A Complete List of Video Game Genres with Game Examples (2024)

Alright, let’s talk about video games. One of the reasons why gaming is so popular worldwide is the vast number of game genres players can choose from.

The cool thing is that each game genre brings something different to the table.

Want to shoot stuff? There’s a genre for that. Want to build your own world? There’s a genre for that too. And yes, there’s even a genre for when you want to sit back and let the game’s story unfold like a good book.

In this article, I’m going to break it all down for you and give you the lowdown on the main game genres and subgenres. Plus, I’ll throw in some popular games for each one.

Let’s take a quick tour through the different types of games and find out what makes each one awesome.

Action Games

Action games are all about fast-paced gameplay that requires quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination. These games often involve direct combat or physical challenges and are usually centered around the player’s ability to navigate and interact with the game environment.

Let’s explore its subgenres.

Platformer Games

Platformers emphasize jumping and climbing between platforms of varying heights and avoiding obstacles or enemies. The gameplay typically revolves around precision timing and control.

It includes subgenres like 2D Platformer, 3D Platformer, and Puzzle Platformer.

Best Platformer Games:

Super Mario Bros.
Celeste

Shooter Games

Shooters focus on the use of ranged weapons to defeat enemies. Players often aim and shoot at targets from various perspectives.

First-Person Shooter (FPS)

Players experience the game through the protagonist’s eyes, offering a first-person perspective.

Best FPS Games:

Call of Duty series
Halo series

Third-Person Shooter (TPS)

Players control the character from a third-person perspective, usually from behind and slightly above.

Best TPS Games:

Gears of War series
Tom Clancy’s The Division

Rail Shooter

Players are taken through a pre-determined path (on rails) and must shoot at targets that appear on screen.

Best Rail Shooter Examples:

Panzer Dragoon
Star Fox 64

Hero Shooter

Focuses on team-based gameplay where each character (hero) has unique abilities and roles.

Best Hero Shooter Games:

Overwatch
Apex Legends

Battle Royale

Features large-scale combat where players compete to be the last person or team standing.

Best Battle Royale Games:

Fortnite
PUBG

Beat ’em Up / Hack and Slash Games

These games involve hand-to-hand combat or melee weapons to defeat large numbers of enemies. Gameplay is often linear, focusing on progressing through levels while fighting.

Classic Beat ’em Up

Players move through levels fighting waves of enemies using hand-to-hand combat.

Examples:

Streets of Rage series
Double Dragon

Hack and Slash

Focuses on melee combat with a variety of weapons, often involving combo-based fighting systems.

Best Hack and Slash Games:

Devil May Cry series
Bayonetta

Musou

A subgenre where players fight hordes of enemies with over-the-top combat abilities.

Best Musou Games:

Dynasty Warriors series
Hyrule Warriors

Fighting Games

Fighting games are centered around close combat between characters. Players use a variety of attacks and defensive moves in one-on-one or team battles.

2D Fighter

Battles occur on a two-dimensional plane, focusing on side-to-side movement.

2D Figher Game Examples:

Street Fighter series
Mortal Kombat

3D Fighter

Allows for movement in a three-dimensional space, often adding depth to the combat arena.

Examples:

Tekken series
Virtua Fighter

Arena Fighter

Combats are set in an open arena, allowing more freedom of movement and often featuring power-ups and interactive environments.

Examples:

Super Smash Bros. series
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm

Party Fighter

Designed for multiplayer fun, often featuring a variety of modes and chaotic gameplay.

Examples:

Super Smash Bros. series
Power Stone

Stealth Games

Stealth games emphasize avoiding detection and using tactics to achieve objectives rather than direct confrontation. Players often use stealth mechanics like sneaking and hiding.

Stealth Action

Blends action elements with stealth gameplay, allowing players to choose between combat and sneaking.

Examples:

Metal Gear Solid series
Dishonored

Stealth Horror

Combines horror themes with stealth mechanics, often involving evasion of terrifying enemies.

Examples:

Alien: Isolation
Outlast

Adventure Games

Adventure games are primarily narrative-driven experiences that emphasize exploration, puzzle-solving, and story. They often feature rich environments and complex characters, guiding players through immersive worlds with a strong focus on storytelling.

