History Main / VideogameGenres

->''Video games are my favorite video games.''

* ActionAdventure: A game that combines parts from Action Games and Adventure Games together. This means a balanced focus on combat and exploration/puzzle-solving. (ex: ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI The Legend of Zelda]]'', ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'')

* DigitalPinballTables: Computerized {{pinball}} games, whether replicas of PhysicalPinballTables, or original boards with features that can only exist in software.

* GachaGames: A genre of games based around rolling certain items (mainly playable characters) of a banner and paying until obtaining the desired item from enough pulls.

** TeamworkPuzzleGame: A game in which the player controls a group of characters, and progress frequently depends on puzzles making use of this fact.

** {{Shooter}}: A game in which the gameplay revolves around shooting with guns and other ranged weapons.

*** HeroShooter: A First or Third-Person Shooter in which each character has different abilities and weapons. (ex: ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'')

*** BulletHell: A shoot'em up that has every single enemy fire hundreds or thousands of projectiles on-screen at once at the player character, testing their dodging skills. (ex: ''Franchise/TouhouProject'')
*** CuteEmUp: A shoot'em up that casts the enemies as cute things such as kittens, candy, fairies, and so on. (ex: ''VideoGame/FantasyZone'')
*** HorizontalScrollingShooter: A shoot'em up that has a horizontal AutoScrollingLevel, that is, to the left or right. (ex: ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'')
*** VerticalScrollingShooter: A shoot'em up that has a vertical Auto Scrolling Level, that is, up or down. (ex: ''VideoGame/{{Raiden}}'')

** GrandStrategy: A strategy game where you control a country or empire, but with the complexity toned up.

*** MascotFighter: Ultimate Showdown Of Ultimate Destiny is heavily featured. (ex: ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'')
*** PlatformFighter: A fighting game combined with platform game elements; has great emphasis on maneuverability on dynamic stages. (ex: ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'')

** DeckbuildingGame: Card games where the player builds a deck as they play the game and are usually single-player focused.

** {{Roguelike}}: A game that features procedurally generated environments randomly stocked from a huge list of monsters and items, {{Permadeath}}, AntiGrinding and is NintendoHard. Earlier games were generally inspired by ''VideoGame/{{Rogue}}'', a DungeonCrawling RPG, hence the name. Modern roguelikes utilize some elements from old school roguelikes and now encompass many other genres, but the term is used interchangeably. (ex: ''VideoGame/NetHack'', ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'')

*** [[ThirdPersonShooter Third-Person Shooter]] (TPS): A 3D shooter that has the camera looking behind the player character or over their shoulder, and involves the use of guns and similar weapons. (ex: ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'', ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'')

** GrandStrategy: A strategy game where you control a country or empire, but with the complexity toned UpToEleven.

*** BulletHell: A shoot'em up that has every single enemy fire hundreds or thousands of projectiles on-screen at once at the player character, testing their dodging skills. (ex: ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'')

** {{Roguelike}}: A game that features DungeonCrawling with randomly generated environments randomly stocked from a huge list of monsters and items, {{Permadeath}}, AntiGrinding and is NintendoHard. Generally inspired by ''VideoGame/{{Rogue}}'', thus the name. (ex: ''VideoGame/NetHack'')

[[folder:Aesthetic game genres]]
Non-gameplay genres that can be found in other mediums, related to the game's story, setting, tone, etc.

* ArtGame: A game that has DoingItForTheArt as its motto.
* ComedyVideoGames: A game with heavy focus on humor, that seldom ever takes itself seriously.
** ParodyVideoGames: A game that spoofs other games.
* DeconstructionGame: A game that {{deconstruct|ion}}s a common gameplay element or plot device.
* EdutainmentGame: A game that educates players as well as entertains them. (ex: ''VideoGame/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego'')
* FantasyVideoGames: A game that features magic and mythology in a supernatural setting.
* HorrorVideoGames: A game that exploits the fears of players to cause anxiety, fear, and ultimately thrills.
* MechaGame: A game that focuses on HumongousMecha for combat.
* MilitaryAndWarfareVideoGames: A game that revolves around soldiers or warriors fighting in a military conflict.
* RetrauxGames: Games using intentionally outdated graphics for a nostalgic effect.
* ScienceFictionVideoGames: A game that explores a concept that does not exist at the present time, but it someday might.
* [[SuperheroStories/VideoGames Superhero Video Games]]: A game which centers on the adventures of a {{superhero}} battling {{supervillain}}s.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:General game genres]]
These are the most common classifications applied to video games, usually pertaining to their style of gameplay.
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[[folder:Gameplay modifiers]]
There are several modifiers that can be applied to the genre of a game, as a twist on the standard formula.

