Image via Rockstar Games
Published Jul 1, 2026, 5:51 PM EDT
Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, and conducts interviews. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His novella, The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain, was released in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.
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While the Western has always maintained a presence on the big and small screens (with the latter seeing a resurgence in recent years), the genre has been somewhat inconsistent in the realm of video games for some time. Whether you prefer classic shoot-'em-ups, psychologically-rich character arcs, or "Weird Westerns" that add a supernatural flare, there's something to be found for everybody when it comes to Western video games. Thus, we've put together a list of some of the best the genre has to offer.
While the usual suspects will be addressed here, there are a few lesser-known takes that we've pepped in for good measure. At the end of the day, the Old West is rife with potential when it comes to video game entertainment, and it's a shame that the medium hasn't leaned into it more. Until the day comes where the Western is commonplace, here are some of the best games you'll want to play on repeat.
7 ‘Outlaws’ (1997)
Image via LucasArtsA first-person shooter set in the Wild West, Outlaws was put out by LucasArts back in the late '90s after the genre had seen a big screen revival following Dances with Wolves, Unforgiven, and Tombstone. The plot followed former U.S. Marshal James Anderson (Jeff Osterhage) as he tracks a band of, well, outlaws across the wild frontier. The game itself was powered by the same Jedi engine used in the making of Star Wars: Dark Forces, though it didn't do quite so well upon release.
Nevertheless, Outlaws — with its aesthetic inspired by Clint Eastwood's Dollars Trilogy — found its own cult following. Sure, the original graphics are a product of their time, but the 2025 remaster by Atari has brought this '90s classic back into the spotlight. Fans of the Western may find Outlaws an enjoyable place to start.
6 ‘Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare’ (2010)
Image via Rockstar GamesWe'll get to the original adventures of John Marston (Rob Wiethoff), but Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare is a blast for those hoping to mix the Old West with the early 2010s zombie trend. In a non-canonical tale set outside the franchise's usual timeline, Undead Nightmare is almost like a Twilight Zone take on the Red Dead saga that doesn't just add the undead, but sasquatches, chupacabras, unicorns, and apocalyptic horses alike.
We need more "Weird Westerns" in general, but the subgenre arguably works even better in the video game format. Playing as a cowboy battling zombies and tracking down Bigfoot is a nice change of pace from the usual shoot-'em-up material. Of course, it's far from the only supernatural horse opera to make its way to your video game console.
5 ‘Darkwatch’ (2005)
Image via High Moon GamesThe other big "Weird Western" game that's worth giving a shot is Darkwatch. Another cult classic, this first-person shooter mixes a horror-based plot and steampunk mechanisms with the Western aesthetic as gunslinger Jericho Cross (Christopher Corey Smith) is inducted into the titular organization in its war against vampires. Infected himself, Cross must now use his curse to hunt down other blood-suckers and supernatural threats across the Arizona Territory.
Although Darkwatch was meant to be the first in a series of games, the sequel was canceled before it had the chance to really shine in the moonlight. A film adaptation was also in the works under the direction of The X-Files and Final Destination scribes Glen Morgan and James Wong. However, that never happened either. Still, the game itself is quite a blast, and this Jonah Hex wannabe certainly deserves his due (a Darkwatch movie would no doubt have been better than Jonah Hex).
4 ‘Call of Juarez: Gunslinger’ (2013)
Image via TechlandIn the world of first-person shooter Westerns, none compare to the Call of Juarez franchise. However, of these fast-paced adventures (which are not related to Call of Duty), it's Call of Juarez: Gunslinger that stands out most. Gunslinger is beloved due to its updated graphics, riveting gameplay, and return to form after the previous installment, The Cartel, took the story to modern-day. Gunslinger gave fans what they wanted, and it's often considered the best of the wild bunch.
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger follows Silas Greaves (John Cygan) as he tells the story of his youthful exploits across the Wild West, namely how he tracked down real-life outlaw Roscoe "Rustling Bob" Bryant. In the pursuit, he stumbles upon historical figures like Billy the Kid, Johnny Ringo, Butch Cassidy, and Jesse James, among others. Of course, some historical discrepancies (such as Henry Plummer still being alive in 1881 after he was hanged in Bannack, Montana in 1864) mean that Silas' yarn may be more legend than fact.
3 ‘Gun’ (2005)
Image via ActivisionHitting gamers the same year as Darkwatch, Gun is far more traditional in its Western flavor. In many ways, Gun walked so that the Red Dead franchise could later run. As protagonist Colton White (Thomas Jane) travels across the Wild West, he encounters many lesser-known historical figures like José Chávez y Chávez, Dave Rudabaugh, "J.J." Webb, and Luke Short, and others. The third-person romp is a brilliant mix of grit and revenge, the narrative is a thrilling, fast-paced play that you'll have no trouble revisiting.