Action-Adventure Games

Action-Adventure games blend the exploration and puzzle-solving elements of adventure games with the fast-paced action of the action genre. These games often feature a balance of combat, platforming, and puzzle elements.

Metroidvania

Metroidvania combines a large, interconnected world with abilities that unlock new areas. Players often backtrack to previously inaccessible areas after acquiring new abilities or items.

Metrodivania Examples:

Metroid
Hollow Knight
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Zelda-like

Zelda-like games follow the structure of The Legend of Zelda series, mixing exploration with combat and puzzles in a fantasy setting. They often include dungeons, bosses, and an emphasis on discovery.

Best Zelda-like Games:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Darksiders
Okami

Open World Action-Adventure Games

Open World Action-Adventure games offer vast, open environments for players to explore freely. These worlds are filled with quests, collectibles, and combat opportunities, allowing for non-linear gameplay.

Best Open World Games:

Assassin’s Creed series
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Red Dead Redemption 2

Survival Horror Games

Survival Horror games create tense, frightening experiences where players must survive against overwhelming odds. These games often feature limited resources, a high level of tension, and a focus on atmosphere.

Classic Survival Horror

Classic Survival Horror emphasizes limited resources and a high level of tension. Players must carefully manage items and decide when to fight or avoid terrifying creatures.

Best Survival Horror Games:

Resident Evil series
Silent Hill series
Alone in the Dark

Action Horror Games

Action Horror games focus more on combat but retain the horror atmosphere. They often provide more weapons and action-oriented gameplay while maintaining elements of fear and suspense.

Examples:

Resident Evil 4
Dead Space
The Evil Within

Psychological Horror

Psychological Horror games delve into the mental and emotional aspects of fear. They often use surreal or disturbing narratives to unsettle players, focusing on the psychological experience of terror.

Best Psychological Horror games:

Silent Hill 2
Alan Wake
Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Interactive Story Games

Interactive Story games focus on narrative and character development. These games often allow players to make choices that influence the story’s direction and outcome.

Visual Novels

Visual Novels are text-heavy games that present branching narratives through static images and dialogue choices. They often focus on storytelling and character interactions.

Best Visual Novel games:

Doki Doki Literature Club
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Steins;Gate

Walking Simulators

Walking Simulators emphasize exploration and story over traditional gameplay mechanics. Players uncover narratives by exploring detailed environments and interacting with objects or characters.

Examples:

Gone Home
Firewatch
What Remains of Edith Finch

Narrative Adventures

Narrative Adventures blend storytelling with puzzles or light action elements. These games offer rich narratives with interactive elements that drive the plot forward.

Best Narrative Adventure games:

Point-and-Click Adventure Games

Point-and-Click Adventure games revolve around solving puzzles and interacting with environments using a point-and-click interface. Players navigate static or semi-static screens, collecting items and solving puzzles to advance the story.

Classic Point-and-Click

Classic Point-and-Click games often feature intricate puzzles and detailed stories. Players collect items and use them to solve puzzles and progress through the narrative.

Best Point-and-Click games:

Monkey Island series
Broken Sword
Grim Fandango

Hidden Object Games

Hidden Object games focus on finding items in cluttered scenes. These games often couple light puzzle elements with a story, requiring players to locate specific objects within detailed environments.

Best Hidden Object game examples:

Mystery Case Files
Hidden Expedition
The Secret Society

Role-Playing Games (RPGs)

Role-Playing Games (RPGs) immerse players in detailed worlds where they assume the roles of characters with unique abilities and personalities. These games often feature complex stories, character progression, and a focus on decision-making. RPGs are known for their depth and breadth and are considered mid-core games. Players get control over their characters’ development and the game’s narrative.

Action RPG Game Genre

Action RPGs combine real-time combat with role-playing elements. They emphasize both strategic character development and reflex-based gameplay.

Soulslike

Soulslike games are characterized by challenging combat, intricate world design, and a deep, often cryptic lore. They require precision in combat and timing, with a strong focus on player skill.

