Because of the large costs and necessity for a return on investment in the gaming business, there are many genres that are given little attention. The run n’ gun genre is a fantastic example of this. Run ‘n gun games feature a predetermined number of stages that you must complete by evading, shooting, and eliminating bosses, resulting in a rather brief experience, which wouldn't fly in an era when games cost millions of dollars to develop and over $70 to buy.
That’s why, the genre has gone underground and indie, for the most part, these days, and its current best games come from that sector. They have come up with some really good titles that are excellent examples of super smooth and enjoyable run n’ gun shooter experiences. The best thing about these indie run n’ gun games is the convenience.
In the past, these were more common on arcades and consoles. Now, even PC gamers have a chance to play some of the best made run n’ gun experiences with their friends online. If you’re one of them, this is the best place to start off on the path to good shooting fun with your buddies!
15. Serious Sam Double D XXL (PC/Xbox 360)
With all due seriousness, Serious Sam has been on somewhat of a downturn these days with the most recent entry, Serious Sam 4 receiving mixed reviews. This is news because all the prior Serious Sam games were universally loved by fans and critics alike. However, this run ‘n gun entry which is quite appropriate for the character and setting went under the radar since its release in 2011.
The game under the radar is a criminal act by the market and if you’re looking for a fun, badass side-scrolling run n’ gun shooter featuring a well-known and beloved protagonist, you have the chance to correct it. It's a twin-stick shooter that can be played with a gamepad or a keyboard and mouse.
The main goal is to guide Serious Sam through numerous historical settings while fighting adversaries from his old foe, Mental, and destroying teleportation beacons he has set up. It's the same old routine. General Maxilla, who is directing the horde on Mental's behalf, is the main enemy. Gameplay will be instantly familiar to anyone that has played Serious Sam’s FPS games.
Weapons and ammo combinations are largely the same and the enemies attack you in much the same ways in old Serious Sam fashion. Yes, this also includes the infinite enemy spawners that you have to painstakingly destroy! Bring a friend as a cloned Sam and grab this fun romp through Sam’s world for $10 on Steam.
14. Operation Hardcore (PC/Switch)
It seems that the old Rambo and Commando aesthetics give themselves to any number of settings for shoot em ups in existence. Indeed, Operation Hardcore wears its retro-futuristic influences on its sleeves. Unknown extraterrestrial races have begun an unprovoked invasion of Earth, and they are well on their way to annihilating humanity.
Who are you? One of a slew of badasses who aren't simply irritated by this occurrence; they're murderously enraged. You must use a variety of weaponry to battle your way through foes, double-jump over obstacles and dangers, activate your classic plasma shield to block enemy fire, and drink whiskey to slow time and enhance damage.
Yes, you should consume whiskey. However, you should be cautious about how much you drink. There are 4 playable badasses but sadly, no option for 4-player online co-op. You only have the option of 2-player local split-screen co-op, however. Don’t fret though, it’s still a fun romp for when you just want to have vicious aliens lining up to be shot at by you and a friend.
13. Donuts N’ Justice (PC/PS4/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S/Switch)
A run n’ gun following up on the theme, atmosphere, and buddy cop action of Miami Vice. It sounds like the most obvious idea for such a game and yet, no one makes one! Why? Hard to tell but here’s Donuts N’ Justice, to set those wrongs right.
You or you and a friend play as the titular cops, who are very obviously supposed to be a homage to the pair formed by Don Johnson’s Sonny Crockett and Phillip Michael Thomas’ Ricardo Tubbs in Miami Vice. Being the well-dressed cop you are, you do the right thing. What’s that? Kill all gun-toting criminals in your way….and save civilians!
It’s a total throwback to the 80s side-scrolling run n’ gun unlike most others, and the difficulty is even structured that way. Prepare to tag-team the cleaning of Miami with 2-player local co-op with complete Xbox 360 controller compatibility.
