Field guide · 10 games compared

Games like BioShock: retro futuristic and immersive FPS games

By Ekin, a solo developer in Istanbul (Whale Development Studios), maker of Iron Curtain Call. Published 8 November 2026; every price, release date and platform below was checked on 8 November 2026 against the US Steam store and the sources at the end.

Iron Curtain Call in first person: a grand 1965 world fair plaza with propaganda banners, retro futuristic pavilions and wind up tin soldiers
Iron Curtain Call, chapter 6, Expo 65: Plaza of Nations. A smiling mid century utopia cracking at the seams.
The short answer

What to play after Rapture and Columbia, depending on what you miss.

When players ask for games like BioShock, they usually want one of three things: the immersive sim combat of combining left hand powers with right hand guns in a ruined facility, the mid century retro futuristic dystopia full of smiling propaganda posters and loudspeaker announcements, or both at once.

If you want the deepest immersive sim successor you can buy today, play Arkane’s Prey ($29.99, released 4 May 2017) or Dishonored ($9.99), or Nightdive’s remake of System Shock ($39.99, which has a free demo on Steam). If you want a lavish retro futuristic dystopia with powers in one glove and guns in the other, play Atomic Heart ($59.99, free demo on Steam).

If you love BioShock’s 1930s cartoon Plasmid reels, loudspeaker propaganda and alternate history satire but want a faster, punchier shooter you can test for free today, play the free Steam demo of my game Iron Curtain Call (out 11 March 2027, with a free 60 second browser version too). And if you are specifically hunting for unreleased successors like Judas and Clockwork Revolution, see our companion upcoming games like BioShock guide.

At a glance

All ten games, side by side.

Prices are US Steam list prices before any sale, read on 8 November 2026. Every row links to its card below and to its Steam store page.
GameWorld and atmospherePowers and combatFree demo on SteamUS priceOut
Iron Curtain CallMy game1965 Cold War propaganda state drawn in 1930s rubber hose inkFast arena FPS with melee resource loop and satirical loudspeakersYes, free: Mission 1, about 15 to 20 minutesNot priced yet11 March 2027Free demo since 28 October 2026
BioShock Remastered1960 underwater Art Deco city of RapturePlasmids in the left hand, guns and wrench in the rightNo$19.9915 September 2016First released in 2007
BioShock 2 RemasteredRapture ten years later, seen through a prototype Big Daddy helmetSimultaneous Plasmid casting and heavy drill / rivet combatNo$19.9915 September 2016First released in 2010
BioShock Infinite1912 floating steampunk city of ColumbiaSky Line rail combat, Vigors and two weapon firearm loadoutsNo$29.9925 March 2013
Prey1960s Neo Deco space station Talos I overrun by mimicsPure systemic immersive sim: GLOO cannon, neuromods and open stationYes, free$29.994 May 2017
DishonoredWhale oil industrial plague city of DunwallFirst person stealth and combat sandbox with Blink teleport and powersNo$9.998 October 2012
DEATHLOOP1960s retro futuristic island of Blackreef stuck in a time loopFast guns and supernatural Slabs across four districts and four time periodsNo$59.9913 September 2021
System ShockCitadel Station under the control of rogue AI SHODANThe foundational sci fi dungeon crawler, rebuilt with modern gunplayYes, free$39.9930 May 2023
Atomic Heart1955 Soviet Facility 3826 after a robot uprisingPolymer glove powers (shock, freeze, telekinesis) and heavy melee/gunsYes, free$59.9920 February 2023
We Happy Few1964 Wellington Wells under mandatory Joy pillsFirst person survival and satire inside a smiling retro British police stateNo$59.9910 August 2018
Game by game

Ten games that carry the BioShock torch

Each entry explains how closely it matches BioShock’s worldbuilding and combat, and which ones let you play a free demo on Steam first.

Iron Curtain Call

My game

Play it if you loved BioShock’s 1930s Plasmid cartoon reels and loudspeaker satire, and want that energy across a whole fast paced shooter.

