Video Game Genres

A video game genre is a grouping of games under a common name because of their similar themes or objectives. There are many different game genres, with many games that fit under its definition.

Some of the most basic examples of genres are shooter games and puzzle games. Shooter games includes a broad spectrum of video games where the player has to aim and shoot weapons in order to complete the game objectives. Puzzle games, on the other hand, also include a broad spectrum of games, but are more oriented toward solving riddles and intellectual challenges as the primary gameplay.

Here is a list of video game genres with example included. Feel free to click on a genre to learn more about it, or to see more games that fit under that genre.

Action

Action games are about just that, taking actions. These games usually require skill and reactions to complete their objectives and challenges.

Below is a list of sub-genres of the action genre with three examples of each. Click any genre title to see a bigger list, or to learn more about the genre.

Shooter genre
Battle Royale
Stealth genre
Fighting genre
Platformer genre
Survival genre
Rhythm genre

Role-playing

The Role-playing genre is a type of game where the player takes on a role within the game. The most common examples of roleplaying games are ones like Final Fantasy XV, where players take on the role of the main protagonist and progress through a story-filled game with many events, challenges, and dramatic encounters.

There are a few different types of role-playing genres, below is a list of them with three example games for each. Click any genre title to see a bigger list, or to learn more about the genre.

MMORPG
Tacical RPG
Action RPG
Sandbox RPG

Simulation

The simulation genre is a type of game where the player gets to play a simulation of some real life idea. Games in this genre usually, but not always, take on a realistic feel as opposed to an excitable game-like vibe. One iconic example of this would be Sim City, where the player plays a simulation of city planning and building with the end goal of seeing the city become something big and magnificent. Another notable example is The Sims, where players actually emulate living life inside of a game. They can get a job, get a house, get married, have children, and so on.

There are a few different sub-genres of simluations to help divide the category. Below is a list of some simulation genres with three example games for each. Click any genre title to see a bigger list, or to learn more about the game.

Construction / Management simulators
Vehicle simulators
Life simulators

Adventure

The adventure genre is a type of game that focuses on adventure through the world, and less on action and combat. Usually this type of game has lot of exploring and interesting places to find. There may or may not be objectives of discovering new areas of place, or completing quests.

Below are two examples of the adventure game genre.

Story-driven adventure
Visual novels

Strategy

The strategy game genre includes games where players make tactical and often long-term decisions. Most of these games usually revolve around war and how to strategically out maneuver and out think the enemy players or AI. One of the most notable strategy games is the Total War series, a turn-based strategy game where players recruit armies, engage in diplomacy, and fight wars.

Not all strategy games are turn based, real time strategy games are another variation of the genre where players make rapid decisions as fast as they can while everything happens continuously.

Below are some examples of the strategy genre.

Turn based strategy
- Total War: Three Kingdoms
- Advanced Wars
- Civilization series
Real time strategy
- Age of Empires
- Battle for Middle Earth 2
- Warcraft games
Mobile online battle arenas
- League of Legends
- DOTA 2
- Smite
Turn based tactics
- Final Fantasy Tactics
- Fire Emblem
- XCOM 2
Tower Defense
- Bloons Tower Defense Series
- Plants vs Zombies 2
- Kingdom Rush

Sports

The sports game genre is pretty straight forward. These are games that try to simulate real world sports. Games have been made for all the major sports for multiple decades. Most of these games tend to focus on realism and matching the game as closely as possible. There are some parody versions of sports games as well where they go a little more extreme.

Sports
- Fifa 20
- NHL 20
- NBA 2k20
Racing
- F1 2019
- Forza Horizon 4
- Nascar Heat 4