Sony Interactive Entertainment
Every amusement medium practice genres to facilitate people infer what a game or movie or vocal will be like before experiencing it . In a sea of nearly unlimited mental object , this is essential for allowing people to more easy encounter the thingsthey are interested in — and to nullify the ones they are n’t . However , genres also need to be broad enough to still be utilitarian , stand for most things do n’t fit perfectly into any one loge . Games are in an even trickier situation since genres can not only describe the tone and point hearing , but alsohow the secret plan is played . This has created a whole new set of genres and subgenres exclusive to games that can be quite puzzling . We ’ll go over the most recognized video game genre , as well as some subgenres within them , to explicate what they are and give some examples .
While we will do our best to organize game and genres in a logical way , it is still a subjective recitation .
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Action
Action is about the broad genre there is in game , and it be given to be an element in most other genre as well . action at law games encompass any game that focuses in the first place on the instrumentalist - controlled character engaging in some form of combat with opponents . This could be with swords , fist , magic , or anything else . There can be a story , but it tends to be lower-ranking to the instant - to - moment gameplay . A few notable example would beDevil May Cry , Dead Cells , Bloodborne , Spider - Man , Street Fighter , andNinja Gaiden .
you’re able to basically gravel the word “ activity ” onto any other music genre and have a valid subgenre , but some illustration are action - adventure , fight , character action , arcade natural action , and action RPGs .
Adventure
Technically , the adventure game might be the oldest video secret plan genre there is . It was in the beginning used to define a very specific character of biz , but has now become just as unspecific as activity as the culture medium has develop . In the most general terms , dangerous undertaking games are trying to engross you in a existence or narration where action at law is either lower-ranking or even nonexistent . school text escapade were the first examples , followed by point - and - click games . The adventure does n’t need to have a large world , though it can , and tends to give the player a lot of freedom in how they explore or hire with the world . Some representative would beThe Legend of Zelda : hint of the Wild/ Tears of the Kingdom , Myst , Until Dawn , Metroid , andRed Dead Redemption .
There are tons of subgenres in the risky venture category . We still get the original text escapade , but there are unexampled iterations like ocular novels and synergistic motion-picture show . Metroidvanias can also fit here depending on the game , as well as horror and open - world games . Again , there ’s an argument to be made that most games can technically fit within the escapade writing style .
Platformer
The first genre we ’ll talk about name after a machinist is one of the oldest in the industry : platformers . These plot are all about give the actor a virtual obstacle track to navigate , typically through jumping , but not always . Platformers can be level - based or undefended - world , but the point is that the mechanic are rivet around the instrumentalist ’s power to navigate through a blank space . you’re able to already pretend that Mario game would fall into this camp , but other example includeCeleste , Donkey Kong , Kirby , Mega Man , Ratchet and Clank , and Sonic .
Platformers are a bit more stern in terms of what qualifies as a complete platformer , but plenty of biz will still incorporate platforming elements . The main subgenres here are legal action platformers , Metroidvania , 2D and 3D platformers , and machine - stolon .
Puzzle
Puzzle games are all about testing your wit . In a game like this , all your progress is dependent on you sympathy and learning the mechanics to crack some puzzler , typically without much of any danger to your character or the need to execute precise stimulation . Some game may implement some time restraint or a limited phone number of moves , or even a challenge to solve puzzles before an opponent . You may not even spiel as a persona in a mystifier plot , but simply as yourself interact with the biz just like a mystifier in real life . Puzzle games can be as wide-eyed as games based on existing puzzle data formatting like Sudoku and Crosswords , or I that can only exist as biz likeFez , SpaceChem , Portal , andBaba is You .
Subgenres in the puzzle outer space include logic puzzles , physics puzzle , hidden objects , mystifier platformers , matching games , and more .
Role-playing game
Tons of game have RPG elements these day , but not all games are RPGs . This literary genre comes from games attempting to replicateDungeons & Dragonsand mostly share the vulgar element of embodying the player in a fictional character that will maturate in persuasiveness or power over the course of an risky venture . This can be through XP and level , or find unexampled gear and equipment . You may make your own character where you ’re free to work up their playstyle and personality as you like or substantiate a set character . Some game even let you control more than one character , but the compass point is in the main on some form of lineament - specific progression . case includeBaldur ’s Gate 3 , Final Fantasy , Like a Dragon , Dragon Quest , Skyrim , Fallout , and basically all MMOs .
use - playing subgenres let in action RPGs , MMORPGs , tactical RPGs , turn - based RPGs , open - macrocosm RPGs , and more .
Strategy
Not to be confused with puzzler games , strategy game are usually about bring off one or more units toward some goal or the licking of an enemy force . Combat is n’t required , but is a vernacular paper as you would await . These can be turn - based or real clock time and are generally toy from either a third - person view , an isometric stand , or most commonly , a very high view . Some examples includeCivilization , XCOM , Sim City , Starcraft , andFire Emblem . mention that there are a lot of ways to make a strategy secret plan that goes beyond simply moving units . game likeFrostpunkcan be more about managing complex system than contain people directly .
There are a wide range of strategy subgenres , but the most notable are 4X , RTS , grand strategy , turn - base maneuver , and column defence mechanism .
Shooter
Shooters may have once jibe into the action genre , but have grown so large and produce enough subgenre to warrant being a musical style all its own . Whether you ’re in first - person or third - person , gun are all about , well , shooting . Guns are typically the go - to weapon in these games , but they can also include bows , magic , and any other missile . There ’s no doubt you know the big shooter names likeDoom , Halo , Call of Duty , Gears of War , andCounter - Strike .
The primary subgenres within triggerman are first- and third - someone , but there are also tactical shooter , hero shooters , fool away ’em , ups , looter gun , extraction shooters , and even light hired gun games .
Sports
If there ’s a veridical - world sport , odds are there ’s a video plot translation of it . This is the easy genre to understand since the game are primarily just translations of a real activity . That said , we do get deal of game that make up their own sports or put new wrinkles on live ones . These are yourMaddens , FIFAs , NBA 2K , andNHLgames , but alsoMario GolfandKart .
Technically , each individual sport would be a subgenre under the expectant sports streamer . That would be football , hockey , and racing , as well as any colonnade or pretence versions .
