A tactical shooter is a subgenre of video game inspired by the first-person shooter or third-person shooter genres that generally simulate more than realistic battles. It usually appears under the form of police fighting terrorists or other criminals, military combat etc'. The emphasis is the realism given to weapon effects and character abilities and may lead to the possibility of other tactics, such as stealth.

Some of the most famous tactical shooter games include Rainbow Six series and Ghost Recon series. This genre also includes the possibility to play in a multiplayer tactical shooter mode which focuses on team cooperation to achieve goals rather than just killing your opponents. The emphasis is thus on helping your team-mates, rather than individual heroism. Games of this nature include Counter-Strike and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.