2,416 games
The best action games on PC
Fast, punchy and precise: games where reflexes and good timing make the difference.
How to find games that really suit you: Tap “I like it” on up to 5 games. Playalike compares 20 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
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1 Elden Ring
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A vast open world, demanding combat and countless secrets, from the creator of the Dark Souls series.
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2 Dark Souls III
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A dark action RPG with precise, unforgiving combat and intricately connected levels.
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3 Dark Souls
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A merciless action RPG whose interconnected world of Lordran rewards careful exploration with clever shortcuts, deliberate combat and cryptic, melancholic lore. Every death teaches something, and every victory feels truly earned.
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4 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
Sword fighting in feudal Japan, where parrying and posture decide everything.
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5 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
The definitive competitive tactical shooter: terrorists versus counter-terrorists in tense round-based matches where precise aim, team coordination and smart economy management decide every win.
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6 Hotline Miami
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A brutally fast top-down shooter where one hit kills and every floor is mastered through rapid trial, error and instant restarts. Its neon visuals, pulsing synthwave soundtrack and unsettling, surreal story about violence make it unforgettable.
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7 Cuphead
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A brutally tough boss-rush shooter animated like a 1930s cartoon, where precise dodging, parrying and shooting decide every fight. A swinging big-band jazz score and local co-op round it out.
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8 Counter-Strike
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
The genre-defining team shooter where terrorists and counter-terrorists clash in tense rounds over bombs and hostages. With no respawns, an economy for buying gear and unforgiving gunplay, every round rewards teamwork, tactics and sharp aim.
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9 Apex Legends
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A fast free-to-play battle royale hero shooter set in the Titanfall universe, where squads of three legends with unique abilities fight to be the last team standing. Slick movement, tight gunplay and squad synergy define it.
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10 Bayonetta
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A supremely stylish character action game where the witch Bayonetta battles hordes of angels using Witch Time, precise dodges and absurdly over-the-top finishers. Deep combo mechanics, colossal bosses and plenty of tongue-in-cheek charm.
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11 Devil May Cry 5
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A blistering stylish-action showcase where three wildly different demon hunters chain combos and weapon swaps to chase the highest style rank. Over-the-top cutscenes, a pumping soundtrack and deep mechanical mastery make it a genre benchmark.
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12 Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A blistering PlatinumGames hack-and-slash where cyborg ninja Raiden parries and freely slices enemies apart with Blade Mode. Over-the-top boss fights and a legendary metal soundtrack make it a cult classic.
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13 Valorant
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A competitive 5v5 tactical shooter that blends unforgiving, precision gunplay with distinct agent abilities. Team coordination and round-by-round strategy matter as much as raw aim.
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14 Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A brutal top-down action sequel where one hit kills and every floor demands split-second planning and reflexes. A fractured, non-linear story across multiple characters unfolds in garish neon, driven by a hypnotic synthwave soundtrack.
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15 Quake III Arena
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
Quake III Arena is a pure arena shooter where blistering movement like strafe-jumping, precise aim and controlling item spawns decide every match. There's no campaign, just relentless deathmatches and duels against bots or real players.
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16 Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A blistering hack-and-slash where young Dante juggles swappable fighting styles, weapons and guns, and the game rewards you for fighting with flair. It is famously punishing, with legendary boss duels like the fights against Vergil and a heavy metal soundtrack.
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17 Counter-Strike 2
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
The definitive competitive tactical shooter, where two teams fight short, high-stakes rounds over bomb sites and precise aim, utility usage and team coordination decide everything. Source 2 adds reactive volumetric smoke to a famously unforgiving skill ceiling.
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18 Katana Zero
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A blistering neo-noir action platformer where one hit kills and each room plays like a puzzle solved with your katana, slow-motion and deflected bullets. It's wrapped in a twisted, fragmented story with dialogue choices and a superb synthwave soundtrack.
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19 Enter the Gungeon
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A tough, pun-filled bullet-hell roguelike where you dodge-roll and flip tables through procedural floors with hundreds of wildly creative guns. Every run plays differently, and mastering the dense projectile patterns is deeply rewarding.
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20 Lies of P
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A Soulslike based on Pinocchio, set in a decaying Belle Époque city with a strong focus on parrying.
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21 Stellar Blade
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A slick hack-and-slash set on a ruined Earth where precise parries and dodges decide every fight. It pairs spectacular boss battles with semi-open zones full of secrets and a standout soundtrack.
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22 Elden Ring Nightreign
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A co-op roguelike spin-off of Elden Ring where a trio races across a shrinking map over three days, powering up before facing a towering Nightlord boss. Fast, intense runs with distinct hero classes replace the sprawling solo journey.
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23 Ninja Gaiden 4
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
Ninja Gaiden 4 revives the legendary hack-and-slash series with lightning-fast, brutal combat, co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames. As newcomer Yakumo you carve through a rain-soaked, demon-infested Tokyo where reflexes and combo mastery decide everything.
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24 For Honor
- Action-packed real-time combat
- Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A weighty melee brawler where knights, vikings and samurai clash using a stance-based system that rewards parries, feints and reading your opponent. Tense PvP duels and team battles are the heart of it, with a short campaign on the side.
What matters with Action games
Action games on PC cover a lot of ground, but they share one thing: your hands do the talking. This list leans hard toward difficult games, so the main question is what kind of challenge you enjoy. Soulslikes such as Elden Ring and Dark Souls III ask for patience and pattern reading, shooters like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive test aim and teamwork, and character action games such as Devil May Cry 5 reward you for learning deep combo systems.
When choosing, think about pace and company. If you want a solo adventure to explore at your own speed, Elden Ring's open world lets you wander off and come back stronger when a boss walls you. If you love tight one-on-one duels, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice builds everything around parrying and breaking enemy posture. For short, intense bursts, Hotline Miami's one-hit deaths and instant restarts make every attempt quick. If you'd rather play with others, Apex Legends puts you in squads of three, while Cuphead offers local co-op for tough boss fights side by side.
Art style matters too. Cuphead looks like a 1930s cartoon, Hotline Miami goes for neon pixel art with a synthwave soundtrack, and Bayonetta leans into over-the-top flair and humor. If you're new to Soulslikes, Dark Souls: Remastered is a good way to see where the formula started, with sharper visuals and the Artorias DLC included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best action game for beginners on PC?
Most games here are demanding, but Elden Ring is one of the more approachable options because its open world lets you explore elsewhere and level up when a fight feels too hard. Hotline Miami is also forgiving in its own way thanks to instant restarts.
Which action games on PC can I play with friends?
Apex Legends is built around squads of three, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a team-based competitive shooter. Cuphead supports local co-op if you want to tackle its bosses together on one PC.
Should I play Dark Souls or Dark Souls: Remastered?
Dark Souls: Remastered is the easier pick for most players, since it adds sharper visuals, smoother framerates and the Artorias DLC to the same interconnected world of Lordran. Once you're hooked, Dark Souls III continues with faster, more refined combat.
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