List of video game genres
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Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay. Due to a general lack of commonly agreed-upon genres or criteria for the definition of genres, classification of games are not always consistent or systematic and sometimes outright arbitrary between sources. Within game studies there is a lack of consensus in reaching accepted formal definitions for game genres, some being more popular than others. For example, some schemas are largely semiotic, while others rely more strongly on configurative patterns of interface and mechanics.
Following is a listing of commonly used video game genres with brief descriptions and examples of each. This list is by no means complete or comprehensive. As with nearly all varieties of genre classification, the matter of any individual video game's specific genre is open to personal interpretation.
Many of these categories overlap due to the subjective nature of many genres. For example, The Legend of Zelda series has elements of action, adventure and role-playing. This overlapping is further pronounced as more games are being produced and styled as hybrids, blending elements characteristic to one or more popular genres (for example, action-RPGs like Diablo, Vagrant Story, and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance). Sometimes themes can determine a genre.
Action
Action games are perhaps the most basic of gaming genres, and certainly one of the broadest. Action games are characterized by gameplay with emphasis on combat. Many of the other genres listed here can be included within Action, such as fighting games and first-person shooters.
Action-adventure
Action-adventure games focus on exploration and usually involve item gathering, simple puzzle solving, and combat.
The first action-adventure game was the Atari 2600 game Adventure (1979). It was directly inspired by the original text adventure, Colossal Cave Adventure. In the process adapting a text game to a console with only a joystick for control, designer Warren Robinett created a new genre.
Because of their prevalence on video game consoles (and the absence of typical adventure games), action-adventure games are often confusingly called "adventure games" by console gamers.
- Examples of action-adventure games include: The Legend of Zelda series and the Metroid series.
Stealth
Stealth games are a somewhat more recent genre, sometimes referred to as a "sneaker" or "creepers" to make contrast with the action-oriented "shooter" sub-genre. These games tend to emphasize subterfuge and precision strikes over the more overt mayhem of shooters. Most have first- or third-person shooter elements, but there are some exceptions like Tenchu: Stealth Assassins.
- Examples of stealth games include: the Metal Gear series and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
Survival horror
Survival horror games focus on fear and attempt to scare the player via traditional horror fiction elements such as atmospherics, death, the undead, blood and gore. One crucial gameplay element in many of these games is the low quantity of ammunitions, or number of breakable mêlée weapons.
This genre takes his roots from the mixed Survival Horror/RPG, Sweet Home, but draws heavily from Alone in the Dark and was popularized by the Resident Evil series.
Beat 'em up
Side-scrolling beat 'em up (or brawler) games have an emphasis on one-on-many close quarters combat, beating large numbers of computer-controlled enemies. Gameplay involves the player fighting through a series of increasingly difficult levels. The fighting style is usually simpler than for versus fighting games. Critics have denounced this genre as being repetitive and boring.[1][2]
This genre became popular in 1987 with the release of Double Dragon, leading to a large number of similar games. In recent times, the genre has largely merged with that of action adventure, with side-scrolling levels giving way to more open three-dimensional areas, and the melee combat co-existing with shooting, puzzles and missions.
Fighting
Competitive fighting games (also known as beat 'em ups, particularly in the UK) emphasize one-on-one combat between two characters, one of whom may be computer controlled. These games are usually played by linking together long chains of button presses on the controller to use physical attacks to fight. Many of the movements employed by the characters are usually dramatic and occasionally physically impossible. Combat is almost always one-on-one, though there are some exceptions such as the Super Smash Bros. series or Guilty Gear Isuka, pitting up to four combatants in the fight at one time.
This genre first appeared in 1976 with the release of Sega's Heavyweight Boxing and later became a phenomenon, particularly in the arcades, with the release of Street Fighter II. The genre is still popular today, although it has failed to see the extreme popularity it once did.
Platform
Platform games, also called platformers, are games in which the gameplay involves traveling between platforms by jumping (very occasionally other means are substituted for jumping, like swinging or bouncing, but these are considered variations on the same mechanic). Other traditional elements include running and climbing ladders and ledges. Platformers frequently borrow elements from other genres like fighting and shooting (such as the Castlevania series, which incorporates role-playing). They are most often associated with iconic cartoon mascots like Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, and Rayman, though platform games may have any theme.