In BioShock, little 1930s rubber hose cartoons taught you how to electrocute splicers while polite loudspeakers reminded you of your civic duty. In Iron Curtain Call, that aesthetic is the entire game: an alternate 1965 where a customer service computer called the Supreme Chancellor runs World War III like a help desk queue.

Instead of slow scavenging, the combat runs at boomer shooter speed. You dash, grapple and parry through twelve chapters of wind up tin soldiers, using your Knuckle Sandwich punch for health, the Can Opener saw for ammo, and the Snow Globe freeze grenade or Telegram lightning gun to control crowds.

Unlike an RPG immersive sim, Iron Curtain Call is a pure linear action campaign, and you can test Mission 1 free on Steam (Windows, macOS, Linux) or in your browser for 60 seconds.

Developer and publisher
Whale Development Studios
Out
11 March 2027
Free demo out
28 October 2026
On Steam
Windows and macOS (demo on Windows, macOS and Linux)
US list price
Not priced yet
Demo
Yes, free
Gameplay trailer · 1:00 · Twelve chapters in sixty seconds. YouTube · Video page

Download the free Steam demoPlay 60 seconds in your browser, no download

Iron Curtain Call in first person: facing Marshal Matryoshka, a giant painted nesting doll boss inside a snowing Soviet winter square
Chapter 5, Kelvingrad: theatrical regime bosses and smiling 1965 propaganda.

BioShock Remastered

The original · 1960 Rapture underwater dystopia

Play it if you want to revisit where mid century philosophical shooters began, on Windows or macOS.

First released in 2007 and remastered on Steam on 15 September 2016 ($19.99, Windows and macOS), BioShock drops you into Andrew Ryan’s decaying underwater utopia of Rapture in 1960. Every room tells a story through audio diaries, Art Deco neon and water leaking against glass.

Its combat lets you shock enemies standing in puddles, hack security turrets and decide the fate of Little Sisters guarded by Big Daddies.

Still the gold standard for environmental storytelling inside a first person shooter.

Developers
2K Boston, 2K Australia, Blind Squirrel and Feral Interactive (Mac)
Publisher
2K and Feral Interactive (Mac)
Released
15 September 2016
On Steam
Windows and macOS
US list price
$19.99
Demo
None on Steam

BioShock 2 Remastered

Best dual hand combat in Rapture · Windows and macOS

Play it if you want the sharpest Plasmid plus weapon combat in the original trilogy.

BioShock 2 (2010; Remastered 15 September 2016, $19.99, Windows and macOS) puts you in the boots of Subject Delta, an early Big Daddy searching Rapture for his Little Sister under Sofia Lamb’s collectivist regime.

Because you hold a Plasmid in your left hand and a heavy drill or rivet gun in your right at the same time, its combat flows much faster than the first game’s weapon switching.

Often overlooked, its Minerva’s Den story campaign is one of the finest short sci fi stories ever built in an FPS.

Developers
2K Marin, 2K China, Digital Extremes, 2K Australia and Blind Squirrel
Publisher
2K
Released
15 September 2016
On Steam
Windows and macOS
US list price
$19.99
Demo
None on Steam

BioShock Infinite

1912 floating city · Bright propaganda and Sky Lines

Play it if you want a sun drenched dystopia where you ride overhead rails between floating islands.

Irrational Games released BioShock Infinite on 25 March 2013 ($29.99). Trading Rapture’s dark ocean floor for the 1912 flying world fair city of Columbia, it pairs barbershop quartets and nationalist parades with fast arena fights.

Hooking onto the overhead Sky Lines turns every courtyard into a vertical rollercoaster where you drop onto enemies and chain Vigor powers.

Ken Levine’s upcoming game Judas builds directly on this lineage; see our upcoming games like BioShock guide.

Developers
Irrational Games and Virtual Programming (Linux)
Publisher
2K
Released
25 March 2013
On Steam
Windows, macOS and Linux
US list price
$29.99
Demo
None on Steam

Prey

Best modern immersive sim · 1960s Neo Deco space station

Play it if you want the systemic freedom of System Shock and BioShock on an interconnected space station.

