Games Like Super Smash Bros
Quick Answer
The closest games to Super Smash Bros are Rivals of Aether, Brawlhalla, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, Kirby Fighters 2 and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. Below are 9 picks with the reason for each — what carries over from Super Smash Bros, and what does not.
What Made Super Smash Bros Work
Smash is a fighting game where the goal is knocking people off the stage rather than draining a health bar, which makes it readable to people who bounce off traditional fighters. The competitive depth is real, but so is the four-player-chaos mode — different players want different successors.
Super Smash Bros. was made by HAL Laboratory and directed by Masahiro Sakurai for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. Instead of draining a health bar, you build up damage and knock opponents off the stage. Melee (GameCube, 2001), Brawl (Wii, 2008), the 3DS and Wii U games (2014) and Ultimate (Switch, 2018) followed.
Also written as Smash Bros, Smash Brothers, Super Smash Brothers, Smash — same game, same list.
9 Games Like Super Smash Bros
1.Rivals of Aether(2017)
The competitive answer: platform fighter built for tournament play.
Why it fits: Dan Fornace, PC, 2017 after early access. Made by Smash players for Smash players: elemental animals, edge-guarding and recovery that reward Melee-style execution. A sequel followed in 2024.
What is different: A much smaller cast of original characters and no items; it is built for one-on-one competition.
Where to play it: PC, Switch and Xbox One; the sequel on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
More about this game →2.Brawlhalla(2017)
Free, cross-platform, and the easiest way into the genre.
Why it fits: Blue Mammoth Games, now published by Ubisoft, full release 2017. A free platform fighter with up to eight players and crossplay across every platform.
What is different: Weapon pick-ups define your moveset, and the characters are original rather than famous.
Where to play it: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and mobile.
More about this game →3.Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2(2023)
The closest mainstream alternative with a real roster.
Why it fits: Fair Play Labs, published by GameMill, 2023. Nickelodeon's cast in a platform fighter with a strike-and-shield system and a single-player campaign.
What is different: A smaller roster and fewer modes; the cast will matter more to you than the mechanics.
Where to play it: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and PC.
More about this game →4.Kirby Fighters 2(2020)
Nintendo's own small four-player brawler — Smash's party side, on Switch.
Why it fits: HAL Laboratory, Switch, 2020. A small, cheerful Kirby-only brawler where each fighter is one of Kirby's copy abilities.
What is different: Tiny in scope — every fighter is a Kirby ability, and there is not much depth.
Where to play it: Switch.
More about this game →5.PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale(2012)
Sony's attempt — different KO system, worth it for the roster.
Why it fits: SuperBot Entertainment, PS3 and PS Vita, 2012. Sony's own crossover brawler, where knockouts come only from super moves.
What is different: You only score by landing super moves, which changes the whole rhythm; online is long gone.
Where to play it: PS3 and PS Vita.
More about this game →6.Power Stone(1999)
Dreamcast arena fighter, the other great four-player brawler of that era.
Why it fits: Capcom, arcade and Dreamcast, 1999. Fully 3D arenas where you throw furniture and collect gems to transform.
What is different: 3D arenas and grabbable furniture instead of platforms and knockback percentages.
Where to play it: Dreamcast; both games collected on PSP.
Games like this →7.TowerFall Ascension(2014)
Local multiplayer chaos distilled to arrows and one hit each.
Why it fits: Matt Makes Games, 2014 on PC and PS4. Four-player arena archery where one arrow kills and landing on a head counts.
What is different: Everyone dies in one hit, so rounds last seconds, and it is archery rather than fighting.
Where to play it: PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch.
More about this game →8.Gang Beasts(2017)
If it was the party chaos you wanted rather than the fighting.
Why it fits: Boneloaf, full release 2017. Floppy physics brawling where throwing someone off the stage is the only way to win.
What is different: Wobbly physics make the controls deliberately imprecise — nobody will call it competitive.
Where to play it: PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch.
Games like this →9.Street Fighter 6(2023)
If Smash was your on-ramp and you now want the genre proper.
Why it fits: Capcom, 2023. A traditional one-on-one fighter whose Modern control scheme puts special moves on one button, for players moving over from Smash.
What is different: One-on-one on a flat stage, with no items and a real learning curve; the Modern control scheme softens it.
Where to play it: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
More about this game →
Where to Start
For friends on a sofa with no learning curve, Brawlhalla (free) or Kirby Fighters 2 is the easy answer. For something to take seriously, Rivals of Aether. And if you want the chaotic four-player arena side more than the fighting, go back to Power Stone.
How We Picked These Games
Picks had to keep one of two things: Smash's knock-them-off platform fighting, or its four-friends-on-a-sofa party chaos. Traditional fighting games are included only where they are a natural next step for Smash players.
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Games Like Super Smash Bros Compared
Year is each game's first release anywhere, on the platform in the next column. "Play it now" is where it can be bought or played today.
| Game | Year | First released on | Play it now | Closest to Super Smash Bros in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivals of Aether | 2017 | PC | PC, Switch and Xbox One; the sequel on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. | Melee-style competitive movement |
| Brawlhalla | 2017 | PC | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and mobile. | Free, eight-player platform fighting |
| Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 | 2023 | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch | PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and PC. | A crossover cast |
| Kirby Fighters 2 | 2020 | Switch | Switch. | Nintendo-style party brawling |
| PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale | 2012 | PS3, PS Vita | PS3 and PS Vita. | Sony's crossover answer to Smash |
| Power Stone | 1999 | Arcade, Dreamcast | Dreamcast; both games collected on PSP. | Items and arena chaos |
| TowerFall Ascension | 2014 | PC, PS4 | PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch. | Four friends, one screen |
| Gang Beasts | 2017 | PC | PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch. | Knock them off the stage |
| Street Fighter 6 | 2023 | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. | A first 'real' fighting game |
Which One to Play, by What You Liked
If you liked Super Smash Bros for four friends on one sofa, try TowerFall Ascension, Gang Beasts and Brawlhalla. Party games where the fun is the room as much as the screen.
If you liked Super Smash Bros for competitive Melee-style play, try Rivals of Aether. Built by and for Smash competitors, with wave-dashing and edge-guarding.
If you liked Super Smash Bros for the crossover roster, try PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2. Two other companies' attempts to put their whole history in one fight.
If you liked Super Smash Bros for items and chaos, try Power Stone and Kirby Fighters 2. Grab what's lying around and throw it — the part of Smash competitive players switch off.
If you liked Super Smash Bros for wanting to learn a traditional fighter, try Street Fighter 6. Modern controls make it the most approachable step from Smash to one-on-one fighting games.
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Related Lists
- Games like Power Stone — Arena fighters where items and chaos are part of the fight.
- Best fighting games for beginners and pros — Smash is where many players start before moving on to traditional fighting games.
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