Traditionally, platform games were 2D, viewing the environment from a profile, "cutaway" perspective. This could be done easily with sprites and was simple for early computers to handle. 3D computer graphics have opened these games up for movement in all directions. However, 3D perspectives make it more difficult to judge distance, which is an important part of platformers. Because of this many 3D platformers have a feature to make this easier (for example, nearly all of them will use a player shadow that will always be cast straight down, so the player can use it to determine if he will land safely).
Platformers were one of the earlier genres of video games, and, at their peak, they were the most popular games on the market. The genre experienced a sharp decline as 3D games became more popular. Although there are many 3D platform games, few have proven to have the universal appeal of their older games. Despite this, it is still a viable genre, with popular new games, such as those of the Mario, Metroid, and Mega Man series. While some 3D platformers like Super Mario 64, Tomb Raider, and Sonic Adventure have sold millions of units, the number of successful 3D platformers have dwindled to a fraction of what they once were. Today, 2D platformers exist primarily on handheld consoles, such as New Super Mario Brothers for the Nintendo DS, and Ultimate Ghosts & Goblins for the PSP.
Shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter video games, commonly known as FPSs, emphasize shooting and combat from the perspective of the character controlled by the player. This perspective is meant to give the player the feeling of "being there", and allows the player to focus on aiming. Most FPSs are very fast-paced and require quick reflexes on high difficulty levels.
The fast-paced and 3D elements required to create an effective looking FPS made the genre technologically unattainable for most consumer hardware systems until the early 1990s. Wolfenstein 3D was the first widely known FPS, and Doom was the first major breakthrough in graphics; it used a number of clever techniques to make the game run fast enough to play on consumer-grade machines.
Since the release of Doom, most FPS games now have a multi-player feature to allow competition between multiple players. To ensure decent performance, it is common for the games to limit the number of players at between 8-64 players in the same game. A notable exception is World War II Online, which was the first game to bring fast paced first-person shooter action to MMOG framework, allowing thousands of players to simultaneously play in the same world.
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter video games, known as TPSs or 3PSs, emphasize shooting and combat from a third-person perspective of the character the player is controlling. This perspective gives the player a wider view of their surroundings as opposed to the limited viewpoint of first-person shooters.
- Examples of the third-person shooter genre are: the Tomb Raider series, Max Payne, and Gears of War.
Tactical shooter
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Tactical shooters are shooters that simulate combat in squads, with the player commanding AI controlled characters like in a strategy game.
- Examples of tactical shooters include: America's Army and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.
Light-gun game
Light gun games use a pointing device for computers and a control device for arcade and home consoles. The first light guns appeared in the 1930s, following the development of light-sensing vacuum tubes. It wasn't long before the technology began appearing in arcade shooting games, beginning with the Seeburg Ray-O-Lite in 1936. These early light gun games used small (usually moving) targets onto which a light-sensing tube was mounted; the player used a gun (usually a rifle) that emitted a beam of light when the trigger was pulled. If the beam struck the target, a "hit" was scored. Modern screen-based light guns work on the opposite principle — the sensor is built into the gun itself, and the on-screen target(s) emit light rather than the gun. The first light gun of this type was used on the MIT Whirlwind computer. Some "light gun" games actually use guns mounted on joysticks, giving the illusion of using a light beam, but all control is transferred through the movement of the stick; a notable example of this is Time Crisis.
Shoot 'em up
"Shoot 'em ups" or "shmups" place emphasis on shooting, and usually simplify other gameplay aspects of in deference to this. Several of the earliest arcade games (such as Galaxian) could be classed as precursors to shoot 'em ups, though they were generally lacking some key aspect. Shoot 'em ups include many sub-genres, including rail shooters and run and gun games.
The games that typify the shoot 'em up genre are scrolling shooters - shoot 'em ups that are traditionally played on a long, 2D, scrolling playing area. Scrolling shooters are generally classified by their direction of scroll: the most common are horizontal (side view) and vertical (top view) shooters. Zaxxon may have been the first genuine scrolling shooter.