Arkane Studios released Prey on 4 May 2017 ($29.99). Set aboard Talos I, a space station built in an alternate history where John F. Kennedy survived and funded a gilded 1960s orbital program, it surrounds you with gold trim, wood panelling and shape shifting alien mimics.

The GLOO Cannon lets you freeze enemies in place or build your own staircase up any wall in the station, rewarding clever improvisation over brute force.

The closest any modern AAA game comes to the systemic depth of Rapture.

Developer
Arkane Studios
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Released
4 May 2017
On Steam
Windows (demo on Windows)
US list price
$29.99
Demo
Yes, free

Dishonored

First person powers and weapons · Industrial plague city

Play it if you love left hand supernatural abilities paired with right hand weapons in a rich world.

Arkane Studios and Bethesda released Dishonored on 8 October 2012 ($9.99). Set in the whale oil powered city of Dunwall, it puts the Outsider’s mark on your left hand (Blink teleportation, time stop, wind blasts) and a pistol or folding blade in your right.

Every assassination mission is a multi path architectural puzzle that reacts to how much chaos you cause across the city.

More stealth and swordplay than gunplay, but built with the exact same two hand immersive sim DNA.

Developer
Arkane Studios
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Released
8 October 2012
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$9.99
Demo
None on Steam

DEATHLOOP

1960s retro futuristic time loop · Guns and powers

Play it if you want Arkane’s powers and gunplay inside a loud 1960s spy party aesthetic.

Released by Arkane on 13 September 2021 ($59.99), DEATHLOOP traps assassin Colt on the 1960s island of Blackreef, where eight Visionaries throw an endless party inside a 24 hour time loop.

It leans much harder into fast first person shooting than Dishonored, letting you link enemies together so one headshot drops a whole room.

Shares the 1960s retro futurism and satirical signage of our video games set in the 1960s guide.

Developer
Arkane Studios
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Released
13 September 2021
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$59.99
Demo
None on Steam

System Shock

Nightdive’s remake · Where BioShock’s DNA started · Free demo

Play it if you want to experience the sci fi dungeon crawler that BioShock was built as a spiritual successor to.

Nightdive Studios released the full remake of System Shock on 30 May 2023 ($39.99), with a free demo on Steam. Trapped aboard Citadel Station, you fight through decks of cyborgs and mutants while the rogue AI SHODAN taunts you over the station PA.

There are no quest arrows: you read audio logs, memorize deck layouts and manage every battery charge and magazine yourself.

Harder and more labyrinthine than BioShock, with a free Steam demo so you can test the opening medical deck.

Developer
Nightdive Studios
Publisher
Atari and Nightdive Studios
Released
30 May 2023
On Steam
Windows (demo on Windows)
US list price
$39.99
Demo
Yes, free

Atomic Heart

1955 Soviet retro futurism · Glove powers and robots · Free demo

Play it if you want BioShock style left hand elemental powers against haywire robots in a bright 1950s utopia.

Mundfish released Atomic Heart on 20 February 2023 ($59.99, free demo on Steam). Facility 3826 is a floating Soviet science city whose moustachioed service robots have turned on their creators during a polymer network launch.

Your talking Polymer glove shoots electric shocks, frost and telekinetic lifts while your right hand swings axes and fires shotguns.

Read our dedicated games like Atomic Heart guide for a deeper breakdown.

Developer
Mundfish
Publisher
Focus Entertainment, 4Divinity and Mundfish
Released
20 February 2023
On Steam
Windows (demo on Windows)
US list price
$59.99
Demo
Yes, free

We Happy Few

1964 British dystopia · Mandatory happiness satire

Play it if you want a 1960s world where everyone wears a plastic smile while society collapses.

Compulsion Games released We Happy Few on 10 August 2018 ($59.99). In an alternate 1964 England, citizens take a pill called Joy to see a colourful candy coated street instead of the bombed out ruins underneath.

