Action games
The widest genre in games, built on reflexes, timing and split-second decisions under pressure.
What is the action genre?
Action is the oldest and most crowded genre in video games. What ties it together is not the story or the setting but the skill it asks of the player: Hand-eye coordination, timing and the ability to make the right move at the right moment under pressure. An action game rarely gives you time to stop and plan. You decide in the moment and see the result right away.
Because the genre is so broad, almost every game touches on action somewhere. Shooters, fighting games, platformers and hack and slash games are really branches of action that set their own rules. So when a game is tagged action, its real character usually lies in the second genre listed next to it.
What defines it?
Success depends more on the player's reflexes and practice than on the character's numbers.
Hits, jumps and shots respond in under a second; the game tells you right away what you did wrong.
Enemy patterns and rhythm tighten level by level, pushing the player toward mastery.
Many genres, from shooters to platformers, were born under action and grew their own identity.
Landmark games
Well-known examples often used to explain the genre. For the list on our site, see the games section below.
At a glance
Action games (377)
The Rogue Prince of Persia TR
Cult of the Lamb TR
Hell is Us TR
Project Spectrum TR
High On Life 2 TR
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown TR
Assassin's Creed Mirage TR
Crimson Desert Enhanced TR
Hell Let Loose: Vietnam TR
Hollow Knight TR
Hollow Knight: Silksong TR
8.2
Gallipoli TR
Lords of the Fallen 2 TR
Neo Berlin 2087 TR
Street Fighter 6 TR
Grand Theft Auto Online TR
Path of Exile 2 TR
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance TR
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater TR
6.8
Holy Shoot TR
Darksiders 4 TR
Titan Quest 2 TR
Last Epoch TR
Fatekeeper TR
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between action and adventure?
In action the measure is skill: You are expected to make the right move at the right moment. In adventure the measure is exploration and problem solving, and the game gives you time to think. Most games combine the two, which is where the action-adventure label comes from.
Are action games always violent?
No. The genre describes a skill, not a type of content. Most racing, sports and platform games also run on action mechanics. For a game's content level, check the age rating on its page.