Valve Makes “Boomer Shooter” An Official Genre On Steam

With literally thousands of games launching on Steam every year, sometimes it can be difficult to find the exact game you’re looking for–especially when that game falls into a larger genre like first-person-shooters. Valve has made it easier for retro-minded shooter fans to find their next game, as the label “boomer shooter” has been added to Steam’s database.

The term “boomer shooter” refers to any FPS which bears a resemblance to the original Doom’s format–whether the game in question is an original early ’90s classic like Doom or a modern indie title like Turbo Overkill or Dusk. As of this writing, a total of 64 games fall into the category, a list which includes Star Wars: Dark Forces, Ion Fury, Warhammer 40K: Boltgun, and more.

The term “boomer shooter” became a running joke within the team behind the aforementioned Dusk, which launched in 2018. Andrew Hulshult, who composed music for Dusk and other similar titles like Amid Evil and Prodeus, said on X that the team saw it being used to describe the original Doom, so they “ran with it because it was funny.”

The Boomer Shooter label is now active on Steam, along with its own separate page for easy access to each game. Along with the titles mentioned above, the page also lists a handful of upcoming titles, which include Agent 64: Spies Never Die–a tribute to retro FPS Goldeneye 64–and Mouse, which pulls from the now-public Steamboat Willie era of Mickey Mouse.