The scrolling shooter has a long history, with its roots in the early 1980s. It has a mixed following nowadays, however, classic-style 2D shooters are still being made, commonly rendered in 3D graphics. An example is Star Fox, a shoot 'em up with a clever gameplay twist.
Adventure
Adventure games were some of the earliest games created, beginning with Colossal Cave Adventure in the 1970s. That game was originally titled simply "Adventure," and is the namesake of the genre.
Unlike adventure films, adventure games are not defined by story or content. Rather, adventure describes a manner of gameplay without reflex challenges or action. They cast the player as the protagonist of a story, normally requiring the player to solve various puzzles by interacting with people or the environment, most often in a non-confrontational way. It is considered a "purist" genre and tends to exclude anything which includes action elements beyond a mini game.
Since the original "Colossal Cave Adventure", graphics have been introduced to the genre and the interface has evolved.
Because they put little pressure on the player in the form of action-based challenges or time constraints, adventure games have had the unique ability to appeal to people who do not normally play video games. The genre peaked in popularity with the 1993 release of Myst. The simple point and click interface, detailed worlds and casual pace made it accessible, and its sense of arty surrealism helped it escape the stigma that games are for children. It had four proper sequels, but none managed to experience the same level of success. The success of Myst also inspired many others to create similar games with first person perspectives, surreal environments and minimal or no dialogue, but these neither recaptured the success of Myst nor of earlier personality-driven adventures.
In the late 1990s the genre suffered a large drop in popularity, mass-market releases became rare, and many proclaimed the adventure game to be dead. More accurately, it has become a niche genre. Adventure games are not entirely uncommon, but they tend to be very low budget in anticipation of modest sales. However, as of 2005, the adventure game genre is showing signs of a revival, with games such as Trace Memory, Fahrenheit, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, and Dreamfall being produced.
Text adventure
The earliest adventure games (like the popular Zork series) were text adventures or interactive fiction. In these early adventure games, the player uses a keyboard to enter commands such as "get rope" or "go west" and the computer describes what is happening. A great deal of programming went into parsing the player's text input.
Since then, graphics have been introduced. There is still an active community of interactive fiction authors and players, although major commercial enterprises are rare.
Graphical adventure
As graphics became more common, adventure games began to supplement and later on replace textual descriptions with visuals (for example, a picture of the current location). These graphical adventure games still used text-parsers to input commands.
The growing use of mice led to the "point-and-click" genre of adventure games, where the player would no longer have to type commands. The player could, for example, click on a hand icon and then on a rope to pick up the rope. These games still commonly featured vestiges of text adventures. For example, the point and click interface was usually based on a list of verbs that could be clicked in conjunction with objects such that they still represented sentence-like commands. Also, the vast majority of these games had a narrator who would describe the actions on-screen. Adventure games are perhaps the only genre to make frequent use of this literary device.
Interactive movies
Interactive movies came about with the invention of laserdiscs. These games are pre-filmed full-motion cartoons or live-action sequences, where the player controls some of the moves of the main character. For example, when in danger, the player decides which move or action, or combination to choose. In these games, the only activity the user has is to choose or guess the move the designers intended him to make.
Interactive movies usually differ from games that simply use FMV extensively between scenes in that they try to integrate it into the gameplay itself. This has been used in everything from racing games (Megarace) to fighting games (Supreme Warrior). Because of this, it is arguable that the term is more of an antiquated buzzword (like how many early 3D games were tagged as "virtual reality") than a real genre.
The term itself has come to be associated with a lot of clumsy, poor quality games from the early-to-mid 90s, and thus it is rarely ever used. A few adventure games have tried to use the term to liken the storytelling of their games to those in movies, most notably the later Tex Murphy games, and the more recent Indigo Prophecy but few would include these in the same genre as games that used FMV in their gameplay.
Notable games of this category include Dragon's Lair, Space Ace and Night Trap.
Visual novel
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A visual novel (ビジュアルノベル, bijuaru noberu) is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art. As the name might suggest, they resemble mixed-media novels or tableau vivant stage plays.
Visual novels are commonly called dating sims in the West, because many visual novels track statistics that the player must build in order to advance the plot. This is also because many visual novels permit a variety of endings, allowing more dynamic reactions to the player's actions than a typical linear adventure plot.
