Insurgency: Sandstorm
Insurgency: Sandstorm
Game
Game2014
Insurgency
Developer New World Interactive
Insurgency is a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video game developed and published by New World Interactive. It is a standalone sequel to Insurgency: Modern Infantry Combat, a community-made mod for Valve's Source engine. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux on January 22, 2014. The game received mixed to positive reviews from game critics, who compared it to Counter-Strike: Global… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
265 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
88
LovedLoved
190 positive · 26 negative
95% range 83–92%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 190 | 26 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 5 | 2 | 42 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
48,492 of 52,750 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
88% recommend · 186 yes, 25 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 211 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (114,216 of 124,566 positive).
Players praise Insurgency as a classic tactical FPS with intense, realistic combat. [1][2][3] Some note the game is now mostly dead with few active servers. [4][5][6] Several reviewers report crashes and freezes, often linked to the anti-cheat. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
game keeps crashing and freezes my pc, and i thought i was the only one experiencing it, apparently anti cheat causes and happens to a lot of players
- [1]
When you're too autistic for Counter-Strike but too impatient for ARMA
- [10]
As someone who's spent time in the field, Insurgency feels like the closest you’re going to get to real combat in a game. The pacing is deliberate, and the tension is always there—one wrong move, and it’s over. Every corner you turn could be the last, and it forces you to think before acting. No running and gunning here. The game isn’t pretty in a “AAA” sense, but it nails the gritty, raw realism. The sounds—bullets …
- [3]
A tactical FPS that doesn't hold your hand. No crosshair, no health regen, no minimap cluttering the screen. The game strips away everything casual shooters use as a crutch and what's left is very intense. The weapon roster is massive for this kind of game, with attachments and customization that actually change how you play. The sound design alone puts you on edge. You hear boots, distant shots, a grenade rolling …
- [4]
Legendary game even though it's dead now with 1 or 2 active pvp servers. insurgency will always have a special place for those who love it and we'll always come back from time to time to play it bcs it's just too good
Summarised from 34 of the 257 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
88% of the 211 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Insurgency. The complaint that keeps coming up: game crashes and freezes PCs. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Insurgency was met with overall good reviews. Metacritic, which grades on a 100-point scale, gave Insurgency a 74. IGN rated it a 7.5 out of 10, Hooked Gamers rated it a 9 out of 10, and PC Gamer rated it a 77. As of July 2017, there are approximately 3.76 million owners of Insurgency on Steam. According to Andrew Spearin, the creative director of New World Interactive, about 400,000 copies were sold in the first eight months on Steam.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 265 · most liked firstThe PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup for November includes: 💰 Grand Theft Auto V 🚗 Pacific Drive 🌊 Still Wakes the Deep 🪖 Insurgency: Sandstorm …and more. Full details: play.st/43NtckL
neutral · AI labelView post →Shoutout to the r4tards in the review section who cant go to google and type in the search bar "Why does my insurgency keep crashing on Windows 11" and immediately find results to fix the game that involve literally right clicking and deleting an anti-cheat. Truly, the men who shall shape the future of the world.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good ☐ Good ☑ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☑ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☐ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer ---{ Game Size }--- ☐…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →They should do a mandatory free update to move Insurgency 2014 to the source 2 engine like how CS:GO updated to CS:2. It'll make it playable again and boost popularity. Rename it Insurgency 2, since that's what it was originally going to be called, and so it boosts new player sales, and also to kinda mimic Counter-Strike 2 name change since it's doing the same source to source 2 update. Keep gameplay the same, since the competitive nature is what made it historic. Maybe make minor changes like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →2nd game of day 3 here at Buckeye Game Fest is Werwolf: Insurgency in Occupied Germany, 1945-1948 from Legion Wargames. Very cool COIN inspired asymmetric game.
neutral · AI labelView post →"The BattlEye version insurgency and Day of Infamy is incompatible with Windows 11 24H2, and on that version they will freeze upon launch and cause your system to pretty much freeze overall. Explorer will stop responding, CTRL ALT Del stops working, etc."
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →game keeps crashing and freezes my pc, and i thought i was the only one experiencing it, apparently anti cheat causes and happens to a lot of players
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Games leaving Game Pass on January 15th: - Those Who Remain. - Insurgency: Sandstorm - Exoprimal - Figment: Journey into the Mint - Escape Academy - Common'hood
neutral · AI labelView post →This summer I had the chance to sit down with game designer Brian Train 🎲 While we played his weird abstract Counter Insurgency game, Guerilla Checkers, we talked about the future of wargaming. It was very cool, and I had the good idea to record it 🧠 youtu.be/vyyxGy_xF7I
neutral · AI labelView post →Legendary game even though it's dead now with 1 or 2 active pvp servers. insurgency will always have a special place for those who love it and we'll always come back from time to time to play it bcs it's just too good
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This week we shall present Top Five blog articles published on The Boardgames Chronicle in 2024. Number #5: We start with the Vijayanagara a great COunter INsurgency adjacent game. Also, a true discovery for me. Link to article: theboardgameschronicle.com/2024/08/17/f... @gmtgames.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →When you're too autistic for Counter-Strike but too impatient for ARMA
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Away game of Wars of Insurgency
neutral · AI labelView post →My Favorite Wargame Cards – A Look at Individual Cards from My Favorite Games – Card #56: SA-2’s from Fire in the Lake: Insurgency in Vietnam from GMT Games. theplayersaid.com/2025/11/27/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →playing a mainline Call of Duty game is surreal after several years of not playing an FPS other than, like, Insurgency or Ground Branch. genuinely so fast paced as to be bewildering to engage with in multiplayer.
