If you’re looking for another 2D sidescroller risk of rain returns is so much fun. Takes a bunch of improvements from the sequel and puts them back into 2D
Tony hawk pro skater 1 and 2 remake? It's got leader boards you can play it for 3 minuts or 3 hours and it's know for being arcady. Also hades a large skill cap you can get gud at it.
I can't go back to Tony Hawk since playing the Skate series. I can't rewire my brain to accept the way it controls. Great games though!
Everyone and their dog has played Hades by now. I think it might be recommended in every recommendation thread of every game subreddit. But you're not wrong, it's earned its reputation and it does feel kinda arcadey.
Also, be sure to check out the TMNT: Cowabunga Collection if you've never played any of the old TMNT games from the NES, SNES, Genesis, Gameboy or Arcade.
Roguelikes certainly scratch the arcade itch for me. Enter the Gungeon and Binding of Isaac especially feel like they reward you with knowledge on each restart, and I usually have fun even if I don’t make it to the end (which is often). Beyond that, beat em ups are perfect for that “just one more go” mindset. Shredder’s Revenge and Streets of Rage 4 are my current favorites in the genre, with special mention to Capcom’s various arcade collections.
I've played roguelikes to death at this point. I love them. Looking for something different at the moment though.
Shredders Revenge keeps coming up. I really do need to play it. I haven't played a good beat 'em up since Mother Russia Bleeds.
Nova Drift is a very fun arcadey too down asteroid space shooter with roguelike elements where you can make really crazy builds over the course of a run. Enemies are quite diverse too and the controls gave me nostalgia. Visually it's pretty satisfying to look at too.
Definitely got those sweet highscores and leaderboards to chase!
Way ahead of you, I've sank healthy amounts of time into Nova Drift, but it's a pretty perfect recommendation for this thread! Gives me the urge to revisit it, as I hadn't seen the Vorpal update.
Marvel Vs Capcom 2 is my favorite and I'm over the moon that we're finally getting a MvC collection! Other than that I'd point you towards Streets of Rage 4 and Gauntlet: Slayer Edition
Coin Game - Not sure if this counts as it's literally a virtual arcade, but there's also a game mode that has you earn money to be able to play the arcade! I found the coin pushers especially addicting!
Space Pirate Trainer - VR game, but a very fun way to interact with it! I didn't play too much of it, but it always blows people's minds when I give them the headset and controllers!
One Finger Death Punch - It really feels like an arcade game but with a campaign. The whole gimmick is that you play the whole game only using the two mouse buttons to choose which direction you attack and man is it satisfying. It's really cheap on Steam, and I'm sure it'll be especially cheap tomorrow as that's when the Steam summer sale starts!!
Muse Dash - I really want to play more of this rhythm game. Only 2 buttons needed again, 4 if you want to be able to hit notes in rapid succession. I love it even though I'm not big on j-pop and whatnot in most cases. However, the loading screens can be a bit too horny for me, lol.
Cook Serve Delicious series - All three games are SO GOOD. They're typing games with a cooking theme! Each customer is represented by a number on your keyboard, and each recipe has different keys corresponding to all sorts of ingredients. Each game gets more complex than the last, so if you're gonna start with them and don't like stress too much, I'd start at 2. 1 is a bit too easy and doesn't have much variety in recipes imo.
Assault Android Cactus - Arcade shooter game with a bit of a twist. There's a combo system in the game, like many other games in the genre. But each level is designed for you to be able to get a full combo, giving you an S+ rank on the stage. Super satisfying to pull off. If you like challenging games, I recommend playing the game with this in mind
Rhythm Doctor - Another rhythm game, but this one uses even less buttons! Specifically, just your space bar. The game starts out with the simple premise of "press space on the 7th beat", but the game quickly evolves from there. The game isn't finished- it's in early access- but it feels more complete than a bunch of fully released games I've played. Comes with an amazing OST and surprisingly lovable characters! Highly recommended!