Visual novels are especially prevalent in Japan, where they make up nearly 70% of PC games released.[1] They are rarely produced for video game consoles, but the more popular games are sometimes ported to systems such as the Sega Dreamcast or the Playstation 2. The market for visual novels outside of Japan, however, is nearly non-existent.
Role-playing games
Computer role-playing games (CRPGs or simply RPGs) draw their gameplay from traditional role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Most cast the player in the role of one or more "adventurers" who specialize in specific skill sets (such as combat or casting magic spells) while progressing through a predetermined storyline. Many involve maneuvering these character(s) through an overworld, usually populated with monsters, that allows access to more important game locations, such as towns, dungeons, and castles.
Since the emergence of affordable home computers coincided with the popularity of paper and pencil role-playing games, this genre was one of the first in video games and continues to be popular today. Gameplay elements strongly associated with RPGs, such as statistical character development through the acquisition of experience points, have been widely adapted to other genres such as action-adventure games.
Though nearly all of the early entries in the genre were turn-based games, modern CRPGs have introduced a real-time aspect. Thus, the CRPG genre has followed the strategy game's trend of moving from turn-based to real-time combat. The move to real-time combat began with the release of Square Co.'s (now Square Enix) Final Fantasy IV, the first game to use the Active-Time Battle system; this was quickly followed by truly real-time games like Ultima VII.
There are two different types of RPGs. The first involves the player creating a character and a non-linear storyline along which the player makes his own decisions. In the second type the player controls a party of pre-made characters through a linear storyline. These styles are sometimes referred to as Western and Japanese Role-Playing Games respectively, although there are numerous exceptions.
Action role-playing
The action role-playing game or Action RPG is a type of computer and console role-playing game which incorporates elements from action games or action-adventure games. So-called "Diablo clones" are also part of this genre.
Although the precise definition of the genre varies, the typical action RPG features a heavy emphasis on combat, often simplifying or removing non-combat attributes and statistics and the effect they have on the character's development.[2] Additionally, combat always takes place using a real-time system (hence the "action") that relies on the player's ability to perform particular actions with speed and accuracy to determine success, rather than mainly using the player character's attributes to determine this.
Tactical role-playing
The tactical role-playing game sub-genre principally refers to strategy-derived games as an alternative to the traditional RPG system. In such titles, the system has been tailored to incorporate gameplay from strategy games. The genre has its origins in tabletop role-playing games, where each player has time to decide his or her character's action. The term "tactics" was not widely used to describe such titles until Final Fantasy Tactics was released, where it popularized the genre in North America, although games such as Shining Force were part of the genre years beforehand.
- See also: Tactical games
Simulation
Simulation games aim to simulate an experience, such as flying an aircraft or driving a tank, as realistically as practically possible, taking into account physics and other real-world limitations. Such games might include Microsoft Flight Simulator (Flight Cockpit Simulation), or Tanarus (Tank Cockpit Simulation)
Flight
Combat flight simulators are the most popular sub-genre of simulation. The player controls the plane, not only simulating the act of flying, but also combat situations. Falcon 4.0 and IL-2 Sturmovik are examples of the genre.
There are also civilian flight simulators that do not have the combat aspect, Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane being the most popular examples. do 1
Military
There are simulation games built around different types of warfare, or covering a wide range of types. Well-known games with such simulation include Abrams or Tanarus. Ships and submarines simulators like Silent Hunter are among the more popular. Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is a general combat simulator, including simulation of just an infantry soldier along with tanks, aircraft and boats. Its improved version, VBS1, is used for actual military training.
Military FPS games that aim to be realistic are referred to as a Tactical shooter because they usually require strategy and cooperation to win, compared to skill and reflexes in other less realistic games.
Space
Space simulators are a sub-genre on border with action or strategy games. Examples include the Elite series, Star Wars: X-Wing, Descent: FreeSpace — The Great War, Independence War, Wing Commander, Freelancer, X: Beyond the Frontier, DarkStar One and Homeworld. Space simulators are different from other sub-genres, and are not generally considered to be simulators, as their simulated objects do not always exist and often disregard the laws of physics. However, simulators of real spacecraft do exist: Orbiter is one example.
