Action games are not only about defeating difficult enemies. Landing where you intended, connecting attacks, and moving with the music can be rewarding in their own right.
These nine games offer different ways to improve. Some ask you to learn through repeated failure, so consider whether speed, precision, or experimentation sounds like the kind of challenge you want.
Hades
Developer: Supergiant Games · Official / store information
Attempt escapes from the Underworld with different weapons and divine boons. Adapting to the abilities you receive keeps combat varied. Conversations and permanent upgrades between attempts give you more than one reason to return after a failed run.
- Best for
- Players who like adapting their approach to new abilities
- When to play
- When you want fast action and fresh combinations
Dead Cells
Developer: Motion Twin · Official / store information
Fight through a changing castle with the weapons and abilities you find. Defeat starts a new attempt, while some unlocks carry forward. The appeal lies in balancing aggression with evasion and finding a rhythm with each new set of tools.
- Best for
- Players who like quick dodges and changing equipment
- When to play
- When you want to make fast decisions and keep moving
Celeste
Developer: Maddy Makes Games Inc. / Extremely OK Games, Ltd. · Official / store information
Climb a mountain using jumps, air dashes, and wall climbing. Simple controls become varied challenges through timing and level design. Quick retries keep the focus on understanding a small stretch of terrain and turning practice into a confident route.
- Best for
- Players who enjoy mastering a compact set of movements
- When to play
- When you want to practice a sequence until it clicks
Cuphead
Developer: Studio MDHR Entertainment Inc. · Official / store information
Face animated bosses in an action game built around learning their attacks. Keeping your shots going while avoiding danger asks for close observation. Its lively appearance comes with a real challenge, suited to players who enjoy improving one encounter at a time.
- Best for
- Players who like observing and learning enemy attacks
- When to play
- When you want to concentrate on colorful boss battles
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Developer: FromSoftware, Inc. · Official / store information
Mix attacks and deflections to break an opponent's posture. Backing away gives enemies room to recover, so reading their movements matters. Prosthetic tools and items offer additional options, making preparation another part of learning this demanding sword combat.
- Best for
- Players who want to learn the timing of attack and defense
- When to play
- When you want to focus on demanding swordplay
Devil May Cry 5
Developer: CAPCOM Co., Ltd. · Official / store information
Nero, Dante, and V offer different combat tools, from mechanical arms to weapon styles and familiars. There is room to learn beyond simply winning. Finding ways to connect the moves you enjoy gives practice a creative side.
- Best for
- Players who enjoy building their own combinations of moves
- When to play
- When you want to practice stylish action sequences
Monster Hunter: World
Developer: CAPCOM Co., Ltd. · Official / store information
Study large monsters and make use of weapons, tools, and the environment. Materials from hunts feed into equipment for the next challenge. The attraction is seeing preparation and careful decisions pay off against an opponent you are learning to understand.
- Best for
- Players who enjoy preparing equipment and studying opponents
- When to play
- When you want to work through a substantial encounter
Katana Zero
Developer: Askiisoft · Official / store information
Use time manipulation, evasion, and reflected gunfire to get through lethal encounters. Reading a room and choosing the order of your actions gives the speed a structure. It suits players who enjoy turning a plan into a clean sequence of movement.
- Best for
- Players who like planning a sharp sequence through an encounter
- When to play
- When you want to combine quick movement with tactical reading
Hi-Fi Rush
Developer: Tango Gameworks · Official / store information
Combat and the surrounding world move with the music. That connection makes rhythm part of the pleasure of acting, rather than background decoration. Choose it when you want learning the combat and getting into the beat to feel like the same activity.
- Best for
- Players who enjoy rhythm as part of action
- When to play
- When you want to move with an energetic beat
Your best fit depends on whether you enjoy practicing a brief sequence or experimenting with equipment and abilities. Look for actions you would enjoy repeating, rather than choosing by difficulty alone.
A moment when everything finally clicked can be a reason to include a game in your own nine. Think about the opponents and places that made your progress memorable.