neutral · AI labelView post →don't buy anything published by saber interactive until the CEO is fired
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Favorite Wargame Cards – A Look at Individual Cards from My Favorite Games – Card #78: Hamburger Hill from Fire in the Lake: Insurgency in Vietnam from @gmtgames.bsky.social theplayersaid.com/2026/05/19/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →Just got around to shooting a 14-minute unboxing video of Werwolf: Insurgency in Occupied Germany 1945–1948 from Legion Wargames. This is a very beautiful game and I cannot wait to give it a try!
neutral · AI labelView post →My Favorite Wargame Cards – A Look at Individual Cards from My Favorite Games – Card #91: DoD Contractors from Andean Abyss: Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in Columbia from @gmtgames.bsky.social theplayersaid.com/2026/08/25/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →Let me present today the newest COunter INsurgency (COIN) game - The China's War. We will check the components and talk a bit about mechanics. Enjoy! theboardgameschronicle.com/2026/02/06/u... @gmtgames.bsky.social #BrianTrain @volko.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →Just got back from a short spring break trip to find this on my doorstep! Werwolf: Insurgency in Occupied Germany, 1945-1948 from Legion Wargames. This is a final proof copy that the publisher sent on to us. Hoping to get this tabled at Buckeye Game Fest.
neutral · AI labelView post →My Favorite Wargame Cards – A Look at Individual Cards from My Favorite Games – Card #86: LRRP from Fire in the Lake: Insurgency in Vietnam from @gmtgames.bsky.social theplayersaid.com/2026/07/14/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →Honestly I like this more than Insurgency Sandstorm. The art is very clean and the guns / movement feel very weighty. This game is cool. I definitely recommend it, though I don't how populated the servers are in 2026.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"hey what's up I'm gonna show you a new tactical game that just released early access on Steam.....called Burkina Faso Radical Insurgency" stop
neutral · AI labelView post →So picking my starter for the fan game Pokémon Insurgency, and the time comes to get my starter... A GHOST DRAGON TYPE Charmander I have never loved character more than right now, YES I WANT A FUCKING GHOST DRAGON TYPE HELLO?! GIMME Not usually a fan of fakémon but like... this is so metal.
neutral · AI labelView post →Found myself a lobby of 30 other players. Got destroyed pretty easy but my team carried and won. Solid war game if you are into the more realistic types.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Man, I miss this game. It's a solid FPS and it's fun to mess around on with friends. Just dead.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A lost love letter to the tactical shooter genre. Insurgency was ahead of its time. Yes, its sequel is superior in a lot of regards. Yes, in the modern landscape, similar options do exist and are abundant and plentiful. But, I don't think a game since has ever held a candle to what Insurgency achieved all those years ago with its gameplay, aesthetic, and core designs. I've missed you, Insurgency 2014.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →great game where you go to chiraq to assassinate osama bin trappin or something
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New game: Irony Insurgency!!! I was inspired by that specific genre of fnaf fangame where it's just all of the dev's interests compiled into one game so uh... here ya go!!! youtu.be/k7ZL6USiRZE protogen-posting.itch.io/irony-insurg... #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →To this day I'd say it is the best close quarters milsim game we have. Also probably my favorite source engine game ever. Didn't think it was possible to get source to look and feel this good!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Favorite Wargame Cards – A Look at Individual Cards from My Favorite Games – Card #35: Domino Theory from Fire in the Lake: Insurgency in Vietnam from @gmtgames.bsky.social theplayersaid.com/2025/06/10/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →If I had decent skills I think I'd make an SCP game that you play a member of the Chaos Insurgency/ Serpents Hand trying to infiltrate an SCP facility to recover artifacts or something. Or a MTF deployed to a city where Sarkist's let SCP-610 spread. Or a 682 dating sim.
neutral · AI labelView post →As someone who's spent time in the field, Insurgency feels like the closest you’re going to get to real combat in a game. The pacing is deliberate, and the tension is always there—one wrong move, and it’s over. Every corner you turn could be the last, and it forces you to think before acting. No running and gunning here. The game isn’t pretty in a “AAA” sense, but it nails the gritty, raw realism. The sounds—bullets zipping by, distant gunfire, the thump of a grenade landing—will hit you in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →In a continuing series of Event Card Spoilers covering the upcoming New Cold War, 1989-2019 from VUCA Simulations in the 9th entry we take a look at Card #63: 1st Decade Deck – Counter-Insurgency. theplayersaid.com/2025/01/02/n...