Stop taking your Joy and the Bobby police and townsfolk spot your frown within seconds.

Weaker combat than BioShock, but unforgettable 1960s television and poster satire.

Developer and publisher
Compulsion Games
Released
10 August 2018
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$59.99
Demo
None on Steam
Questions

Questions players ask

What is the closest game to BioShock on Steam right now?

For systemic immersive sim gameplay, Arkane’s Prey ($29.99) and Nightdive’s System Shock remake ($39.99, free demo) are the closest matches. For left hand powers plus right hand guns in a mid century retro futuristic dystopia, Atomic Heart ($59.99, free demo) is the closest match. For 1930s cartoon propaganda reels and satirical loudspeaker worldbuilding in a fast shooter, try the free demo of Iron Curtain Call.

Which games like BioShock have a free demo on Steam?

On 8 November 2026, three games on this page had a free playable demo on the US Steam store: Iron Curtain Call (Windows, macOS and Linux, plus a 60 second browser version at ironcurtaincall.com/play/), System Shock (Windows) and Atomic Heart (Windows).

Are there upcoming games like BioShock in 2027?

Yes: Ken Levine’s Judas, inXile’s Clockwork Revolution, Mundfish’s Atomic Heart 2 and Iron Curtain Call (out 11 March 2027). We track all nine unreleased contenders in our upcoming games like BioShock guide.

Which games like BioShock run on Mac?

On 8 November 2026, BioShock Remastered ($19.99), BioShock 2 Remastered ($19.99) and Iron Curtain Call (free demo out now, full game 11 March 2027) listed macOS on Steam.

What PC and indie games are coming out in 2027?

More than one page can hold: Steam shows a lot of PC and indie games with a 2027 date, and dates keep moving. What we checked on Steam on 7 November 2026 are the shooters and the Mac action games, in two dated lists: upcoming FPS games and upcoming Mac games. Iron Curtain Call, our own cartoon noir shooter, is due 11 March 2027 on Windows and macOS, and its free demo is on Steam now.

What games release on 11 March 2027?

Among the shooters we checked on Steam on 7 November 2026: Blood of Rations (11 March 2027) and Iron Curtain Call (My game, 11 March 2027). We only checked shooters, so this is not the full set for that day; Steam’s own Coming Soon page has the rest.

What is a good new single player FPS I can play for free right now?

Iron Curtain Call has a free demo on Steam (Mission 1, about 15 to 20 minutes) and a free 60 second browser trial with no download. It is a single player cartoon noir shooter, and it is our game, so weigh that. For other free shooters, our list of free FPS demos on Steam holds the best rated ones.

Sources and verification

Every release date, US list price, platform and demo status on this page was checked on 8 November 2026 against the official Steam store pages and reference articles below.

  1. Iron Curtain Call, Steam store page
  2. BioShock Remastered, Steam store page
  3. BioShock 2 Remastered, Steam store page
  4. BioShock Infinite, Steam store page
  5. Prey, Steam store page
  6. Dishonored, Steam store page
  7. DEATHLOOP, Steam store page
  8. System Shock, Steam store page
  9. Atomic Heart, Steam store page
  10. We Happy Few, Steam store page
  11. BioShock, Wikipedia
  12. BioShock 2, Wikipedia
  13. BioShock Infinite, Wikipedia
  14. BioShock (series), Wikipedia
  15. Immersive sim, Wikipedia
  16. Prey (2017 video game), Wikipedia
  17. Dishonored, Wikipedia
  18. Deathloop, Wikipedia
  19. System Shock (2023 video game), Wikipedia
  20. Atomic Heart, Wikipedia
  21. We Happy Few, Wikipedia

Step into our 1965 dystopia for free today.

Mission 1 of Iron Curtain Call is free on Steam right now for Windows, macOS and Linux, or play 60 seconds in your browser with no download. The full 12 chapter campaign arrives on 11 March 2027.

Download the free Steam demoWishlist and Follow on SteamPlay 60 seconds in your browser, no download