Role-playing as a mercenary, or a mercenary leader, has been a popular theme in RPGs, strategy games, and even action games throughout the years. While some games deviate from this theme with the lone wanderer gameplay of games like Fallout: New Vegas, and others take on a more bounty hunter-style theme as seen in games like Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, others focus entirely on the lifestyle of mercenaries.

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These games cover a broad variety of mercenary-themed titles, from side-scrolling run-and-gun arcade games like Mercenary Kings, all the way to classic action sandboxes like Mercenaries: Playground Of Destruction. There's plenty to like here for all kinds of mercenary game fan.

8 Mercenary Kings: Reloaded

Steam User Rating: 74%

• Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation
• Released: 2014
• Developer(s): Tribute Games Inc.
• Genre: Action Platformer

This retro-style side-scrolling action-platformer features crunchy old-school pixel art and run-and-gun shooter gameplay that's reminiscent of games such as Metal Slug. However, the game also features an active-reload system similar to games such as Enter The Gungeon, which makes the gameplay somewhat more methodical than games like Metal Slug.

This game has players taking on the role of the titular Mercenary Kings, running and gunning through several action-packed missions. In between missions, players can buy upgrades at their base camp, rounding out the gameplay loop and providing a welcome respite from the non-stop action of the missions.

7 Stellar Tactics

Steam User Rating: 81%

• Platform(s): PC
• Released: 2016
• Developer(s): Maverick Games
• Genre: RPG

This indie science-fiction RPG tasks players with creating and managing a group of deeply customizable space mercenaries in a dark, unforgiving universe. Stellar Tactics may be a little rough around the edges, but its gritty sci-fi world, mercenary theme, and tactical combat make for an engaging experience.

Stellar Tactics features a classless system that allows players to customize and upgrade their mercenaries with a variety of distinctive perks. This, combined with the plethora of gear that players can find and equip, allows for a great deal of customization. With turn-based battles on the ground and customizable spaceships to fly, Stellar Tactics is a diverse mercenary-themed sci-fi RPG that manages to stay engaging for a good few hours.

6 Mercenaries: Playground Of Destruction

Steam User Rating: N/A

This old-school third-person shooter from 2005 is an action-packed yet sometimes somber experience with a dull, primarily brown and gray visual style. This aesthetic matches the game's mercenary-focused narrative relatively well, though, as the game takes place in heavily war-torn environments and puts players in the shoes of a ruthless mercenary.

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction isn't an overly complex game, with a gameplay loop that revolves mostly around the player infiltrating enemy camps, setting off explosions, and driving heavy vehicles. Although Mercenaries does feature a story, it's far from its primary focus, and players in it for the narrative may be disappointed as a result.

5 Shadowrun Returns

Steam User Rating: 88%

Based on the iconic cyberpunk-themed tabletop RPG, Shadowrun, this turn-based RPG puts players in the shoes of a Shadowrunner, a futuristic mercenary living in a corporate-controlled cyberpunk world. The game was developed by Harebrained Schemes and spawned two great sequels in the form of Shadowrun: Dragonfall and Shadowrun: Hong Kong.

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Shadowrun is known for its setting that combines elements of science fiction and fantasy to offer a unique aesthetic and theme. Shadowrun Returns features a brilliant art-style from an isometric perspective that takes full advantage of this setting, combined with tactical turn-based combat and an engaging story.

4 BATTLETECH

Steam User Rating: 83%

This turn-based strategy game has players leading a band of mercenary mechs in a war-torn, science-fiction world. BATTLETECH's gritty environments and dark narrative tones work brilliantly with its mercenary theme, and this also feeds into the gameplay loop.

Throughout the game, players will recruit and customize their mercenary outfit, with each mech being controlled by a unique mercenary pilot. Although this game has players taking on the role of an entire mercenary company, the customization allows players to become more easily attached to their characters.

3 Battle Brothers

Steam User Rating: 88%

Similarly to games such as BATTLETECH, Battle Brothers has players taking control of an entire company of mercenary characters. Unlike BATTLETECH, however, Battle Brothers is a low-fantasy sandbox RPG with deep levels of character customization and RPG progression.

Battle Brothers features a reputation system, several contract types, and tactical turn-based combat that can be brutally unforgiving at times. The game's sandbox elements, deep customization, and gritty world make Battle Brothers a unique turn-based RPG that's perfect for any fan of the mercenary theme.

2 Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon

Steam User Rating: 90%

Although FromSoftware is better known today for their iconic Dark Souls games and (more recently) the wildly popular Elden Ring, their previous flagship franchise was the Armored Core series. These games put players in the role of a mercenary piloting a hulking mech, taking out various enemies as a hired gun.

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Armored Core 6 is FromSoftware's recent return to this series, and its fluid, intuitive gameplay makes for an action-packed experience. The cryptic story and mercenary characters make for an interesting narrative backdrop, but the high levels of customization and visceral action are the biggest selling points of Armored Core 6.

1 Freelancer

Steam User Rating: N/A

This old-school science-fiction sandbox RPG features simulated space combat and systems for trading. Players will spend most of their time tracking down bounties, mining, and trading as they progress through the game. This gameplay loop centered around a collection of odd-jobs stems from the fact that players play the game in the boots of a mercenary.

Despite being a sandbox RPG, Freelancer does feature a mostly engaging linear story that players can progress through. However, this story rarely encapsulates the greatest strengths of Freelancer, and players will likely find themselves having more fun during the extracurricular activities.

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