Train
Train simulators simulate the vehicles, environments and often economics associated with railway transport. These are frequently historical in nature, reminiscing on the evolution and emergence of the railroad in various countries and the economic booms that often accompanied them. Examples of train simulators include Microsoft Train Simulator, Trainz and Rail Simulator.
God games
Unlike other genres of games, god games often do not have a set goal that allows a player to win the game. The focus of a god game tends to be control over the lives of people, anywhere from micromanaging a family to overseeing the rise of a civilization.
- Examples of god games include the genre-setting Populous, the more recent The Sims (which generally simulates home-life and social interactions), SimAnt, SimEarth and the forthcoming game Spore.
Economic simulation
Economic simulation games generally attempt to simulate an economy or business, with the player controlling the economy of the game.
City-building
In city-building games, which is really a specialised sub-genre of economic simulation games, the player acts as overall planner or leader to meet the needs and wants of game characters by initiating structures for food, shelter, health, spiritual care, economic growth, etc. Success is achieved when the city budget makes a growing profit and citizens experience an upgraded lifestyle in housing, health, and goods. While military development is often included, the emphasis is on economic strength.
Perhaps the most known game of this type is SimCity, which is still popular and has had great influence on later city-building games. SimCity, however, also belongs to the God Games genre since it gives the player god-like abilities in manipulating the world.
Government simulation
Template:Sectionstub A government simulation game (or "political game") involves the simulation of the policies, government or politics of a country, but typically excludes warfare. Recently, these types of games has gained the moniker "serious game".
Sports
Sports games emulate the playing of traditional physical sports. Some emphasize actually playing the sport, while others emphasize the strategy behind the sport (such as Championship Manager). Others satirize the sport for comic effect (such as Arch Rivals). One of the best selling series in this genre is the Madden NFL series.
This genre emerged early in the history of video games (e.g., Pong) and remains popular today.
Racing
Racing games typically place the player in the driver's seat of a high-performance vehicle and require the player to race against other drivers or sometimes just time. This genre of games is one of the staples of the computer gaming world and many of the earliest computer games created were part of this genre. Emerging in the late 1970s, this genre is still very popular today and continues to push the envelope in terms of graphics and performance. There are two main sub-genres within racing: arcade and simulation. Arcade racers tend to have exaggerated physics, fantastical settings and course layouts, and unrealistic damage handling. Simulation racers focus more on accurate handling and performance of real-world cars, many times allowing the player to simulate partaking in real-world racing events, such as the Indianapolis 500 or the Dakar Rally. Simulation racers tend to allow the player to alter the performance of the vehicles, from the displacement of the engine to the gear ratios of the transmission, but this has also been applied in a more arcade-style racing game Need For Speed: Underground.
A popular sub-genre of the racing game is the kart racing game, which simplifies the vehicle handling and introduces various obstacles and other quirks to the racetrack.
Notable arcade style racing games include Out Run and the Mario Kart series. Notable simulation style racing games include Grand Prix Legends, NASCAR Racing, GTR series, Gran Turismo series and Forza Motorsport series.
Strategy
Strategy games focus on gameplay that requires careful and skillful thinking and planning in order to achieve victory. Strategy games may be either turn-based or real-time, and may be considered either "strategy" or "tactical" games. Most strategy games place a specific region or army under the player's control, with factors such as commerce, construction, and management of diplomatic affairs which the player can influence. Some, such as the Civilization series, simulate notable time periods in history. In comparison, tactical games focus entirely on combat.
Real-time strategy and turn-based strategy
There are two distinct types of strategy games. They are classified into real-time strategy games, which are played in a real-time environment, and turn-based strategy games, which are played in rounds or turns. Both of these distinctions, though, tend to retain the same aspects of gameplay: gathering or harvesting resources, micro-managing an economy, and producing units.
- Examples of real-time strategy games are: Age of Empires, Axis & Allies RTS, Command & Conquer, Company of Heroes, Pikmin, StarCraft, Supreme Commander, Total Annihilation, and the Warcraft series.
- Examples of turn-based strategy games are: the Advance Wars series and the Heroes of Might and Magic series.
