The debate about the differences between all the different genres of video games is something I?ve taken into consideration for a while now. The many different genres and sub-genres of video games could be debated forever but I think that the best way to differentiate different genres is to do the following: 1) Keep categories broad, 2) Keep qualifications simple, and 3) Only count genres that are truly different from one another in regards to goals and gameplay. Keeping these rules in minds I would surmise that there are only four truly different gaming genres: Action, Puzzle, Strategy, and RPG. Each of these genres has clear differences between them in terms of goals and gameplay.
Actions games are based on the skill of the player in the execution of easily defined goals. Most games in the action genre have clear and obvious moment to moment goals: kill these guys, get to the exit, race to the finish line etc. But the key is that while the goal and the method to reaching the goal is obvious getting there or accomplishing the goals based on player skill is the whole challenge. In general action games aren?t complex in terms of gameplay and the player knows how they have to accomplish the goal but it is player input and reactions in each moment that determines whether or not they succeed or fail. Sub-genres of actions include: first person shooters, platformers, racing games, and flight simulators; each of these games have obvious goals where the player?s skill is the key to success. There are some exceptions to this though, Portal is technically a first person shooter in terms of gameplay but it?s actually a puzzle game because although sometimes moment to moment reaction helps in success, winning that game is accomplished with the methods for winning puzzle games.
Puzzle games are about figuring out the solution to a problem of some sort through the intelligence of the player. Puzzle games can have clearly defined end or in-the-moment goals but regardless actually figuring out the solution is how you beat the game because unlike actions games, the method isn?t always apparent. Puzzle games test the player?s intelligence rather than input skill and while a time limit can force people to have to think and do things faster it is still all about figuring out the solution not just implementing it. Sub-genres of puzzle games are adventure games like Monkey Island or Grim Fandango but also the simpler ?puzzle? games like Bejeweled and while many games can have puzzles in them to solve a true puzzle game focuses on that aspect over the other gameplay aspects. Some games looks like puzzle games on the surface such as Plants vs. Zombies but these games aren?t about just enacting solutions they are more about planning and resource management and thus are more akin to strategy games.
Strategy games often seem like puzzle games as figuring out and enacting the solution is the main goal but the difference lies in the way the game can change in a moment and how the player has to balance the acquisition and spending of resources in order to succeed. While the gameplay can be said to resemble action games in real-time strategy or puzzle games in turn-based strategy they key difference is that instead of focusing on a single goal or character the player often has to balance different units or combinations of units and/or squads of units for multiple purposes to attack or defend cities and collect resources in order to construct buildings and units. Strategy games can often change and force the player to alter their game play? strategy but also manage multiple things at once; in general strategy games require the player to multitask in order to succeed. Real-time and turn-based strategy games such as Starcraft and Civilization are the most obvious examples of this genre however tower defence games such as Plants vs Zombies and web based interaction games such as: Farmville, Ogame, and Evony should be classified as strategy because they are about using resources to accomplish goals with situational reaction as a key part of the game. The gameplay of strategy games is so similar to RPGs that RPG elements can be easily incorporated, but RPGs often play much differently.
RPGs are games that are defined less by their mechanics and more by an element of progression. In RPGs of all kinds the characters under the control of the player will grow stronger as the game progresses often through the acquisition of points through combat or completing quests; the character progression is often required to progress as without gaining points a character will die much more easily in combat segments compared to similar situations in action games. RPGs also tend to focus more on story compared to the other game genres and often it is the story that drives players to continue playing. The actual gameplay varies between individual games, varying between the JRPG turn-based combat and the more real-time combat of western RPGs and there can be puzzles to solve but the element of progression is the defining feature of RPGs. The two main sub-genres of RPGs are Western and Japanese, the former often including more robust character customization and open ended progression while the latter has more locked down characterization and more linear story progression but RPG elements often turn up in games of the other genres, especially today.
While most video games have gameplay derived primarily from one of the four genres outlined previously there are a few games that use a near even balance of two or more of the genres thus making them multi-genre games. It can be difficult to tell which games are truly multi-genre but the main thing is that the game needs a near even balance of the genres rather than a sprinkling of elements from another genre. The Zelda games are the easiest example of mutli-genre games as they are action-puzzle games with a good balance of both genres with heavy action scenes and boss fights as well as puzzle sequences where progression is only possible by thinking the way through the game; a more seamless blend of action-puzzle is Shadow of the Colossus as the giant monster boss fights require both moment to moment action for the platforming but also a large amount of thought on the part of the player to figure out how to get on the creatures and kill them successfully. RPG elements can be added to a lot of games to add a layer of progression but only a few games are truly multi-genres RPG games: Bioshock has progression in the form of money, ADAM, and weapons upgrade stations but these are fixed and relatively minor compared to the action aspect of the game however Deus Ex and System Shock 2 have their RPG elements so strongly ingrained in basic gameplay that they are true Action-RPG multi-genre games because if you don?t spend the points you gain then progression will be nearly impossible.
