Since each building has multiple different floors attackers can rappel up and down the outside walls, leading to very unique angles of attack that defenders must always stay vigilant for.

Related: Rainbow Six Siege tips for beginners

Defenders are, however, given plenty of time before the round starts to set up traps and other forms of vision and intel gathering around the building, to help them fend off the oncoming swarm, while attackers can take the time to plan an infiltration route through the various entrances. Defenders and attackers can also blow up and break down certain walls and doors, giving new venues for movement and gunfights. I personally like creating little peepholes through walls to surprise enemies with cheeky angles, hidden away from normal vision.

I always loved playing cops versus robbers as a kid, and now, Siege is bringing a supercharged version of that experience for everyone to enjoy.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2—but only one mode

Although technically not a tactical first-person shooter, Modern Warfare 2 has one mode that can be compared to VALORANT—Search and Destroy. The game might be infinitely more hectic, but with various killstreaks, equipment, and one life per round, this game mode brings CoD as close as it can to its Riot Games counterpart.

Players are still encouraged to work together with their teammates, and although time-to-kill can be skewed since players can naturally heal over time, squads can link together their various tools of war to execute perfectly onto a site for a plant. Since players can sprint, slide, and dolphin dive to cover, VALORANT players might not be too comfortable with the faster experience, but good aim and decent recoil control will always prevail—but make sure you’re rocking the right gun for the occasion.