12. Blazing Chrome (PC/PS4/Xbox One/Switch)
Popular video game programming YouTube channel Digital Foundry has called this game the “Contra sequel we all needed” and that statement is quite correct. The amount of guns blazing fun you can have in this appealing package is staggering. Machines govern the world in Blazing Chrome, and the few humans alive are on the verge of extinction due to a lack of power, respect, or position among their cold steel masters.
Machines govern the world in Blazing Chrome, and the few humans alive are on the verge of extinction due to a lack of power, respect, or position among their cold steel masters. When a small rebel group receives information on a large AI's power facility, the machines attack their camp before they have time to plot an attack.
A tiny band of rebels manages to flee and embark on a suicide mission to destroy the power plant. You’re one of those rebels. You must rumble through five post-apocalyptic environments while destroying hundreds of robot enemies.
Blast your way through enemy lines and try to fight a slew of mechanical enemies while riding hoverbikes, donning massive armor, and using a slew of ninja weaponry. It seems like a basic run-and-gun shooter with an arcade atmosphere, which is exactly what we like for this genre It’s quite difficult though, so bring a friend along.
11. Super Cyborg (PC)
Destroying machines and cyborgs is fine and all, and fun! But, what about playing as a machine or cyborg? You’re essentially a human with computerized vision and senses. That’s gotta kick ass. The developers of Super Cyborg thought the same.
Super Cyborg is a nonstop intense run'n'gun action game that is yet again straight from the old-school of the early 90s You're an elite battle cyborg dispatched to a secret island to investigate a series of anomalies. What are these anomalies? Well, a group of scientists thought it was prudent to mess with things they shouldn’t have been messing with and they have awakened a hostile alien race. All of humanity is in danger now.
Shoot to kill. There are seven stages to fight through, each featuring an infinite swarm of biological terrors and some of the most brutal bossfights in any run 'n gun game. Yes, it is not an exaggeration; only the most skilled players will be able to complete the game by themselves, so bring a friend. At the very least, you'll have a chance that way.
10. OVERWHELM (PC/Switch)
This is probably the absolute hardest game on this list and one to avoid if you don’t fancy having to take on the role of masochist. One hit can kill you, and your enemies will level up instead of you. The odds are bleak. You’re tasked with cleansing and escaping alien hives, and these aliens are brutally hostile with a resolve to shake even the most determined of alien killers.
The color palette makes it look like hell though, and it is an interpretation that wouldn’t be incorrect from certain points of view. Explore the hive's gloomy caverns using only a scant map as a guide. Enemies can appear at any time and from any place. As you beat each of the five unique bosses, their abilities are spread to the world's opponents, increasing the difficulty of the game.
Indeed, this is a one-of-a-kind way for bosses to continue to be productive after death. Combat is similar to Hotline Miami in that it is gritty and rapid. You're dead after one hit. Sound design is a component of run-and-gun games that developers seem to overlook in terms of mood, but the developers of OVERWHELM nailed it.
The soundscape is sparse but powerful, keeping you focused and afraid. To complement the violent boss fights and important moments, the soundtrack includes some eerie synths. You and your friend have to cooperate quite closely to survive and win. Get in the hives, if you dare.
09. AV-17 (PC/Linux)
Don’t play this if you happen to be high. In this game, you’re a computer anti-virus tasked with getting rid of viruses through force. Of course, the art style was going to be trippy, what were you expecting? You play as an A.V. (anti-virus) technician tasked with cleaning up a heavily infected system until you can track down the infection's source and repair it.
Because the system you're cleaning hasn't been patched in a long time, there are a lot of viruses to remove. Taking place in such a light-hearted setting also means that the game’s difficulty is not punishing, and is instead quite pleasantly fun.
There are 17 levels to scan and clean up, as well as 26 different infection types to contend with. Bringing a friend will definitely relieve some of the pressure, and it's also a fantastic idea given the game is free! The art style on offer here is definitely strange and probably not for everyone, but the fact is that it’s quite unique.