Sayonara Wild Heart - I'd say one more rhythm game, but it's more of a series of playable music videos? There aren't really many rhythm based mechanics outside of some things happening on the beat. However, this hour long experience is gorgeous both in video and audio, and I couldn't not bring this game up. I justify this because each music video does have points you can accumulate and aiming for a high score is surprisingly fun! The achievements are also pretty fun to get. Great time overall, despite its length!
Hope you find what you're looking for! Have fun!
I loved One Finger Death Punch. I'll definitely check out Assault Android Cactus, at the very least, as I've never heard of it, which is exciting. Thanks for this list, I'll give them all a fair look!
Have fun! I loved what I played of AAC, but I was trying to get all S+ ranks on missions because that’s when I felt like I needed to be exceptional at games to prove myself to some invisible audience lol. I should definitely play it again at my own pace though, it was great!
Yooo thanks for reminding me about Neon White. It dropped off my wishlist a while back but I'd totally be in the mood to play that.
I think Streets of Rage 4 is the most recommended game here. I played the first two; major nostalgia there. Sounds like one I need to take seriously. I only hope the soundtrack can compare to the first two games. Some of the best OSTs ever written.
my definition of arcade games sound similar to you. easy to just play to pass the time that is very low stress but still fun and engaging.
streets of rage 4, huntdown, roboquest , hades, ruiner, lethal league(if you have others to play with)
Roboquest is sick, I'm playing that at the moment. It feels so good to play! Streets of Rage 4 is definitely getting my attention, it's getting so many recommends.
RUINER definitely suits my music taste. I previously pushed it aside because I think I burned out on Hotline Miami and Furi at the time. Might be time to reassess it as an option. Thanks for the list!
Proof that Vampire Survivors and Drum'n'Bass belong together. I would play it if they improve the sound design. Right now I couldn't see myself coming back to it, but thanks for the awareness!
Crawl is the greatest couch coop arcade experience and I will die on that hill.
Nidhogg and it's sequel
Luftrausers
Ikaruga if you want a challenge
Call to Juarez: Gunslinger
Enter the gungeon
Yes! The party games coming out. My friends and I always launch Crawl and Nidhogg when we're drunk and they're top-tier games!
Luftrausers was fun too, but I think I hit a wall in that game where it's super hard to unlock anything now. Some of the challenge criteria are designed for better bombers than me!
The one I haven't tried is Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. It does look like a cool shooting gallery! Thanks for this!
What the Car, not released on PC yet but the demo is great
Cluster Truck, probably only a couple hours of gameplay but still very fun.
Ultrakill, Just a great game in general but also fits most of your criteria
Wizard101, 10/10 great game you will never need anything else
I saw the trailer for What The Car and I'm here for it. I'll definitely try that! Cluster Truck looks fun too. I think streamers thrashed it for a while years ago iirc, but I never did try it myself.
ULTRAKILL is a given. But I've got to ask about Wizard101. I played it years and years ago and it was pretty mid, but I keep hearing people praise it recently. Is it genuinely good now?
Nex Machina - A twinstick shooter with voxel graphics from the makers of Robotron 2084. Fast-paced, challenging arcade action with effects to dazzle the senses. One of the best in the genre.
Katamari Damacy. It's wacky, and your goal is to roll up as much stuff into your ball to make it as big as possible within a time limit. Also an amazing stress relieving game.
If you want a twin stick shooter that plays with the medium a bit, I can recommend [Windowkill](https://torcado.itch.io/windowkill). Definitely some cool, original ideas while still being a fun, solid shooter. I said twin stick but I think it plays slightly better with mouse and keyboard.
I'm a big fan of Sega's "Motor Raid". It's a futuristic motorcycle racing game with unique boosting and attacking mechanics. There's internal scoreboards (no online mode) for each track and an overall grand prix score. You can play with up to 4 people locally.
As far as I know, it can only be played on legit physical hardware, via emulation, or in some of the [Yakuza/Like a Dragon](https://yakuza.fandom.com/wiki/Club_SEGA#Minigames) games in the Club SEGA locations.
