Best action and shooting games

Action games in the browser tend to be quick, loud and forgiving. You can jump in without a tutorial and play for five minutes or an hour.

This list covers the main types: wave defense, multiplayer shooters, driving survival and stickman fighters.

What to look for

For single-player action, look for games where upgrades matter, since they give you a reason to keep playing after a loss. For multiplayer, look for games with short matches and quick restarts.

A good shooter also teaches you something about positioning. If you notice you keep dying in the same spot, it is usually your position, not your aim.

Our picks

1. 

   Special Strike Zombies

   A wave shooter where choosing the right weapon for each wave is the key decision.

2. 

   Deadswitch 3

   A fast 2D multiplayer shooter with several modes, maps and weapons.

3. 

   Zombie Road

   A driving survival game on zombie-filled roads.

4. 

   Stickman Archero Fight

   Stickman combat with crafting and upgrades.

5. 

   Bomber Friends

   A bomb arena that works as a party game.

6. 

   Badland

   A darker, more atmospheric action platformer for when you want something different.

Starting out? Try Special Strike Zombies. The waves are easy to understand, and each loss teaches you which weapon to pick next time.