Gun also features the vocal talents of former Western stars Kris Kristofferson, Lance Henriksen, Brad Dourif, Tom Skerritt, and Ron Perlman, which only elevates the material further. While some consider the game to not be too far off from an Old West-themed Grand Theft Auto, it stands tall on its own Western merits. Don't go sleeping on this one the next time you go to revisit the 1880s.
Collider Exclusive · Taylor Sheridan Universe Quiz
Which Taylor Sheridan
Show Do You Belong In?
Yellowstone · Landman · Tulsa King · Mayor of Kingstown
Four worlds. All of them brutal, complicated, and built on power, loyalty, and the price of survival. Taylor Sheridan doesn't write heroes — he writes people who do what they have to do and live with the cost. Ten questions will reveal which one of his worlds you were made for.
🤠Yellowstone
🛢️Landman
👑Tulsa King
⚖️Mayor of Kingstown
FIND YOUR WORLD →
01
Where does your power come from? In Sheridan's world, everyone has leverage. The question is what kind.
ALand, legacy, and a name that's been feared and respected for generations. BKnowing the deal better than anyone else in the room — and being willing to walk away first. CReputation. I've earned it the hard way, and everyone in the room knows it. DBeing the only person both sides will talk to. That makes me indispensable — and dangerous.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
Who do you put first, no matter what? Loyalty in Sheridan's universe is always absolute — and always costly.
AFamily — blood or chosen. The ranch, the name, the people who carry it with me. BThe company — or whoever's signing the cheques. Loyalty follows the contract. CMy crew. The men who stood with me when it counted — I don't abandon them for anything. DMy community — even when my community is a powder keg and I'm the only thing stopping it from blowing.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
Someone crosses a line. How do you respond? Every Sheridan protagonist has a line. What matters is what happens after it's crossed.
AQuietly, decisively, and in a way that sends a message to everyone watching. BI outmanoeuvre them legally, financially, and politically before they even know I've moved. CDirectly. Old school. You cross me, you hear about it to your face — and then you deal with the consequences. DI absorb it, calculate the fallout, and find the move that keeps the whole system from collapsing.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
Where do you feel most in your element? Sheridan's worlds are as much about place as they are about people.
AWide open land — mountains, sky, silence. Somewhere you can see trouble coming from a mile away. BThe oil fields of West Texas — brutal, lucrative, and indifferent to whoever happens to be standing on top of them. CA mid-size city where the rules haven't quite caught up yet — fertile ground for someone with vision and nerve. DA rust-belt town built around a prison — where everyone's life is shaped by what's inside those walls.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
How do you feel about operating in the grey? Nobody in a Sheridan show has clean hands. The question is how they carry the dirt.
AI do what has to be done to protect what's mine. I'll answer for it eventually — but not today. BGrey is just business. The line moves depending on what's at stake, and I move with it. CI have a code — it's not the law's code, but it's mine, and I don't break it. DI've made peace with it. Keeping the peace requires compromises most people don't have the stomach for.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
What are you actually fighting to hold onto? Every Sheridan character is fighting a war. The real question is what they're defending.
AA way of life that the modern world is doing everything it can to erase. BMy position — and the leverage that comes with being the person everyone needs to close a deal. CRelevance. I've been away, I've been written off — and I'm proving that was a mistake. DWhatever fragile order I've managed to build — because without it, everything burns.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
How do you lead? Authority in Sheridan's world is never given — it's established, maintained, and constantly tested.
ABy example and force of will. People follow me because they believe in what I'm protecting — and because they know what happens if they don't. BThrough negotiation and leverage. I don't need people to like me — I need them to need me. CBy being the smartest, most experienced person in the room and making sure everyone quietly knows it. DBy being the calm centre of a situation that would spiral without me — and accepting that nobody thanks you for it.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
Someone new arrives and tries to change how things work. Your reaction? Every Sheridan show has an outsider disrupting an established order. Sometimes that outsider is you.
AThey'll learn. Or they won't. Either way, the land was here before them and it'll be here after. BI figure out what they want, what they're worth, and whether they're an asset or a problem — fast. CI was the outsider once. I give them a chance — one — to show they understand respect. DNew players destabilise everything I've built. I assess the threat and manage it before it manages me.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
What has your position cost you? Nobody gets to where these characters are without paying for it. The bill is always personal.
