Updated September 2026
This is the ranking of the best Arena FPS Games, sorted by NextGameLike Score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the NextGameLike community votes into a single number. Unlike opinion-based editorial lists, this order is computed from real data and applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment so games with few reviews can't inflate the top of the chart. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, Cuphead and Hotline Miami lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average NextGameLike Score is 88/100, out of 34 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
Top of “The 20 Best Arena Shooters (2026)”: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (90.7/100). Close behind: Cuphead and Hotline Miami.
Ranked by NextGameLike Score · 34 games catalogued
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is one of the few Arena FPS Games where players and critics say the same thing. It is the most reviewed of the 20: 391,950 Steam reviews. That is why it tops the ranking.
Players and critics agree on Cuphead, which is rarer than it sounds in Arena FPS Games. Enough for the podium: number 2.
Hotline Miami is one of the few Arena FPS Games where players and critics say the same thing. That puts it at number 3.
Doom is carried by its players more than by its reviews. Number 4, inside the top 10.
Quake III Arena is here because of its players — they are who it won over. Number 5, inside the top 10.
Players and critics agree on DOOM, which is rarer than it sounds in Arena FPS Games. It is the oldest game in the ranking (1993) and still here. Number 6, inside the top 10.
Players and critics agree on Neon White, which is rarer than it sounds in Arena FPS Games. It holds the best critic score on the whole list, 89/100. That gets it into the top 10, at number 7.
Players and critics agree on Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter, which is rarer than it sounds in Arena FPS Games. That gets it into the top 10, at number 8.
Players and critics agree on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, which is rarer than it sounds in Arena FPS Games. That gets it into the top 10, at number 9.
The Void Rains Upon Her Heart is here because of its players — they are who it won over. No other entry of the 20 has a higher share of positive reviews: 99%. That gets it into the top 10, at number 10.
Maiden and Spell is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It lands at 11 of 20.
Ultimate Chicken Horse is one of the few Arena FPS Games where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 12 of 20.
Cave Story+ is one of the few Arena FPS Games where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 13 of 20.
No argument here: Roboquest wins over players and critics alike. It sits at 14 of 20.
Nuclear Throne is one of the few Arena FPS Games where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 15 of 20.
Clone Drone in the Danger Zone is one of the few Arena FPS Games where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 16 of 20.
No argument here: BALL x PIT wins over players and critics alike. It is the newest on the list (2025), and has already earned its place. It sits at 17 of 20.
Players and critics agree on Enter the Gungeon, which is rarer than it sounds in Arena FPS Games. It sits at 18 of 20.
The Binding of Isaac is one of the few Arena FPS Games where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 19 of 20.
Brotato is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It lands at 20 of 20.