There’s something satisfying about destruction in video games. It’s why there are plenty of games that accommodate this power fantasy, and a great deal that actively encourage it. Here are ten of the best.
10
Red Faction Guerilla
2008’s Red Faction Guerilla represented a high point for destructible environments in video games. This open-world third-person shooter is set on Mars and features some of the best, most chaotic destruction ever seen in a video game. It was enough to bring the Xbox 360 to its knees back in the day, but now you can grab the Re-Mars-tered edition for PC, PS4, and Xbox which runs a lot better.
The highlight for me was taking control of a giant mech and literally walking through buildings, taking out support beams, and watching everything crumble around me. The game also features a roster of weapons that will have you grinning from ear to ear, including remote charges and a big hammer that are perfect for dismantling structures from the inside.
9
Teardown
Teardown started life as a physics sandbox, and eventually evolved into a game about manipulating a destructible environment in order to complete levels as quickly as possible. The game uses voxels, which are basically 3D pixels, which are assigned physical attributes and respond to whatever forces the player applies.
You can drive a truck through a brick wall, burn down a building by setting fire to the wooden support beams, or just blow everything up with explosives and watch the game’s physics take care of the aftermath. Destruction isn’t just possible in Teardown, it’s the whole point of the game. There’s also a healthy modding community that has contributed heaps of additional content, free of charge.
8
BeamNG.drive
BeamNG.drive is a soft body physics simulator, which is a fancy way of saying it’s a highly detailed car crash simulator. Pick your vehicle and a map, and then drive as fast as you can into a wall, off a cliff, or into some elaborate device designed specifically for vehicular destruction. You can even slow down game time and watch everything unfold in excruciating detail.
This is a physics sandbox with a realistic driving model, which also makes it appealing to fans of driving simulators. The game is still in early access, but is already full of content including a large roster of (fictional) vehicles, a variety of maps (some of which are huge) and even multiplayer support. There’s also a healthy modding community, with baked-in support for downloading additional content.
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7
Just Cause 2, 3 or 4
Like Red Faction, the Just Cause series was built around the idea that destruction is a core part of the game. Unfortunately, the series has been fraught with unrealized potential which makes it hard to make a solid recommendation for which game is the best. Personally, I played Just Cause 2 the most back in the Xbox 360 days, but it’s definitely feeling a little rusty now.
All of the games feature the same basic mechanic: destroy everything from advertising billboards to military bases and oil refineries in a bid to take down an oppressive dictator. While the second game was probably the “best” from an objective standpoint, the third game arguably has a better map, while the fourth game has a modern feel and finally perfected the mechanic of tethering items together for maximum physics mayhem. They’re all cheap now, so why not grab the lot?
6
Wreckfest
Wreckfest had one of the best vehicular destruction models of the day back in 2017 and, though it has since been superseded by BeamNG.drive, it’s still a heap of fun. The game incorporates a number of racing modes alongside pure destruction derbies, with a satisfying driving model and visuals that still hold up to this day.
Vehicles range from ride-on lawnmowers to beefed-up trucks and school buses, all of which can be upgraded as you advance. There’s multiplayer (though you may have trouble getting a game unless you join an organized event), and mod support for even more fun. A sequel is in development, and it can’t arrive soon enough.
If you love Wreckfest, you might want to check out the developer’s previous series, FlatOut.
5
Katamari Damacy REROLL
While the Katamari games aren’t strictly about destruction like some of the other titles on this list, you do end up destroying everything in the process of playing. These zany Japanese mid-2000s puzzlers task you with rolling up everything in your immediate environment into a ball known as a katamari, under the instruction of the King of All Cosmos.
You’ll need to start with small items, grow your katamari, and then take on bigger items to progress in each level. Eventually, you will end up rolling up the entire planet while one of the best video game soundtracks of all time plays in the background. This isn’t an explosively destructive game, but it feels oh-so-satisfying when you snowball to a size where nothing can stand in your way.
Start with Katamari Damacy REROLL, which had its re-release in 2020, then move on to We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie which surfaced again in 2023.
4
Broforce
One of the best couch co-op experiences I’ve ever had, Broforce is a game that will have you belly-laughing one minute and cursing the earth in frustration the next. The game gives you control of parody versions of movie heroes, each with their own unique abilities, which are randomly assigned and unlocked throughout the campaign.
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In addition to a beautiful retro art style, the game features fully destructible terrain, gallons of pixelated blood, and fast-paced unpredictable gameplay. Destroy too much of the map and you’ll fall right through it to your death, something that’s especially hilarious in two-player mode. The game is cheap and was rereleased as Broforce Forever in 2023.
3
Noita
Noita describes itself as a magical action roguelite where every pixel is physically simulated. The world itself is procedurally generated and made up of a variety of different materials that you can interact with. Wood burns, ice melts, and earth can be blown out of the way as you exploit the world around you in search of bosses, new biomes, and secrets.
Permadeath can make the game feel especially difficult, but there are a variety of systems at play that will make you want to keep trying. You can build your own spells by combining projectiles and modifiers to create some spectacular effects and use materials in the natural environment (like lava) to your advantage. Or maybe just blow yourself up repeatedly?
2
Battlefield V
No list about destruction in video games would be complete without a Battlefield mention, though it feels like EA and DICE have taken their foot off the gas in recent years. Set during the Second World War, Battlefield V might just be the best example the series has to offer, though Battlefield 1 also featured some decent destruction (but it’s particularly hard to find a game these days).
The Battlefield franchise was always defined by its destructible environments that made it possible to take out a machine gunner or sniper by collapsing their hiding spot or getting the drop on someone by blowing up the ceiling above them rather than coming through the door. Battlefield V is still worth your time, and you can find it dirt cheap and ready to go on services like Game Pass and EA Play.
1
THE FINALS
The Finals is a free-to-play online multiplayer game that represents a new era of destructibility in modern gaming. Even if you aren’t much of an online gamer, it’s worth taking a look to see how destruction is being used here not only to impress from a visual standpoint but as a core part of the gameplay.
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The game makes it possible to take down whole buildings by taking out a few supporting walls in order to gain a tactical advantage as your rivals fight it out above or destroy walkways so that the other teams have to go the long way around. The scale of this destruction is like nothing we’ve ever seen before in an online title, and it’s genuinely exciting to see what the future could hold considering what’s already been achieved here.
A few other titles that almost made the cut include Xbox 360-era open-world shooter Mercenaries 2: Playground of Destruction, indie craft ‘em up Dysmantle, iconic sandbox game Minecraft, multiplayer juggernaut Rainbow 6: Siege, and home decorating simulator House Flipper.
