Helldivers 2 is a squad game pretending it accommodates solo play. It technically does. It just punishes you for it. Operations scale less generously for solo players, friendly fire incidents become self-inflicted only, and the extraction sequences are harder without three people covering sight lines. If you want the Helldivers 2 feeling (high-intensity combat, mission structure, bug-stomping cathartic violence) as a proper solo experience, you need games designed for one from the start.
This is the Helldivers 2 replacement member of our Solo Gamer’s 2026 Playbook. Seven single-player picks that deliver the tactical shooter intensity, mission loop, or pure-combat cathartic release that Helldivers 2 does, without the Discord coordination tax.
The short version
- Closest match to Helldivers 2 combat feel: Remnant II solo, Deep Rock Galactic bots mode.
- Pure shooter catharsis: Doom Eternal, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 solo campaign.
- Run-based shooter progression: Returnal, Risk of Rain 2 solo.
- Introvert evening tone: slower, more deliberate picks like Metro Exodus over faster ones.
- All seven work fully solo with no group obligations.
Quick-pick table
| Game | Solo playtime | What it replaces | Skip if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remnant II | 30-50 hours | Squad shooter gameplay loop | You hate Souls-likes |
| Deep Rock Galactic (solo) | 40+ hours | Co-op extraction shooter | You want faster pacing |
| Doom Eternal | 15-25 hours | Cathartic shooter violence | You need narrative depth |
| Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 (solo) | 15-20 hours | Third-person shooter bombast | 40K lore turns you off |
| Returnal | 25-40 hours | Run-based shooter progression | Roguelike deaths frustrate you |
| Risk of Rain 2 (solo) | Per-run, infinite | Horde-clearing progression | You want single-arc narrative |
| Metro Exodus | 20-30 hours | Mission-based tension shooter | You need high-action intensity |
The 7 games in detail
1. Remnant II
Gunfire Games’ third-person shooter is the closest solo-friendly match to the Helldivers 2 combat feel. Gun combat, dodge rolls, boss encounters, procedural dungeon structure. The multiplayer is optional; the solo experience is fully designed for one player with class selection that rewards single-person play.
Solo playtime: 30 to 50 hours main campaign, 60+ for full completion.
Why it replaces Helldivers 2: the moment-to-moment combat gunplay feels similar. Weapons have heft, enemies respond realistically, and the boss fights deliver a Helldivers 2-tier intensity ceiling without requiring squad coordination.
2. Deep Rock Galactic (solo bots mode)
Ghost Ship Games’ co-op FPS has a proper solo mode where three bot companions (one per non-selected class) fill the squad. The bots are genuinely useful: they res you, carry objectives, and hold their own in combat. Missions are 20 to 40 minutes, self-contained.
Solo playtime: 40+ hours of season missions plus Deep Dives.
Why it replaces Helldivers 2: nearly identical “drop in, do a mission, extract” loop. The bug-enemies flavor is different (aliens vs dwarves-in-caves), but the mission rhythm is the same.
3. Doom Eternal
id Software’s 2020 shooter is still the purest “kill things and feel powerful” experience in gaming. Fifteen to twenty-five hours of tight, mechanical, heavy-metal combat with glory kills, chainsaws, and demon physics. No co-op considerations whatsoever.
Solo playtime: 15 to 25 hours main campaign, 40+ with both DLCs.
Why it replaces Helldivers 2: when what you miss is “kill a lot of things in rapid succession,” Doom Eternal delivers that harder than any other shooter in history. It is concentrated power fantasy.
4. Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 (solo campaign)
Saber Interactive’s 2024 third-person shooter has a fully standalone solo campaign. You are a Space Marine. Heavy weapons, ceremonial dialogue, alien bug slaughter. Fifteen to twenty hours solo, plus Operations mode that also plays solo (though co-op is the intended format).
Solo playtime: 15 to 20 hours campaign. 10+ more in solo-friendly Operations.
Why it replaces Helldivers 2: the bug-stomping power fantasy is cranked to eleven. Tyranids instead of Terminids. Space Marines instead of Helldivers. The thematic match is uncanny.
5. Returnal
Housemarque’s PS5-defining roguelike shooter is a solo-only experience. You crash-land on an alien planet and loop through biomes as a scientist who dies and restarts. Third-person, bullet-hell inflected, intense. The DLC adds a 2-player co-op option, but the solo experience is the intended one.
Solo playtime: 25 to 40 hours for a completion. 60+ for all sigils.
Why it replaces Helldivers 2: the pure combat intensity is comparable. Different gameplay structure (roguelike runs vs squad missions), but similar adrenaline profile.
6. Risk of Rain 2 (solo)
Hopoo Games’ horde shooter scales wonderfully solo. Each run is 30 to 60 minutes of stage-by-stage escalation, collecting items that build on each other, facing increasingly absurd enemy waves. The meta-progression loop is classic roguelike.
Solo playtime: per-run, 40+ hours for major unlocks.
Why it replaces Helldivers 2: the horde-clearing dopamine is the main shared thread. Risk of Rain 2 solo gives you the “I am overwhelmed and somehow winning” feeling without requiring three other people.
7. Metro Exodus
4A Games’ post-apocalyptic Russian survival shooter is slower, more atmospheric, more introvert-coded than the other picks. You ride a train across a ruined Russia, shooting mutants, managing resources, meeting strange people in small communities. Twenty to thirty hours of deliberate, tension-forward single-player.
Solo playtime: 20 to 30 hours main. 40+ with DLC.
Why it replaces Helldivers 2: Metro Exodus is what Helldivers 2 would be if it were quiet, introspective, and about you specifically. Less chaotic, more contemplative. Different mood, same genre DNA.
