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Prodeus is the closest all-round alternative to Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun: it keeps the fast, old-school science-fiction FPS structure and adds online co-op, PvP and a level editor. Choose ULTRAKILL if you want extreme speed and score-driven combat, or DUSK for a 1990s-inspired cult-horror campaign. Turbo Overkill, CULTIC, AMID EVIL, Ion Fury and Selaco each preserve a different part of Boltgun’s appeal. If you mainly want more Warhammer, skip the substitutes and start with the released Boltgun 2 or the original game’s Forges of Corruption expansion.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prodeus | Closest conventional retro sci-fi FPS | Online co-op, online PvP and level editor | PC (Steam) | Nov 2026 |
| ULTRAKILL | Speed, movement and technical mastery | Style scoring; health replenishes through enemy blood | PC (Steam); Early Access | Nov 2026 |
| DUSK | 1990s cult horror | Single-player, online PvP and LAN PvP | PC (Steam) | Nov 2026 |
| Turbo Overkill | Cyberpunk weapon spectacle | 15+ weapons and a level editor | PC (Steam) | Nov 2026 |
| CULTIC | Explosives and evasive movement | Shooting, sliding, ducking and dodging | PC (Steam) | Nov 2026 |
| AMID EVIL | Fantasy weapons with retro FPS rules | Sacred weapons, ancient lands and a demo | PC (Steam) | Nov 2026 |
| Ion Fury | Secrets and classic map exploration | Build Engine-style, secret-packed levels | PC (Steam) | Nov 2026 |
| Selaco | Story-led, destructible science fiction | Smart enemies, set pieces and destructibility; Early Access | PC (Steam); Early Access | Nov 2026 |
What makes a game feel like Boltgun?
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun combines several ideas that are easy to confuse. It is not simply a game with pixelated graphics. Games Workshop’s launch description identifies the player character as the Space Marine Malum Caedo, fighting Chaos Space Marines and daemons with a boltgun and chainsword. Auroch’s presentation adds fast, mobile first-person combat and visuals inspired by 1990s shooters. The best substitute therefore depends on which part you want to preserve: science-fiction atmosphere, forward momentum, weapon spectacle, maze-like maps, or the Warhammer setting itself.
The original is listed for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Switch. A free horde mode became available after launch; an older developer FAQ said that mode was not planned before release, so old references can be misleading. The alternatives below are not automatically available on those consoles: where the available data only identifies a Steam listing, this article names PC rather than inferring console support.
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- Want the nearest overall package? Start with Prodeus.
- Want to move and aim at maximum intensity? Choose ULTRAKILL.
- Want horror instead of Warhammer science fiction? Play DUSK or CULTIC.
- Want outrageous weapons and cyberpunk style? Pick Turbo Overkill.
- Want fantasy rather than guns and power armour? Try AMID EVIL.
- Want to search every room for secrets? Choose Ion Fury.
- Want a more environmental, story-led sci-fi game? Look at Selaco, but remember its Early Access status.
- Want the same universe? Buy Boltgun 2 or Forges of Corruption rather than another setting.
1. Prodeus is the closest conventional retro sci-fi match
Prodeus is the strongest first recommendation when “like Boltgun” means a recognizably old-school science-fiction FPS with modern presentation. Its Steam description explicitly combines classic FPS design with modern rendering, and its listing includes online co-op, online PvP and a level editor. That combination gives it a broader multiplayer package than most of the games here.
The trade-off is important: Prodeus is not Warhammer, does not put you in Malum Caedo’s armour and does not reproduce the boltgun-and-chainsword fiction. It is the structural match rather than the lore match. Its Steam listing dates the release to September 23, 2022. Treat the 92% positive score among 4,130 English-language user reviews observed in 2026 as a changing storefront aggregate, not as a controlled comparison or proof that it is objectively better.
Choose Prodeus if you want a campaign-like retro FPS that can accommodate friends, competitive play and user-created levels. Choose something else if the most important part of Boltgun was the Warhammer factions or the distinctive sound and role of its weapons.
2. ULTRAKILL is for speed and technical mastery
ULTRAKILL takes the forward momentum of a boomer shooter and pushes it toward character-action game scoring. Its Steam description emphasizes fast retro combat, style rankings and a health system that replenishes through enemy blood. Those systems reward deliberate risk-taking and repeated improvement rather than simply clearing a room with the safest weapon.
