Whether you are looking for flight simulation games, or games that allow you to fight against other planes, my list below has something for you.

Best Flying Games 2023

Here are 15 flying games we love:

1. Microsoft Flight Simulator

• Platforms: Windows, Xbox
• Price: $60 USD
• Release: August 18, 2020
• Developer: Asobo Studio

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the best flight sims available for purchase in 2022. The game has the best graphics you’re going to find in any flying simulator on the market today.

You can truly forget you are in a game if you have a Virtual Reality headset to pair with it. The game is constantly being updated and receives bi monthly world updates so everything is always fresh.

Unlike a lot of other flight simulators today, Microsoft has chosen to release all of Flight Simulator’s DLCs for free.

With so many updates comes a lot of downloading. So if you don’t have the best internet then you may want to pass on Microsoft Flight Simulator.

These updates are not only frequent but also very large and can range anywhere from 30GB to 60GB of data.

But if you are looking for the freshest content that’s always being updated then this game may appeal to you.

Although this game is extremely realistic and fun to play, if you are looking for a multiplayer flying experience, you will have to look elsewhere. Flight Simulator currently does not offer multiplayer.

2. Digital Combat Simulator World

• Platforms: Windows
• Price: Free to play (with in game purchases)
• Release: December 10, 2008
• Developer: Eagle Dynamics

Digital Combat Simulator has been one of the best military flight sims for over 10 years, releasing back in 2008.

The game has done nothing but improve over the last ten years leaving a highly polished fully functioning mil sim that many air forces around the world consider so legitimate they use it as a training method.

Digital Combat Simulator lets you experience many different combat operations such as airstrikes, CAS, SEAD, Dogfights, and airlifts.

The only drawback to this sim is it’s free to play which may seem like a positive at first, but with free to play comes the in game purchases.

These in game purchases can quickly add up costing nearly $70 USD for a single plane. If you were to buy all the DLC not on sale on steam it would add up to $3,122.87 USD, and I don’t think anyone has the money for that!

Digital Combat Simulator is compatible with most joy sticks and flight gear accessories, as well as VR. The virtual reality is very solid and gives a satisfying experience.

If you can get over the fact that the DLCs cost the same as a used car then yes this is one of the best flying games on the market today. I guess the old saying you have to pay for quality rings true with this one.

DCS also has online multiplayer letting players put their skills against each other in head to head dog fights.

This game is almost unplayable on keyboard and mouse however, so if you plan on purchasing it be prepared to have joysticks or a controller that you can use to play with.

3. X-Plane 12

• Platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows
• Price: $60 USD
• Release: X-Plane 12 September 5, 2022
• Developer: Laminar Research

X-Plane 12 is a very good competitor to Microsoft Flight Sim if you are looking for a flight sim that runs on Mac.

X-Plane 12 brings stunning graphics and ultra realistic flight mechanics you would expect in a AAA flight sim title.

X-plane has over 1,000 different locations to fly into with enhanced weather including fog, and storms giving a very immersive effect.

X-plane also has endless content streaming into the game every day by its third party modding community. That means if the base game gets boring there will always be more content coming out via modders.

This game has a convoluted control system causing lots of new players confusion earlier on so it’s recommended that new users remap the controls to whatever seems comfortable to them.

X-Plane 12 also lacks any multiplayer. If you wanted to fly around the world with your buddies in X-plane you better think again.

4. Lockheed Martin Prepar3D

• Platforms: Windows
• Price: $60 – $200 USD
• Release: 2010
• Developer: Lockheed Martin Corp.

Prepar3d is a professional grade flight training software brought to the public by Lockheed Martin to give users an immersive learning experience.

Prepar3d will allow users to do exactly what it sounds like to prepare for a real life flight. This sim is less like a game and more like a training tool used by many flight schools around the world.

That doesn’t make Prepar3d any less fun for an experienced user. However, with it being a training sim the flight mechanics are some of the most in depth you are going to see out of any simulator on the market.

This is not for an average player as this is a very in depth training tool used by flight academies and militaries alike.

Prepar3d however will teach anyone trying to learn the basics of flight in a controlled environment instead of actually in the air. Prepar3d even allows you to explore the sea in fully functional submarine simulation as well.

This is the perfect simulator for people looking for a true flight training tool to teach them about real life flying scenarios inside a controlled environment.

5. Aerofly FS4

• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android
• Price:60 USD
• Release: July, 4 2022
• Developer: IPACS

Aerofly is one of the best sims out right now if you are looking for hardware compatibility such as vr or flight joysticks.

Aerofly boasts lots of different compatibility features and one of the best virtual reality features for a flight sim. It also features, albeit a somewhat basic, career mode.

Unlike many other flight sims which give very little rewarding content in game such as a career mode like in Aerofly.

