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)
My Hero Academia: All’s Justice TR
Mecha Break TR
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire TR
Where Winds Meet TR
Striden TR
Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon TR
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice TR
Dark Souls Remastered TR
Dark Souls 3 TR
Dark Souls 2 TR
Dark Souls TR
7.5
Dishonored TR
Mortal Shell 2 TR
Medieval Dynasty TR
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl TR
Blood Message TR
Pioner TR
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die TR
TRON: Catalyst TR
Schedule I TR
System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster TR
Aniimo TR
Ahoy TR
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn 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.