Shoot 'em ups, a video game genre that's unfortunately also known by the linguistically repugnant term "shmups," is a category that's graced the industry for decades. Like beat 'em ups, shoot 'em ups were arcade staples that have found new life on home video game consoles when cabinets began vanishing from laundromats, pizza joints, and bodegas. Thankfully, you no longer need to own a console to experience hot shooter action; the PC has become a red-hot platform for wrecking enemies with massive firepower.
What Is a Shmup?
For those not in the know, a shoot 'em up is a game that sees you take control of a craft—sometimes a character—and wage war against enemy forces, typically in horizontally or vertically scrolling aerial combat. They can be simple affairs that see you dodge, fire, return fire, and drop the occasional bomb; they can also be highly complex affairs involving counters, deflections, and combo systems. Think Battle Garegga, Gradius, R-Type, Super Star Soldier, or Thunderforce. The genre used to be referred to as "shooters," but that name now applies to other shooting games.
The biggest difference between one shooter and another is its type. At the moment, the most popular shooter sub-genre is bullet hell, a style that absolutely destroys novice pilots. Enemies fill the screen with destructive colored firepower that makes pinpoint movement and spatial awareness a must, and relaxing your sphincter impossible. Still, if you're up for a challenge, bullet hell shooters are addicting adrenaline rushes. There are also fixed, rail, tube, and many other shoot 'em up types that you can learn about at RacketboyRacketboy's Shmups 101 page.
Can You Play Shmups On Steam Deck?
Valve’s Linux-powered Steam Deck drops your Steam library into a convenient, portable, and surprisingly capable device. The shmups listed below were all downloaded from Valve's video game marketplace, so you should definitely consider picking up those titles for your Steam Deck. There are thousands of Steam Deck Verified and Playable games in the Steam store, so you're bound to find some quality shmups to take with you on the go.
Here's how Valve's Steam Deck verification system works. Verified games feature a green checkmark on the store page, meaning that the title is assured to run well on the Deck. Playable is denoted with a yellow button, meaning it is playable, but needs some minor tweaking to get it running smoothly (like entering text, for example). Other games simply haven't been tested, or are outright unplayable in the SteamOS environment.
Ready to Shoot 'Em Up?
Fortunately, there's a wide variety of shoot 'em ups available to PC gamers, ranging from bullet hell to traditional. If you're looking to explore what the genre offers, consider this guide a launchpad.
Cygni: All Guns Blazing
Sometimes you just need a good twin-stick shoot 'em up. Cygni: All Guns Blazing has all the arcade thrills of blasting enemies out of the sky while chasing high scores. However, it also has ideas of its own. You can strategically divert energy to weapons or to shields to vary your offense and defense. Just try to keep up when the screen becomes filled with exploding particles.
Deathsmiles
Cave is a shmup developer that has many hits in its catalog, with Deathsmiles being one of the company's finest. Deathsmiles is a supernatural shooter in which you play as one of five gothic lolitas who defend their land from a demon invasion using familiars and intense, enemy-wrecking magic. The horizontally scrolling, bullet-hell shooter features six game modes, nonlinear progression, local co-op play, massive enemies, huge explosions, a counter system, and a thrilling goth-rock soundtrack.
DoDonPachi Resurrection
DoDonPachi Resurrection (for PC)
Yup, Cave strikes again with another classic shooter. In the vertically scrolling DonDonPachi Resurrection, you control one of three time-traveling pilots who seek to repair a past that's been altered by a rogue android seeking freedom from human enslavers. This space shooter offers high-powered offensive and defensive options for annihilating aliens, featuring three controllable ships, three distinct attack styles, and the bullet-cancelling Hyper Counter System. The game also has eight gameplay modes, multiple endings, and local co-op play.
Geometry Wars 3
True to its title, Lucid Games' Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions takes the addictive shape-shooting action into the third dimension with near-immaculate results. The twin-stick game is rendered with Tron-like grids, wire-framed objects that explode into kaleidoscopic fireworks as a Daft Punk-ish soundtrack pulses in the background. It's a feast for the senses.
Ikaruga
Ikaruga blends shoot 'em up and puzzle play by utilizing a unique color-switching mechanic that lets you absorb black bullets when your ship is black and white bullets when your ship is white. Those absorbed bullets fill a gauge that lets you unleash a massive attack to damage the mechanical monstrosities. The only downside is that some areas exchange the game's flying freedom for maze-like obstacle courses that slow the pace.
Vampire Survivors
On the surface, Vampire Survivors looks like shovelware, but this roguelite-shmup is a ridiculously addictive game, thanks to its simple concept and deceptively deep mechanics. In this indie game, you select a character with unique abilities and weapons and mow down mooks on an auto-generated, scrolling stage. Vampire Survivors can take a big bite out of your day as you collect weapons and items and optimize your runs.
Mushihimesama
If you hate bugs, Mushihimesama isn't for you. Unless, of course, you have wild fantasies of obliterating as many as possible. Cave's insect-themed, fantasy shooter casts you as a princess who battles giant creepy crawlies across five vertically scrolling stages. Mushihimesama has three game modes: Novice, Normal, and Arrange. Novice is for newcomers who may not be ready to dive into the full-on madness; it's a more balanced take on the bullet-hell experience. Normal is a faithful recreation of the Japanese arcade classic. Arrange is a remixed version of the game that starts you with maximum firepower and automatic bomb drops. You can customize your offense using three weapon types and two option types.
Whisker Squadron: Survivor
Whisker Squadron: Survivor is an homage to Nintendo’s famous Star Fox franchise. You play as adorable talking cats in space who pilot starships and blast down waves of enemies. However, unlike Star Fox, Whisker Squadron is a roguelike, so no two corridor runs are the same. Cool power-ups, a sleek art style, and charming characters encourage you to keep playing.