Tactical games
Tactical strategy games, also known as tactical wargames, focus on gameplay that only requires the use of the combat forces provided to the player beforehand. There are two distinct types of tactical strategy games: real-time tactical games (RTT) and turn-based tactical games (TBT). Real-time tactical games are played in a real-time environment, while turn-based tactical games are played in short-timed rounds or turns. Tactical strategy gameplay consists of employing various tactics and strategies to achieve victory. This genre eschews the focus of economic gameplay from strategy games.
- Examples of real-time tactical games are: the Close Combat series, Ground Control, the Total War series, and Warhammer: Dark Omen.
- Examples of turn-based tactical games are: the Combat Mission series, Silent Storm, the Jagged Alliance series and the Steel Panthers series.
- See also: Tactical role-playing games
4X strategy
4X is a popular sub-genre of strategy games. Games defined as 4X usually involve four primary phases: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate.
- Examples of 4X strategy games are: Galactic Civilizations, Master of Orion, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, and Sid Meier's Civilization.
Massively multiplayer online
Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs or MMOGs) are a category of game that may belong to any genre. A MMOG differs from games in its parent genre in the number of players that can be playing at once. They are persistent virtual worlds in which potentially thousands of players may interact together over the Internet. Most of these games are subscription-based, but recently some MMOGs have allowed players to purchase the game one time and play online with no monthly fees. A number of other MMOGs are free to download and play.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games, or MMORPGs, emerged in the mid to late 1990s as a commercial, graphical variant of text-based MUDs, which had existed since around 1979. The massively multiplayer concept was quickly combined with other genres. Fantasy MMORPGs remain the most popular type of MMOG, though other types of MMOG are appearing. Sci-fi MMORPGs hold a smaller part of the MMOG Market. One of the first examples of this type of MMOG is Anarchy Online. Many other sci-fi MMORPGs have launched with the popular space sci-fi game EVE Online being the most notable.
Massively multiplayer online first person shooter
MMOFPSs are a category of MMOG that combines first-person shooter gameplay with a virtual world in which a large number of players may interact over the Internet. World War II Online and PlanetSide are a few notable games of this genre.
Massively multiplayer online hack and slash
 | This article possibly contains original research. (November 2007) |
MMOHNSs are a category of MMOG that are not quite RPG but only 'Hack and Slash'. The gameplay revolves around the constant killing of computer controlled NPCs (non-player characters) and mobs (creatures in a game) to make your characters more powerful. Many games that are classified as MMORPG probably fall into this category more than they fall into the MMORPG category. The main difference between the two being the social interaction aspect. Where an RPG should have more social interaction between players and NPCs the HNS requires little or no interaction between them. This term is coming into more and more widespread usage as more and more MMOG are created that lack the full characteristics of an RPG. This is still a hotly debated area in that many game developers believe the RPG needn't focus on actual role-playing.[citation needed]
Other notable genres
Arcade
Arcade games are traditionally the coin-operated video games found in arcades during the 1970s and 1980s. These games were characterized as quick play action games that had an addictive quality. Arcade games are easy to learn, yet difficult to master. One such example is Tanarus which, although not coin-operated, is considered by Sony to reflect the gameplay relative to an arcade game, in the fact that it is very addicting and can be played for hours on end. Since the decline of coin-operated games, "arcade" has become a genre in its own right. Arcade games can now be found in many sites that contain browser-based games.
Artillery
Artillery games are turn-based ballistics-simulation games in which players fire upon each other or at specific targets by specifying the angle of their salvo and at what force. Shots are affected by gravity and usually wind. These games are usually two-dimensional, but occasionally they are three-dimensional. Some examples include Gunbound, Scorched Earth, and Tanarus.
Maze
Maze games have a playing field which is entirely a maze. Some may be simple puzzle games in which the player must navigate to the exit, others may be action-based.
An example sub-genre of the action-based maze game is the maze chase game in which the player needs logical thinking to foresee where the enemies come. One must be able to foresee hostile attacks about the flanks to escape from them. The most famous game of this genre is Pac-Man. This genre frequently crosses over with Puzzle, but it often gets by completely without puzzle elements and demands only reaction and planning. Notable games include the Pac-Man series.
