Super tight controls, fantastic music that makes you happy and an addictive, hardcore challenge – these are all hallmarks of a great shoot ’em up.

Do you play for the highest score or just to reset your mind after a busy working day? Are there meditative qualities to playing shmups on a regular basis? Perhaps a deep, spiritual moment of clarity and bliss? Whatever the case, there are many great shooting games out there to discover, play and master. In this article, we will outline the best shmups on Steam in alphabetical order! (Plus some Honorable Mentions below.)

Note: This article is subject to updates! Last Updated: 2023-12-04

Arcade Game Series: Galaga

While this may not be the best, most optimized port of Galaga (it takes 800+ MB of disk space for no apparent reason?!), it is still a great game. Galaga is a shooting game distilled to its purest form; an arcade classic that still deserves the attention of all retro arcade shmup players.

Bullet Soul / Bullet Soul Infinite Burst

These two games were previously released on the Xbox 360 Marketplace, and are definitely worth checking out on Steam. It’s lightning-fast, colorful, explosive and features a rather unique mechanic that allows you to collect bullets from destroyed enemies to increase the score multiplier. Plus, it has fantastic music too.

Caladrius Blaze

A good game that offers lots of variety and depth thanks to its different playable characters, each with their own set of weapons. Caladrius Blaze has a dark gothic theme and features awesome music and overall great production values. There is also three different game modes, plus a Boss Rush mode – all complete with online leaderboards.

Castle of Shikigami

An arcade original from 2001 that has gotten the full Steam treatment with enhanced graphics, online leaderboards, Steam trading cards, achivements, etc. The game features a satisfying “tension system” that rewards risk taking in a unique way; gracing enemy bullets will increase attack power! The game has great replay value with six different characters with their own unique weapons.

Crimzon Clover WORLD IGNITION

Developed by a small Japanese indie game company, Crimzon Clover World Ignition might just be the most frantic game that a human mind can absorb. It encourages spamming lock-on missiles and bombs reload automatically. It is a sheer joy to play, offers four different game modes and has a very satisfying “Break Mode” mechanic where you gain super strong weapons. It also has online leaderboards, so you can easily compete with friends (or the world).

DARIUSBURST Chronicle Saviours

This may be the mother of all shmups. This is a HUGE, glorious arcade game with gorgeous visuals, fantastic music and many different game modes. Furthermore it has playable ships (each with their own weapons and functions), power-ups, levels and bosses by the boat load. On top of that, it has optional DLC that add playable ships from classic arcade games along with special levels that feature music from those games. Fan service and top quality, through and through.

Deathsmiles

Cuteness and gothic horror themes mixed into one. One of the unique features in Deathsmiles is that it allows you to adjust the difficulty level from one level to the next. CAVE developed shmups tend to hide layer after layer of depth and complexity, and this one is no different in that regard. The Steam version includes six (!) main game modes, plus Score Attack modes with online leaderboards for each. While still being a challenging game, Deathsmiles manages to be very approachable for casual playing.

DELTAZEAL

A straight forward arcade shooter with crisp pixel graphics, good music and lots of fast paced, challenging segments. Triangle Service has released a few shooting games on steam, and this one may be my personal favorite out of those due to the fact that it is so easy to understand and get into. It has a rather fresh power-up system where you can mix and match three different types of weapons and create combinations of those. It also features online leaderboards, which is always a welcome addition.

Devil Engine

Devil Engine is a small-team indie developed game with clear references to the Thunder Force game series – a side scrolling shoot ’em up with super-in-your-face action at the speed of light. Huge enemies and eye melting bullet patterns galore. This is a tough game but a joy to play nonetheless.

DoDonPachi Resurrection

I will readily admit that I have not (yet!) learned how to play this game properly. For those who enjoy (overly?) complex game systems though, DoDonPachi Resurrection has a lot to offer. This Steam release includes eight different game modes (!) along with a few different playable ships. The game looks and plays beautifully and really is a hardcore challenge for the most dedicated players.

