Top 10 Counter-Strike Maps!

A match of “Counter-Strike” is intense enough on its own. But, taking the game to ancient temple grounds? Ugh, we’re getting chills just thinking about it. You almost feel like you’re intruding, getting yourself ready for something to pop out at you. Between the narrow corridors, slightly open doors, and wide area located on the lower level of the map, Aztec forces players to be ready for anything. Things take a suspenseful turn when terrorists and counter-terrorists meet at the bridge. Best to steer clear of this chokepoint and focus on the objective, if you can.

That dream of turning the workplace into a NERF war has finally come true…well, if the NERF guns were real guns, which wouldn’t be fun in real life. Office is a small map with narrow hallways and tiny open spaces that keep the fight up-close and personal. With its claustrophobic layout, the map forces players to always expect the unexpected. One minute you’re chasing an enemy player, and the next, that same enemy has flanked you. It may not be used for competitions anymore, but it's still a blast to play. Watch your back out there, soldiers!

Ahh, the father of one of the most popular maps in Counter-Strike history. While it was around, Dust was a nice change of pace from urban and industrial environments most maps were based around. Its decent size helped games move along quickly, and the chokepoints lead to some intense shootouts (until someone gets sneaky and tries to flank the other team). You’ve got to respect Dust, as it is an important piece of Counter-Strike history, even if there are some questions on whether or not its balanced for both teams.

Don’t let this map put you off. We know, this map is incredibly weird and can be difficult to get a hold of, at first, but you’ll learn over time. Train is one of those maps that requires memorization due to its multi-level layout. This will become useful in times where an enemy might be chasing you. There are enough corners where you can lose your opponent, or if you’re a gambler, ambush them as soon as they make the turn. Of course, you can always take the cheesiest advantage on this map; hide underneath the freight cars.

There is no time to rest on Cache. It might be simple in structure, but the areas are small enough to turn anywhere into a war zone. The placement of some of the objects allows for some tricky platform—I mean, parkour. Aside from standing on street lights and doors, Cache manages to keep you on your toes in other ways. Elbows and compact corridors enforce direct confrontation for the whole game. The first few times you see an enemy, you jump a little. Eventually, it becomes a game of “shoot anything that moves”. Hopefully, you don’t have friendly fire on.

Yeah, we’ll admit this map is pretty quirky. Overpass has an odd layout comprising of tunnels, bite-sized open areas, and hiding areas that feel a little out-of-place, all underneath the bridge of a highway. Unlike some of our other entries, though, the map’s large size helps prevent the feeling of being overwhelmed. You’ll most likely engage with one, maybe two opponents, but every turn you make will have risks. What if you come across the whole enemy team while you’re going off by yourself? Word of advice; tread lightly when playing on this map.

Communication is key to achieving victory on Inferno. Danger lurks around every corner…literally, considering that Inferno is littered with opportunities for teams to set up ambushes against each other. As you traverse through tight passages, you’ll be constantly trying to check every opening before proceeding with your course. Inferno is amazing to look at…well, when there aren’t dead bodies and blood splatters everywhere, that is. It is a real shame you can’t admire the visuals for one second without worrying about being a sitting duck.

This is perhaps the most intricate layout on our list. Just from looking at an overview makes Mirage feel like a giant maze. You have entrances for nearly every section, making teams circulate and rotate around the map’s structure. Mirage is also a good map to send out your best snipers on your team. Long passages have good vantage points for your snipers to help from a distance without having too many obstacles in the way. These lengthy paths can also be cleared quickly if you know where to throw your grenades and effectively use them for ambushes.

Open areas? That’s not good. Nuke can be one tricky devil of a map. Despite holding many hiding spots, it's moving in-between those spots that put you at great risk. You’ll never know who might be peeping from a window or if an enemy player might be in close range. You’ll be forced to constantly make split-second decisions. Then, you have those players who will find a good place to hide and set up camp, typically in dark corridors. Keep your guard up and your head down!

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few Honorable Mentions…

Season

Façade

Assault

Simple in its design, but oh so fun to play, Dust2 surpasses its older brother by miles for being easy to learn, yet insanely difficult to master. Its diverse layout offers all sorts of advantages for different playstyles. You got long passages for snipers, narrow hallways for those who like the action closer, and hiding spots for those who want to set up camp. It’s that blend of everything that makes CS so great that makes this map perfect for everyone and anyone.