Games like Air defenders
Games like Air defenders include Nuclear Option, Project Wingman, ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, War Thunder, and ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN. We matched them by the tags players give Air defenders on Steam (Side Scroller, Flight, Wargame, Shoot 'Em Up, and Incremental): closest matches first, and among equally close ones the better-known games.

Nuclear Option
Shared: Flight · Wargame · War

Project Wingman
Shared: Flight · War · Action

ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE
Shared: Flight · Wargame · Shooter

War Thunder
Shared: Flight · Action · War

ACE COMBAT™ 7: SKIES UNKNOWN
Shared: Flight · War · Shooter

Streets of Rage 4
Shared: Beat 'em up · Side Scroller · Action

Guns, Gore & Cannoli
Shared: Side Scroller · Shoot 'Em Up · 2D

Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2
Shared: Side Scroller · Shoot 'Em Up · Action

Shank 2
Shared: Beat 'em up · Side Scroller · Action

Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Shared: War · Simulation · Funny

FPV Kamikaze Drone
Shared: Flight · War · Shooter

Zombotron
Shared: Side Scroller · 2D · Shoot 'Em Up

Huntdown
Shared: Side Scroller · Shoot 'Em Up · Shooter

Bomber Crew
Shared: Flight · War · Survival

Russian Life Simulator
Shared: Incremental · 2D · Simulation

METAL SLUG
Shared: Side Scroller · Shoot 'Em Up · 2D

Broforce
Shared: Side Scroller · Action · 2D

This War of Mine
Shared: Survival · War · Simulation

Holdfast: Nations At War
Shared: Wargame · War · Shooter

Jets'n'Guns 2
Shared: Side Scroller · Shoot 'Em Up · Action

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
Shared: Side Scroller · Beat 'em up · 2D

Shank
Shared: Side Scroller · Beat 'em up · Action

The Vagrant
Shared: Side Scroller · 2D · Action

Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef
Shared: Side Scroller · Shoot 'Em Up · Beat 'em up