Beat 'em ups (often called scrolling fighting games, fighting action games, scrolling beat 'em ups or sometimes brawlers) are video games where close combat fighting against multiple opponents is the main objective. Beat 'em ups based around mêlée weapons are often called hack 'n' slash.

This is not a distinct genre, but merely a thematic subgenre. Unlike competitive fighting games, play can take place over a large level, with the screen scrolling as the player moves through the stage.

Though firearms may be featured, unlike shoot 'em up games, the purpose of the game and main means of progress is hand-to-hand fighting against waves of enemies.

Kung Fu Master (1984), a prototypical beat 'em up, running on MAME.

In this type of fighting game, one or more players (most often two, but sometimes as many as six) each choose a unique character and team up to punch, kick, throw and slash their way through a horde of computer-controlled enemies.

Thus, unlike versus fighting games, when several players play simultaneously, they do not fight each other. The fighting occurs in a series of side-scrolling stages, some with a powerful boss enemy at the end. Most beat 'em ups are characterized by that in addition to moving left and right (and/or jump/duck) the players can also move vertically, in and