Field guide · ten single player campaigns compared

Single player FPS campaigns on PC: ten story and linear shooters on Steam

By Ekin, a solo developer in Istanbul, the one person behind Whale Development Studios and Iron Curtain Call. Published 8 November 2026. Every date, price, platform and demo below was checked on the US Steam store and Wikipedia on 8 November 2026; the sources are listed at the end.

Iron Curtain Call in first person: Corporal Punishment fires a submachine gun at wind up tin soldiers inside the 6:15 Express train car
Iron Curtain Call, a real gameplay frame aboard the 6:15 Express. Twelve hand built chapters, twelve bosses and no multiplayer.
The short answer

Hand built chapters, a real ending and no battle pass.

Most modern shooter marketing is built around seasons, extraction lobbies and open world checklists. The ten games below are here for players who want a hand built single player first person shooter campaign on Steam: a beginning, a middle and an end, where every room and set piece was placed on purpose.

For tight, focused linear campaigns, Titanfall 2 ($29.99) packs a new gameplay mechanic into almost every mission, Half-Life 2 ($9.99, free demo) chains urban warfare, vehicle runs and physics puzzles without a single cutscene break, Wolfenstein: The New Order ($19.99) tells a character driven resistance story across an alternate 1960s Europe, DOOM Eternal ($29.99) turns its campaign into high speed arena combat, and DUSK ($19.99) distills 1990s episode design into three taut chapters. My game, Iron Curtain Call (full release 11 March 2027, free demo on Steam now), is a strictly single player twelve chapter campaign with twelve bosses and close to 3,000 voiced lines in a 1930s cartoon 1965 World War III.

For story campaigns where you explore a rich world at your own pace, BioShock Remastered ($19.99) and BioShock Infinite ($29.99) take you to Rapture and Columbia, Prey ($29.99, free demo) opens up the alien overrun space station Talos I, and Metro Exodus ($29.99) takes a train crew across four seasons of post nuclear Russia. Three of the ten games below had a free demo on Steam on 8 November 2026: Iron Curtain Call, Half-Life 2 and Prey.

At a glance

Ten single player FPS campaigns on Steam, compared.

Checked on the US Steam store and Wikipedia on 8 November 2026. Prices are US list prices before any discount. My game first, then the linear action campaigns, then the atmospheric story campaigns.
GameCampaign structureSetting and toneFree demo on SteamUS priceOut
Iron Curtain CallMy gameTwelve linear chapters, twelve bosses, eleven guns and a freeze grenade; strictly single player with no multiplayerAn alternate 1965 World War III fought by wind up tin robots in a 1930s rubber hose cartoon; free demo on SteamYes, free: Mission 1, about 15 to 20 minutesNot priced yet11 March 2027Free demo since 28 October 2026
Titanfall 2Wikipedia: nine mission single player campaign where each level introduces its own movement or Titan mechanic (plus multiplayer)Sci fi frontier war between agile Pilots and giant Titan mechs (first released in 2016)No$29.9918 June 2020First released in 2016
Half-Life 2Wikipedia: continuous single player journey from City 17 to the Citadel with no camera cutsDystopian alien occupation under the Combine; free demo on SteamYes, free$9.9916 November 2004
BioShock RemasteredWikipedia: level by level exploration of the underwater city of Rapture with guns and genetic Plasmids1960 underwater objectivist utopia gone wrong (first released in 2007); runs on Windows and macOSNo$19.9915 September 2016First released in 2007
BioShock InfiniteSteam and Wikipedia: linear story campaign alongside AI companion Elizabeth across sky rails and airships1912 aboard the floating city of Columbia; runs on Windows, macOS and LinuxNo$29.9925 March 2013
Wolfenstein: The New OrderWikipedia: chapter by chapter single player raids across prisons, submarines and a lunar baseAlternate history 1960s Europe under a high tech Nazi war machineNo$19.9919 May 2014
Metro ExodusSteam and Wikipedia: year long journey aboard the Aurora locomotive combining bunker chapters with open seasonal hubsPost nuclear Russia; runs on Windows, macOS and LinuxNo$29.9914 February 2020
DOOM EternalWikipedia: mission based arena shooter campaign with platforming between combat encountersEarth and Hell under demonic invasionNo$29.9919 March 2020
PreySteam and Wikipedia: interconnected space station campaign where tools, weapons and alien powers open new routesAlternate 1960s Space Race aboard the orbital station Talos I; free demo on SteamYes, free$29.994 May 2017
DUSKSteam and Wikipedia: three hand crafted retro episodes of secret filled levels with no cutscenesRural survival horror turning into industrial and eldritch arenas; runs on Windows, macOS and LinuxNo$19.9910 December 2018
The games

One by one, what kind of campaign each game gives you.

Every entry below tells you how linear or open the campaign is, whether it includes any multiplayer mode on the side, and whether you can test a free demo on Steam first. All facts were checked on 8 November 2026.