Session length breakdown
Helldivers 2 operations typically run 25 to 50 minutes. If matching that session length is important to you, here is how each pick compares.
Under 20 minutes per unit of play: Doom Eternal individual levels (some), Deep Rock Galactic express missions.
20 to 40 minutes per unit: Deep Rock Galactic standard missions, Doom Eternal most levels, Returnal short runs.
40 to 60 minutes per unit: Remnant II dungeon runs, Risk of Rain 2 average runs, Metro Exodus chapter blocks.
Extended sessions: Space Marine 2 missions can run 60 to 90 minutes. Returnal long runs can exceed 90. Not ideal for a strict 30-minute budget, but they save well enough to interrupt.
Handheld and Steam Deck compatibility
Solo shooter picks are worth considering for handheld play specifically because closing the lid is effectively a save.
Excellent on Steam Deck: Risk of Rain 2, Deep Rock Galactic, Doom Eternal (plays surprisingly well), Remnant II (performance mode).
Compromised on Steam Deck: Returnal (PS5-exclusive to PC port, demanding). Space Marine 2 (demanding on frame rate).
Switch 2 confirmed: Doom Eternal, Risk of Rain 2, Deep Rock Galactic. Remnant II and Space Marine 2 not confirmed yet at time of writing.
PlayStation 5 only (or primary): Returnal (PS5 launch title). Runs on PC but Steam Deck performance is uneven.
What we left off (and why)
Destiny 2. Every expansion claims “more solo-friendly” and never delivers. Strikes and raids are still gated by social play.
Warframe solo. Technically possible. Architecturally designed for four-player squads. Solo is the hard path.
Hunt: Showdown. Fundamentally a PvPvE game. Solo is available but strongly disadvantaged.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Zombies. Solo works but the mode is clearly built around group play.
The Division 2. Solo-playable but most endgame content is soft-locked behind matchmaking, and the writing is thin.
How to pick one tonight
Three questions.
Do you want run-based or story-based? Run-based (like HD2 operations): Risk of Rain 2, Returnal, Deep Rock Galactic. Story-based: Metro Exodus, Doom Eternal, Space Marine 2.
Want to feel overwhelmed or in control? Overwhelmed (HD2 defense mission feel): Risk of Rain 2, Returnal. In control (HD2 cleanup mission feel): Doom Eternal, Remnant II, Space Marine 2.
Introvert evening tone or high-energy? Introvert: Metro Exodus, Remnant II. High-energy: Doom Eternal, Space Marine 2, Risk of Rain 2.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still play Helldivers 2 solo if I insist?
You can. It will be harder, less fun, and slower than duo or trio play. For the specific “I want Helldivers 2 but no group” itch, any of the 7 games above will serve you better. If you love Helldivers 2 specifically and just want fewer teammates, duo play is the compromise.
Which one is most similar to Helldivers 2 mechanically?
Remnant II for the gunplay rhythm. Deep Rock Galactic for the mission structure. Space Marine 2 for the tonal match. Pick based on which axis matters most to you.
Are any of these on Game Pass or PlayStation Plus?
Deep Rock Galactic has been on Game Pass for years. Remnant II rotates through both services. Space Marine 2 has appeared on Game Pass. Doom Eternal is typically included with PlayStation Plus Extra. Check current catalogs before buying.
What if I want shorter sessions than HD2 missions?
Doom Eternal levels are 20 to 40 minutes each. Risk of Rain 2 runs are 30 to 60 minutes. Deep Rock Galactic missions are 20 to 40 minutes. All three have tighter session structures than Helldivers 2’s variable 25 to 50 minute missions.
Is there a slower-paced solo shooter that is not a Souls-like?
Metro Exodus is the answer. Also Alien Isolation if you want tense single-player survival rather than combat. Both deliver shooter-adjacent tension at a deliberate pace.
What if I want the Helldivers 2 vibe but lower intensity?
Deep Rock Galactic in solo bots mode is your answer. Same drop-in, mission-structure, squad-feel extraction shooter, but with easier difficulty calibration and a more forgiving pace. You can run Hazard 2 or 3 missions for a relaxing solo evening without sacrificing the core loop.
I miss the sound design of Helldivers 2 specifically. Anything match?
Space Marine 2 is the closest audio match: heavy metal weapon impacts, distorted-radio voice lines, and an orchestral war score that rivals HD2’s intensity. Doom Eternal also has legendary audio but in a different direction (pure metal, less radio chatter).
A note on solo intensity calibration
One thing most ex-Helldivers players underestimate when they move solo: you control the intensity dial yourself, and your default setting is probably too high.
In a squad game, the group pulls you through high-intensity encounters because the teammates are there. Alone, those same encounters feel more stressful because the cognitive load of tracking everything falls on you. This is not a weakness. This is physics.
For your first 2 to 3 sessions in any solo shooter, run one difficulty level lower than you think you should. Hazard 2 instead of Hazard 3 in Deep Rock Galactic. Nightmare instead of Ultra-Violence in Doom Eternal. Lower difficulty in Remnant II. You can always push up. Starting on your “normal” difficulty from the squad days will burn you out, and you will quit before the genre actually clicks.
By session 4 or 5, your solo muscle memory returns and you can play at your old intensity. But the first few evenings deserve grace.
Related reading
- The Solo Gamer’s 2026 Playbook: the cluster pillar with 15 picks across genres.
- 8 Solo Games for Adults Who Left Discord Behind: the sibling member for ex-guild players.
- Helldivers 2 Solo Guide: the counter-case if you do want to keep playing HD2 solo.
- The Busy Gamer’s Survival Guide: the broader cross-cluster pillar.
