ARMA: Gold Edition

2006 Bohemia Interactive Action, Simulation, Strategy

Windows 11Runs

MacNot sold

LinuxSilver

Steam DeckPlayable

Gamicality score

Metacritic 747

OpenCritic Not rated

Steam players 731

How it’s combined

Playability today

Runs today4/5

Design today1.5/5

Steam user reviews

Mostly Positive

76%

1,273 reviews1

Get it on Steam Watch the trailer

Facts checked November 1, 2026

Does ARMA: Gold Edition run on Windows 11, Apple Silicon Macs, Linux and Steam Deck?

Windows 11Runs

Sold for Windows today, no problem on record.1

Mac (Apple Silicon)Not sold

No Mac version is sold.

LinuxSilver

Through Proton. ProtonDB: Silver, runs with minor issues.3

Steam DeckPlayable

Playable, as rated by Valve. May need some setup.1

Played ARMA: Gold Edition lately?

One click, no account, so the next player knows. How we check where it runs

Synopsis

ARMA is a military simulation from Bohemia Interactive, set on the fictional island of Sahrani during an invasion from the north. You fight as an infantryman, squad leader, driver or pilot across a huge open map where a single bullet can end a mission. The Gold Edition adds the Queen's Gambit expansion with a second campaign.

Developer: Bohemia Interactive
Released: 2006
Genre: Action, Simulation, Strategy
Where to get it: Steam

Reception

Critics in 2006 and 2007 praised the scale, freedom and tension of its battles but faulted the awkward order menus, stiff enemy AI, touchy helicopter handling and a buggy launch that early patches mostly fixed. The base game, sold in North America as ArmA: Combat Operations, holds a PC Metascore of 74. Players today still recommend it as a lighter, older entry in the series with a strong mission editor, while warning about broken mission scripts, a dated campaign and online play that now needs a workaround.

Trailer from Steam

Playability today

The average of two parts, each from 1 to 5. Tap a check to see why. How it works

Runs today

4/5

Sold or given away today by an official source
Runs on Windows 11 without fan patches
?Not confirmed yetSingle-player works without an internet connection
No source covers the current version yet, so this check counts as open, not passed. Played it lately? Tell us
Some content no longer works (servers, DLC, unlocks)
The GameSpy service behind the online server browser has shut down, so online play needs the community master server or a patched executable (PCGamingWiki).
Supports modern resolutions and widescreen
Widescreen and 4K resolutions work, though some menu elements remain 4:3 (PCGamingWiki).
No full controller support and no remappable controls
Controllers are supported only partially, so mouse and keyboard remain necessary (PCGamingWiki).
Steam Deck Verified or Playable
No intrusive DRM or required third-party launcher account
No pay-to-win or pushy microtransactions
No known game-breaking bugs in the current version
PCGamingWiki lists no open crash or progress issues, though some campaign mission scripts can break and need a reload (PCGamingWiki).

Design today

1.5/5

Controls feel awkward on a modern controller or mouse and keyboard
Orders to squad members go through a nested number-key menu, aircraft handling is twitchy, and mouse smoothing is on by default with no clear option to remove it. Controller support is only partial. Source: eurogamer.net, gamingtarget.com, steamcommunity.com.
Menus, text or interface are hard to read on today's screens
Some menu screens stay at 4:3 on widescreen displays, and the command interface relies on small text lists rather than a clear visual layout. Source: pcgamingwiki.com, eurogamer.net.
Saving is harsh: few saves or checkpoints, progress gets lost
Saving depends on the difficulty settings, with unlimited saves only as a Cadet option, so players on other settings report being unable to save during long missions, and autosave checkpoints are few. Source: steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Hard to make progress without a guide
Training missions cover movement, shooting, command, armor and flying, but one-shot kills, harsh realism and a convoluted order menu still leave newcomers failing campaign missions many times before the systems make sense. Source: store.steampowered.com, eurogamer.net, steamcommunity.com.
Pacing drags: grind, filler or forced backtracking
Players spend about as much time traveling to and from firefights on foot or in vehicles as fighting, and with limited saves a single death can cost a long stretch of a mission. Source: eurogamer.net, steamcommunity.com, steamcommunity.com.
Camera and movement never fight the player
Players can switch between first-person, third-person and an overhead tactical view, and TrackIR head tracking is supported, though Veteran difficulty disables the third-person view. Source: eurogamer.net, pcgamingwiki.com, store.steampowered.com.