Best Souslike Games:

Dark Souls series
Bloodborne
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Hack and Slash RPG

Hack and Slash RPGs focus on fast-paced combat with an emphasis on using melee weapons to defeat enemies. These games often feature numerous enemies, fluid combat mechanics, and a variety of skills or spells.

Examples:

Diablo series
Path of Exile
Torchlight series

Turn-Based RPG

Turn-Based RPGs feature combat systems where players and enemies take turns to execute actions. They’re all about strategic planning and thoughtful decision-making.

JRPG (Japanese RPG) Game Genres

JRPGs are known for their character-driven stories, stylized art, and often turn-based battle systems. They typically feature predefined characters and narratives, along with a strong emphasis on storytelling.

Best JRPG Examples:

Final Fantasy series
Dragon Quest series
Persona series

WRPG (Western RPG) Game Genres

WRPGs focus on player choice and often feature open worlds with expansive, nonlinear stories. They usually allow for extensive character customization and freedom in how the story unfolds.

Best WRPG Examples:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Mass Effect series
The Witcher series

Tactical RPG Game Genre

Tactical RPGs, also known as Strategy RPGs, combine the strategic planning of traditional strategy games with role-playing elements like character development and narrative progression.

Grid-Based RPG

Grid-Based RPGs involve combat on a grid where players move characters strategically, often taking into account terrain and positioning to gain advantages in battle.

Examples:

Fire Emblem series
Final Fantasy Tactics
Disgaea series

Real-Time Tactical RPG

Real-Time Tactical RPGs mix real-time action with strategic elements, requiring players to make quick decisions in dynamic combat scenarios while managing their characters’ abilities and positioning.

Best Tactical RPG Games:

Baldur’s Gate series
Divinity: Original Sin series
XCOM series

MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online RPG)

MMORPGs are large-scale online multiplayer games where players interact with each other in the same world. These games often feature extensive character customization, social interaction, and long-term progression.

Sandbox MMORPG

Sandbox MMORPGs provide a highly interactive and player-driven world where players have the freedom to shape the game environment, economy, and social structure.

Best Sandbox MMORPG Examples:

EVE Online
Black Desert Online
Albion Online

Theme Park MMORPG

Theme Park MMORPGs offer structured experiences with guided content, such as quests and dungeons, that are designed for players to follow in a relatively linear fashion.

Examples:

World of Warcraft
Final Fantasy XIV
Star Wars: The Old Republic

Roguelike/Roguelite Games

Roguelike and Roguelite games feature procedurally generated levels, permadeath, and often turn-based gameplay, though Roguelites typically offer some form of permanent progression.

Classic Roguelike

Classic Roguelike games are characterized by their procedural generation, turn-based movement, and permanent death. They emphasize exploration and tactical decision-making.

Best Roguelike games:

NetHack
Angband
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup

Roguelite

Roguelite games retain some core elements of Roguelikes but often include more accessible mechanics and some form of progression that carries over between playthroughs.

Best Roguelite games examples:

Dead Cells
Hades
The Binding of Isaac

Sandbox RPG

Sandbox RPGs provide open-ended gameplay where players can explore, create, and interact with the world at their own pace. These games often feature non-linear narratives and a high degree of player freedom.

Open World RPG

Open World RPGs offer vast, open environments where players can explore freely, often with a focus on player choice.

Best Open World Games:

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Fallout series

Life Simulation RPG

Life Simulation RPGs combine role-playing elements with the ability to simulate daily life activities, such as building relationships, managing resources, and shaping the environment.

Best life simulation RPG games:

Stardew Valley
Animal Crossing series
The Sims series

Simulation Games

Simulation games are designed to mimic real-world activities or systems as closely as possible. They often focus on detailed, realistic mechanics and provide players with control over various aspects of the simulated environment, whether it’s managing a city, flying a plane, or running a business.

Life Simulation Games

Life Simulation games replicate the experiences of everyday life. Players often control the lives of characters, managing their day-to-day activities, relationships, and environments.

Dating Simulation Games

Dating Simulation games focus on building romantic relationships. Players often interact with multiple characters, making choices that influence their relationship outcomes and storylines.