08. Savage Halloween (PC/Mac OSX/Linux/PS4/Xbox One/Switch)
About time a Halloween-themed run n’ game is out to entertain us thoroughly. Halloween is associated with some truly vile monstrosities and in this game, you can shoot them all down with glee. In Savage Halloween, the planet is taken over by afterlife monsters that were stuck on Earth during a Halloween party and have now decided to make it their new home.
Every year, the monsters are invited to a 24-hour Halloween Party, but no one came home this year because an evil vampire created a spell to block the way back to the afterlife because the party could not stop, according to him. Evil vampire, you're doing an excellent job, but not according to some!
One of those is a farmer named James and he’s tired so he casually decided to shoot the party up. A few more colorful personalities joined the resistance in an attempt to send everyone home. These are your co-op buddies. From flying on a witch's broom to riding on a penguin's back, shoot your way through seven stages with a variety of gameplay and features. This game is just fantastic!
07. Battle Planet - Judgment Day (PC/PS4/Switch)
What if you could wreak havoc on an entire planet just by yourself or with just another guy? What if you could do it across multiple planets and destroy aliens, planetary defense forces, and local lifeforms while you’re at it? Battle Planet - Judgment Day is a top-down rogue-lite shooter set on a planet.
You're on the run as one of the universe's three most wanted criminals, battling swarms of aliens, military, and police forces. The only way to recover your freedom is to eliminate them all. Of course, you’ll still be dying a lot because such an undertaking is extremely difficult.
Escape from a wrecked prisoner transport ship and fight the authorities in a never-ending barrage of gunfire and planet-destroying bombs aimed at you and the ground beneath your feet. Yes, they're willing to destroy entire planets in order to capture you. That's the level of threat you and your pals pose. Do it all to the tune of a wonderful soundtrack composed by an industry veteran who has worked on Bioshock!
06. Rad Rodgers - Radical Edition (PC/PS4/Xbox One/Switch)
Another entry on the list for light-hearted run n’ gun shooting fun. The titular happy-go-lucky Rad Rodgers is surely on the same very fun adventures and you’re about to experience nothing different. When Rad wakes up one day, he discovers that his dusty old console has turned back on.
Suddenly, a vortex appears, sucking him into his television, where he discovers himself the star of his own video game adventure. For the job, his console named Dusty, arms him with weapons and tools. On a decaying jungle world, Rad and Dusty's adventure takes them through numerous deadly stages of action-packed, humorous, tough platforming fun.
It's been infected by a vicious corruption, and it's up to the two of them to preserve the jungle's inhabitants and restore the Elder Tree's role as the land's guardian. The gameplay is set to the same composer who wrote music for hard-hitting FPS games such as Dusk and the DLCs for Doom Eternal. This, you know you’re in for a great audiovisual experience.
05. Aliens: Infestation (Nintendo DS)
Make no mistake, the concept of facing down multiple Xenomorphs and dispensing righteous justice against them as explored by the cult classic ‘Aliens’ film was nothing short of revolutionary. That makes big-budget game developers’ inability to make it adrenaline-rushing greatness on the video game medium all the more infuriating.
But apparently, it was possible on the Nintendo DS? Curious, but it exists regardless. The player takes control of one of four marines and investigates the Union of Progressive Peoples (UPP) and Weyland-Yutani's participation in Xenomorph research by exploring the U.S.S. Sulaco from the film, as well as LV-426 and Phobos.
A permadeath system is included in the game. If a marine dies in battle, another member of the party will step in to fill the void and continue. It’s a harrowing experience fighting the Xenomorphs and it’s easy to get killed. However, rugged determination and diligence will ensure that you get to uncover the story of what happened on your own.
For more of a challenge, try keeping your entire marine squad alive. Sadly, it was not released on other platforms and this is unfortunate since the DS has long since been discontinued. Perhaps someday, a programmer will crack the source code and port it to the PC.
