What do you get when you combine the high-octane combat of a first-person shooter with highly stylized colors and heart-pumping music in rhythm games?
You getrhythm shooters–a subgenre of games that demandprecise timing and accuracyfrom its players. Shooting to the beat can reward players with buffed damage, power-ups, and just an overall sense of satisfaction.
While the rhythm shooter subgenre has a lot of amazing games, it is a woefully untapped market that deserves much more recognition than it currently has.
Only a handful of rhythm shooters have surfaced, and even fewer have enjoyed a modicum of success.
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Blasting EDM At Max Volume
PC (Steam),VR (Meta)
Jaw Drop Games
July 28, 2025
Mixed (on Steam)
Let’s begin withGun Jam, astylish and colorful gamewith a cacophonous bass-boosted EDM soundtrack, coated with an aesthetic that feels reminiscent of theBorderlandsseries.
While it is a visual treat and has some amazing music in its repertoire, it falls flat in its execution of being a rhythm shooter,excelling at neither and falling out of balance.
Other players are also disappointed at its underwhelminglack of content, feeling misled by the demo.
Gun Jam’scontent feels rather undercooked.Its saving grace is that its gameplay feels smooth and has a great selection of music,so it still deserves a spot on this list. Unfortunately, we’re not going to hold our breath for more content, as thelast update made was in 2023.
6BlasterBeat
Rhythmic Free-For-All
PC (Steam)
Free to Play
Muted Games
Aug 02, 2025
Very Positive (on Steam)
Made by a small indie developer Muted Games,BlasterBeatis afree-to-play multiplayerthird-personrhythm shooter with simple gameplay and a variety of soundtracksto choose from, along with a vibe that’s quite reminiscent ofFortnite.
This game has a lot of potential. The gunplay relies on pointing and clicking on the beat, completelyeliminating any reload mechanics.The movement is also pretty fun, as you may quicklysummon a hoverboard to speedily grind on rails.
Each song also has a unique beat map, andthe game offers players the opportunity to create and edit their tracks.This game’s rhythm elements feel more polished than its shooter elements; landing your shots while timing them accurately is quite a learning curve.
While this game has a lot of potential,BlasterBeatfeels a little unpolished, and it shoots itself in the foot by placingtoo much emphasis on PvP.
The servers are almost empty all the time, with a depressing all-time peak of 68 concurrent players. It’d be a miracle to find other players to match with, but when it does happen,it’s a blast.
BlasterBeatdeserves some recognitionfor what it’s trying to do, so we’re hoping that it gets more updates and support as time goes on.
5Pistol Whip
John Wick: The Musical Experience
Pistol Whip
As the only VR-exclusive on this list,Pistol Whipis a rhythm shooter where you glide through a linear path while you’re surrounded by polygonic, pulsating bad guys that you’ll have to dodge and shoot.
Resembling a love child of games likeSUPERHOTandBeat Saber, Pistol Whip’score gameplay lies indodging slow-moving bullets, shooting bad guys to the beat, and performing the titular pistol whipon close-range enemies.
It can be gratifying to dodge bullets and shoot bad guys, but squatting and whipping your head left and right can get a little taxing.
The VR aspect of this game also makes itinaccessiblefor those who can’t afford a VR headset, so while it’s fun to shoot to the pumping beats of EDM, it’s sadlynot available for everybody.
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3Metal Hellsinger
Rock On, Slayer
Metal: Hellsinger
If the rhythm shooter was a band, thenMetal: Hellsingeris the frontman, leading the band with its uniquehellish visuals and an aggressive heavy metal soundtrackbound to get players headbanging.
Hellsinger’sstory revolves around a mute demon whoshoots her way through Hellto get her voice back, all the while accompanied by a dulcet-toned skull with a deep Southern drawl.
Complete with a double-jump, dash, and strong gunplay,Hellsingerbalances both elements of rhythm shooter really well, incentivizing the player toperform on-beat actions with damage multipliers.
The game equips you with two permanent weapons, Paz the skull and the Terminus sword, while allowing you to choose two more weapons on the loadout menu before each linear mission.
Weapon switching is satisfying,each with its unique Ultimate attack that’s sure to delete any enemy brave enough to stand in your way.
Its execution-styled “Slaughter” is also reminiscent ofDOOM’sgory finishers that you’ll have to trigger on the beat, along with clear beat indicators for those who need visual cues.
2BPM: Bullets Per Minute
Perfect Synchronization
BPM: Bullets Per Minute
BPM: Bullets Per Minuteis aroguelike rhythmboomer shooterwith a loose Norse-mythology-inspired theme,accompanied by a selection of clean heavy metal tracks.
Its gameplay loop isimmensely satisfying,with game-changing loot and weapons to carry you on your journey through the realms. It also has a total of 10 Valkyries you’re able to play as so that you’ll never run out of challenges to overcome.
The biggest selling point ofBPM, like most, if not all, rhythm shooters, is thatyou do everything on the beat.This even includes reloading, where youmust press a button for each step in the reloading process.It’s a challenge, but loading each round into a gun has never been more rewarding.
The metal soundtrack is also a blast to listen to, carefully composed to be perfect for the environment that you’re navigating through. You’ll never get tired of listening to the soundtrack.
Unfortunately, a couple of the minor issues holdingBPMback are that itlacks clarity in item descriptions,and the visuals can be a littleheadache-inducing,though the game warns you of any photosensitivity risks.
Still,BPMis an amazing rhythm shooter with an innovative reload system and gameplay that’s sure to fulfill a power fantasy if you’ve got the right build.
Groovy And Stylish
Simon Fredholm
July 27, 2025
Overall Score
10/10, Overwhelmingly Positive (Steam)
From its fast-paced movement-based gameplay, wide selection of mixtapes, and colorful neon aesthetic,Robobeatis the epitome ofcool,blending elements fromUltrakillandBPMin a blindingmovement shooter.
Made by a single dev,Robobeatis a rogue-lite rhythm shooter that justoozes style from its very pores.
You play as Ace, a robot bounty hunter, and your job is to hunt down a rogue robot by navigating through a shifting labyrinth while listening to an expertly curated mixtape.
InRobobeat,movement is key. Each dash, ground slam, and double jump ensures that you’reuntouchablewhile you’re blasting away, guns akimbo. Clearing a room full of enemies rewards you with a shot of dopamine, beckoning you to keep going.
The learning curve is also quite steep,as healing is scarce, and enemies can easily overwhelm you with an onslaught of bullet hell attacks. But whether you’re a novice or a pro, this game is an absolute blast to play.
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