AMy family's peace — maybe their innocence. The ranch demands everything, and I've let it take too much. BRelationships, time, any version of a normal life. The job eats everything that isn't nailed down. CYears. Decades in some cases. Time I can't get back — but I'm not done yet. DMy conscience, mostly. And the ability to ever fully trust anyone on either side of the wall.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
When it's over, what do you want people to say? Sheridan's characters all know the ending is coming. The question is what they leave behind.
AThat I held the line. That the land is still ours and everything I did was worth it. BThat I was the best at what I did and that no deal ever got closed without me at the table. CThat I built something real, somewhere nobody expected it, and I did it on my own terms. DThat I kept the peace when nobody else could — and that the town is still standing because of it.
REVEAL MY SHOW →
Sheridan Has Spoken You Belong In…
The show that claimed the most of your answers is the world you were built for. If two tied, both are shown — you're complicated enough to straddle two Sheridan universes.
🤠 Yellowstone
🛢️ Landman
👑 Tulsa King
⚖️ Mayor of Kingstown
You are a Dutton — or you might as well be. You understand that some things are worth protecting at any cost, and that the modern world's indifference to history, to land, to legacy, is not something you're willing to accept quietly. You lead from the front, you carry your family's weight without complaint, and when someone threatens what's yours, you don't escalate — you finish it. You're not cruel. But you are absolute. In Yellowstone's world, that combination of ferocity and loyalty doesn't make you a villain. It makes you the only thing standing between everything that matters and everyone who wants to take it.
You thrive in the chaos of high-stakes negotiation, where the money is enormous, the margins are thin, and the wrong word in the wrong room can cost everyone everything. You're a fixer — the person called when a situation is already on fire and needs someone with the nerve to walk into it. West Texas oil country rewards exactly what you are: sharp, adaptable, unsentimental, and absolutely clear-eyed about what people want and what they'll do to get it. You're not naive enough to think this world is fair. You're smart enough to be the one deciding who it's fair to.
You are a Dwight Manfredi — someone who has served their time, paid their dues, and arrived somewhere unexpected with nothing but their reputation and their wits. You adapt without losing yourself. You build loyalty through respect rather than fear, though you're not above reminding people that the two aren't mutually exclusive. Tulsa King is for people who are still standing when everyone assumed they'd be finished — who find, in an unfamiliar place, that they're more capable than the world gave them credit for. You don't need a throne. You build one, wherever you happen to land.
You carry the weight of a system that is broken by design, and you do it anyway — because someone has to, and because you're the only one positioned to do it without the whole thing collapsing. Mike McLusky's world is for people who are comfortable operating where there are no good options, only less catastrophic ones. You speak every language: law enforcement, criminal, political, human. That fluency makes you invaluable and it makes you a target. You've made your peace with both. Mayor of Kingstown belongs to people who understand that keeping the peace is not the same as being at peace — and who do the job regardless.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
2 ‘Red Dead Redemption’ (2010)
Image via Rockstar GamesWe all knew this one was coming. Red Dead Redemption is undoubtedly the most important Western video game. As former outlaw John Marston is forced to return to his guns in search of his old mentor, Dutch van der Linde (Benjamin Byron Davis), he seeks to atone for his past wrongs by protecting those he loves most. The game itself is a phenomenal dust-filled adventure that evokes the spirit of the American Southwest. With great gameplay and a riveting story to boot, there were plenty of Westerns that inspired this tale.
Although Red Dead Revolver was technically the first Red Dead entry, Red Dead Redemption propelled the franchise forward. Even with some outdated graphics by comparison to the most recent entry, our first adventure with John Marston was a groundbreaking achievement. With a compelling narrative and memorable characters, you can't deny the genius of this Wild West thrill.
1 ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ (2018)
Image via Rockstar GamesIf the first Red Dead Redemption changed the way Western games were made, then Red Dead Redemption 2 did everything in its power to exceed that. A prequel to the first game, this adventure follows Arthur Morgan (Roger Clark) as he wrestles with his loyalties to Dutch, his complicated friendship with John, and his role in the fading world of the Old West. With a map even more massive than the original game and plenty of side quests, missions, and callbacks (as well as a John-centric epilogue), this is a game worth completing to 100%.
If Red Dead Redemption 2 has proven anything, it's that the franchise deserves a proper TV adaptation. But even if it never gets one, the story of Arthur Morgan is told to perfection in this stellar Western game that pulls no punches and allows you to choose your own adventure. Boasting one of the best soundtracks in the business, Red Dead Redemption 2 comes at you full swing.
English (US) ·