What Aerofly brings in compatibility and features it lacks in graphical content, unlike many of the other sims higher on the list. The graphics in Aerofly can seem very outdated in comparison to other modern flight sims.

This game is typically for a more hardcore flight simulator fan given Aerofly has a more complex flying system than like Microsoft Flight Simulator which is much easier for starters of the genre.

Aerofly is another good alternative to Microsoft Flight Simulator because it is compatible with Mac unlike MFS.

6. Kerbal Space Program

• Platforms:Linux, Mac, Windows, PS4/PS5, Xboxone/seriesx
• Price:40 USD
• Release:Apr 27, 2015
• Developer: Squad

This is the first game that isn’t a proper Flight Simulator, but it still involves plenty of flying! In Kerbal Space Program you take over, you guessed it, a space program, and build different aircrafts to explore the world and space with.

You manage an entire space program from the top to the bottom which includes hiring and training your astronauts for success.

You complete contracts throughout your career which will unlock new missions and spaceship parts to increase your capabilities.

Kerbal is very good at portraying space flight physics, anything from orbiting the planet or going to the moon.

Kerbal has a very steep learning curve for new players, but if you can stand to watch a few how-to videos this game can take your imagination to new levels. This game is not for everyone though it can be very frustrating at times.

7. War Thunder

• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4/PS5, Xboxone/Xbox Series
• Price: Free to play
• Release: November 1, 2012
• Developer: Gaijin Entertainment

War Thunder is a free to play, player versus player, air combat simulator. War Thunder pits players against each other in dogfights where the players choose what aircraft they fight in.

The game has a casual feeling but yet still in depth. War Thunder is played seamlessly crossplatform. The gameplay is very satisfying when succeeding, but the gameplay can be very frustrating at the same time when losing.

To compound on that the game uses in-game purchases to access different planes and vehicles. The planes that are available for purchase with real life money tend to be the more overpowered variants.

This raises a lot of red flags of pay to win, and I have to agree this game does have a lot of pay to win aspects. If you plan on playing this game and having fun, plan on spending money.

Gaijin has almost completely made the game impossible to have fun without spending money which is truly a shame.

8. IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles

• Platforms: Windows
• Price: 50 USD
• Release: Oct 22, 2014
• Developer: 1C Game Studios

This is going to be your best bet if you are looking for a world war two air combat simulator. IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles lets the player relive some of the greatest air battles in world war two.

IL-2 is for players that want an ultra realistic world war two combat flight simulator. In expert mode this game does not hold your hand like War Thunder.

For example the player has to constantly be watching the gauges on their plane to insure the plane doesn’t overheat mid flight.

Along with that there is no minimap on expert mode and not indicators of where the enemy planes are. The game also has in depth damage models for each plane.

This means one plane may be able to be shot down easier from its wings rather than another plane’s weak spot being the engine.

Along with each plane having unique damage models they also have unique flight models that mimic planes from world war two.

The only downside to this game is that the multiplayer scene seems to be quite dead in North America.

9. Ace Combat 7

• Platforms: PS4, Xbox one, Windows
• Price: 60 USD
• Release: Jan 31, 2019
• Developer: Bandai Namco Studios Inc.

Ace Combat is a very fun flying game that brings a more arcadey approach then other flight games on the market.

Ace Combat has a very fleshed out campaign mode, with an even better sound track to keep your brain in the mood to fly planes.

The game is the perfect blend of immersion and fun never being too overly complicated yet still not feeling dumbed down.

The graphics in this game are breathtaking if your system can handle them. Although the singleplayer is the best part of the game it only has around thirty hours of content leaving the player wanting more.

Thankfully Ace Combat has a very active modding community resulting in hours upon hours of free content.

The multiplayer in this game consists of either a four versus four, eight player free for all, or one versus ones.

The multiplayer is not for the faint of heart as there are many veteran players that live to stomp new players that wander into the multiplayer scene.

Not only are there lots of veterans waiting for fresh meat, you also have to worry about hacks because there is no anti-cheat for this game.

10. Project Wingman

• Platforms: Windows, Xbox one
• Price: 25 USD
• Release: December 1, 2020
• Developer: Sector D2

Project Wingman Is much like Ace Combat as it takes a very arcadey approach to their mil flight sim. The game is said to be a “clone” of Ace Combat, but it offers a more streamlined fun experience for newer players.

The graphics remind me a lot of battlefield graphics which is nothing to scoff at. Much like Ace Combat Project Wingman also has a campaign mode.

Campaign mode brings you into the story of a mercenary pilot under the Call sign, “Monarch” who is fighting for the fictional faction Cascadia against the Federation.

You complete a myriad of combat missions that entail anything from dogfighting, CAS, Bombing Runs, or escorting. Upon completion of those missions the player is able to spend money on new planes.