Best Dating Simulation Games:

HuniePop
Hatoful Boyfriend
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator

God Games

God Games give players god-like control over a game world, allowing them to manipulate environments and influence the lives of characters within the game. Players often manage resources and guide the development of civilizations or ecosystems.

God Games Example:

SimCity series
Black & White
Spore

Social Simulation Games

Social Simulation games emphasize interactions between characters and the development of social structures. Players typically build relationships, manage communities, or navigate social scenarios.

Social Simulation Games example:

The Sims series
Animal Crossing series
Second Life

Management Simulation Games

Management Simulation games focus on controlling and optimizing systems or businesses. Players often manage resources, make strategic decisions, and aim to achieve specific goals or efficiencies.

Business Simulation

Business Simulation games simulate the management of economic or business processes. Players may run companies, control financial aspects, and make decisions to grow their enterprises.

Example:

RollerCoaster Tycoon series
Football Manager series
SimCity series

City Building Games

City Building games involve planning and developing a city. Players design layouts, manage resources, and oversee the growth and functioning of urban areas.

Best City Building games:

Cities: Skylines
SimCity series
Anno series

Colony Management Game Genre

Colony Management games focus on establishing and maintaining colonies in various settings, often requiring careful resource management and strategic planning to ensure the colony’s survival and growth.

Example:

RimWorld
Oxygen Not Included
Banished

Vehicle Simulation Game Genre

Vehicle Simulation games aim to provide realistic experiences of operating various types of vehicles. These games often emphasize accurate controls, physics, and real-world conditions.

Flight Simulator Games

Flight Simulator games replicate the experience of flying aircraft, often focusing on realistic controls, navigation, and physics. Players can pilot different types of planes and explore diverse environments.

Best Flight Simulator games:

Microsoft Flight Simulator
X-Plane series
IL-2 Sturmovik series

Space Flight Simulator Games

Space Flight Simulator games simulate space exploration and piloting spacecraft. They often include realistic space physics, spacecraft management, and missions ranging from orbital flights to interstellar journeys.

Example:

Kerbal Space Program
Elite Dangerous
EVE Online

Racing Simulator Games

Racing Simulator games focus on providing a realistic driving experience. They simulate the physics of driving, vehicle handling, and often feature detailed representations of real-world cars and tracks.

Best Racing games:

Gran Turismo series
Forza Motorsport series
iRacing

Combat Flight Simulator

Combat Flight Simulator games combine the realism of flight simulation with combat scenarios. Players engage in aerial dogfights, ground attacks, and often manage tactical aspects of air warfare.

Example:

Ace Combat series
War Thunder
DCS World

Sports Simulation Games

Sports Simulation games aim to replicate the experience of playing or managing sports. These games often feature realistic gameplay mechanics, team management, and various modes that mirror real-world sports.

Traditional Sports

Traditional Sports games simulate mainstream sports such as football, basketball, or golf. They often include accurate representations of teams, players, and rules.

Example:

FIFA series
NBA 2K series
Madden NFL series

Extreme Sports Games

Extreme Sports games focus on activities that involve high adrenaline and risk, such as skateboarding, snowboarding, or BMX biking. They emphasize tricks, stunts, and fast-paced action.

Best Extreme Sports games:

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series
SSX series
Skate series

Strategy Games

Strategy games emphasize planning, resource management, and tactical decision-making. Players must think critically to outmaneuver opponents, achieve objectives, or efficiently manage resources. These games often involve complex systems and long-term strategic thinking.

Real-Time Strategy (RTS) Game Genre

Real-Time Strategy games require players to make decisions and take actions simultaneously with their opponents in real-time. These games often involve gathering resources, building structures, and commanding units in dynamic environments.

Classic RTS

Classic RTS games focus on resource management, base building, and real-time tactical combat. Players typically control multiple units and structures, balancing economic growth with military strategy.

Best RTS games:

StarCraft series
Age of Empires series
Command & Conquer series

Real-Time Tactics

Real-Time Tactics games focus on tactical control of units and combat, often without the extensive resource management and base building seen in other RTS games. Players command smaller, more specialized units in combat scenarios.