Iron Curtain Call

My game

Play it if you want a linear twelve chapter single player FPS with a boss at the end of every mission, zero open world bloat and a free demo.

Iron Curtain Call is my game: a single player cartoon noir first person shooter set in an alternate 1965, year three of World War III. Humanity ran out of soldiers, so the war is fought by wind up tin robots run by a customer service AI called the Supreme Chancellor. There is no multiplayer, no battle pass and no procedural filler: it is twelve hand built chapters, twelve theatrical bosses, eleven guns and a freeze grenade.

Each chapter has its own setting and set pieces (from a bombed town square and the moving 6:15 Express train to a carnival midway and a 1965 rocket pad), tied together by close to 3,000 voiced lines from Colonel Panic and the regime’s loudspeakers.

The free demo on Steam is Mission 1, Welcome to Rubbleton (about 15 to 20 minutes, ending with the first boss, Major Disaster), for Windows, macOS and Linux; or play 60 seconds in your browser. The full campaign arrives on 11 March 2027.

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

Play the free demoPlay 60 seconds in your browser, no download

Iron Curtain Call in first person: Corporal Punishment fires a submachine gun at wind up tin soldiers inside the 6:15 Express train car
Iron Curtain Call, a real gameplay frame aboard the 6:15 Express.

Titanfall 2

Play it if you want a brisk, inventive single player FPS campaign where every mission introduces a fresh idea and then moves on.

Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall 2 (first released in 2016, on Steam since 18 June 2020) pairs Rifleman Jack Cooper with Vanguard Titan BT 7274, per Wikipedia. Its single player campaign is famous for never overstaying its welcome: one mission takes place inside a massive automated house factory assembling rooms sideways, and the next hands you a wrist device that snaps you back and forth between two points in time mid jump.

Even if you never touch its multiplayer modes, the single player campaign stands on its own.

On Steam at $29.99, for Windows, with no demo on 8 November 2026.

Developer
Respawn Entertainment
Publisher
Electronic Arts
Released
18 June 2020
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$29.99
Demo
None on Steam

Half-Life 2

Play it if you want the blueprint for modern single player FPS pacing, with a free Steam demo.

Valve’s Half-Life 2 (released 16 November 2004) never takes camera control away from Gordon Freeman: per Wikipedia, you move seamlessly from the train station of City 17 through canal chases, the traps of Ravenholm, a coastal highway and an uprising in the streets.

Every chapter teaches a new way to use the environment or the Gravity Gun before escalating the stakes.

On Steam at $9.99, for Windows and Linux, with a free demo on 8 November 2026.

Developer and publisher
Valve
Released
16 November 2004
On Steam
Windows and Linux
US list price
$9.99
Demo
Yes, free

BioShock Remastered

Play it if you want a classic single player story in a sunken 1960 city, with native Windows and macOS builds.

BioShock Remastered (first released in 2007, Remastered on Steam since 15 September 2016) sends survivor Jack into the underwater metropolis of Rapture, per Wikipedia and Steam. You combine firearms with genetic Plasmids that electrify water or ignite oil while piecing together Rapture’s collapse.

It is a strictly single player story campaign with no multiplayer filler.

On Steam at $19.99, for Windows and macOS, with no demo on 8 November 2026. For upcoming games in this family, see my Upcoming Games Like BioShock guide.

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 Infinite

Play it if you want a cinematic single player shooter with an AI companion who helps in every fight.

Irrational Games’ BioShock Infinite (released 25 March 2013) moves the series to the 1912 airborne city of Columbia, per Steam and Wikipedia. Alongside Elizabeth, who tosses ammo, salts and dimensional tears into the arena, you ride high speed Sky Lines between airships.

Like the first game, it is a self contained single player campaign, available on Windows, macOS and Linux.

On Steam at $29.99, for Windows, macOS and Linux, with no demo on 8 November 2026.

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

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Play it if you want a loud, story heavy resistance campaign with zero multiplayer modes.

MachineGames’ Wolfenstein: The New Order (released 19 May 2014) dropped multiplayer altogether to focus 100 percent on a sixteen chapter single player story across an alternate 1960s Europe, per Wikipedia.

It alternates quiet chapters inside the Kreisau Circle’s Berlin hideout with loud assaults on castles, bridges, U boats and a moon base.

On Steam at $19.99, for Windows, with no demo on 8 November 2026. See also my Games Like Wolfenstein guide.

Developer
MachineGames
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Released
19 May 2014
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$19.99
Demo
None on Steam

Metro Exodus

Play it if you want a long, atmospheric single player journey across a continent on a steam train.

4A Games’ Metro Exodus (on Steam since 14 February 2020) follows Artyom and his crew across a year of post nuclear Russia aboard the Aurora, per Steam and Wikipedia. Linear underground chapters alternate with wider seasonal maps where you clean weapons at workbenches and scavenge filters.

It is strictly single player and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux on Steam.

On Steam at $29.99, for Windows, macOS and Linux, with no demo on 8 November 2026.

