16 Best Western Games

They say the West was built on legends. But we also think the Wild West was a fun period in US history. That’s why there are plenty of “western games” out there for you to enjoy.

#16 Evil West

Let’s start this list with a recent title that many of you will likely try out. Evil West puts a spin on the Western genre by mixing in some supernatural elements.

In this case, America isn’t only home to humanity. It’s home to vampires. That won’t be a problem, right? Except, it is very much a problem, one you’ll have to deal with. As the vampires spread across the land, you’ll emerge as the last member of a group of vampire hunters and seek to take them out.

You’ll wield various weapons to stop the vampiric horde and upgrade them over time to make them even deadlier. If you need a hand? Get a friend for some co-op action!

#15 Hunt: Showdown

Not all westerns are set in the West, believe it or not. Hunt: Showdown is an excellent example of that. The game is a PVPVE title that blends multiple genres for a unique experience.

You’re a Hunter who is within the Louisiana Bayou. Your job is both simple and complex. You’re trying to take out beasts hurting the land and its people. But those “beasts” are monsters that don’t belong on this planet.

First, you’ll track your prey. Then you’ll hunt it down and kill it. But your mission doesn’t stop there. When the kill is made, others will race to you to try and steal the bounty! Make it back to town alive to claim your reward!

#14 Hard West

Here’s another game that blends the Western genre with the Supernatural one. In Hard West, you play as Warren, a man who makes a deal with entities that turn him into something much darker.

You’ll set out on a quest for revenge and make many choices along the way. Those choices will affect not only what you become but those around you. In addition, you’ll ally with various people and directly guide their fates, so be careful with what you do.

Combat will challenge you in multiple ways. Use cover to shield yourself from harm, and wield luck to overcome the enemies before you.

How dark will your soul be by the time your mission is done?

#13 Railway Empire

Despite what people will tell you, the Wild West wasn’t solely about cowboys, outlaws, showdowns, and the like. People were trying to live in that time without a care in the world. Also, business-minded folk wanted to help connect the world and make it more prosperous.

Railway Empire will let you become one of those people as you attempt to create a railroad business and connect the various cities of the United States.

You’ll start small and have to get clever with how you use your trains, the railroads, the stations, and more to stay ahead of your competition! Will you be able to become a tycoon of the railroad?

#12 Call of Juarez: Gunslinger

As we said in the intro to this list, the West was built on legends. But what is the true story behind some of those legends? Call of Juarez: Gunslinger will help you answer that question while providing players with a fun Wild West adventure for the ages.

You’ll play a bounty hunter who aims to take on some of the greatest outlaws the world has ever known. We’re talking about folks like Billy The Kid, Jesse James, and more legends from history.

Master the art of gunplay for intense battles that’ll test your accuracy and quickdraw. Will you become a legend of the West? Or become another victim of legends?

#11 This Land is My Land

While many history books love to glorify things like “Manifest Destiny” and other expansions into the West, there’s no doubt that it came at a high cost.

Specifically, the Native American tribes on the land we call the USA long before European settlers and other nations arrived. It was their land, and the colonists took it from them.

You’ll get to turn the tables in This Land is My Land. You’ll become a Native American and set out on a journey to stop the expansion by the settlers by any means necessary. Grow your legend, become the threat they never see coming, and ensure that the land stays with your people.

#10 Turmoil

As a future game on this list once said, “This is America, where a lying, cheating degenerate can prosper.” Turmoil gives you a look into such a life as you try to become an oil baron by any means necessary.

You’ll find a place that has oil and attempt to bring it to the surface. As you do and profit from it, you’ll get to see a town grow around you. But that’s not enough to satisfy your hunger! So make deals to get more land, oil, and money.

You have one year to get as much oil/money/joy as you can. Will you be able to accomplish the dream?

#9 Weird West

What if the Wild West had more than one kind of mythical/supernatural creature within its territories? That would be a recipe for both disaster and adventure! But luckily for you, Weird West attempts to give you that experience.

Multiple things set this game apart from others. One of the big ones is being able to play different characters throughout the story. You’ll start from one character’s perspective, then jump to another as the story progresses.

