Beyond Red Dead Redemption 2: Exploring Western Games

Fifteen years after the release of the first Red Dead Redemption, the series continues to captivate gamers. While Red Dead Redemption 2 set a modern standard, numerous other excellent games explore the Western genre, offering diverse experiences for fans.

The Oregon Trail

Oregon Trail has seen numerous iterations since its debut in 1971, with a modern version developed by Gameloft blending storytelling with pixel art and 3D environments. The game offers 15 unique trips to Oregon, each presenting distinct challenges. Players craft crucial decisions before embarking, selecting from game classes with varying starting items, abilities, and personalities that influence story events. Random encounters, such as fractures or snakebites, and resource management, like maintaining sufficient furs for winter survival, are key elements of gameplay.

Review Scores: 76% (Metacritic), Very Positive (80% from 1,079 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, iOS, Nintendo Switch
• Genre: Adventure
• Engine: Nvidia PhysX
• Publisher: Gameloft
• Developer: Gameloft
• Release Date: February 4, 2021

Fistful of Frags

Created as a modification of the Source engine – the same engine behind Counter-Strike – Fistful of Frags is a free-to-play multiplayer Western shooter. The game features classic modes like deathmatch and team shootouts, as well as cooperative missions for up to six players, such as bank robberies and land defense.

Review Score: Very Positive (91% from 20,939 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platform: PC
• Genres: Indie, Shooter
• Game Modes: Multiplayer, Co-op
• Engine: Source
• Publisher: Fistful of Frags Team
• Developer: Fistful of Frags Team
• Release Date: September 5, 2014

The Son – A Wild West Tale

The Son – A Wild West Tale (also known as El Hijo) offers a unique perspective, casting players as a six-year-old boy searching for his mother. Gameplay emphasizes stealth, requiring players to navigate environments quietly, utilizing shadows and hiding spots. Inspired by the films of Sergio Leone, the game features a distinctive world and character personalities, with elements of irony and sarcasm in its narrative.

Review Scores: 74% (Metacritic), Rather Positive (71% from 98 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
• Genres: Adventure, Indie, Puzzle, Strategy
• Game Mode: Single Player
• Engine: Unity
• Publisher: HandyGames
• Developer: Honig Studios
• Release Date: March 12, 2020

Evil West

Evil West blends the Wild West with supernatural elements, tasking players with eliminating creatures from the underworld as one of the last vampire hunters. Set in a dark and dangerous America, the game offers both single-player and cooperative gameplay for two players.

Review Scores: 73% (Metacritic), Rather Positive (75% from 4,501 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
• Genres: Adventure, Slasher, Shooter
• Game Modes: Single Player, Multiplayer, Co-op
• Engine: Unreal Engine 4
• Publisher: Focus Entertainment
• Developer: Flying Wild Hog
• Release Date: November 22, 2022

Red Dead Redemption 2

Widely considered one of the greatest games of all time, Red Dead Redemption 2 follows Arthur Morgan and a gang struggling to survive after a failed robbery. The game emphasizes exploration of a detailed open world alongside a compelling narrative. Red Dead Online provides a multiplayer experience within the same universe.

Review Scores: 97% (Metacritic), Very Positive (91% from 285,531 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
• Genres: Adventure, RPG, Shooter
• Game Modes: Single Player, Multiplayer, Co-op
• Engine: RAGE
• Publisher: Rockstar Games
• Developer: Rockstar Games
• Release Date: October 26, 2018

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger presents stories narrated by a seasoned bounty hunter, with some tales embellished for dramatic effect. Gameplay is a classic shooter, featuring gunfights and duels. The game’s stylized graphics maintain a visually appealing aesthetic.

Review Scores: 76% (Metacritic), Very Positive (94% from 9,695 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch
• Genres: Adventure, Arcade, Shooter
• Game Mode: Single Player
• Engine: Chrome Engine
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Developer: Techland
• Release Date: May 22, 2013

Desperados III

Desperados III, developed by Mimimi Games, is a real-time tactical strategy game starring John Cooper and a team of unique characters. Gameplay emphasizes careful planning and utilizing each character’s special abilities to overcome challenges in the United States and Mexico.