Earth Defense Force 4.1: Wingdiver The Shooter

This is a spin-off game from the Earth Defense Force game series focusing on the brave Wingdivers who fight giant insects of all kinds. With that said, this is a top-down arcade shooter through and through. The game only has a few levels but offers plenty replay value by increasing difficulty level, which in turn also gives you a chance to unlock more powerful weaponry. There is a pretty wide variety of weapons to collect, so finding your favorite play style is part of the enjoyment here.

Eschatos

Eschatos is a fast paced shoot ’em up that focuses on the use of three different weapons; a focused rapid laser, a wide vulcan shot and a shield that can absorb enemy bullets. Identifying when to use each weapon is key to success here. The game has great music, a few different game modes and numerous tricky bosses. As with many other Steam shmups, online leaderboards are supported.

EXZEAL

Another shoot ’em up developed by Triangle Service. In EXZEAL, there are no power-ups. Instead there are four different playable ships armed with different weapons (a standard shot, a special charge shot and of course bombs). The game is very challenging and favors precise performance and memorization over flashy super weapons. Definitely worth a look for the fans of the genre. It has online leaderboards for each of the playable ships, encouraging you to master them all.

Game Tengoku CruisinMix

Now this is a rare thing; Game Tengoku CruisinMix is based on a Sega Saturn and Japan exclusive shmup, which in turn was based on an arcade original from 1995. This Steam version adds enhanced graphics and other goodies like a gallery mode and online leaderboards. The themes are cutesy and colorful, the game itself is very fun to play and has a rather unique power-up system where you collect different wingmen to help you out.

Ghost Blade HD

Originally released as a Dreamcast game, Steam now has the HD version. A visually astounding game with fantastic music (really!), plus great gameplay. Three different playable ships and three difficulty levels, plus straight forward mechanics makes this game very approachable for people who usually don’t play shmups. It also has Training Mode and a Score Attack mode for those who are looking to master the game fully.

Graze Counter

This one is a real hardcore challenge. Enemies flood the screen and bullets fly everywhere! The Grace Counter mechanic means that if you grace enemies or their bullets, it builds up to a super charged shot. Collecting stars from defeated enemies builds up the Break bar which can be used to unleash an even stronger shot that fires in a wide array. It also allows you to maintain the score multiplier for an extended time. The game has cool retro style pixel graphics and great music!

The Hurricane of the Varstray -Collateral hazard-

A very hectic and intense vertical scroller with amazing visuals and some refreshing mechanics where you can become invulnerable for a limited time with the Grabuster charge. It features multiple weapons and four different playable characters along with Steam leaderboards, plus optional DLC that adds new stages and a new playable character.

Ikaruga

Another Steam version of an arcade classic, now with enhanced, full resolution HD graphics. Ikaruga has a unique mechanic where your ship can switch between to opposite polarities. This means that you are invulnerable to enemy shots that match your current state… and this needs to exploited to the fullest in order to progress through the game. The game is brutally difficult and demands memorization and acute pattern recognition. It has beautiful graphics and a really unique art style, plus it has some added bonuses packed in there.

Infinos Gaiden

This lovable indie gem was just released, and in my opinion isn’t getting enough attention. A pure 90’s arcade style side scrolling shooter with crisp graphics and beautiful music. Three difficulty levels and a hassle-free power-up system that’s easy to understand and play around with makes this one a solid choice. The game is fairly difficult, so practice is required. Unlike many other games on this list, this game has no support for online leaderboards.

JUDGEMENT SILVERSWORD – Resurrection –

This game brings two furiously fast Wonderswan shmups to Steam. The twin games are Judgement Silversword -rebirth edition- in which you hunt score by killing enemies as fast as possible, and Cardinal Sins -recycle edition- in which you push yourself in an endless marathon mode. These games are predecessors to Eschatos mentioned above, and are thus similar in many ways. This Steam release also features online leaderboards for both games.