See also: List of maze video games and List of maze chase games.
Multi-genre
Though this is not an official genre, some games are a combination of many genres and have many elements of most genres. Games like these are put under the "Multi-genre" title until the developers categorize the game under a genre that most fits. Also called a 'hybrid' game.
Music
Music games are typically arcade games that challenge the player to follow sequences of movement or develop specific rhythms. Some games require the player to tap out rhythms using a game controller or keyboard. Others require the player to input with their feet on a dance pad or use a device similar to a specific musical instrument, like a replica drum set. This genre arose in the late 1990s with the increasing popularity of rap music and the success of Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero.
Party
Party games are video games developed specifically for multiplayer games between many players. Normally, party games have a variety of different types of mini-games that range between collecting more of a certain item than other players or having the fastest time at something. Versus multiplayer games are not generally considered to be party games. Mario Party is an example.
Pinball
Pinball games are, essentially, pinball table emulators, designed to replicate the look and feel of your common pinball table. Most pinball games feature the same gameplay style, where the player controls a right and left flipper, and tries to make the ball hit various parts of the playfield to gather up points. One significant way that video game pinball games can progress beyond pinball table emulation is the inclusion of features impossible to incorporate in a real pinball table (multiple table layouts, or direct ball control for example), although some games strive to provide a more realistic experience and avoid this type of game play.
The control scheme in pinball games is, for the most part, the same. In today's consoles, left and right "shoulder" buttons are often used to approximate the left and right flipper buttons of a real-world pinball game. Some games automatically fire the ball into the playfield, while others require the player to press a button to pull down the spring-loaded plug and fire the ball into the playfield.
In some cases, a pinball game may feature more than two flippers. Two are generally located at the bottom of the playfield, and others (generally only one or two more) are found above the bottom two.
Pinball games have become more popular in recent years on handheld systems, as opposed to consoles.
Programming
A programming game is a computer game where the player has no direct influence on the course of the game. Instead, a computer program or script is written in some domain-specific programming language in order to control the actions of the characters (usually robots, tanks or bacteria, which seek to destroy each other). Programming games of note include Core War, Robocode, RoboWar, Robot Battle, Crobots and AI Wars. Final Fantasy XII also includes some elements of a programming game, as the player creates the AI of his characters, although the player can also choose to directly control the action.
Puzzle
Puzzle games require the player to solve logic puzzles or navigate complex locations such as mazes. This genre frequently crosses over with adventure and educational games. Some arcade games, in particular Tetris-variants, are often labeled puzzle games, despite the fact that gameplay depends on hand/eye coordination and quick reflexes, rather than thought and logic.
Puzzle is a very inclusive genre, and is often used as a general default for games not otherwise easily categorized, especially those with abstract concepts. Before they became commonplace, music games were sometimes called puzzle games, for example.
Traditional
Most popular board games, card games, and the like have been computerized to some degree or another. Computer game programs can be worthy opponents and can help improve one's skill at traditional games.
- Chess, Checkers, Othello (also known as Reversi), and Backgammon have world class computer programs.
- Mah-jongg and related games are immensely popular in China, Japan.
- Go, popular in East Asia. It is infamously difficult to program a computer to play Go well: see Computer Go.
- Magic: The Gathering has had computer versions for some time.
- 42 All-Time Classics is a game for Nintendo DS that features online play through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Vehicular combat
Vehicular combat (or car combat) games focus on fast-paced action, as the player operates a car or other vehicle and attempts to disable or destroy CPU or human opponents. Vehicular combat games often allow a player to choose from a variety of potential vehicles, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Vehicular combat was born out of racing/shooter combinations like Spy Hunter, RoadBlasters and Rock 'N' Roll Racing, but differs in that the players can, if desired, take their vehicles off predefined routes and do battle wherever they please.
A sub-genre of vehicular combat is Mecha combat, where vehicles generally include giant robot-like tanks.
Video game genres by purpose
While most video games are designed as entertainment, many video games are designed with additional purposes. These purposes are as varied as the nature of information itself -- to inform, persuade, or stimulate. These games can have any kind of gameplay, from puzzles to action to adventure.