Example:

Company of Heroes series
Total War series
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series

MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) Game Genre

MOBA games blend real-time strategy with action elements. Players control a single character in a team, working together to destroy the enemy’s base while defending their own. Each character typically has unique abilities and roles.

Best MOBA games:

League of Legends
Dota 2
Heroes of the Storm

Turn-Based Strategy (TBS) Game Genre

Turn-Based Strategy games involve players taking turns to make decisions and execute actions. This turn-based system allows for thoughtful planning and strategy, often requiring players to anticipate their opponents’ moves.

4X (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) Games

4X games focus on empire-building and strategic management. Players explore the world, expand their territory, exploit resources, and exterminate rivals through military or economic dominance.

Best 4X strategy games:

Civilization series
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri
Stellaris

Grand Strategy

Grand Strategy games are complex and large-scale, often focusing on controlling nations or empires. Players manage politics, diplomacy, economics, and military forces over long periods, aiming for overarching strategic goals.

Example:

Europa Universalis IV
Hearts of Iron IV
Crusader Kings III

Turn-Based Tactics

Turn-Based Tactics games emphasize tactical combat on a smaller scale, often with detailed control over individual units. Players plan their moves carefully, taking into account positioning, terrain, and unit abilities.

Example:

XCOM series
Advance Wars series
Fire Emblem series

Tower Defense Games

Tower Defense games involve defending a player’s base or territory from waves of enemies by strategically placing defensive structures, or towers, along their path. The goal is to prevent enemies from reaching and destroying the player’s base.

Classic Tower Defense

Classic Tower Defense games focus on placing and upgrading towers to stop incoming waves of enemies. These games often feature a variety of tower types and enemies, requiring strategic placement and resource management.

Best Tower Defense games:

Plants vs. Zombies
Defense Grid: The Awakening
Kingdom Rush

Action Tower Defense

Action Tower Defense games combine traditional tower defense mechanics with more active gameplay elements, often allowing players to control a character or units directly in addition to placing towers.

Example:

Orcs Must Die! series
Dungeon Defenders
Sanctum series

Puzzle Games

Puzzle games focus on problem-solving skills, requiring players to use logic, pattern recognition, and spatial awareness to complete challenges. These games often have simple mechanics but can range from casual and relaxing to deeply complex and intellectually stimulating.

Logic Puzzle games

Logic Puzzle games challenge players to solve puzzles using logical reasoning. These games often present players with a set of rules or conditions that they must navigate to find a solution.

Sudoku

Sudoku is a number-placement puzzle where players fill a 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 subgrids contain all the digits from 1 to 9.

Best Sudoku games:

Sudoku.com
Microsoft Sudoku
Sudoku Quest

Nonogram

Nonograms, also known as Picross or Griddlers, are picture logic puzzles where players use numerical clues to reveal a hidden image on a grid. The numbers indicate how many filled-in squares there are in each row or column.

Nonogram examples:

Picross DS
Paint it Back
Nonogram.com

Physics Puzzle

Physics Puzzle games involve mechanics based on the principles of physics. Players must understand and manipulate elements like gravity, momentum, and elasticity to solve puzzles.

Ragdoll Physics

Ragdoll Physics games use character models that move and interact with the environment in a physically realistic way, often leading to humorous or unexpected results. Players solve puzzles by controlling these ragdoll characters or their environment.

Example:

Human: Fall Flat
Totally Accurate Battle Simulator
Gang Beasts

Marble Game

Marble games challenge players to guide marbles or balls through intricate courses, often requiring precise control and an understanding of physical forces like gravity and momentum.

Example:

Marble Madness
Marble Blast Ultra
Super Monkey Ball series

Match-3 Puzzles

Match-3 games involve aligning three or more identical items (such as gems or tiles) in a row or column to clear them from the board. These games often have simple controls but can become complex with added objectives and obstacles.

Casual Match-Three Games

Casual Match-Three games are designed for quick, easy gameplay with straightforward mechanics. They often feature colorful graphics and are accessible to players of all ages.

Best Match-3 Games:

Candy Crush Saga
Bejeweled series
Gardenscapes

Puzzle Quest-like

Puzzle Quest-like games combine match-three mechanics with role-playing elements. Players solve match-three puzzles to attack enemies, gain resources, or progress in a narrative.