KAMUI

A sequel to RefleX (see below). Kamui is a classic style vertically scrolling shooting game in which you deploy a Lightning attack that can destroy enemy bullets. Using this special weapon to get out of tricky situations is exciting but using it wisely is the real challenge. Collect power-ups to upgrade the standard weapon into a wide shot, which greatly helps in fighting the numerous enemies that keep swarming the screen.

Mushihimesama

Another one of Cave’s classic bullet hell shooters that come packed with several modern features on Steam. Mushihimesama has a few different game modes (optional DLC adds an extra) that alter the difficulty level and core mechanics in various ways. This game quickly becomes infuriatingly difficult, but it goes to some lengths in welcoming new players to try the easier difficulty settings. The enhanced graphics are a feast to the eyes and the music is very enjoyable.

R-Type Dimensions EX

The two original and brilliant R-Type games bundled together with remade sound and graphics in high definition, adding new game modes and online leaderboards. You can switch between new and retro graphics on the fly. Great value for money; true to the arcade originals, a hardcore challenge and lots of retro love!

Raiden III Digital Edition

An Arcade original from 2005 that found its way to the Steam platform, almost 10 years later. How good of a port is this? Well, it runs on a rather low resolution, so there is no HD treatment here (instead it scales up). It also has some problems recognizing the D-Pad of certain controllers. Otherwise this is a solid game featuring Score Attack, Boss Rush and Gallery Modes. It keeps track of your score on Ranking boards for each of the game modes, but there are no online leaderboards.

Raiden IV: Overkill

The Raiden game series has become staple to shoot ’em up fans around the world. This game is massive in terms of content. It features five different game modes, unlockable extras, a gallery mode, replay uploading and online leaderboards. The game is very challenging, but difficulty level can be adjusted (sometimes in two different ways!). This game is a beast – the graphics are excellent and the music is phenomenal. Well worth the money!

Raiden V: Director’s Cut

Raiden V was originally released as an Xbox One exclusive back in 2016. This game is yet another excellent addition to the Raiden series and features the unique Cheer System where you can cheer for other players as they perform various feats such as beating their personal best score, or defeating a boss. As you receive cheers from other players, a gauge fills up that can be released for tremendous firepower. The graphics are top-notch and the music is, as always, spot on. The game also features Gallery, Boss Mission modes, hidden stages and online leaderboards that can track your score progress in real-time.

RefleX

A fun and approachable vertical scroller in which you possess a special Shield that not only absorbs enemy bullets, it can also reflect back certain types of projectiles to cause massive damage. The game reminds of Playstation era shmups and plays beautifully. Obviously the Shield is your key to success and it builds back up quite fast, allowing you to use it often.

Satazius

This is a side scroller that in many ways reminds of the classic arcade game Gradius. Satazius has numerous different weapons and a special charge shot that can make short work of most enemies. The game is extremely fun to play and quickly became a personal favorite. It does suffer some technical issues (weird controller detection, buggy fullscreen mode?), but overall it is a worthy addition to any shmup collection.

Steel Empire

This is a classic game that was originally released on the Sega Mega Drive. This particular edition of the game is based on the Nintendo 3DS port that was released in 2014. Now featuring full HD graphics. It’s not the hardest shoot ’em up you’ll see, but it’s great fun and has a unique steam punk style setting.

Strania – The Stella Machina –

Developed by shmup legends G.rev Ltd., this game really hits the mark with awesome art direction, some interesting use of the 3D camera, fast and exciting gameplay and brilliant music. The game features a sword attack mechanic that can cancel enemy bullets along with various other weapons that can be collected and combined to your liking. The game is very challenging (even on the Normal difficulty setting!) and requires lots of practice before it can be beaten. Easily recommended.

Sturmwind EX

Sturmwind was previously an indie developed Dreamcast game, but it has since been made available on Steam as Sturmwind EX. This is a rather massive side-scroller with 16 levels and numerous different weapons. Fans of R-Type will certainly find something to like in this one. Overall a very polished game with beautiful graphics and good soundtrack!

