Playing video games has always been a popular entertainment ever since its inception. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry today and has come a long way from the 8-bit era. Today, there are a wide variety of video games, but when observed closely, you can easily categorize them into genres based on the game mechanics and design.
The choice of game genre depends on the personal preference of the players. The advancing technologies have given rise to different game genres and subgenres that are highly immersive and entertaining. Among these, certain types of games enjoy more popularity than others.
According to a survey by Statista, puzzle games enjoy maximum popularity with approx 65% US users engaging in such games. Read on to learn about the top game genres and what makes them so popular.
Be it Clash of Clans or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, each game is characterized into a wider genre or subgenre for its unique characteristics. Here is a video game genres list based on their popularity:
First-person shooters have been around for a long time since the 1970s. But It witnessed an upsurge in popularity with Doom. The core game mechanics are simple- shooting and weapon-based combat from the first-person perspective. Numerous FPS titles came up in the 2000s that gained immense popularity like Doom Eternal, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and many more.
Primarily such games are popular because of the adrenaline rush they can induce. They are very addictive and immersive and act as great stress-busters too. The best thing about these games is the genre keeps evolving for the better. It can be rightly predicted the hype is not dying out soon as classic franchises Call of Duty come up with new installments even today.
Video games that simulate specific sports are categorized as sports games. From team sports like football to single-player games like tennis, these video games simulating the different sports enjoy a rapidly growing fanbase.
FIFA, Pro Evolution Pro, NBA 2K etc. are popular sports games which draw millions of users across the world. These video games allow players to enjoy their favorite sports and often as their favorite players without going to the field physically.
The sports genre of video games have sub genres like arcade, simulation, multi-sport, sports-based fighting and so on. Gamers specifically enjoy the competitiveness of such video games.
Survival games are designed such that players have to survive and reach a specific goal in the game environment. The genre of games feed on the basic instinct of humans to fight and survive. Such games are designed to push the limits of the gamer against tough and challenging scenarios.
The popularity of the game owes to the adrenaline rush induced by this game genre. Survival Kids, Rust, No Man’s Sky are some of the popular video games in this genre. There are different video game genres which are intrinsically linked to this game genre. Features of survival game can be witnessed in RPG, action and sports too. Survival horror is perhaps the most popular subgenre of this game.
Top game development studios focus on developing role-playing games because of their massive popularity. The players can choose any of the characters to play the game. The course of the game depends on the choices you make and the characters you choose.
Generally, such games have a huge world that players can explore freely. The flexibility allowed by such games and the complex storyline keep the players hooked. A great example of a role-playing game would be Genshin Impact and Star Wars. There are several sub-genres of these games such as strategy RPG, Action RPGs, and so on. Players can enjoy a virtual and fantasy world being the character of their choice in these games. The immersive nature of the game makes it so popular.
Battle Royal is a fun and social game genre where players can connect as they play. It is one of the best-selling and top-game genres in the world. So much so, that every video game development company has its take on this genre. Players can connect and form a team to play the game in real-time.
Players have to strategize and survive on the game front. It is highly competitive and a multi-player genre. The game philosophy is very simple. There is a huge map filled with hundreds of players. They battle with each other until there is one survivor who is the winner. This is why this is one of the most popular in the game genres list.
The adrenaline rush, thrill, and the highly competitive environment are extremely addictive. Consider the popularity of PUBG– a classic example of a battle royale game. This is an entirely new format for video games that has been around for less than a decade and rapidly gained popularity.
This is another one of the popular game genres which is a combination of two popular genres- action and adventure. The result is a fast-paced and story-driven game that is immersive. Players can experience a blend of quests and combat in these games. There are puzzles, fight sequences, and even opportunities to explore the game world.
The games are designed to evoke suspense, and horror and immerse in a virtual world as you play the game. These games put the gamers’ reflexes to the test and are rather challenging. This is exactly what makes these games so appealing. Some of the most notable action-adventure games are Red Dead Redemption, Spiderman, and Guardian of the Galaxy. In a game genres list of the most popular options, action-adventure game stays at the top in terms of popularity.