Developer
4A Games
Publisher
Deep Silver
Released
14 February 2020
On Steam
Windows, macOS and Linux
US list price
$29.99
Demo
None on Steam

DOOM Eternal

Play it if you want a single player campaign that is 100 percent combat skill and movement, with almost no walking and talking.

id Software’s DOOM Eternal (released 19 March 2020) strips story downtime to the bone and strings together thirteen massive single player combat missions across Earth, Phobos and Sentinel worlds, per Wikipedia.

If you want your single player campaign to play like an arcade sport rather than a movie, start here.

On Steam at $29.99, for Windows, with no demo on 8 November 2026. See also my Games Like DOOM guide.

Developer
id Software
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Released
19 March 2020
On Steam
Windows
US list price
$29.99
Demo
None on Steam

Prey

Play it if you want a single player campaign that rewards curiosity, hacking and creative problem solving, with a free demo.

Arkane’s Prey (released 4 May 2017) puts you aboard the orbital research station Talos I during a hostile alien outbreak, per Steam and Wikipedia. Instead of linear corridors, the station is one interconnected facility where a GLOO Cannon, leverage skills or alien mimic powers let you invent your own route.

Steam lists a free Windows demo so you can play the opening hour before buying.

On Steam at $29.99, for Windows, with a free Windows demo on 8 November 2026.

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

DUSK

Play it if you want three pure 1990s style single player episodes where level design tells the story.

David Szymanski’s DUSK (released 10 December 2018) splits its single player campaign into three distinct ten level episodes (The Foothills, The Facilities and The Nameless City), per Steam and Wikipedia, with secret hunting, strafe jumping and zero unskippable cutscenes.

It runs natively on Windows, macOS and Linux and runs smoothly on older hardware.

On Steam at $19.99, for Windows, macOS and Linux, with no demo on 8 November 2026.

Developer
David Szymanski
Publisher
New Blood Interactive
Released
10 December 2018
On Steam
Windows, macOS and Linux
US list price
$19.99
Demo
None on Steam
What comes next

Looking for upcoming single player FPS games?

Every game in the table above (except mine) is already out on Steam. If you have played the classics and want to see what is coming next with confirmed Steam dates, check my Upcoming FPS Games rolling guide and my Upcoming FPS Games in 2027 guide.

Or try a brand new single player chapter right now: play 60 seconds of Iron Curtain Call in your browser, or download Mission 1 free on Steam.

Questions

Questions players ask

What are the best linear single player FPS campaigns on Steam?

Titanfall 2 ($29.99), Half-Life 2 ($9.99, free demo), Wolfenstein: The New Order ($19.99), BioShock Infinite ($29.99) and DOOM Eternal ($29.99) are five of the strongest linear single player FPS campaigns on Steam. For an upcoming twelve chapter single player cartoon noir campaign, Iron Curtain Call has a free Mission 1 demo on Steam now ahead of its 11 March 2027 release.

Which single player FPS games on this list have a free demo on Steam?

On 8 November 2026 three of the ten games here had a free demo on Steam: Iron Curtain Call (Mission 1, Welcome to Rubbleton, for Windows, macOS and Linux, plus a 60 second browser trial), Half-Life 2 (Windows) and Prey (Windows).

Which single player FPS campaigns run on a Mac?

On 8 November 2026 Steam listed macOS support for five of the ten games on this page: Iron Curtain Call (both the free demo and the full game), BioShock Remastered, BioShock Infinite, Metro Exodus and DUSK.

Does Iron Curtain Call have multiplayer or co op?

No: Iron Curtain Call is 100 percent single player. The full game on 11 March 2027 is a twelve chapter campaign with twelve bosses, eleven guns, a freeze grenade, three difficulty levels and close to 3,000 voiced lines.

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

Every fact on this page comes from the US Steam store pages of the games and these Wikipedia articles, read on 8 November 2026. Prices and dates change; the store page always has the final word.

  1. Iron Curtain Call, Steam store page
  2. Titanfall 2, Steam store page
  3. Half-Life 2, Steam store page
  4. BioShock Remastered, Steam store page
  5. BioShock Infinite, Steam store page
  6. Wolfenstein: The New Order, Steam store page
  7. Metro Exodus, Steam store page
  8. DOOM Eternal, Steam store page
  9. Prey, Steam store page
  10. DUSK, Steam store page
  11. Single player video game, Wikipedia
  12. First person shooter, Wikipedia
  13. Titanfall 2, Wikipedia
  14. Half-Life 2, Wikipedia
  15. BioShock, Wikipedia
  16. BioShock Infinite, Wikipedia
  17. Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wikipedia
  18. Metro Exodus, Wikipedia
  19. Doom Eternal, Wikipedia
  20. Prey (2017 video game), Wikipedia
  21. Dusk (video game), Wikipedia

Play Chapter 1 for free.

Mission 1 of Iron Curtain Call is free on Steam right now, or play 60 seconds in your browser with no download. The full twelve chapter single player campaign arrives on 11 March 2027.

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