Horde modes are a popular game type. They pit players, alone or with allies, against a limitless number of enemies. Players have to attempt to survive as long as possible, conserve their resources, and take as many foes down as possible.

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Horde modes have plenty of variation. Some give the player objectives beyond surviving. Some have a way to end them alive. Others more resemble a doomed last stand. The player holds out as long as they can in an enclosed arena before they're brought low by the weight of numbers. From the varied genre, some games stand out above the rest.

10 World War Z: Aftermath Puts Its Own Spin On A Classic

A player confronting zombies in World War Z: Aftermath.

World War Z: Aftermath is one of many games trying to live up to the classic Left 4 Dead. It features very similar concepts. Players have to fight their way through levels stuffed with an endless number of zombies. There are optional objectives, such as standing their ground in a small area.

The zombies keep coming indefinitely. Players have to attempt to make it through without wasting resources. Like many other games, World War Z: Aftermath doesn't live up to Left 4 Dead's legacy. Nonetheless, it's impressive technically and has innovations like character classes with perks. Overall, it's still a very enjoyable horde mode experience.

9 Fortnite: Save The World Is Very Different From Battle Royale

A group of characters holding off husks in Fortnite: Save the World

Fortnite is the world's most infamous battle royale game. It's the king of the genre and one of the most profitable video games ever. However, it isn't the only way to play Fortnite. The game's origins come from a survival construction shooter game called Fortnite: Save the World.

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Fortnite: Save the World combines the game's iconic building and gunplay with a huge horde of husks. Players have to gather resources to build fortifications, and then hold them against waves of enemies. There are additional objectives in play, like rescuing survivors. Although it's much less iconic than Battle Royale, Fortnite: Save the World is a unique spin on a horde mode.

8 Titanfall 2's Frontier Defense Challenges Players

Four titans protecting a Harvester in Titanfall 2 Frontier Defense mode

Titanfall 2 is best known for its fast-paced multiplayer and surprisingly heartfelt campaign. Nonetheless, its DLC introduces the cooperative Frontier Defense mode. Players don't just have to keep themselves alive in Frontier Defense. There is a Harvester that they have to protect from IMC forces. If it's destroyed three times, the players lose.

Frontier Defense rewards practice and specific tactics. The waves on each map are the same each time. This lets players learn the best ways to counter them. In addition to Titanfall's regular run-and-gun and Titan gameplay, players have other options. They have turrets that they can place between rounds and hack enemy turrets to aid them.

7 Doom Eternal Has A Classic Horde Mode

A player in DOOM Eternal's Horde mode.

Doom Eternal's gameplay already consists of players holding out against massed armies of demons. However, its Horde Mode takes things to another level. The player has to hold off an unstoppable tide for five rounds. However, it's more than mindless running and gunning. Doom Eternal's Horde Mode has plenty to keep it fresh.

There are three levels, for one thing. The Cultist Base, Reclaimed Earth, and The Holt are all different from one another. They require different tactics to survive. In addition, there are five different types of rounds. As well as surviving against waves of enemies, players might have to collect coins, kill enemies as quickly as possible, or run a course under constant threat.

6 Halo's Firefight Is A Classic

A Phantom bombarding four ODSTs in Halo 3: ODST firefight

Firefight is a cooperative mode that first appears in Halo 3: ODST. It pits players against waves of enemies in enclosed locations based on levels from the campaign. Due to its unexpected popularity, it returns in Halo: Reach. Its presence is felt in Halo 5 in Warzone Firefight, a spiritual successor to the mode.

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Firefight isn't a very complex horde mode. Most games have players either killing a select number of waves or fighting until their deaths. Other game modes with objectives tend to be simple. Nonetheless, it benefits from Halo's huge variety of weapons and enemy types. The gameplay doesn't need to be revolutionary; it's fresh every time.

5 Gears Of War Has A Horde Mode Across Many Games

Two players holding off enemies in Gears of War 4 Horde mode

Horde Mode has been a staple of the Gears of War franchise since Gears of War 2. It takes the franchise's signature cover-based shooting and pits players against wave after wave of enemies. Up to five players have to hold out against the Locust Horde.

Later games add specific tweaks to the gameplay. For instance, Gears 3 introduces more tower defense-based concepts. In Gears 5, players can construct their fortifications to use in combat. Gears of War 2 isn't the first to include a Horde Mode. However, it is the game that popularized it as a game type. Every Gears game with a Horde mode is worth checking out.

4 Call Of Duty: Zombies Is Particularly Unique

Several enemies cornering a player in Call of Duty Zombies.

Call of Duty: World at War includes a post-campaign 'Nazi Zombies' level. It was initially intended to be an easter egg for fans. Players control a group of soldiers stranded in a bunker. A neverending horde of Naz World War II undead tries to storm this bunker. Play continues until all players go down.

However, Nazi Zombies proved massively popular. It's reappeared in most Call of Duty games since then, branded as just Zombies. It's undergone a number of evolutions. Most maps contain plot-relevant easter eggs, which have given way to full-blown objectives and stories. Call of Duty: Zombies is a staple of the franchise, and a thrilling game every time.

3 Warhammer: Vermintide II Ups The Ante

A player holding off chaos warriors in Warhammer Vermintide 2.

Warhammer - The End Times: Vermintide is a cooperative shooter set in the Warhammer universe. It's beloved for its unique cast, gripping gameplay, and setting. Warhammer: Vermintide II takes all of that and does it even better. It continues the same story, but this time pits the characters against Chaos and the Skaven ratfolk.

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Vermintide II plays the best parts of the Warhammer franchise to the hilt. Players use creative and horrifying weaponry to great effect against hordes of relentless foes. There's a heavy emphasis on character builds. There are nineteen careers among the five characters, each with unique abilities. It's a thrilling game with plenty of variety.

2 Mass Effect Multiplayer Endures To This Day

Two players fighting Reapers in Mass Effect 3 multiplayer.

Mass Effect is primarily a single-player action RPG. However, Mass Effect 3 introduces multiplayer to the series. The multiplayer is a horde mode set during the game itself. Players control operatives from a variety of species, conducting missions against the galaxy's various enemies. The mode also returns in Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Gameplay itself is an excellently-designed horde mode. Players hold off waves of enemies as they complete additional objectives. Between games, they use the rewards to acquire new weapons, consumables, and characters to play. It's been years since Mass Effect 3 or Andromeda's releases. Nonetheless, both multiplayers have dedicated player bases.

1 Left 4 Dead Remains The Gold Standard

Rochelle, Coach and Ellis shooting a zombie in Left 4 Dead 2 game

Few multiplayer games have the staying power of the Left 4 Dead franchise. The games are over a decade old and still heavily played. Gameplay is simple, but with huge variety. A group of four players fight their way through various maps. There is no end to the zombie hordes they fight. They have to run and gun, conserving resources where possible.

However, Left 4 Dead has plenty to keep it from going stale. It has a unique 'AI Director' that alters the levels and zombie behavior each time. There's plenty of randomization throughout. Each campaign can also be played cooperatively or with other players taking on the role of zombies. It's a classic game to play with friends and still has a thriving online scene.

NEXT: 10 Video Games With Peaceful Modes