04. Dead Pixels (PC)
Zombies and the run ‘n gun genre, what could go wrong? That’s right, absolutely nothing. Unless of course, it’s intentionally bungled up. Thankfully, nothing went wrong in making Dead Pixels. A strange toxic waste spill contaminates the water system, causing the recently deceased in your city to rise from their graves.
If you want to get out of the city, you'll have to blast your way past the undead hordes. You'll scour stores and houses for supplies and trade with other survivors on your path to your rescue. Just your standard zombie apocalypse scenario, but with a lovely art style that also manages to deliver plenty of high-octane shooting action.
In a dynamically created city that changes every time you play, you'll find over 100 different weapons, grenades, and stuff. Because of the local co-op features, it's even more exciting to play with a friend. What exactly are you waiting for? Begin blasting your way to freedom!
03. Black Future ‘88 (PC/Mac OSX/Linux/Switch)
What do you get when you combine Saw, Cyberpunk 2077, and Contra? Probably this spectacular experience. Fulfill all your cyberpunk heroic fantasies in Black Future ‘88 because the game will demand it from you! Black Future '88 is a 2D action shooter with a synth-punk theme.
In this game, you must vertically climb an ever-changing procedural tower to the top to assassinate its psychotic owner; if you do not reach the top in time, your heart will explode. In a stylish alternate version of 1988, shoot, slice, dash, and upgrade yourself to survive the endless waves of lethal traps, homicidal AI, insane junkies, and other enemies trying to kill you regardless.
Choose from one of five playable characters, each with their own set of benefits and drawbacks. Because battle is as complicated as it is challenging and gratifying, these characteristics must be carefully considered. If you can survive, you’ll stop the endless nuclear rain falling on your people. Therefore, it might be a good idea to bring a friend.
02. HUNTDOWN (PC/Mac OSX/Linux/PS4/Xbox One/Android)
They say crime doesn’t pay but obviously, they’ve never been a bounty hunter. Of course, the Punisher doesn’t clean the streets for money but you will and you will do so with great vengeance and furious anger.
Only the bounty hunters can rescue the city from the corrupt grip of criminality in HUNTDOWN, which takes place in the mayhem-filled streets of the future when criminal gangs reign and cops dread to tread. In this hard-boiled action-comedy arcade shooter, wreak havoc on the criminal underground and make a killing, or many killings.
As you run, jump, and seek cover in the mayhem-filled streets of the future, you can hunt solo or deliver suppressive fire and advance on the enemy together. Concepts from tactical shooters? Yes. You must pay attention to them, or else the fight will be really difficult. Presentation, gameplay, sound design, combat loop, enemy variety, gunplay, etc are all stellar and you’d be a fool to not cop it.
01. Door Kickers: Action Squad (PC/Linux/PS4/Xbox One/Android/Switch)
If the title of the game is any indication, you’ll know that the amount of fun to be expected is off the charts. The developers behind this game knew exactly what they were doing when they named it ‘Door Kickers’. The response? Rapturous. Door Kickers: Action Squad is a wacky side-scrolling action game that puts you in the shoes of a SWAT trooper and sends you on a mission to deal with the bad guys.
That's all; your scenarios don't include rescuing civilians from a hostage situation; instead, they feature rows and rows of armed bad guys. You've come to sign their death certificates. After you've chosen your gear, shut the doors and face the action. Adapt and react on the go, and if necessary, restart without hesitation and rethink.
Weapons of mastery Recoil and timing your reloads, take advantage of distance and cover, and use the in-game Strategic Abilities to determine when health packs and gear refills are required, as well as whether or not that team-mate is worth saving.
Yes, teamplay is greatly encouraged as it’s even more tactical than the previous games on this list. To give you an idea, among the enemies are suicide bombers. Legit suicide bombers that can end you and your friends’ runs in the blink of an eye if you’re not all careful. “Door Kickers: Action Squad is like a 2-player 2D Rainbow Six Siege.”, said PC Gamer. So play it accordingly, but of course, don’t forget to capitalize on the countless potential for laughs.