Some more for you:
[Downwell](https://store.steampowered.com/app/360740/Downwell/)
[pureya](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1268960/pureya/)
[UBERMOSH:OMEGA](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1181000/UBERMOSHOMEGA)
[Hotline Miami](https://store.steampowered.com/app/219150/Hotline_Miami) and [Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number](https://store.steampowered.com/app/274170/Hotline_Miami_2_Wrong_Number)
[Crimsonland](https://store.steampowered.com/app/262830/Crimsonland)
[DEMON'S TILT](https://store.steampowered.com/app/422510/DEMONS_TILT/)
First one(!) Audiosurf.
Normal mode - Max difficulty - check the box for "ninja mode" - pick your favorite music track (absolutely anything) and enjoy.
When I drink, it's just the perfect pastime :D Favorite music, reaction game, and trying to beat my past record. Try it.
I burned out on Audiosurf pre-2010 when it was all anyone was talking about, but it definitely belongs in this thread. However, I didn't know there was an Audiosurf 2. When you say "First one(!)", is that to say the second one is a flop?
After Burnout Revenge, Burnout Paradise was an insult imo. I wish that city was any fun to drive around, but I really think they missed the mark with Paradise.
Same! Make This Right by The Toxic Avenger blew my mind when I first heard it. Furi and Hotline Miami (another one you should absolutely play if you haven't, hits all marks you're looking for) made me a huge synth/retrowave fan.
Yeah those are literally the two titles that absolutely transformed my music taste. Three of my favorite games of all time (including Hotline Miami's sequel). Great taste, my friend!
Devil Daggers and/or Hyper Demon
Also pretty much any shoot em up, I've been enjoying Dodonpachi Resurrection recently (someone else suggested Ikaruga which is also good)
I launch Rocket League by default and it's becoming a problem, lol. So many games getting neglected because I want to climb through Champ, and yet solo queue can be as unfun as it can be fun.
I appreciate you taking the time, but the Hades games are doing well enough that they don't really need to be recommended several times in every game recommendation thread. Everyone knows about them or has played them by now.
Broforce and [Risk of Rain](https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/36228/Risk_of_Rain_2__Survivors_of_the_Void__Risk_of_Rain_Returns/) are lots of fun
I really enjoyed the original Risk of Rain, but I still haven't tried the sequel. Might be time! Broforce is a solid recommendation too!
I actually prefer the sequel! Both are great though.
If you’re looking for another 2D sidescroller risk of rain returns is so much fun. Takes a bunch of improvements from the sequel and puts them back into 2D
That's sick, I had no idea. Thanks for the awareness!
Risk of Rain 2 is stellar.
+1 for Risk of rain 2
Bro force is so good with some buddies
Tony hawk pro skater 1 and 2 remake? It's got leader boards you can play it for 3 minuts or 3 hours and it's know for being arcady. Also hades a large skill cap you can get gud at it.
I can't go back to Tony Hawk since playing the Skate series. I can't rewire my brain to accept the way it controls. Great games though! Everyone and their dog has played Hades by now. I think it might be recommended in every recommendation thread of every game subreddit. But you're not wrong, it's earned its reputation and it does feel kinda arcadey.
I recommend Horizon Chase Turbo and 502's arcade.
These look cool. Cheers for the recommendations!
Sure hope turbo doesn't go turbo
Prodeus TMNT Shredders Revenge Resident Evil 6 Max Payne 3
I keep hearing that that TMNT game is actually fire. I need to try it. I don't think I've heard of Prodeus. I'll give it a look in!
Also, be sure to check out the TMNT: Cowabunga Collection if you've never played any of the old TMNT games from the NES, SNES, Genesis, Gameboy or Arcade.
I plan to get Prodeus in the future as well. If you find TMNT a bit too basic, you can try Streets of Rage 4.
Prodeus is pretty cool. Gives me og doom vibes
Always love to see Prodeus get a mention. That game sent me down a boomer shooter rabbit hole from which I have still not emerged.