I won?t make the dubious claim that I?m the first to come to this conclusion of four broad gaming genres but I will state that I came up with this on my own and did not copy this from another source. This is mainly something I came up with to facilitate genre division for a video game awards show and so I could classify the games in broader genres when I was organising them in my game library. I don?t expect this to light the world on fire but I hope that this gives you something to think about when it comes to video games genres and how they work.
Actions games are based on the skill of the player in the execution of easily defined goals. Most games in the action genre have clear and obvious moment to moment goals: kill these guys, get to the exit, race to the finish line etc. But the key is that while the goal and the method to reaching the goal is obvious getting there or accomplishing the goals based on player skill is the whole challenge. In general action games aren?t complex in terms of gameplay and the player knows how they have to accomplish the goal but it is player input and reactions in each moment that determines whether or not they succeed or fail. Sub-genres of actions include: first person shooters, platformers, racing games, and flight simulators; each of these games have obvious goals where the player?s skill is the key to success. There are some exceptions to this though, Portal is technically a first person shooter in terms of gameplay but it?s actually a puzzle game because although sometimes moment to moment reaction helps in success, winning that game is accomplished with the methods for winning puzzle games.
Puzzle games are about figuring out the solution to a problem of some sort through the intelligence of the player. Puzzle games can have clearly defined end or in-the-moment goals but regardless actually figuring out the solution is how you beat the game because unlike actions games, the method isn?t always apparent. Puzzle games test the player?s intelligence rather than input skill and while a time limit can force people to have to think and do things faster it is still all about figuring out the solution not just implementing it. Sub-genres of puzzle games are adventure games like Monkey Island or Grim Fandango but also the simpler ?puzzle? games like Bejeweled and while many games can have puzzles in them to solve a true puzzle game focuses on that aspect over the other gameplay aspects. Some games looks like puzzle games on the surface such as Plants vs. Zombies but these games aren?t about just enacting solutions they are more about planning and resource management and thus are more akin to strategy games.
Strategy games often seem like puzzle games as figuring out and enacting the solution is the main goal but the difference lies in the way the game can change in a moment and how the player has to balance the acquisition and spending of resources in order to succeed. While the gameplay can be said to resemble action games in real-time strategy or puzzle games in turn-based strategy they key difference is that instead of focusing on a single goal or character the player often has to balance different units or combinations of units and/or squads of units for multiple purposes to attack or defend cities and collect resources in order to construct buildings and units. Strategy games can often change and force the player to alter their game play? strategy but also manage multiple things at once; in general strategy games require the player to multitask in order to succeed. Real-time and turn-based strategy games such as Starcraft and Civilization are the most obvious examples of this genre however tower defence games such as Plants vs Zombies and web based interaction games such as: Farmville, Ogame, and Evony should be classified as strategy because they are about using resources to accomplish goals with situational reaction as a key part of the game. The gameplay of strategy games is so similar to RPGs that RPG elements can be easily incorporated, but RPGs often play much differently.
RPGs are games that are defined less by their mechanics and more by an element of progression. In RPGs of all kinds the characters under the control of the player will grow stronger as the game progresses often through the acquisition of points through combat or completing quests; the character progression is often required to progress as without gaining points a character will die much more easily in combat segments compared to similar situations in action games. RPGs also tend to focus more on story compared to the other game genres and often it is the story that drives players to continue playing. The actual gameplay varies between individual games, varying between the JRPG turn-based combat and the more real-time combat of western RPGs and there can be puzzles to solve but the element of progression is the defining feature of RPGs. The two main sub-genres of RPGs are Western and Japanese, the former often including more robust character customization and open ended progression while the latter has more locked down characterization and more linear story progression but RPG elements often turn up in games of the other genres, especially today.
While most video games have gameplay derived primarily from one of the four genres outlined previously there are a few games that use a near even balance of two or more of the genres thus making them multi-genre games. It can be difficult to tell which games are truly multi-genre but the main thing is that the game needs a near even balance of the genres rather than a sprinkling of elements from another genre. The Zelda games are the easiest example of mutli-genre games as they are action-puzzle games with a good balance of both genres with heavy action scenes and boss fights as well as puzzle sequences where progression is only possible by thinking the way through the game; a more seamless blend of action-puzzle is Shadow of the Colossus as the giant monster boss fights require both moment to moment action for the platforming but also a large amount of thought on the part of the player to figure out how to get on the creatures and kill them successfully. RPG elements can be added to a lot of games to add a layer of progression but only a few games are truly multi-genres RPG games: Bioshock has progression in the form of money, ADAM, and weapons upgrade stations but these are fixed and relatively minor compared to the action aspect of the game however Deus Ex and System Shock 2 have their RPG elements so strongly ingrained in basic gameplay that they are true Action-RPG multi-genre games because if you don?t spend the points you gain then progression will be nearly impossible.
I won?t make the dubious claim that I?m the first to come to this conclusion of four broad gaming genres but I will state that I came up with this on my own and did not copy this from another source. This is mainly something I came up with to facilitate genre division for a video game awards show and so I could classify the games in broader genres when I was organising them in my game library. I don?t expect this to light the world on fire but I hope that this gives you something to think about when it comes to video games genres and how they work.