Adult
Adult video games, like adult movies or other media, are intended for an adult audience. In general, the purpose of adult games is to provide erotic entertainment, rather than just gameplay. There exists a wide variety of adult games, though many lack mainstream appeal and represent a niche category. The object of an adult game may differ from a mainstream video game, in that the reward can be a visual representation of nudity, partial nudity, or sexual activity rather than points, etc. Some games may focus on humor or drama rather than arousal, or simply have normal gameplay accompanied by nudity.
Advergame
Advergames have recently become a popular due to the Burger King, King Games Collection. But Advergames, like the 7up Cool Spot game and the Dominoes Yo! Noid games, were around much earlier. The majority of Advergames are found online and mostly include simple and cheaply made Flash games, it is expected that advergamimg will become a very popular and far more highly invested in the coming years as TV ad revenue lessens and video games are shown to have a greater and greater impact on public opinion.[citation needed]
Casual
Casual games have very simple rules or play techniques, a very low degree of strategy, making them easy to learn and play as a pastime. They require no long-term time commitment or special skills to play, and there are comparatively low production and distribution costs for the producer. Casual games typically are played on a personal computer online in web browsers, although they now are starting to become popular on game consoles, too.
The purpose of the casual game is to entertain, but with a much lower commitment than other video games.
Christian
Christian video games were first made in the late 1980s for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) by Wisdom Tree and now are made by many different developers. Most of these developers meet yearly at the "Christian Games Developers Conference" and build support through the Christian Game Developers Foundation. The purpose of Christian video games is to teach players about the Christian faith.
Educational
Educational games, as the name implies, attempt to teach the user using the game as a vehicle. Most of these types of games target young user from the ages of about three years to mid-teens; past the mid-teens, subjects become so complex (e.g. Calculus) that teaching via a game is impractical. Numerous sub-genres exist, each for a different field (math games, typing games and so on).
Exergame
Exergaming (formed from "exercise" and "gaming") is a term used for video games that also provide exercise. Exergames have one element of exercise and one element of gaming. The "gaming" aspect is a short form for video gaming. "Exergames" sub divide into two main implementations, those with a game specifically designed to use an exercise input device and those implementations using a genre of, or a generic game.
Games fit in to the category of entertainment, and similarly Exergames are a category of Exertainment (formed from "exercise" and "entertainment"). Exertainment includes one aspect of innovation or entertainment to an exercise work out.
Serious
Serious games are intended to educate or train the player. Some of these games have no specific ending or goal in the game. Rather, the player learns a real life lesson from the game. For example, games from websites such as Newsgaming.com raise political issues using the distinct properties of games.
References
- ^ "AMN and Anime Advanced Announce Anime Game Demo Downloads". Hirameki International Group Inc. 2006-02-08. Retrieved 2006-12-01.
- ^ Turner, Brian (2004-07-01). "The Action RPG Revolution" (HTML). Retrieved 2007-03-02.
RPGs ... are ... difficult to define ... For the most part, action RPGs are action games first and foremost, often with frenetic realtime combat against overwhelming hordes of enemies.
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- Crawford, Chris (1982). "Chapter 3: A Taxonomy of Computer Games". The Art of Computer Game Design. Wolf & Peron. ISBN 0-88134-117-7
- Lindley, Craig A. (2003). "Game Taxonomies: A High Level Framework for Game Analysis and Design, Gamasutra, October 3, 2003
- Wolf, Mark J. P. (2002). "Chapter 6: Genre and the Video Game". The Medium of the Video Game. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-79150-X
- Apperley, Thomas H (March 2006). Template:PDFlink. University of Melbourne and Simulation & Gaming, Vol. 37, No. 1, 6-23.
- Bateman, Chris and Boon, Richard (2004). ""A Guide to Computer Game Genres"". International Hobo. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
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- Boutros, Daniel (2006-08-04). ""A Detailed Cross-Examination of Yesterday and Today's Best-Selling Platform Games"". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
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- Terdiman, Daniel (2006-03-26). ""What's wrong with serious games?"". CNet. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
See also
- Audio game, games based on sound or music
- Game classification
- List of gaming topics
- Serious game
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