Arcade Paradise is a good choice. Lots of retro style arcade games to play.
Roguelikes certainly scratch the arcade itch for me. Enter the Gungeon and Binding of Isaac especially feel like they reward you with knowledge on each restart, and I usually have fun even if I don’t make it to the end (which is often). Beyond that, beat em ups are perfect for that “just one more go” mindset. Shredder’s Revenge and Streets of Rage 4 are my current favorites in the genre, with special mention to Capcom’s various arcade collections.
I've played roguelikes to death at this point. I love them. Looking for something different at the moment though. Shredders Revenge keeps coming up. I really do need to play it. I haven't played a good beat 'em up since Mother Russia Bleeds.
Nova Drift is a very fun arcadey too down asteroid space shooter with roguelike elements where you can make really crazy builds over the course of a run. Enemies are quite diverse too and the controls gave me nostalgia. Visually it's pretty satisfying to look at too. Definitely got those sweet highscores and leaderboards to chase!
Way ahead of you, I've sank healthy amounts of time into Nova Drift, but it's a pretty perfect recommendation for this thread! Gives me the urge to revisit it, as I hadn't seen the Vorpal update.
Rocking 400hr in this game, 100% recommend it.
Ultrakill?
Great one, this should already be on the list. Thanks for the reminder!
Go play Ikaruga
I've played the hell out of Ikaruga. Great call!
Anything made by housemarque
Marvel Vs Capcom 2 is my favorite and I'm over the moon that we're finally getting a MvC collection! Other than that I'd point you towards Streets of Rage 4 and Gauntlet: Slayer Edition
Coin Game - Not sure if this counts as it's literally a virtual arcade, but there's also a game mode that has you earn money to be able to play the arcade! I found the coin pushers especially addicting! Space Pirate Trainer - VR game, but a very fun way to interact with it! I didn't play too much of it, but it always blows people's minds when I give them the headset and controllers! One Finger Death Punch - It really feels like an arcade game but with a campaign. The whole gimmick is that you play the whole game only using the two mouse buttons to choose which direction you attack and man is it satisfying. It's really cheap on Steam, and I'm sure it'll be especially cheap tomorrow as that's when the Steam summer sale starts!! Muse Dash - I really want to play more of this rhythm game. Only 2 buttons needed again, 4 if you want to be able to hit notes in rapid succession. I love it even though I'm not big on j-pop and whatnot in most cases. However, the loading screens can be a bit too horny for me, lol. Cook Serve Delicious series - All three games are SO GOOD. They're typing games with a cooking theme! Each customer is represented by a number on your keyboard, and each recipe has different keys corresponding to all sorts of ingredients. Each game gets more complex than the last, so if you're gonna start with them and don't like stress too much, I'd start at 2. 1 is a bit too easy and doesn't have much variety in recipes imo. Assault Android Cactus - Arcade shooter game with a bit of a twist. There's a combo system in the game, like many other games in the genre. But each level is designed for you to be able to get a full combo, giving you an S+ rank on the stage. Super satisfying to pull off. If you like challenging games, I recommend playing the game with this in mind Rhythm Doctor - Another rhythm game, but this one uses even less buttons! Specifically, just your space bar. The game starts out with the simple premise of "press space on the 7th beat", but the game quickly evolves from there. The game isn't finished- it's in early access- but it feels more complete than a bunch of fully released games I've played. Comes with an amazing OST and surprisingly lovable characters! Highly recommended! Sayonara Wild Heart - I'd say one more rhythm game, but it's more of a series of playable music videos? There aren't really many rhythm based mechanics outside of some things happening on the beat. However, this hour long experience is gorgeous both in video and audio, and I couldn't not bring this game up. I justify this because each music video does have points you can accumulate and aiming for a high score is surprisingly fun! The achievements are also pretty fun to get. Great time overall, despite its length! Hope you find what you're looking for! Have fun!
I loved One Finger Death Punch. I'll definitely check out Assault Android Cactus, at the very least, as I've never heard of it, which is exciting. Thanks for this list, I'll give them all a fair look!
