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Games like Classic Marathon

Aleph One Developers · 2024 · Windows, macOS, Linux

Steam: 90 % positive of 1,303 reviews, as of Oct 28

From the team that brought you Aleph One, the classic sci-fi FPS Marathon from Bungie on Mac revived for modern hardware by the fan community.

24 games that play like Classic Marathon and 24 that look like it. Closest by gameplay: Classic Marathon 2, Classic Marathon Infinity and HELLDIVERS™ 2.

Player tags

  • FPS
  • Shooter
  • First-Person
  • PvP
  • PvE
  • 3D
  • Action
  • 2.5D
Map region: Shooter Campaigns
Open on Steam ↗

Steam reviews

What players say

Players mostly recommend this free 1994 shooter for its story, atmosphere and early innovations, but dated level design and obtuse puzzles frustrate many.

Many players praise the story told through computer terminals, the moody atmosphere and the soundtrack, and several note that the game was years ahead of its time with mouselook, dual wielding and alternate fire modes. Players also appreciate that the free Steam port runs well out of the box, with widescreen and HUD options. The main complaints are the maze-like levels, obtuse puzzles and jumping sections, sparse save points that force long replays, and some punishing late levels such as Colony Ship For Sale, Cheap. Some players found the enemy variety, gunplay and music weaker than contemporaries such as Doom. Many reviewers suggest using a guide when stuck. Recent reviews do not differ notably from the older helpful ones.

Praised

  • Story told through terminals

    Players enjoy the lore and narrative delivered through computer terminals, calling the writing and the AI character Durandal memorable.

    Many players
  • Atmosphere and soundtrack

    Players often praise the moody atmosphere, the visuals and the somber music, although some find the tracks repetitive.

    Many players
  • Pioneering features

    Reviewers note that mouselook, dual wielding, alternate fire modes and room-over-room levels were ahead of their time.

    Some players
  • Free and easy to run

    Players value that the free Steam port runs smoothly, with widescreen, HUD and graphics options and easy mod support.

    Some players

Criticised

  • Maze-like level design

    Reviewers find the levels confusing and maze-like, with unclear routes and hidden paths that make them slow to get through.

    Many players
  • Obtuse puzzles and jumps

    Players criticise puzzles with little guidance, awkward jumping sections and the notorious Colony Ship For Sale, Cheap level.

    Many players
  • Sparse saves and punishing difficulty

    Few save points in late levels force long replays, and some players find the harder difficulty brutally frustrating.

    Some players
  • Dated combat and gunplay

    Reviewers find the combat slow, the guns underpowered and the enemy variety limited compared with Doom and its contemporaries.

    Some players
Who it suits
Players who enjoy retro shooters and care about story, lore and historical games, and who are willing to use guides for tough puzzles.
Who should skip it
Players who want polished level design, clear guidance or modern pacing should skip it, as should those who dislike maze-like levels.

Summarised by AI from 70 Steam reviews (English, helpful and recent), as of Oct 28, 2026.

Best matches

Plays and looks like Classic Marathon

These games are close to it by gameplay and by look, so they appear in both lists below.

By gameplay

Plays like Classic Marathon

Matched from Steam descriptions and player tags. The tags under each game are the ones both games share.

More matches

  1. STAR WARS™ Republic Commando™94 % positive of 14,733Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  2. Prodeus91 % positive of 5,548Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  3. Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection62 % positive of 7,881Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  4. Crysis79 % positive of 13,433Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  5. Starship Troopers: Extermination80 % positive of 29,761Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  6. Quake 486 % positive of 3,135Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  7. Aliens vs. Predator™91 % positive of 16,382Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  8. System Shock89 % positive of 9,887Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  9. STAR WARS™ Battlefront (Classic, 2004)95 % positive of 4,265Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  10. Interstellar Marines51 % positive of 4,282Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  11. Aliens versus Predator Classic 200086 % positive of 2,522Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person
  12. Chaser72 % positive of 1,125Shared: FPS · Shooter · First-Person

By look

Looks like Classic Marathon

Matched from screenshots. Each card shows the screenshot closest to the look of this game.

More matches

  1. DOOM 6491 % positive of 8,046
  2. Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour85 % positive of 5,548
  3. Supplice86 % positive of 544
  4. BRAZILIAN DRUG DEALER 3: I OPENED A PORTAL TO HELL IN THE FAVELA TRYING TO REVIVE MIT AIA I NEED TO CLOSE IT97 % positive of 8,068
  5. Zortch97 % positive of 1,285
  6. Buckshot Roulette95 % positive of 111,846
  7. Red Faction84 % positive of 2,445
  8. HYPERVIOLENT67 % positive of 156
  9. Cruelty Squad96 % positive of 23,456
  10. Master Levels for Doom II72 % positive of 807
  11. Half-Life: Opposing Force95 % positive of 25,682
  12. Unreal Gold89 % positive of 2,573

At a glance

What games like Classic Marathon have in common

  • The tags they share most often with Classic Marathon: Shooter (23 of 24), FPS (21) and First-Person (21).
  • They came out between 1998 and 2026, 2 of them after Classic Marathon (2024).
  • Best rated by Steam players: Half-Life (95 % positive of 118,292).

How these matches work

Matches come from embeddings of Steam descriptions, player tags and screenshots, computed offline. “Plays like” compares what the games are about and how players tag them; “Looks like” compares their screenshots. The share of positive reviews is based on Steam user reviews.

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