Boomer Shooter December is done and dusted for 2025 and just as expected, it spilled into January. Honestly, I had an absolute blast with it. Yeah, not every pick landed and a few games probably should have quietly added themselves to the cuts. But that’s part of the journey and you simply can’t win ’em all, especially when you prepare as poorly as I did. This whole thing was a spur of the moment idea, a fun way to wrap up 2025 by doing something a little different and overall I think it worked. I had a great time playing through this strange mix of boomer shooters, even if some of them tried to fight me off with motion sickness or poor level design. Hopefully someone out there enjoyed reading through the chaos as much as I enjoyed playing and reviewing it. Going forward, I’ll try to prepare better for something like this and maybe be a bit more deliberate, curate a tighter list or have a clearer theme.
Well, it wouldn’t be a proper wrap-up post without ranking the lot, so let’s do it. Worst to best, COMIN’ IN HOT:
9. Aliens Versus Predator
This one actually kinda stung. Aliens Versus Predator was a childhood favourite and this revisit made for a pretty crushing revelation. The two out of three campaigns that don’t induce motion sickness just aren’t particularly engaging or well paced. The tension that once felt pant-shittingly overwhelming now kinda falls flat and the novelty wears off fast. Nostalgia got me through and without it, Aliens Versus Predator just kinda stinks.
8. Doom 64
I see Doom 64 getting talked up a lot, but personally I just don’t see it. It’s never clicked for me. In its darker, moodier shift, it feels like much of what makes Doom fun to play has been stripped away. Slower pacing and heavy switch hunting combine with a lifeless soundtrack which drains the momentum that defines the series. It feels like a fairly bold attempt at evolution and it lands more like Doom trying to fight against its own identity.
7. Rise of the Triad
Rise of the Triad fully understands just how ridiculous it is and that self-awareness surprisingly carries it a long way. The weapons are wild, the general tone is unhinged and there’s some genuine fun to be had here. But unfortunately, the maze-like level design grinds that fun to a halt far too often. In short bursts ROTT is an absolute blast, but the constant navigation headaches stop it from being more enjoyable overall.
6. Kingpin: Life of Crime
Kingpin is a genuinely underrated gem and revisiting it during Boomer Shooter December was a pleasant surprise. It definitely shows its age, but that grime-soaked world and RPG ambition gives it a distinct identity that few others can match. Beneath the jank and gratuitous swearing is a surprisingly engaging experience that rewards patience and exploration. It’s confident in what it’s trying to be, even if it feels uncomfortable at times. Kingpin is far more entertaining than it has any right to be.
5. Quake
Quake is a true old-school classic, even if it didn’t hit quite as hard as I expected. The dark, dreary atmosphere may come across as dull, but it’s essential to the experience and suits the game incredibly well. Movement and combat both feel fluid and the level design is consistently strong throughout. Quake is an essential piece of first-person shooter history that still holds up, even if it didn’t top the list.
4. Duke Nukem 3D
Fourth?! Yeah, this placement surprised me more than anyone. I fully expected Duke Nukem 3D to take the triumphant top spot in Boomer Shooter December. Episodes One through Three are phenomenal, but the quality drop-off in Episode Four is hard to overlook. The core game still delivers solid level design, iconic weapons and the momentum that makes boomer shooters great, but the later content just feels optional at best. I think Duke Nukem’s legacy remains intact, but it didn’t quite dominate the month how I thought it would.
3. Half-Life: Blue Shift
Half-Life: Blue Shift may not qualify as a boomer shooter in the purest sense, but I think it earns its place here. It feels like a more focused take on Half-Life with familiar combat, faster pacing with the puzzles being trimmed back to match. It still has the original essence of the game, but presented from a different perspective. By trimming the puzzles and opting for a fast pace and combat focus, Blue Shift becomes a short, sharp run through Black Mesa and it holds up incredibly well.
2. Quake 2
Quake 2 rules. It’s honestly just pure fun. It’s faster, louder and much more aggressive than the original and it’s backed by an absolutely banger soundtrack that drives the action relentlessly. Combat is incredibly satisfying and the pacing rarely lets up. id Software continued their run of solid level design and even slightly moved the needle by adding light objectives. It may not have that same gothic atmosphere as the original and it barely feels like a sequel, but as a boomer shooter Quake 2 absolutely crushes it.
1. Return to Castle Wolfenstein
The biggest surprise of the month. Return to Castle Wolfenstein has held up far better than I ever expected. It blends classic boomer shooter combat with smart level design and light tactical decision-making. Every enemy encounter feels deliberate and the game kinda forces you to think about your positioning and approach rather than just charging in guns blazing. It’s confident, cohesive and it presents incredibly polished for its time. I still remember the year we got it for Christmas and being absolutely terrible at it, I’m incredibly glad I included it this month as it was easily the standout experience of Boomer Shooter December.
Boomer Shooter December ended up being exactly what I hoped it would be, even if my planning stank. It was a little messy, heavy on nostalgia and occasionally a frustrating deep dive into a genre I clearly love. Some of these games absolutely hold up and exceed the expectations of my own memory. Others… just kinda stink. But even then, the misses and the cuts had something interesting to say about where first-person shooters came from and how they’ve evolved. This list is in no way definitive and I fully expect people to disagree with me, but that’s half the fun. I’ll absolutely be continuing Boomer Shooter December into 2026 and I’m already looking forward to it. Last year was all about the classics, maybe this year will have a more modern flair. Regardless of what it is, I’m definitely not done tearing through corridors.
Dad with a Deck 
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