Example:

Puzzle Quest series
Marvel Puzzle Quest
Gems of War

Tile-Matching

Tile-Matching games involve aligning tiles according to specific rules, often clearing them from the board to achieve objectives or solve puzzles. These games can range from simple to highly strategic.

Tetris-like

Tetris-like games are based on the classic Tetris formula, where players fit falling pieces into a grid to create complete lines and clear them. These games often involve quick thinking and spatial awareness.

Best Tetris-like games:

Tetris
Puyo Puyo Tetris
99 Bricks Wizard Academy

Bejeweled-like

Bejeweled-like games focus on swapping adjacent tiles to match three or more in a row or column, clearing them from the board and often triggering chain reactions. These games typically involve colorful graphics and rewarding visual effects.

Example:

Bejeweled series
Jewel Quest
Zuma’s Revenge

Sports Games

Sports games simulate the practice of sports. They can range from realistic simulations that aim to replicate the experience of playing a particular sport to more arcade-like experiences that emphasize fun and excitement over realism. These games often include real-world teams, players, and competitions.

Traditional Sports Games

Traditional Sports games simulate mainstream sports such as football, basketball, or golf. They often include accurate representations of teams, players, and rules, aiming to provide an authentic experience.

Football Games

Football games simulate the sport of soccer, featuring real teams, players, and leagues. They focus on strategies, player management, and on-field gameplay.

Best Football games:

FIFA series
Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) series
Football Manager series

Basketball Games

Basketball games replicate playing basketball, including elements like player control, team management, and strategic play. They often feature real NBA teams and players.

Best Basketball Games:

NBA 2K series
NBA Live series
Street Hoops

Baseball Games

Baseball games simulate the sport of baseball, focusing on batting, pitching, fielding, and team management. They often include Major League Baseball (MLB) teams and players.

Best Baseball Games:

MLB The Show series
Out of the Park Baseball
Super Mega Baseball series

Golf Games

Golf games simulate the sport of golf, offering realistic controls, courses, and physics. Players can often choose from various clubs and strategies to improve their game.

Best Golf Games:

PGA Tour series
The Golf Club series
Everybody’s Golf

Racing

Racing games focus on driving vehicles at high speeds, often competing against other players or AI. They can range from realistic simulations to arcade-style experiences.

Kart Racing

Kart Racing games feature small, go-kart-like vehicles and often include fantastical tracks, power-ups, and cartoonish graphics. These games emphasize fun and chaotic racing action.

Best Kart Racing Games:

Mario Kart series
Crash Team Racing
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Simulation Racing

Simulation Racing games aim to provide a realistic driving experience. They simulate the physics of driving, vehicle handling, and often feature detailed representations of real-world cars and tracks.

Example:

Gran Turismo series
Forza Motorsport series
iRacing

Arcade Racing

Arcade Racing games prioritize fun and fast-paced action over realism. They often feature exaggerated physics, boost mechanics, and spectacular crashes.

Example:

Need for Speed series
Burnout series
Cruis’n series

Combat Sports

Combat Sports games simulate competitive fighting sports, such as boxing, wrestling, and mixed martial arts (MMA). These games often feature realistic combat mechanics and famous athletes.

Boxing

Boxing games focus on the sport of boxing, featuring realistic punching mechanics, movement, and stamina management. They often include real-world boxers and venues.

Best Boxing Games:

Fight Night series
Punch-Out!! series
Real Boxing

Wrestling

Wrestling games simulate professional wrestling, including a variety of moves, holds, and throws. They often feature famous wrestling personalities and a range of match types.

Best Wrestling Games:

WWE 2K series
Fire Pro Wrestling series
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw series

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

MMA games simulate mixed martial arts, featuring a combination of striking and grappling techniques. They often include real fighters and organizations.

Best MMA Games:

UFC series
EA Sports MMA
Bellator MMA Onslaught

Music/Rhythm Games

Music and rhythm games challenge players to engage with music by timing their actions to a beat or melody. These games can range from playing virtual instruments to dancing and matching beats. It’s a fun way to interact with music and improve rhythm skills.