Super Hydorah

This is an exceptional game in the 90s arcade style of side scrollers – a huge game with tons of content to explore, nice pixel graphics and many catchy tunes. There are numerous weapons that can be unlocked and you get to choose the next stage from a branching world map. The power-up system does feel a bit too stingy but once you manage to get to the more powerful weapons, it pays off. The game can be punishing and will require top performance if you hope to get to the end.

TRIZEAL Remix

Another favorite from Triangle Service. In TRIZEAL Remix your ship can transform, switching between three different weapons. Collecting power-ups will not only increase firepower of the active weapon, but also allow them to be used in combinations. The game quickly ramps up the difficulty level with many tricky bosses and intense segments. Beating stages in the Story Mode unlocks Score Attack Mode for those stages and yes it has online leaderboards.

Trouble Witches Origin – Episode 1 Daughters of Amalgam –

Stunning, colorful, cute and cheeky. Trouble Witches is a side scrolling carnival of delights… and bullet-hell style gameplay. The game features a unique Magic Circle mechanic that slows down enemy bullets within its perimeter. You can also collect Gold from defeated baddies and buy special weapons from the Shop. There’s multiple playable characters (even more with optional DLC), a few different game modes and detailed leaderboards for everything. A cute game that just makes you happy!

WOLFLAME

This is definitively one of the easiest games on this list, but it is so much fun to play regardless. (The difficulty level can be adjusted, of course!) WOLFLAME is a classic style vertically scrolling shoot ’em up that allows you to collect power-ups and reach almost absurd amounts of firepower… for as long as you manage to stay alive. Features Steam leaderboards and Practice Mode!

XIIZEAL

Yet another one of Triangle Service’s doing. XIIZEAL is a standard shmup in many ways, but to differentiate itself from the rest, it features a close range side dash attack that deals massive damage and can make short work of many enemy attack waves. It does feel a bit gimmicky in my opinion, but it presents a risk/reward paradigm since it requires you to stay close to the danger. Overall the game has beautiful graphics and feels pretty full fledged with a Score Attack mode, various difficulty settings and online leaderboards.

Zero Wing

The classic must-have, must-play side-scroller from TOAPLAN has been released on Steam, with a bunch of great quality of life improvements such as online scoreboards (featuring a multitude of different high score tables to compete on), autofire support, a rewind feature, and overall excellent emulation of the original game. The game is tough as nails, and a real challenge!

Honorable Mentions

Here is a list of games that eventually will make it to the big list above. We simply haven’t had the chance to play them enough (or at all) yet to make a proper judgement. They are probably worth checking out, though!

1. 1917 – The Alien Invasion DX
2. ALLTYNEX Second
3. Astebreed: Definitive Edition
4. Battle Crust
5. Ether Vapor Remaster
6. GundeadliGne
7. Gundemonium Recollection
8. Jamestown
9. Jets’n’Guns Gold
10. Redux: Dark Matters
11. Supercharged Robot VULKAISER

Missed Opportunities

All is not great on the Steam side of shooting games however. First of all, none of the above games (only exception seems to be Jamestown?) are supported on macOS and/or Linux, which is a bit of a downer.

Secondly, there are some releases that are great in theory, but fails miserably in various ways. The following releases are such disappointments…

Raiden Legacy – Steam Edition

Broken ports of four classic Raiden games. Some say the game stutters due to a “bug in the emulation”. Some say that the game doesn’t even start. We held out and waited for a promised patch that would fix these issues, but nothing has happened on that front, as far as we can tell. Will we ever see good versions of the first Raiden games on Steam… or any other platform, for that matter? *Sigh*
Some users report that the GOG.com version of this release is better, but others say that it suffers from the same issues. We haven’t tested it yet.

TWINKLE STAR SPRITES

This game is so good and original, but there is something seriously wrong with the Steam version. It stutters so badly that it basically is unplayable. Sadly, this isn’t the only Neo Geo / Arcade Windows / Steam port that suffers from these kinds of issues. If they are selling it, it should WORK AS INTENDED and not merely launch and crap out.