The campaign mode is great until you’ve played it once or twice, but thankfully Project wingman also has a conquest mode.

In conquest mode the player starts with a few planes and must work to earn money and prestige. The player then uses the money to hire mercenaries and new planes to use in upcoming missions.

This mode will add a few more hours of gameplay but not enough to keep a player around for long.

As fun as this game is at first you will quickly realize there really is not much replayability after you get through the first playthrough. All in all there is probably about a solid 16 hours of gameplay in this game.

11. Arma 3

• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
• Price: 30 USD
• Release: September 12, 2013
• Developer: Bohemia Interactive

Arma 3 is a mil sim game that mostly focuses on the infantry side of combat, but it does have pretty extensive air combat.

If you are looking for a game where you are fighting with a lot of combined arms in modern day Arma 3 is the way.

You will be fighting other players both in the air and on the ground to give a more immersive combat feeling rather than against ai.

Arma 3 does have AI missions to complete as well if you don’t fancy multiplayer battles. The game is set on fictional Islands called Altis and Stratis in the Mediterranean Sea.

Arma 3 is another game that would be considered a steep learning curve. The game can feel very clunky at times with an overwhelming amount of controls to deal with.

Arma 3 is another game with a breathtaking amount of mod support. Giving the player an endless amount of possibilities to play around with.

12. Sky Rogue

• Platforms: Windows, mac, Linux
• Price: 20 USD
• Release: Aug 24, 2017
• Developer: Fractal Phase

If you are tired of the overdone ultra realistic flight simulators flooding the market today then Sky Rogue is going to hit just right for you.

Sky Rogue is a rogue-lite action flight simulator where you blow targets up across an infinite amount of procedurally generated maps.

This game feels like it’s made for people to take a hit of acid and play for hours on end with its very vibrant colors.

The graphics may not be that impressive, but the art style can be appreciated if you are tired of the ultra realistic graphics of games today.

Fractal has also made the game easily moddable resulting in a huge modding community and hours of free content available.

The game also takes up virtually no room on the hard drive, just another reason to play this rogue-lite.

13. Bomber Crew

• Platforms: Windows, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One
• Price: 20 USD
• Release: October 19, 2017
• Developer: Runner Duck

Bomber Crew Is another off the wall game unlike the regular flight sims listed above. Bomber Crew takes a strategic approach to managing a bomber plane crew in world war two.

The player manages a crew of pilots through a series of missions during World War 2.

The game has a very pleasing aesthetic, but don’t let that fool you because this game is a ruthless game that will rip your pilots away from you using its permanent death feature.

If you are familiar with Faster Than Light than this game is very similar as you manage a space ship in faster than light you manage a bomber plane carrying out a mission.

One piece of advice I have for any players planning on taking on this game, don’t get attached to your pilots because one wrong move means bye bye!

The player also has to manage hydraulics, fuel, ammo, and repairs. The game also allows the player to make the bomber their own with a selection of art to put on the side or nose of the plane.

This is another one of those games thats not going to take up a lot of room on your hard drive as well, and for the amount of gameplay that is smashed into Bomber Crew two gigabytes is not bad.

14. Star Wars Squadrons

• Platforms: Windows, Xboxone/xbox series, PS4
• Price: 40 USD
• Release: October 2, 2020
• Developer: Motive Studios

Star Wars Squadrons is a fun star wars themed space dogfighting game that any Star Wars and flight fan can appreciate.

The game is purely in first person giving a very immersive feeling especially if you are using its VR capabilities.

The campaign mode is much like any other Star Wars campaign, blow up the Imperial bad guys and help the Alliance.

The real appeal to this game is the graphics and immersion you feel while inside a virtual reality headset. The dog fighting can seem a little clunky at times making it very hard to find targets and stay on top of them.

Squadrons also has an online mode where the player fights five versus five to destroy the other team’s capital ships.

The multiplayer is nothing to write home about though, and in 2022 it seems that this game’s multiplayer is dead.

15. Attack on Pearl Harbor

• Platforms: Windows
• Price: 20 USD
• Release: 30 July 2007
• Developer: Legendo Entertainment

Attack on Pearl Harbor is one of those old classics that can still be more fun than the newer dogfighting games on the market today.

This game took so much time out of my childhood not only playing but also watching my dad play through the campaign on Kamikaze mode.

I remember one day my dad was so invested in a mission he couldn’t save the progress mid way so he just left the computer on and went to work. Well when he came back he realized this burnt out his graphics card!

Now obviously graphics cards nowadays won’t get burnt out from this game no matter how long you leave it running, but that doesn’t change the fact that this game was so compelling it caused my dad to fry a whole graphics card over it.

Attack on Pearl Harbor is a cult classic that has a very responsive, and fun combat system that still holds up today.

This would be a perfect game for a small lan get together. Anyone can pick this game up and have a great time even in 2022.