- Games
- Arma 3
Arma 3
A realistic military sandbox where a squad of friends works through missions on huge open islands.
Online co-op.
- Online
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-opYesPlayer count not confirmed
- Local co-opNot confirmed
- Not confirmedFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- Not confirmedA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- Not confirmedFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckPlayableValve's own rating
About the game
You play a soldier in a war on large open islands. You can fight on foot, in vehicles and from the air. Weapons behave realistically, so careful movement matters more than running in. Most of your time goes into planning, travelling and short fights.
Co-op runs through missions you pick before you start. Apex Protocol is a cooperative campaign, and the store also lists official scenarios such as Combat Patrol, Escape and Warlords. Players share many more on the Steam Workshop. You set up your gear first, then call out what you see once the shooting starts.
It feels like a long job with friends. You check each other's gear, talk through the route and cover a lot of ground between fights. The command menu is big, so the first sessions take patience.
How it feels
Kind of game
A team takes on missions or runs full of enemies. You pick gear, cover each other and pick each other up.
- At its heart
- Now and then
- Story
- Time to hang out
- Sessions
- Repeatable runs
- About
- Warfare
Rated on our own feel scale. 3 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Arma 3
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
GROUND BRANCH
Why it scores 92%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Squad shooter
- About
- Warfare
- Core to both
- Fighting
- Notable in both
- Working in sync, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better
- Sessions
- Repeatable runs
- Co-op
- Online co-op
- 8 online
Both send your squad into fights where you watch each other's backs. Both are about soldiers at war. Both have a lot of fighting side by side.
No big difference from Arma 3.
Insurgency: Sandstorm
Why it scores 82%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Squad shooter
- About
- Warfare
- Core to both
- Fighting
- Notable in both
- Working in sync, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better
- Sessions
- Repeatable runs
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Insurgency: Sandstorm differs
- Less exploring than Arma 3
- 8 online
- Crossplay
Both send your squad into fights where you watch each other's backs. Both play in runs or missions you repeat. Both are about soldiers at war.
But less exploring than Arma 3.
Zero Hour
Why it scores 81%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Squad shooter
- Core to both
- Fighting
- Notable in both
- Working in sync, Tension and danger, Planning ahead, Getting better
- Sessions
- Repeatable runs
- Co-op
- Online co-op
How Zero Hour differs
- More tense than Arma 3
- 10 online
Both send your squad into fights where you watch each other's backs. Both have a lot of fighting side by side. Both play in runs or missions you repeat.
But more tense than Arma 3.
All co-op facts
Last checked 28 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Most players online
- Not confirmed
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Local co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on one screen
- Not confirmed
- Split or shared screen
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
The page sells the base game for money. The monthly Arma 3 Pass is a subscription, which does not make co-op free.
- 3
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Crossplay
- Not confirmed
- Crossplay between
- Not confirmed
- Friends can join mid-game
- Not confirmed
- Only one of you needs to buy it
- Not confirmed
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
6 pages
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Online co-op, Platforms, Release status, Release date.
- Online co-op: Categories include Co-op and Online Co-op. LAN Co-op is also listed and does not count here.
- Platforms: Lists Windows and Mac as supported and Linux as not supported.
- Release status: Steam lists the game as available, not coming soon.
- Release date: Steam lists 12 Sep 2013.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 28 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Playable on Steam Deck.
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 28 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Platforms, Free base co-op, Genres, Kind of game, Sessions, About, Tension and danger, Story, Working in sync, Exploring, Fighting, Planning ahead.
- Online co-op: The features list shows Online Co-op, and the text sends you into multiplayer scenarios as a squad.
- Platforms: Shows system requirements for Windows and macOS. A line says the Mac port is experimental and has various limits.
- Free base co-op: The page sells the base game for money. The monthly Arma 3 Pass is a subscription, which does not make co-op free.
- Genres: The page calls the game a military sandbox.
- Kind of game: The text presents squad play and teamwork as the way to win its multiplayer scenarios.
- Sessions: Lists several official scenarios and replayable cooperative campaigns, plus missions shared on the Workshop.
- About: The text presents the game as a war with combined arms fighting.
- Tension and danger: The text says realistic ballistics make careful movement the way to stay alive.
- Story: Lists a campaign, a cooperative campaign called Apex Protocol and a first-contact story with an alien presence.
- Working in sync: User tags include Team-Based and Tactical.
- Exploring: Describes several large open terrains, over 600 square kilometres in total.
- Fighting: User tags include Combat, Shooter, FPS and War.
- Planning ahead: User tags include Tactical. The text says you tune your loadout in detail for each mission.
wikidata.orgWikidata, read 28 October 2026
Backs Wikidata item, Genres, Release date.
- Genres: P136 lists first-person shooter, third-person shooter, tactical shooter, vehicular combat game and simulation video game.
- Release date: P577 is 2013-09-12.
pcgamer.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Kind of game, Sessions, Working in sync, Tension and danger, Exploring, Time to hang out, Getting better.
- Kind of game: Review from 2013-09-13 says the game is meant to be played cooperatively and describes squad play with friends.
- Sessions: Says players had published almost 1,500 missions to the Steam Workshop by launch day.
- Working in sync: The reviewer has the whole squad call out their gear and checks that everyone carries enough supplies.
- Tension and danger: Describes a tense moment when a rifleman runs and you have a few seconds to take the shot.
- Exploring: Says the huge scale of the map is what sets the series apart.
- Time to hang out: The co-op talk in the review is about gear and orders for the mission.
- Getting better: Calls the command menu very long and says commanding teammates is a burden.
rockpapershotgun.comPress, read 28 October 2026
Backs Kind of game, Working in sync, Exploring.
- Kind of game: List updated 2026-03-31 includes the game and says its realism suits squad tactics with dedicated friends.
- Working in sync: Same list says it works well for squad tactics with a group.
- Exploring: Says slow trips across the islands feel more satisfying with another person.