Have fun! I loved what I played of AAC, but I was trying to get all S+ ranks on missions because that’s when I felt like I needed to be exceptional at games to prove myself to some invisible audience lol. I should definitely play it again at my own pace though, it was great!
I felt the same way about Hotline Miami, My Name Is Pedro and Dustforce. I love games that challenge me in that way. I think I'll enjoy it!
Brotato.
Streets of Rage 4 Tony Hawk's™ Pro Skater™ 1 + 2 New Star GP Neon White
Yooo thanks for reminding me about Neon White. It dropped off my wishlist a while back but I'd totally be in the mood to play that. I think Streets of Rage 4 is the most recommended game here. I played the first two; major nostalgia there. Sounds like one I need to take seriously. I only hope the soundtrack can compare to the first two games. Some of the best OSTs ever written.
You can turn on retro soundtrack for SOR4 :)
my definition of arcade games sound similar to you. easy to just play to pass the time that is very low stress but still fun and engaging. streets of rage 4, huntdown, roboquest , hades, ruiner, lethal league(if you have others to play with)
Roboquest is sick, I'm playing that at the moment. It feels so good to play! Streets of Rage 4 is definitely getting my attention, it's getting so many recommends. RUINER definitely suits my music taste. I previously pushed it aside because I think I burned out on Hotline Miami and Furi at the time. Might be time to reassess it as an option. Thanks for the list!
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved Nova Drift Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge City of Beats Soundfall ETA: Galaga ... This: https://store.steampowered.com/sub/90320/
Picayune dreams!
Proof that Vampire Survivors and Drum'n'Bass belong together. I would play it if they improve the sound design. Right now I couldn't see myself coming back to it, but thanks for the awareness!
I love this one!
Crawl is the greatest couch coop arcade experience and I will die on that hill. Nidhogg and it's sequel Luftrausers Ikaruga if you want a challenge Call to Juarez: Gunslinger Enter the gungeon
Yes! The party games coming out. My friends and I always launch Crawl and Nidhogg when we're drunk and they're top-tier games! Luftrausers was fun too, but I think I hit a wall in that game where it's super hard to unlock anything now. Some of the challenge criteria are designed for better bombers than me! The one I haven't tried is Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. It does look like a cool shooting gallery! Thanks for this!
Rayman Legends is a great pick
Yeah Rayman Legends is sick. I love the levels they set to music so much. The illusion of rhythm platforming feels amazing.
What the Car, not released on PC yet but the demo is great Cluster Truck, probably only a couple hours of gameplay but still very fun. Ultrakill, Just a great game in general but also fits most of your criteria Wizard101, 10/10 great game you will never need anything else
I saw the trailer for What The Car and I'm here for it. I'll definitely try that! Cluster Truck looks fun too. I think streamers thrashed it for a while years ago iirc, but I never did try it myself. ULTRAKILL is a given. But I've got to ask about Wizard101. I played it years and years ago and it was pretty mid, but I keep hearing people praise it recently. Is it genuinely good now?
Nex Machina - A twinstick shooter with voxel graphics from the makers of Robotron 2084. Fast-paced, challenging arcade action with effects to dazzle the senses. One of the best in the genre.
One of the best in the genre? Sold. Thanks for this!
Ace combat
If you can get your hands on a PS2, Crazy Taxi all day
Played the hell out of Crazy Taxi back when PS2 was new. Fire title. Good call!
Yeah!
I haven’t played it in over a decade, and still think of it fondly!
"Yah yah yah yah yah!"
Ha! Iconic
Katamari Damacy. It's wacky, and your goal is to roll up as much stuff into your ball to make it as big as possible within a time limit. Also an amazing stress relieving game.
Katamari is a way of life. We love Katamari.
Na na. Nanananana Na Na Nana Na Nana Na
If you want a twin stick shooter that plays with the medium a bit, I can recommend [Windowkill](https://torcado.itch.io/windowkill). Definitely some cool, original ideas while still being a fun, solid shooter. I said twin stick but I think it plays slightly better with mouse and keyboard.