This is a sub-genre of RPG but has an unrivaled widespread popularity today even though it is still in a nascent state. One of the first major MMORPG titles to gain worldwide fame was World of Warcraft. These games appear like they came straight out of a sci-fi movie set. However, there are not many titles as popular as WoW in this genre, and hence it has not grown as much. But even then the few games in the genre are quite popular. This is primarily because MMORPGs let players connect easily and there is a sense of community and belonging induced by such games.
The genre witnessed its rise with games like Mortal Kombat, Gigabash, Streetfighter, and so on. Such games have the basic core loop where players either fight each other or against the computer. The game is characterized by mechanics like grappling, blocking, counter-attacks, chaining, and different combinations. The genre first emerged in the 1980s and with the growing popularity of present-day additions to the genre, one can rightly say that it is here to stay.
The main attraction of fighting games is the healthy competition and stress-busting aspect of the games. Usually, such games also have a storyline that can get rather complex such as Mortal Kombat.
General fighting games generally involve hand-to-hand combat rather use of weapons. Occasionally some games feature melee weapons too. It is a subgenre of action games. Another popular sub-genre of fighting games includes sport-based combat games such as boxing, karate, mixed martial arts (MMA), and so on.
As the name suggests, racing games are simple video games where you can participate in a racing competition. Whether it is a two-wheeler game like Road Rash or a four-wheeler game like Asphalt 8, the genre has branched out into various distinct sub-genres based on its popularity. The genre first came around in the 1970s with games like Gran Trak 10, Night Driver, and more.
There are sub-genres such as arcade-style racing, simulation racing, kart racing, and futuristic racing. The games are particularly appealing because of the highly competitive environment and the adrenaline rush it evokes. Such is the popularity of the genre, the total revenue in racing games worldwide is expected to reach 4.11 billion USD by 2027. The present market share is 2.82 billion USD in 2023. Approximately 18% of the market share goes to KartRider Rush+. Other popular racing games include Asphalt 9, F1 Clash, Mario Cart Tour, to name a few.
The real-time strategy game is one of the highest revenue generators in the world with approximately 22.01 billion USD revenue share in 2022. The segment’s revenue is expected to grow at the rate of 7.50% CAGR and reach 33.01 billion USD by 2027. The name of the genre was first coined by Brett Sperry for Dune2.
RTS is a sub-genre of strategy game. The primary feature that sets apart RTS games is that players can progress together simultaneously in real-time rather than taking turns playing the game. Some of the most popular RTS games include Leagues of Legends, StarCast, and Age of Empires.
These games challenge the player’s intellect and the mechanics require strategic thinking to overcome the challenges. The gameplay is dynamic and provokes quick thinking, making such games even more challenging and adding to the popularity of such video games. The player’s decision-making affects the course of such games.
Simulation games are designed to imitate the real world. Such games effectively simulate various real-life situations. The genre is very popular as the game stimulates the player’s managerial skills, and lets them manage the economic system. There are several sub-genres of simulation games like construction, management, ecosystem simulation, life simulation, and vehicle simulation.
Simulation games allow significant freedom of action to the players which makes it even more popular. Games like SimCity, Bus Simulator, and Truck Simulator are popular simulation games. Such games give the players a taste of real-time situations that they may not be able to experience physically. Whether you want to experience how to drive a bus or try the construction, management, and administration of a city- simulation games are the key to experiencing these situations.
There are a variety of puzzle games ranging from Match3 to Sudoku. True to its name this game genre is designed to stimulate the brain and improve mental capacity. Such games can be highly addictive as the challenges keep egging the players on to try out the next harder level. Word games, board games, and finding hidden objects, are some of the popular variants of puzzle games.
Sometimes puzzle games are incorporated within other game genres as a part of the challenge. Even Horror and Survival games or escape rooms also have such puzzles as part of the gameplay. The puzzle games are designed to enhance the mental engagement of the players in the video game.
There are a wide variety of video game genres and even sub-genres that players can enjoy. But among these categories, certain types of video games enjoy more popularity. From real-time strategy to puzzle games- gamers choose genres that stimulate their mind best or help them relax.
The above-mentioned are the top game genres that are loved by gamers worldwide. Juego Studios is a leading video game development company that offers all-around game design and development for every type of video game. Get a game design solution from the leading game development studio for a wide variety of video games.
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