Modern gamers, especially those nostalgic for the golden era of first-person shooters, are increasingly turning to a subgenre called boomer shooters. These retro-inspired FPS games bring back the speed, grit, and chaotic energy of titles from the ‘90s like Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem 3D. While today’s AAA games often emphasize realism, monetization models, and complex matchmaking systems, boomer shooters deliver unfiltered fun, packed with fast-paced combat and creative level design. It's more than just nostalgia—it’s a revival of a gameplay philosophy built around player agency, adrenaline, and mayhem.

Here are 8 of the best.

Prodeus – Doom’s Spiritual Successor

Among the most polished and celebrated modern boomer shooters is Prodeus. It combines the DNA of early Doom with a modern aesthetic that blends pixelated gore, neon lighting, and stylized geometric level design. The gameplay is relentlessly fast, built on tight movement mechanics and a robust arsenal of guns that feel powerful with every shot. Players navigate labyrinthine levels, collecting colored keys, solving light puzzles, and laying waste to demonic foes.

What sets Prodeus apart is its built-in level editor. Players can design, share, and explore community-created campaigns, adding limitless replayability. One standout feature is the community-hosted map contests, which have spawned entire campaigns that rival the base game in quality and innovation. Whether you prefer your shooters blood-soaked, moody, or experimental, Proteus provides an arena for both players and creators to thrive.

Ultrakill – Blood, Speed, and Style

If pure chaos is what you crave, ULTRAKILL turns the dial to eleven. Set in a hellish dimension where blood is literally your fuel, this ultra-violent shooter merges old-school speed with new-school mechanics. Think of it as a mashup between Quake, Devil May Cry, and Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!—but somehow more frenetic.

The gameplay loop is centered on momentum. You slide, double-jump, and wall-jump across arenas, racking up combos and executing trick shots that recharge your health through carnage. Players can parry bullets with punches or ricochet coins to land headshots, offering a skill ceiling as high as it is rewarding. Add in secret levels, sly references to other games, and a pulse-pounding soundtrack, and ULTRAKILL becomes one of the most thrilling boomer shooters available.

DUSK – The Catalyst of the Boomer Shooter Revival

At first glance, DUSK might look like a low-res curiosity, but behind its pixelated exterior lies one of the most refined FPS experiences of the last decade. Inspired by titles like Quake, Blood, and Heretic, it brings tight gunplay, clever level design, and a surreal narrative together into a single unforgettable package.

What makes DUSK shine is its progression. Early levels play like standard shooter fare, but the further you get, the more it begins to twist reality—introducing gravity-defying levels, nightmarish enemies, and mind-bending architecture that evokes MC Escher. The movement system is a standout as well, encouraging flips, jumps, and air-strafing to outmaneuver increasingly complex threats. DUSK doesn’t just copy the classics—it reinvents them with precision and style.

Ion Fury – Powered by the Original Build Engine

While many boomer shooters simulate retro visuals through modern engines, Ion Fury goes one step further—it’s built using the actual Build Engine from the 1990s. This is the same tech that powered Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, and Shadow Warrior. The result is an authentic aesthetic, enhanced with smart modern touches and improved design sensibilities.

Ion Fury combines run-and-gun gameplay with immersive sim elements. Environments are interactive, secrets are everywhere, and levels are sprawling. Despite the constraints of the engine, the game includes features like headshots, destructible objects, and fluid level transitions. It's a rare case where technology limitations become strengths, reinforcing a gritty atmosphere and deliberate pacing that harkens back to the roots of the genre.

Selaco – Tactical Cyberpunk Doom-Like

In contrast to the more chaotic and arcade-style shooters, Selaco offers a tactical take on the genre without sacrificing the speed and punch fans expect. Built on GZDoom, a modernized fork of the original Doom engine, Selaco integrates environmental storytelling, destructible settings, and dynamic AI in a way that feels refreshingly new.

Set in a neon-soaked cyberpunk world, the game lets you slide, lean, and flip hospital beds over for cover—mechanics almost unheard of in retro-style shooters. Despite being developed by a small team, Selaco showcases an impressive level of polish and complexity. The demo alone has earned acclaim for its depth and pacing. It’s a promising title for anyone looking to blend classic action with modern immersion.

HROT – Slavic Jank Perfected

A darker, more eccentric entry in the boomer shooter lineup is HROT, a game drenched in post-Soviet atmosphere and inspired by the grim charm of ‘90s Eastern European games. It’s deliberately awkward, from its wonky character animations to its geometric environments and sepia-tone color palette. But that’s exactly what gives it soul.

Each level in HROT feels like a grimy maze, filled with bizarre enemies, limited ammo, and cruel surprise attacks. You’ll collect keys, dodge grenades, and battle through surreal bosses like a grotesque carousel ape that remains still until provoked. Behind its “Slav Jank” presentation is a meticulously balanced shooter, created entirely by a solo developer. It’s weird, gritty, and unforgettable.

Cultic – Blood Reimagined with Explosive Freedom

Few boomer shooters manage to combine sheer brutality with finesse quite like CULTIC. Drawing heavy inspiration from the cult-classic Blood (1997), it retains the genre’s obsession with dynamite, trench coats, and sinister enemies—then pushes the formula into new, explosive territory.

What sets CULTIC apart is its astonishing depth. Weapons aren't just tools—they’re toys for creative destruction. Throwing dynamite, lighting it mid-air, combining it with Molotovs, or dual-wielding while tossing explosives is just scratching the surface. The gameplay rewards experimentation, with stylish headshots and destructible environments adding to the satisfaction.

But CULTIC isn’t all action. It tells a grounded, gritty story that begins in an open mass grave. From there, players take the role of a disgraced detective unraveling a twisted mystery. Notes scattered across each level flesh out the narrative, adding layers to an already compelling journey. The game’s art direction—a mix of gritty pixel horror and modern lighting—makes it one of the most atmospheric titles in the genre.

Brutal Doom – The Mod That Started a Movement

While not a standalone title, Brutal Doom deserves its place in any serious discussion about boomer shooters. It's an overhaul mod for the original Doom, transforming the iconic game into something bloodier, faster, and mechanically deeper. With new weapons, reloading systems, vehicles, fatalities, and smarter enemy AI, it reimagines Doom as the fever dream we all remember it being—if memory was powered by pure adrenaline.

The real magic of Brutal Doom lies in the community it’s inspired. Over the years, modders have built extensive enhancements ranging from weather effects to full-on custom campaigns and high-resolution textures. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem of retro FPS passion. Some mods, like the one compiled by YouTuber Razor, are so elaborate they almost resemble standalone games. Even though it's based on a 30-year-old title, Brutal Doom still stands as one of the most influential forces in the resurgence of retro-style shooters.

Boomer shooters aren’t just a throwback—they’re a statement. In an era where AAA titles often feel bloated or creatively stagnant, these indie gems remind us that fast, fun, and focused gameplay never goes out of style. Whether it’s the brutal artistry of Ultrakill, the puzzle-like madness of Dusk, or the inventive chaos of Cultic, each of these games brings something unique to the table.

They don’t just honor the past—they build upon it. These modern classics prove that pixelated gore, blistering speed, and smart design still have the power to captivate, challenge, and thrill. If you’re looking to reignite your love for first-person shooters, there’s no better place to start than with the best boomer shooters of today.

8 Best Boomer Shooters: Retro FPS Games That Redefine Old-School Mayhem