This is a good choice for a Boltgun player who remembers the pleasure of charging into enemies and chaining movement with attacks. It is a poor substitute if you want a straightforward military power fantasy or a self-contained finished product. Steam still labels ULTRAKILL Early Access at the November 2026 available data and offers a demo, so check the current store page for its release state, chapter coverage and feature changes before buying.
Its setting and tone are also its own. The game is not a Warhammer story, and its appeal comes from speed, scoring and mechanical expression rather than Space Marine equipment. Think of it as the “master the combat system” recommendation.
3. DUSK delivers 1990s-inspired cult horror
DUSK is the right answer when the retro presentation matters more than science fiction. Its product description places you against cultists, possessed militants and underground threats, giving the campaign a grim horror identity instead of Boltgun’s military-gothic Warhammer setting.
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The movement and weapon-forward structure should feel familiar to anyone who enjoys classic first-person shooters, but the atmosphere is deliberately more unsettling. Steam lists single-player, online PvP and LAN PvP. That means DUSK can serve both a solo horror campaign and older-style competitive play, though the listing does not establish online co-op. Do not buy it expecting a Space Marine analogue; buy it for the cult-horror interpretation of the same broad retro FPS tradition.
4. Turbo Overkill turns the formula into cyberpunk spectacle
Turbo Overkill is built around maximalist cyberpunk violence. The publisher’s listing describes Johnny Turbo, a chainsaw leg, a hovercar and a large arsenal; its Steam description advertises 15 or more weapons. Steam lists single-player and a level editor.
The chainsaw-leg concept makes this the most obvious pick for someone who liked the physical absurdity of Boltgun’s chainsaw combat but does not need the Warhammer setting. Its cyberpunk identity is a genuine change of subject, not a disguised 40,000 tie-in. The level editor also gives it a creator-focused angle shared with Prodeus, although neither listing establishes that their editors work in the same way.
Choose Turbo Overkill for weapon variety, spectacle and a neon future. Choose Prodeus instead if co-op is the deciding factor, since Turbo Overkill’s cited listing identifies single-player rather than online co-op.
5. CULTIC emphasizes sliding, explosives and evasion
CULTIC is a focused single-player alternative for readers who want aggressive movement without a conventional military setting. Its publisher describes shooting, sliding, ducking and dodging against a mysterious cult. Dynamite and evasive movement are central to its identity, so the combat appeal is physical and deliberate rather than purely about sprinting forward.
The setting is darker occult horror, not science fiction. That makes CULTIC a strong fit if you enjoyed Boltgun’s relentless aggression but are happy to trade bolters and daemons for cult imagery and explosives. Steam lists it as single-player, so do not select it for multiplayer. Its narrower scope can be an advantage: the pitch is clear, and there is no need to learn a separate PvP or co-op mode to understand what the game is offering.
6. AMID EVIL is the fantasy replacement
AMID EVIL keeps the retro first-person structure while replacing Boltgun’s industrial science fiction with fantasy. Its store description centers on sacred weapons and ancient lands. The result is a useful choice for players who care about chunky weapons, arena fights and old-school level design but do not require firearms or a modern military aesthetic.
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Steam lists single-player and a demo. The demo is useful when you are unsure whether fantasy weapons and environments can provide the same immediate satisfaction as a boltgun. It is not a lore-adjacent Warhammer recommendation: the point is the mechanical and visual tradition, not shared factions or chronology.
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7. Ion Fury is the choice for secrets and classic maps
Ion Fury is the best match for readers who remember Boltgun’s levels as places to investigate rather than only arenas to clear. Its publisher connects it directly to the Build Engine tradition and describes large, secret-packed maps with fast FPS combat.
That emphasis changes the decision rule. If you want every encounter to push you into the next fight, ULTRAKILL or Prodeus may fit better. If you enjoy searching walls, checking side rooms and learning a map’s shortcuts, Ion Fury is the more natural follow-up. It is also a setting swap: expect classic science-fiction action rather than Warhammer’s licensed universe. The available data identifies the Steam listing but does not establish console availability, so treat PC as the confirmed platform here.
8. Selaco offers story, destructibility and an Early Access caveat
Selaco is the outlier for readers who want retro-styled combat embedded in a more environmental and narrative-led science-fiction game. Its developer advertises smart enemies, action set pieces, destructibility and an immersive story. Those advertised features support describing it as more tactical-feeling than a pure arena shooter, but that is an interpretation of the feature set, not a hands-on performance claim.