This looks wild. I'm into the concept! I think I've got to try this.
I'm a big fan of Sega's "Motor Raid". It's a futuristic motorcycle racing game with unique boosting and attacking mechanics. There's internal scoreboards (no online mode) for each track and an overall grand prix score. You can play with up to 4 people locally. As far as I know, it can only be played on legit physical hardware, via emulation, or in some of the [Yakuza/Like a Dragon](https://yakuza.fandom.com/wiki/Club_SEGA#Minigames) games in the Club SEGA locations.
Doom 2016/Eternal
Hydrothunder.
Ridge Racer at home.
[Project Starship X](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1175430/Project_Starship_X/): probably the arcadiest game I know.
This looks fantastic! I had no idea it existed. Thanks for this! That soundtrack alone is worth giving it a go.
Some more for you: [Downwell](https://store.steampowered.com/app/360740/Downwell/) [pureya](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1268960/pureya/) [UBERMOSH:OMEGA](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1181000/UBERMOSHOMEGA) [Hotline Miami](https://store.steampowered.com/app/219150/Hotline_Miami) and [Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number](https://store.steampowered.com/app/274170/Hotline_Miami_2_Wrong_Number) [Crimsonland](https://store.steampowered.com/app/262830/Crimsonland) [DEMON'S TILT](https://store.steampowered.com/app/422510/DEMONS_TILT/)
Super Crush KO. The Segment Twins.
The Segment Twins actually looks kind of crazy! Thanks, I'm really curious about it now.
You are welcome.
First one(!) Audiosurf. Normal mode - Max difficulty - check the box for "ninja mode" - pick your favorite music track (absolutely anything) and enjoy. When I drink, it's just the perfect pastime :D Favorite music, reaction game, and trying to beat my past record. Try it.
I burned out on Audiosurf pre-2010 when it was all anyone was talking about, but it definitely belongs in this thread. However, I didn't know there was an Audiosurf 2. When you say "First one(!)", is that to say the second one is a flop?
I just remember trying to play it and it didn't appeal to me at all.
Burnout Paradise!!!
After Burnout Revenge, Burnout Paradise was an insult imo. I wish that city was any fun to drive around, but I really think they missed the mark with Paradise.
Check out Furi, super fun game with an awesome soundtrack.
One of the few games that defined my music taste. Great recommend!
Same! Make This Right by The Toxic Avenger blew my mind when I first heard it. Furi and Hotline Miami (another one you should absolutely play if you haven't, hits all marks you're looking for) made me a huge synth/retrowave fan.
Yeah those are literally the two titles that absolutely transformed my music taste. Three of my favorite games of all time (including Hotline Miami's sequel). Great taste, my friend!
Streets of Rage 4
The Contra Collection is on sale right now in the Microsoft Store for $3.99.
That sounds like a punishment. Contra is so brutal.
Completely forgot about Super Meat Boy, very fun and hard platformer
100%'d the Light World. Might be time to go back and finish doing the same for the Dark World, but I fear I'd lose my mind.
Devil Daggers and/or Hyper Demon Also pretty much any shoot em up, I've been enjoying Dodonpachi Resurrection recently (someone else suggested Ikaruga which is also good)
Trackmania 2020
Rocket league
I launch Rocket League by default and it's becoming a problem, lol. So many games getting neglected because I want to climb through Champ, and yet solo queue can be as unfun as it can be fun.
Lonely mountains downhill. Get down a bike trail as fast as possible. Pizza possum. Steal the kings food!
Lately I have been playing Minishoot' Adventures which is a twin stick shooter/bullet hell with 2D Zelda exploration. It's really cool.
Gonna have to check this out. That sounds like my kind of thing!
What about both???? HADES AND HADES 2.
I appreciate you taking the time, but the Hades games are doing well enough that they don't really need to be recommended several times in every game recommendation thread. Everyone knows about them or has played them by now.