Dance Games

Dance games focus on getting players to move their bodies in time with the music. They often use motion-sensing technology to track the player’s movements or require specific inputs on a dance pad or controller.

Motion-Control Dance

Motion-Control Dance games use motion sensors or cameras to track the player’s movements, ensuring they match the dance moves shown on screen. These games are often high-energy and designed to get players up and moving.

Example:

Just Dance series
Dance Central series
Zumba Fitness

Rhythm Dance

Rhythm Dance games typically involve stepping on directional arrows or buttons in time with the music, usually on a dance pad or controller. The goal is to hit the correct notes as they scroll on the screen, matching the beat of the song.

Best Dancing Games:

Dance Dance Revolution series
In the Groove
Pump It Up

Instrument-Based Games

Instrument-Based Games simulate playing musical instruments, usually through special controllers designed to mimic real instruments. These games often focus on playing along with popular songs and mastering musical skills.

Guitar/Band Games

Guitar/Band Games let players simulate playing guitar or other instruments in a band. Players use instrument-shaped controllers to hit notes that correspond with the music on screen, often allowing for multiplayer band experiences.

Best Guitar Games:

Guitar Hero series
Rock Band series
Band Hero

Drum Games

Drum Games focus on replicating the experience of playing drums. Players use drum controllers or pads to hit notes in time with the music, simulating drumming techniques and rhythms.

Example:

Taiko no Tatsujin series
DrumMania
Donkey Konga

Beat Matching

Beat Matching games require players to press buttons or tap screens in time with the music. These games challenge players to match their inputs to the rhythm and beats of the songs, often with visually engaging interfaces.

Tap Rhythm

Tap Rhythm games involve tapping on-screen elements in time with the music. These games are often designed for mobile devices or touchscreens, making them accessible and easy to play on the go.

Example:

Cytus
Deemo
VOEZ

Scrolling Beat

Scrolling Beat games have notes or symbols that move across the screen, and players must hit the corresponding buttons in time with the music as they pass through a designated area. These games can be fast-paced and highly challenging.

Example:

Osu!
Beatmania IIDX
DJMax Respect

Party Games

Party games are designed for multiplayer fun, often focusing on light-hearted and accessible gameplay that can be enjoyed by players of all skill levels. These games are typically played in social settings and emphasize interaction, competition, and enjoyment.

Mini-Game Collections

Mini-Game Collections include a variety of short games or challenges that players can complete in quick succession. These games are perfect for groups and often involve different types of gameplay to keep everyone entertained.

Example:

Mario Party series
WarioWare series
Fusion Frenzy

Trivia Games

Trivia Games challenge players’ knowledge on various topics, from general knowledge to specific themes. They often involve answering questions or solving puzzles, making them great for testing what you know in a fun, competitive environment.

Best Trivia Games:

Trivial Pursuit Live!
You Don’t Know Jack
Buzz! Quiz World

Board Game Adaptations

Board Game Adaptations bring classic board games to the digital realm, allowing players to enjoy their favorite games with added features like animated pieces, interactive boards, and online play.

Best Board Games:

Monopoly Plus
The Game of Life
Risk: Global Domination

Casual Games

Casual games are designed for easy accessibility and quick, enjoyable play sessions. They often feature simple controls and mechanics, making them suitable for players of all ages and skill levels. These games are perfect for short bursts of entertainment and are typically less demanding than more complex genres.

Idle/Incremental

Idle/Incremental games revolve around minimal player interaction, focusing on the gradual accumulation of resources or progress over time. These games often reward players for logging in regularly and making strategic decisions to enhance their efficiency.

Clicker Games

Clicker Games involve repetitive clicking or tapping to earn resources and progress. Players can often automate or upgrade their actions to increase efficiency, making these games addictive and satisfying as progress compounds.

Best Clicker games:

Cookie Clicker
Adventure Capitalist
Clicker Heroes

Progression Games

Progression Games allow players to accumulate resources or abilities over time, often requiring strategic choices to optimize growth. These games are designed to be played over long periods, with gradual increases in power or capability.