Steam still marks Selaco Early Access at the available data. Do not present planned chapters, future systems or the campaign’s eventual scope as complete. Select it when destructible spaces and story context matter as much as raw run-and-gun momentum. Select Prodeus or Ion Fury instead if you want a more clearly established retro-FPS structure without an Early Access qualification.
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Which boomer shooters have co-op?
Among the recommendations here, Prodeus is the explicitly evidenced online co-op choice. Its Steam listing names online co-op alongside online PvP and a level editor. The other cited listings should not be assumed to support co-op simply because they are multiplayer games or share a retro style.
DUSK’s listing names online PvP and LAN PvP, which are competitive modes rather than cooperative campaign play. Turbo Overkill, CULTIC and AMID EVIL are listed as single-player for the relevant features. ULTRAKILL and Selaco carry their own Early Access considerations, and the available data does not establish co-op for either. Check each current store page if a particular friend-play mode is a purchase requirement.
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What should I play if I want more actual Boltgun?
Before moving to another universe, consider the two direct options: the original game’s expansion and its sequel.
Forges of Corruption is additional Boltgun content
Forges of Corruption is DLC, not a standalone game. Auroch describes five additional campaign levels, new enemies and new weapons, and states that you must own the original Boltgun. It is therefore the cleanest answer when your request really means “more of the same Space Marine campaign,” not “another retro shooter.”
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Boltgun 2 is released
Boltgun 2 is no longer merely announced. In a post dated October 16, 2026, Auroch said the sequel had released 48 hours earlier. Auroch currently lists PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S availability, with a Switch 2 version described as forthcoming.
The sequel features a branching single-player campaign with Malum Caedo and Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath. That makes it the most direct same-universe follow-up in this guide, but its branching structure means it should not be described as simply a new set of linear Boltgun levels. Platform availability is time-sensitive, especially for the forthcoming Switch 2 version, so verify the current listing before purchase.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is there a physical Boltgun edition?
Do not assume that a digital store listing proves a disc or cartridge exists. Auroch’s current FAQ says of Boltgun 2: “Boltgun 2 is only a digital release; there is no physical version planned at the moment.” That is the developer’s stated plan when checked, not a permanent guarantee that no physical edition can ever be produced.
The available data also does not verify a physical edition for the original game or a retail disc for the expansion. If you are buying for a boxed collection, confirm the exact edition with the publisher and the relevant platform store rather than relying on marketplace listings or old announcements.
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Boltgun’s protagonist is a Space Marine, and Games Workshop’s October 2026 battleforce announcement documented physical Intercessors in a Space Marines box. Those miniatures are tabletop products, not Malum Caedo figures, and they do not include either game. The announcement said preorders were still to come, so availability and contents should be confirmed before ordering; the article does not establish a particular retailer’s stock.
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How we picked these games
The ranking matches the specific aspects readers commonly mean by “like Boltgun,” rather than pretending to be a measured performance leaderboard:
- Setting: science fiction, cyberpunk, cult horror or fantasy, with the setting change stated plainly.
- Combat: straightforward run-and-gun, style-scoring speed, explosives, evasive movement or weapon spectacle.
- Maps: arena pressure versus secrets, exploration, destructibility and environmental storytelling.
- Modes: confirmed single-player, online co-op, PvP, LAN PvP or level-editor support from the cited listing.
- Release state: Early Access labels for ULTRAKILL and Selaco are called out instead of treating planned content as finished.
- Directness: Boltgun 2 and Forges of Corruption are separated from substitutes because they continue the actual Warhammer experience.
These are editorial matches by the features described by the developers and storefront listings. They are not the result of a benchmark, a hands-on test or a controlled scoring exercise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play these shooters on the same consoles as Boltgun?
Not automatically. Boltgun is listed on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Switch, but the cited alternatives are generally confirmed only through their Steam listings; Boltgun 2 is currently listed for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Switch 2 described as forthcoming.
Are any of these games good for local multiplayer?
DUSK’s Steam listing specifically names LAN PvP, which is competitive local networking rather than co-op. Prodeus is the clearly documented online co-op option; the available data does not establish split-screen co-op for the other recommendations.
Does Boltgun 2 continue Malum Caedo’s story?
Yes. Auroch describes a branching single-player campaign featuring Malum Caedo alongside Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath. Its branching structure distinguishes it from simply adding a few linear missions to the first game.
Can I build custom levels in a retro shooter?
Prodeus and Turbo Overkill list level editors on Steam, while Ion Fury is tied to the Build Engine tradition and secret-heavy map design. The listings do not promise that assets or editor workflows are interchangeable between those games.
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