neutral · AI labelView post →A must play for tactical FPS fans on Steam. • Endless replayability • Fun with friends • Fast paced and realistic combat • Lots of content • Years of Steam Workshop Support
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If I could go back to the days after school, the weekends, and the summer days spent playing this game in and out of the competitive scene I would. Those were some of the happiest, most joy and fun filled days of my life and I cherish them and the people I met through this game. Some have passed on, some I don't talk to anymore, and some are still close but I cherish them all. It was fun while it lasted. So long, and thanks for all the fish. Edit: They removed battle-eye which was causing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →---{ Graphics }--- ☐ You forget what reality is ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{ Gameplay }--- ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ It's just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{ Audio }--- ☐ Eargasm ☑ Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{ Audience }--- ☐ Kids ☑ Teens ☑ Adults ☐ Grandma ---{ PC Requirements }--- ☐ Check if you can run paint ☐ Potato ☑ Decent ☐ Fast ☐ Rich boi ☐ Ask NASA…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A certified classic. IMO, better than sandstorm.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When you were playing BO3 and AW I was playing Insurgency. When you were playing CS:GO I was playing Insurgency. When you were playing BFV I was playing Insurgency. When you were playing RS2 I was also playing that and Insurgency. With that being said I only have like 20 hours in this game but man are there so many things in this game that tops those games. Great gunplay with good CPUs, sounds, maps, gameplay objectives and strong realistic/heavy physics.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →playing with friends, no big learning, A great game. No brag just fact
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anti eyes as a spy malware not accept it no matter how developer say excuse with it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →great game runs potato graffics and is better than most shooters in 2026
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A tactical FPS that doesn't hold your hand. No crosshair, no health regen, no minimap cluttering the screen. The game strips away everything casual shooters use as a crutch and what's left is very intense. The weapon roster is massive for this kind of game, with attachments and customization that actually change how you play. The sound design alone puts you on edge. You hear boots, distant shots, a grenade rolling across concrete, and suddenly every doorway feels like a threat. That kind of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the greatest military simulators of all time. Fantastic to come back to because of the source mod! Love the variety of mods being used as well.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I haven’t played long enough yet to say how the game actually is, but Insurgency is a good FPS game. The gunfights are very intense, and you need to shoot accurately and quickly. You also have to find good cover and move from cover to cover, but don’t expect to be safe just because you’re behind hard cover. :D
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game sent my PC into a panic attack. Completely froze my PC, rebooted it. Broken DO NOT INSTALL!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Favorite Wargame Cards – A Look at Individual Cards from My Favorite Games – Card #37: Populism from 2040: An American Insurgency from Compass Games. theplayersaid.com/2025/06/24/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →I kinda like this game. Its fun to play. But as of right now, its nearly dead. Only one or two servers have players and the developers dont seem to work on the problems... sad but nowadays, theres better options
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A game that makes me come back to it over and over. There is like two or three servers that are regularly full, but damn it is still so much fun. The new Insurgency is alright, but somehow this one is still unmatched on many levels.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Favorite Wargame Cards – A Look at Individual Cards from My Favorite Games – Card #74: Open Borders from 2040: An American Insurgency from Compass Games. theplayersaid.com/2026/04/22/m...
neutral · AI labelView post →Certified hood classic
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Worth my money And yours! Pros: Still some active servers Fun maps Fun gameplay All for a cheap price Cons: Game is slowly gonna die Alot of sweats during late hours Nothing else is wrong with this game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →PS+ Game Catalog November https://buff.ly/e30eeqi Extra - Grand Theft Auto V - Pacific Drive - Still Wakes the Deep - Insurgency: Sandstorm - Thank Goodness You’re Here! - The Talos Principle 2 - Monster Jam Showdown - MotoGP 25 Premium - Tomb Raider: Anniversary
neutral · AI labelView post →Game literally bricked my system (Windows 11) to the point I couldn't even get into safe mode. Apparently it's due to the anti cheat they used but this is insane. Only way to fix this I found was to reinstall Windows which is not something I was fond of as that drive contained work on it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →horrible gameplay, junk environment, trash teammates, bad servers, pretty much a dead game. "better than most 2026 fps" they said. 1/10
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dead Game. Don't waste your time.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Simulator of dying with zero understanding of what killed you
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →we need to kill 8 billion people
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Definitive Hardcore Tactical Shooter Insurgency is proof that you don't need a massive AAA budget to create a world-class shooter. It strips away the "arcade" feel of modern shooters and replaces it with lethal, high-stakes gunplay where every bullet matters. The sound design is terrifyingly immersive, and the lack of a traditional HUD forces you to rely on communication and awareness. It’s hard, unforgiving, and exactly what a tactical shooter should be. Whether playing Co-op or PvP, the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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