One of the best things about gaming is just how varied and versatile the medium is. The reason why so many people enjoy video games is because there’s a bit of something for everyone. Each genre targets a certain kind of gamer, ensuring the medium has broad widespread appeal. But some genres are clearly more popular than others, so here’s a list of the 10 most popular genres as well as the 10 least popular.
1. Role-Playing Games (RPGs)
Another pillar of the medium’s widespread success and appeal, RPGs are easily some of the most well-known and beloved titles in gaming. With a focus on intricate character development, narrative depth, and combat mechanics that reward strategy and foresight, RPGs offer players a uniquely fun and immersive experience. Popular titles like “Final Fantasy” and “The Witcher” series fall squarely in the RPG category, with many other games adopting certain RPG elements as well.
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2. Action-Adventure
Action-adventure is quite an expansive umbrella term that is often used to categorize a slew of titles that can be very distinct from one another. But the main characteristics of an action-adventure game are an emphasis on storytelling, open-ended gameplay and exploration, and, last but not least, action! Hugely popular titles like “The Legend of Zelda,” “Uncharted,” and even “Grand Theft Auto’ would fall under this beloved genre.
3. First-Person Shooters
Known for their first-person perspective, fast-paced game mechanics, and gunplay, first-person shooters are easily one of the most popular and recognizable gaming genres there is. With a mass widespread appeal, robust online competitive multiplayer community, and gaming juggernauts like “Call of Duty” and “Counter-Strike”, shooters are an undeniable mainstay in the gaming world.
4. Simulation
Simulation games are just that: games that allow you to simulate certain events or circumstances.
In some sense, all games are a simulation of one thing or another, but true-to-form simulation games will take a very specific circumstance and allow you to explore it meticulously. For example, games like “The Sims” or “Flight Simulator” offer realistic experiences with extensive features, customizations, and gameplay options to keep things fresh and exciting.
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5. Strategy
Placing heavy emphasis on meticulous planning and tactical thinking, strategy games often task you with managing resources, building up forces, and strategizing the defeat of your enemy. With many games in the gene utilizing either real-time or turn-based combat mechanics, the genre has grown substantially with widely popular and acclaimed titles like “Starcraft” and “Civilization”.
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6. Sports
Easily some of the most accessible and popular titles in gaming, sports titles are an indispensable component of the gaming medium. The widespread appeal of professional sports means that there will always be a market for games that expertly simulate real-world sports like Basketball, soccer and football. Featuring robust online modes, constant updates, and intuitive gameplay, titles like “FIFA” and NBA 2K” regularly rank among the highest-selling titles year-over-year.
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7. Puzzle
Puzzle games have been a ubiquitous part of gaming since the early days. Although easy to pick up, these games are famous for their increasing difficulty, often challenging the limits of a player’s reflexes and problem-solving skills. Popular titles like “Tetris” and “Candy Crush” have proven the staying power of the genre, especially with the growth in popularity of mobile gaming.
8. Horror
Known for their eerie atmosphere, suspenseful storytelling, and abundance of jump scares, horror games are a pillar of the gaming medium.
Games in this genre, such as popular titles like “Resident Evil” and “Silent Hill,” often task players with surviving and fighting their way through a variety of thrilling and tense environments.
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9. Fighting
The bread and butter of the arcade gaming market, fighting games have been a persistent component of the medium for decades now. Often featuring hand-to-hand combat or weapons-based combat, fighting games pit players against one another in a world that emphasizes strategy, quick reflexes, and memorization of crucial button combinations. Titles like “Street Fighter” and “Mortal Kombat” have defined the genre for decades.
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10. Racing
Another fan-favorite genre, racing games has played a major role in popularizing the medium and expanding it to broader audiences. With both realistic racers like “Gran Turismo” and arcade-style titles like “Mario Kart,” the racing genre has effectively been able to cater to a wide swath of gamers, making it an indispensable and versatile genre in the gaming industry.
Photo by Alexandros Athanasopoulos
1. Text-Based
Relying solely on written descriptions and written player input, games of this genre have quickly become a relic of the past. With the introduction of interactive, graphics-based experiences, many gamers have all but forgotten these rudimentary choose-your-adventure titles.
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2. Educational
Aiming to teach players about a variety of subjects under the guise of a fun, interactive experience, educational games simply have no merit outside of the classroom.
Although no doubt a beloved staple of in-class elementary school gaming, these titles have quickly fallen out of favour, with many gamers preferring more entertaining and action-packed titles.
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3. Full-Motion Video (FMV)
Although receiving much fanfare with the advent of full-motion video in gaming, these titles have largely failed to captivate audiences beyond their initial gimmick. With graphical fidelity far exceeding that of its humble beginnings, most gamers don’t feel the need to explore FMVs in such a limited capacity when current graphically advanced titles can offer so much more.
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4. Rhythm Games
Games like “Rock Band,” “Guitar Hero,” and “Dance Dance Revolution,” were all the rage back in the early to mid 2000s. Unfortunately, the genre has lost much of its appeal, with gamers simply uninterested in purchasing expensive peripherals and experiencing the same tired gameplay loop over and over again.
5. Point-and-Click Adventure
Suffering from a slow pace and dated mechanics, the genre that once dominated the PC market has seen a steep decline in popularity over the last few decades. Beloved titles like “Monkey Island” and “Myst” are no doubt gaming classics, but sadly the genre just hasn’t been able to maintain the same level of success that it once enjoyed.
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6. Board Game Adaptations
Board game adaptations are simply traditional board games in a digital format.
Although there was once a market for such titles back when they were more of a novelty, they simply fail to attract any kind of meaningful audience these days. Most gamers would prefer the tangible experience of playing a game like “Monopoly” in person rather than online.
7. Pinball
Although still a cornerstone of physical arcades, digital pinball has garnered very little interest since the days of “Space Cadet Pinball” on Microsoft Windows. Although they effectively capture the look, feel, and nostalgia of real pinball, these digital titles simply can’t match up to the authentic arcade experience.
8. Light Gun Shooter
Light gun shooters were a popular gaming genre for several years, with titles like “Duck Hunt” and “Time Crisis” receiving much fanfare and acclaim. However, the genre, a cornerstone of the arcade market, has seen little in the way of home console popularity, with many gamers simply uninterested in purchasing expensive and unresponsive peripherals and opting to play FPS games instead.
9. Typing
Typing games were once a great way for those who were new to typing to improve their skills in a fun and interactive way. But with the ubiquity of typing in the modern technological age, it seems as though people have little need for such educational experiences.
Even with the entertainment value of titles like “Typing of the Dead,” it seems as though most gamers simply have no interest in this extremely niche genre.
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10. Movie Tie-In Games
Movie tie-in games used to be all the rage back in the day. And by “all the rage” I mean game publishers mercilessly churned them out like they were going out of style. Well, it turns out they were because the genre is next to non-existent these days. Most gamers have gotten wise to the fact that movie tie-in games are generally nothing more than a cynical cash grab.
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