As you go through the world, you’ll make choices, and everything will react to them. No two journeys will be the same if you don’t want them to be.

#8 West of Loathing

If you’re looking for a Wild West adventure in a place unlike everything else on this list, get West of Loathing.

The title puts you in a realm of stick figures and simply drawn backgrounds. But don’t think that this is an easy game. On the contrary, it’s a full-on RPG experience where you’ll travel across the land doing whatever you feel like doing! Want to take down ruffians? You can do that! Want to punch cows because they deserve it? You can do that too!

Create your incredible stick figure character and see what adventures await you! You might be surprised by what you find.

#7 Hard West 2

What happens when an “easy job” turns into a fight for survival? You get the plot of Hard West 2. The game follows Gin Carter, an outlaw who assembles a crew to take down a “ghost train” full of gold. But when the job goes horribly wrong, Gin must lead his crew through the weird and wild west to get salvation.

Death is also an option.

You’ll control and guide your posse throughout the game and help them obtain new powers. You’ll fight rival groups, rob trains, and more. So what awaits you in this supernatural-infused land? Saddle up and find out!

#6 Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood

One of the things that set the Wild West apart from other periods was the promise of wealth. Many fled to the West to try and get rich by any means necessary. In Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood, you’ll play the McCall Brothers.

These two feel they can get rich and ensure their family’s happiness by getting a legendary gold horde. But the power of gold goes beyond monetary value, and soon the brothers will find themselves testing each other’s resolve to see if they still hold to the pacts they made with one another.

You’ll have multiple guns to help you survive epic gunfights, and you’ll get to explore the Wild West to see what it was like.

#5 Desperados III

Desperados III is a prequel to the original game in the series. But it’s hailed as one of the best of the set. The title puts you in the role of John Cooper. He’s a man who is trying to redeem himself for past actions and must team up with the most unlikely of crews to survive what’s coming for him.

Each of your crew has talents and abilities that you’ll need to use tactically in battle. If you rush into a fight, you’re going to lose. So plan around what you see, and utilize your team with extreme efficiency to take out the enemies on each map.

Where will this story-driven game lead you? Jump in and find out!

#4 Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath

We’re so obsessed with the concept of cowboys, “strangers,” and outlaws that we’ve not only made many stories about humans that are like them, but we also made alien stories about them.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath is one of the more popular entries from the franchise and embraces the “western aesthetic” in various ways. The biggest way is through Stranger, the character you play. He’s a bounty hunter attempting to survive a medical condition that requires lots of money to pay for.

He’ll take down scores of outlaws and turn them in for Moolah to get what he needs. But will he be able to take on the ultimate bounty and survive the experience?

#3 Red Dead Redemption

When it comes to the life of an outlaw, happy endings aren’t usually in the cards. For John Marston, he seemed to be the exception to the rule. He had forsaken his outlaw ways to become a family man. However, when federal agents came a knocking and demanded his services, he couldn’t say no.

As Marston, you’ll venture across two countries to take down the gang you once ran with. Along the way, you’ll see just how dangerous and corrupt the Wild West was and the lengths you’ll have to go to so your family can be safe, and you can finally be free.

But remember, this is the Wild West, and anything can happen within it.

#2 Fallout: New Vegas

Trust us. This is a western game. What’s more, Fallout: New Vegas is considered by many to be the best game in the franchise. That’s ironic because Bethesda didn’t make it. Obsidian Entertainment made it.

Regardless, the game puts you in the Mojave Desert in the city of New Vegas. It might be a “city of the future,” but its reputation will remind you of the Wild West. You’ll create your character and venture through the city and surrounding landscapes to make a name for yourself. Unique characters and challenging foes await you. Will you survive this nuclear world you find yourself in?

#1 Red Dead Redemption 2 

While the original title was a masterpiece in its own right, Red Dead Redemption 2 expanded what the first game did and delivered something truly masterful.

The game focuses on Arthur Morgan, a Van Der Linde gang member. They are some of the last remaining outlaws of the Wild West, and the law is trying to bring them down. In a fight for survival, they’ll travel across the country and do what it takes to survive.

But as Arthur goes down this path, he must wonder if sticking with the gang is his best option or whether he should venture independently and save what’s left of his soul.