Fan
What makes a game feel like Worms?
Team17's Worms, first released in 1995, set the template: teams take turns, you pick a weapon, set your angle and power, and every explosion carves the map into a new shape. The best Worms-likes keep that rhythm and add their own twist, whether that is tanks, hedgehogs or cute pets.
We left the Worms games themselves out of the ranking. If you have not played them, start with Worms W.M.D or the classic Worms Armageddon.
The ranking
Games like Worms, ranked
Wild Wars
- Pets
- Out now
Worms-style turn-based battles with cartoon pets instead of worms, plus coins, treats and ranked online play. Free on iPhone, Android and PC.
Wild Wars is a free-to-play, turn-based pet battle game built by developers who grew up playing Wild Ones. When Playdom switched Wild Ones off in 2013, nothing quite replaced it. Wild Wars was made to fill that gap, and of every game on this list it is the one that feels most like the original.
Hedgewars
- Pets
- Active
The closest thing to classic Worms: a free, open-source tribute starring hedgehogs in hats, with a huge arsenal and a level editor.
Hedgewars is a free, open-source take on the Worms formula, starring pink cartoon hedgehogs. Like Wild Ones it leans into cute animals, hats and absurd weapons.
ShellShock Live
- Paid
- Online
- Active
Tanks instead of worms, but the same angle-and-power duels on destructible terrain, with hundreds of weapons to unlock.
ShellShock Live is an online artillery game where tanks take turns lobbing shots across destructible terrain. You earn XP to unlock a huge list of weapons, which is a very similar feeling to levelling up in Wild Ones.
Wormix
- Mobile
- Active
A Worms-like that grew up on social networks: small fighters, hats, upgrades and online PvP on your phone.
Wormix began life on social networks around the same time as Wild Ones, and the two feel like cousins: small cartoon fighters, turn-based shots, wacky weapons, hats and a progression system that keeps you coming back.
Pocket Tanks
- Classic
- Active
Worms without the walking: pure angle-and-power shots and a giant list of silly weapons.
Pocket Tanks has been around since 2001 and keeps artillery simple: set your angle, set your power, and watch your shot arc across the screen. The fun is in the weapon packs, with hundreds of wacky options to unlock.
GunboundM
- Online
- Active
Team artillery battles online with quirky tanks, where reading the wind matters.
GunBound was one of the biggest online artillery games of the 2000s, and GunboundM brings it back as a free-to-play game on Steam. You pick a "mobile" (a quirky tank), then take turns firing at the other team.
Wild Ones Battle Stadium
- Unofficial remake
- Active
An unofficial remake of Wild Ones, the Facebook game people called "Worms with pets".
Wild Ones Battle Stadium is an unofficial fan remake that borrows the name, pets and style of the original Wild Ones. It launched free on Steam on 25 December 2024 and is also on Google Play (listed simply as "Wild Ones") and the App Store.
Unofficial: not affiliated with Playdom or Disney.
Bowmasters
- Mobile
- Active
Worms boiled down to one-on-one aim-and-throw duels, perfect for a quick session on your phone.
Bowmasters strips the Wild Ones formula down to one-on-one duels: aim, release, and try to hit your rival before they hit you. A huge cast of silly characters, each with its own weapon, keeps it fun.
Tank Stars
- Mobile
- Active
Turn-based tank duels on destructible hills, with lots of weapons to collect.
Tank Stars is a free mobile game where you take turns firing at an opponent across destructible hills. It has online PvP, lots of tanks and weapons to collect, and short matches.