Review Scores: 86% (Metacritic), Extremely Positive (95% from 4,227 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
• Genres: RTS, Simulator, Strategy, Tactics
• Game Mode: Single Player
• Engine: Unity
• Publisher: THQ Nordic
• Developer: Mimimi Games
• Release Date: June 16, 2020

Hard West 2

Hard West 2 is a tactical game where players must outsmart enemies to claim a ghost train filled with federal gold. The game features action point management and the ability to chain abilities for powerful effects.

Review Scores: 77% (Metacritic), Very Positive (81% from 1,269 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platform: PC
• Genres: RPG, Strategy, Tactical Game, Turn-Based Game
• Game Mode: Single Player
• Engine: Unity
• Publisher: Good Shepherd Entertainment
• Developer: Ice Code Games
• Release Date: August 4, 2022

Gun

Released before Red Dead Redemption, Gun is an action-adventure game following Colton White as he faces bandits, corrupt law enforcement, and other adversaries. Gameplay includes horseback chases, train robberies, bounty hunting, and poker.

Review Scores: 79% (Metacritic), Very Positive (91% from 1,984 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, GameCube, PSP
• Genre: Adventure
• Game Modes: Single Player
• Publisher: Activision
• Developer: Neversoft Entertainment
• Release Date: November 8, 2005

Blood West

Blood West combines Western elements with supernatural horror, tasking players with battling monstrous creatures. The game emphasizes stealth and features a protagonist cursed to wander the Wild West in search of redemption.

Review Scores: 80% (Metacritic), Very Positive (88% from 3,329 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
• Genres: RPG, Shooter
• Game Mode: Single Player
• Engine: Unity
• Publisher: Hyperstrange
• Developer: Hyperstrange
• Release Date: December 5, 2023

Outlaws

Released in 1997, Outlaws is a shooter featuring Marshal James Anderson’s quest for revenge against those who killed his wife and kidnapped his daughter. The game utilizes sprite-based graphics and features a variety of weapons and explosives.

Review Score: Very Positive (93% from 706 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch
• Genre: Shooter
• Game Modes: Single Player, Multiplayer
• Engine: Jedi
• Publisher: LucasArts
• Developer: LucasArts
• Release Date: March 31, 1997

Rosewater

Rosewater offers a different take on the Western genre as a point-and-click adventure game. Players follow Harley Leger as she investigates the fortune of a lost unfortunate, interacting with five companions whose relationships influence the story’s outcome.

Review Scores: 82% (Metacritic), Very Positive (91% from 315 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platform: PC
• Genres: Adventure, Indie, Point-and-Click, Puzzle
• Game Mode: Single Player
• Engine: AGS
• Publisher: Application Systems Heidelberg
• Developer: Grundislav Games
• Release Date: March 27, 2025

12 is Better Than 6

Inspired by Hotline Miami, 12 is Better Than 6 is a top-down shooter set in a Mexican prison. Players take on the role of a prisoner seeking escape, utilizing stealth and fast-paced action.

Review Scores: 59% (Metacritic), Rather Positive (75% from 1,112 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
• Genres: Adventure, Arcade, Indie, Shooter
• Game Mode: Single Player
• Publisher: HypeTrain Digital
• Developer: Ink Stains Games
• Release Date: May 3, 2019

Gunman Clive

Originally released on the Nintendo 3DS, Gunman Clive is an action platformer where players rescue the mayor’s daughter from a group of bandits. The game features shootouts, chases, and jumping sequences, with the sequel introducing new landscapes and fantastical elements like dinosaurs and samurai.

Review Scores: 82% (Metacritic), Very Positive (88% from 604 players on Steam) [Official Steam Page]

Details:

• Platforms: PC, iOS, Android, 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
• Genres: Adventure, Indie, Platformer, Shooter
• Game Mode: Single Player
• Publisher: Horberg Productions
• Developer: Horberg Productions
• Release Date: January 3, 2013