Example:

Egg, Inc.
Realm Grinder
Idle Miner Tycoon

Hidden Object Games

Hidden Object games challenge players to find specific items within detailed scenes. These games often include puzzles and light narratives, providing a relaxing and engaging experience as players search for hidden objects.

Casual Hidden Object

Casual Hidden Object games present players with cluttered scenes where they must find and click on specific items. These games are often combined with simple puzzles or story elements to add depth to the experience.

Best Casual Hidden Object games:

Hidden Folks
Mystery Case Files series
Gardenscapes

Story-Driven Hidden Object

Story-Driven Hidden Object games incorporate narrative elements, guiding players through a storyline while they search for hidden items. These games often feature elaborate plots and character development, blending hidden object gameplay with storytelling.

Example:

Grim Legends series
Enigmatis series
Dark Parables series

Casual Puzzle

Casual Puzzle games offer simple yet engaging challenges that are easy to pick up and play. They often require pattern recognition, logical thinking, or spatial awareness and are designed to be enjoyable without being overly complex.

Mobile Puzzle Games

Mobile Puzzle games are designed for quick play sessions on mobile devices. They often feature intuitive touch controls and are perfect for playing on the go.

Best Puzzle Games on mobile:

Candy Crush Saga
Monument Valley
Two Dots

Brain Training Games

Brain Training Games provide puzzles and challenges designed to stimulate mental faculties. These games often include exercises for memory, logic, math, and other cognitive skills, offering a fun way to keep the mind sharp.

Best Brain Training games:

Brain Age
Lumosity
Elevate

VR/AR Games

Virtual Reality (VR) games and Augmented Reality (AR) games offer immersive experiences by integrating gameplay with the player’s real or virtual environment. These games use technology to create interactive and engaging experiences that go beyond traditional screens.

VR Exploration

VR Exploration games allow players to explore immersive, virtual worlds. These games often focus on the experience of being in the environment rather than traditional gameplay goals, offering a sense of presence and wonder.

Best VR Exploration games:

No Man’s Sky VR
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
Subnautica VR

VR Shooter

VR Shooter games bring the action of shooting games into a virtual reality environment, providing a first-person perspective that immerses players in intense combat scenarios.

BEST VR Shooter games:

Beat Saber
Superhot VR
Pistol Whip

AR Adventure

AR Adventure games overlay game elements onto the real world using augmented reality technology. Players interact with virtual objects and characters in their physical environment, blending the real and digital worlds.

Best VR Adventure games:

Pokémon GO
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Ingress

Hybrid/Experimental

Hybrid and Experimental games combine elements from various genres or explore innovative gameplay mechanics. These games often push the boundaries of traditional game design, offering unique and sometimes unconventional experiences.

Mixed-Genre Games

Mixed-Genre Games blend elements from multiple game genres to create new and unique experiences. These games often defy easy categorization and offer diverse gameplay styles within a single title.

Example:

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (combines action-adventure, RPG, and open-world exploration)
Nier: Automata (combines action, RPG, and bullet-hell mechanics)
Undertale (combines RPG, bullet-hell, and narrative-driven gameplay)

Experimental Games

Experimental Games focus on innovative gameplay, storytelling, or artistic expression. These games often explore new ideas or mechanics that may not conform to traditional gaming norms, providing fresh and thought-provoking experiences.

Example:

Journey
The Stanley Parable
Everything

Sandbox

Sandbox games provide players with a large degree of freedom to explore, create, and interact with the game world. These games often feature open-ended gameplay, allowing players to set their own goals and playstyles.

Open World Sandbox

Open World Sandbox games offer vast, open environments for players to explore at their own pace. These games often include various activities, quests, and the freedom to interact with the world in multiple ways.

Best Open World Sandbox games:

Grand Theft Auto V
Minecraft
Red Dead Redemption 2

Creative Sandbox

Creative Sandbox games emphasize creativity and building, allowing players to construct and manipulate the game world with few limitations. These games often provide tools and resources for players to create their own experiences.

Best Creative Sandbox games:

Minecraft
Terraria
Garry’s Mod

Final Thoughts on Game Genres

This completes our extensive list of game genres. Which types of games do you like the most? Let me know in the comments!