* [[SuperheroStories/VideoGames Superhero Video Games]]: A game which centers on the adventures of a {{superhero}}.

* MazeGame : A game that takes place in a maze, and the player must either get from one side of the maze to the other, or clear it of every item that won't kill the player. (ex: ''VideoGame/PacMan'')

** StealthBasedGame: A game in which the player character must hide and sneak through the level while avoiding notice from much more powerful enemies that the player character cannot take head-on. (ex: ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'', ''VideoGame/{{Tenchu}}'')

Also see {{Pinball}}, the arcade predecessor to Video Games.

* DigitalPinballTables: Computerized pinball games, whether replicas of PhysicalPinballTables or original boards with features that can only exist in software.

[[folder:General game genres]]
These are the most common classifications applied to video games, usually pertaining to their style of gameplay.

* GameMaker: Software focused on creating whole games from the ground up with preexisting assets. Sometimes, the software itself is a game. (ex: ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'')

** TowerDefense: A game in which the player defends a building from monsters using other buildings, sometimes with a unit or two as back-up. (ex: ''VideoGame/PlantsVSZombies'')

* ToysToLifeGame: A game involving physical toys interacting with the game. (ex: ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'', ''VideoGame/DisneyInfinity'')
* And lastly, MiscellaneousGames: A page that contains games that nobody could identify the genre of. It really should be cleaned out.

[[folder:Aesthetic game genres]]
Non-gameplay genres that can be found in other mediums, related to the game's story, setting, tone, etc.

* ArtGame: A game that has DoingItForTheArt as its motto.
* ComedyVideoGames: A game with heavy focus on humor, that seldom ever takes itself seriously.
** ParodyVideoGames: A game that spoofs other games.
* DeconstructionGame: A game that {{deconstruct|ion}}s a common gameplay element or plot device.
* EdutainmentGame: A game that educates players as well as entertains them. (ex: ''VideoGame/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego'')
* FantasyVideoGames: A game that features magic and mythology in a supernatural setting.
* HorrorVideoGames: A game that exploits the fears of players to cause anxiety, fear, and ultimately thrills.
* MechaGame: A game that focuses on HumongousMecha for combat.
* MilitaryAndWarfareVideoGames: A game that revolves around soldiers or warriors fighting in a military conflict.
* RetrauxGames: Games using intentionally outdated graphics for a nostalgic effect.
* ScienceFictionVideoGames: A game that explores a concept that does not exist at the present time, but it someday might.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gameplay modifiers]]
There are several modifiers that can be applied to the genre of a game, as a twist on the standard formula.
----

* ObviousBeta: An unfinished game (often JustForFun/{{egregious}}ly so) marketed as a finished one, for whatever reason.

* UsefulNotes/{{Shovelware}}: Software that is normally sold in bundles of several products, but it can refer to lowest-common-denominator software in general.

* [[VirtualRealityIndex Virtual Reality]]: A game that makes use of a headset display to make the player feel as though they are physically present in the game's setting.

* MusicPlayerGame: A game in which the levels are procedurally generated from the music you feed it, typically the more intensive and loud the music, the more action you are going to see.

* GrandStrategy: A strategy game where you control a country or empire, but with the complexity toned UpToEleven.

* GrandStrategy: A strategy game where you control a country or empire, but with a complexity UpToEleven.

*** RailShooter: A game in which the computer controls most of your movement and you control the shots. (ex: ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]]'', ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoon'')

*** RailShooter: A game in which the computer controls most of your movement and you control the shots. (ex: ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]], VideoGame/PanzerDragoon'')

*** RailShooter: A game in which the computer controls most of your movement and you control the shots. (ex: ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]], [[VideoGame/PanzerDragoon]]'')

*** LightGunGame: A game in which the player has a pointing device that resembles a gun and points it at the screen to shoot on-screen enemies. (ex: ''VideoGame/DuckHunt'')

*** RailShooter: A game in which the computer controls most of your movement and you control the shots. (ex: ''[[VideoGame/StarFox1 Star Fox]]'')