Gunslinger stories have always been a great part of pop culture.The Wild Westis one of the most fascinating times in American history, not only because of how different the world is today, but also because of how people survived on the wild frontier. With lively saloons playing music day and night, horseback riding, and quickdraw pistol duels in the streets, life was a bit more exciting back then.

There are many games out there for playerswho want to reminisce about the Wild Westand love a good gentlemen’s pistol duel at noon in the middle of the town square. Here are the best pistol-dueling games for all those gunslingers out there.

Fistful of Fragswon’t be winning any awards for graphics or combat mechanics any time soon, but that doesn’t mean the game is bad by any means. Despite being released back in 2014,Fistful of Fragsstill manages to deliver an entertaining experience for players who want a game in which they can duel against other players or bots.

There are several different maps that players can choose from, and a keen eye is necessary to spot enemies hiding in the woods or waiting in cover for an unsuspecting cowboy to approach them. All in all, while not exceptional, the game delivers exactly what it promises—a few hours of entertainmentfor anyone looking to hone their quickdraw skills and defeat their enemies.

When the filmCowboys & Alienspremiered back in 2011, it received harsh criticism from almost every single person who went to see it, which to a certain extent, raises various questions about Flying Wild Hog’sdecision to create a game with such a similar concept.Evil Westfocuses on the story of Jesse Rentier, one of the last agents of a vampire-hunting organization led by his father, William Rentier.

The game is packed with action, several different weapons, and tons of pistol combat. As the story progresses, Jesse will have to take down hundreds of bloodthirsty vampires to survive and save innocent humans from being consumed. The gameplay is fast-paced and fun, and the concept overall works very well. So, it’s rather safe to say thatcombining the Wild West with supernatural creatures isn’t the worst idea— it was simply executed on the wrong platform.

Following the story of bounty hunter Silas Greaves,Call of Juarez: Gunslingeris set in the second half of the 19th century and isa sequel to other games in the franchise. As his job demands, Silas travels around the Wild West looking for those with a price on their heads to bring them to justice, either dead or alive. Throughout the game, Silas will face off in heart-pounding pistol duels with notorious historical figures of that period, such as Billy the Kid, Johnny Ringo, Pat Garret, Curly Bill Brocius, the Dalton Gang, Kid Curry, and more.

Originally released for the Xbox 360, Windows, the PS3, and later on for the Nintendo Switch, the game still holds up pretty well by today’s standards—perhaps not graphics-wise, or in terms of game mechanics, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had with Call of Juarez:Gunslinger regardless.

Set in 1875,Desperados 3follows the story of the protagonist, John Cooper, as he pursues Frank, an infamous bandit leader who killed his father. The game is a prequel to 2001’s classic,Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive.As the story progresses, John will travel across the US, including New Orleans, in his endless pursuit of Frank.

Contrary to many other Western video games, Desperados 3utilizes a top-down viewinstead of a first or third-person one. While this might affect immersion a little bit, it perfectly complements the game’s tactical intentions and allows players to explore areas more comfortably with a wider field of view.

To close this list with a bang, there’sRed Dead Redemption 2. This masterpiece delivered by none other than Rockstar Games has been in players' top 10 lists since its release in 2018, and for good reason. The game is incredibly well-crafted andhas entertaining missions, an amazing combat system, likable characters, stellar voice acting, and an overall stunning world designworthy of a landscape painting.

The Dead Eye mechanic allows Arthur to focus on his enemies and shoot them in strategic body parts to inflict the most damage while dealing with various enemies at once. This makes combat feel challenging, extremely fun, and worthy of being put at the top of the list when it comes to ranking the best pistol-dueling games. There’s hardly anything negative to say about Red Dead Redemption 2, aside from its (for some) sluggish devotion to realism, but if anyone reading this hasn’t played it yet, it’s strongly advised to do so.

Fair warning, though; once the game starts, it’s really hard to quit.