Ranking by genre

The best shoot 'em up games.

67 games compete in this selection. Hotline Miami tops it with 1,712 points: the ranking comes from player votes alone, and moves with every duel settled.

  1. 1 Hotline Miami 2012 · Shoot 'em up 1,712
  2. 2 Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number 2015 · Shoot 'em up 1,683
  3. 3 Nex Machina 2017 · Shoot 'em up 1,568
  4. 4 Alien Swarm 2010 · Shoot 'em up 1,555
  5. 5 Super Animal Royale 2021 · Shoot 'em up 1,549
  6. 6 Zombies Ate My Neighbors 1993 · Shoot 'em up 1,540
  7. 7 Sky Force Anniversary 2014 · Shoot 'em up 1,539
  8. 8 The Deadly Tower of Monsters 2016 · Shoot 'em up 1,530
  9. 9 Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris 2014 · Shoot 'em up 1,525
  10. 10 Ikaruga 2001 · Shoot 'em up 1,522
  11. 11 Space Invaders 1978 · Shoot 'em up 1,521
  12. 12 Postal 1997 · Shoot 'em up 1,520
  13. 13 U.N. Squadron 1989 · Shoot 'em up 1,517
  14. 14 Metal Slug 4 2002 · Shoot 'em up 1,516
  15. 15 Gradius 1985 · Shoot 'em up 1,514
  16. 16 1942 1984 · Shoot 'em up 1,508
  17. 17 Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime 2015 · Shoot 'em up 1,506
  18. 18 Postal: Redux 2016 · Shoot 'em up 1,501
  19. 19 Until Dawn: Rush of Blood 2016 · Shoot 'em up 1,498
  20. 20 Touhou Koumakyou: The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil 2002 · Shoot 'em up 1,494
  21. 21 Galaxian 1979 · Shoot 'em up 1,493
  22. 22 Centipede 1981 · Shoot 'em up 1,493
  23. 23 ShellShock Live 2019 · Shoot 'em up 1,491
  24. 24 SuperHot VR 2016 · Shoot 'em up 1,490
  25. 25 Galaga 1981 · Shoot 'em up 1,484
  26. 26 Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf 1992 · Shoot 'em up 1,484
  27. 27 Hatred 2015 · Shoot 'em up 1,481
  28. 28 Resogun 2013 · Shoot 'em up 1,477
  29. 29 Contra Force 1992 · Shoot 'em up 1,471
  30. 30 Super Stardust HD 2007 · Shoot 'em up 1,468
  31. 31 Halo: Spartan Strike 2015 · Shoot 'em up 1,468
  32. 32 Commando 1985 · Shoot 'em up 1,466
  33. 33 Not a Hero 2015 · Shoot 'em up 1,461
  34. 34 Strange Brigade 2018 · Shoot 'em up 1,461
  35. 35 Defender 1981 · Shoot 'em up 1,460
  36. 36 Ruiner 2017 · Shoot 'em up 1,458
  37. 37 Helldivers 2015 · Shoot 'em up 1,456
  38. 38 Gun.Smoke 1985 · Shoot 'em up 1,455
  39. 39 Battle City 1985 · Shoot 'em up 1,452
  40. 40 Xevious 1982 · Shoot 'em up 1,449
  41. 41 Combat 1977 · Shoot 'em up 1,446
  42. 42 Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions 2014 · Shoot 'em up 1,443
  43. 43 Salamander 1986 · Shoot 'em up 1,442
  44. 44 Dead Nation 2010 · Shoot 'em up 1,440
  45. 45 Alien Shooter 2003 · Shoot 'em up 1,436
  46. 46 Asteroids 1979 · Shoot 'em up 1,432
  47. 47 Touhou Eiyashou: Imperishable Night 2004 · Shoot 'em up 1,430
  48. 48 Donkey Kong 3 1983 · Shoot 'em up 1,409
  49. 49 12 is Better than 6 2015 · Shoot 'em up 1,405
  50. 50 River Raid 1982 · Shoot 'em up 1,403
  51. 51 Cannon Fodder 1993 · Shoot 'em up 1,400
  52. 52 Deadbolt 2016 · Shoot 'em up 1,394
  53. 53 Axelay 1992 · Shoot 'em up 1,393
  54. 54 Buster Bros. 1989 · Shoot 'em up 1,392
  55. 55 Crusader: No Remorse 1995 · Shoot 'em up 1,390
  56. 56 1943: The Battle of Midway 1987 · Shoot 'em up 1,382
  57. 57 Jungle Strike 1993 · Shoot 'em up 1,379
  58. 58 Missile Command 1980 · Shoot 'em up 1,377
  59. 59 Ikari Warriors 1986 · Shoot 'em up 1,374
  60. 60 Millipede 1982 · Shoot 'em up 1,372
  61. 61 Urban Strike: The Sequel to Jungle Strike 1994 · Shoot 'em up 1,366
  62. 62 Crimsonland 2014 · Shoot 'em up 1,364
  63. 63 Assault Android Cactus 2015 · Shoot 'em up 1,363
  64. 64 R-Type 1987 · Shoot 'em up 1,358
  65. 65 Alienation 2016 · Shoot 'em up 1,356
  66. 66 Aero Fighters 1992 · Shoot 'em up 1,341
  67. 67 Renegade Ops 2011 · Shoot 'em up 1,291

Filter, combine and travel back in time in the full ranking

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In detail

The best shoot 'em up games, what this ranking says

Hotline Miami leads this selection with 1,712 ELO points, ahead of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number and Nex Machina. The 67 games competing in it have played 5,936 duels.

This selection in figures
Games competing in this selection 67
Duels played by those games 5,936
Game in the lead Hotline Miami (2012)
Score of the leading game, in ELO points 1,712
Point gap between 1st and 10th 190
Best represented decade 2010s
Last reading November 3, 2026

The best shoot 'em up game of every decade

A selection is not read in one block: here is what leads each of its brackets.

The best shoot 'em up game of every decade
Decade Games competing In the lead ELO score Duels played
1980s 19 U.N. Squadron 1,517 50
1990s 10 Zombies Ate My Neighbors 1,540 102
2000s 6 Ikaruga 1,522 90
2010s 27 Hotline Miami 1,712 433

What moved this week

The ranking changes with every duel settled. Over the past seven days, the score of 65 games in this selection moved.

What moved this week
Game Points gained in 7 days ELO score
Donkey Kong 3 +62 1,409
Galaxian +59 1,493
Resogun +55 1,477

The most contested match-ups

These pairs of games have faced each other more than any others in this selection.

The most contested match-ups
Wins Against Duels played Win rate
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Space Invaders 6 83%
Hotline Miami Helldivers 6 83%
Hotline Miami Asteroids 5 100%
Hotline Miami Metal Slug 4 5 80%
Hotline Miami Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number 5 80%

How this ranking is established

No jury, no press score, no sales figures: two games face off, players vote, and every vote updates an ELO score. This page is a view of the world ranking, never a standing kept apart.

Understand the method in detail →

FAQ

What players ask

What is the best shoot 'em up game?

According to community votes, the best shoot 'em up game is Hotline Miami, with 1,712 ELO points in the world ranking. It stands ahead of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number and Nex Machina, and its place is replayed with every duel.

How many shoot 'em up games are ranked?

67 games of this selection take part in the duels, and they have played 5,936 of them so far. The full site catalogue is much wider: only games kept for their fame enter the running.

Which shoot 'em up game is climbing right now?

Donkey Kong 3 is the strongest climb in this selection over the past seven days, with 62 ELO points gained. Over the same period, the score of 65 games in the selection moved.

Vote on a duel