| Action-Oriented Games |
Shooter |
Weapon-based combat, precision aiming, real-time battles. |
Call of Duty, DOOM, Overwatch |
1978 (Space Invaders) |
| |
Fighting |
Close-quarters combat, combos, and dueling mechanics. |
Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat |
1984 (Karate Champ) |
| |
Platformer |
Jumping, navigating obstacles, and environmental puzzles. |
Super Mario Bros., Celeste, Sonic |
1981 (Donkey Kong) |
| |
Survival |
Resource gathering, avoiding death, and managing risks. |
Minecraft, ARK: Survival Evolved, Rust |
1993 (The Oregon Trail Deluxe, DOOM’s survival modes) |
| |
Beat ‘Em Up |
Defeat waves of enemies using melee or ranged attacks. |
Streets of Rage, Castle Crashers |
1987 (Double Dragon) |
| Strategy and Tactics |
Real-Time Strategy (RTS) |
Tactical decision-making in real-time. |
StarCraft, Age of Empires, Warcraft III |
1982 (Stonkers) |
| |
Turn-Based Strategy |
Tactical decisions with turn-based gameplay. |
Civilization, XCOM, Advance Wars |
1980 (Eastern Front 1941) |
| |
Tower Defense |
Defending a base by building and upgrading defensive units. |
Plants vs. Zombies, Bloons TD, Kingdom Rush |
1990 (Rampart) |
| |
MOBA |
Team-based tactical combat with hero units. |
Dota 2, League of Legends, Smite |
2003 (Defense of the Ancients mod for Warcraft III) |
| Narrative and Exploration |
Adventure |
Exploration, puzzles, and story-driven gameplay. |
The Legend of Zelda, Uncharted, Tomb Raider |
1976 (Colossal Cave Adventure) |
| |
RPG |
Character progression, quests, and stat-based combat. |
Final Fantasy, The Witcher, Skyrim |
1980 (Ultima, Rogue) |
| |
Horror |
Tension, survival, and fear-inducing environments. |
Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Dead Space |
1981 (3D Monster Maze) |
| |
Metroidvania |
Exploration with skill-based progression. |
Hollow Knight, Castlevania, Metroid |
1986 (Metroid) |
| Creative and Simulation |
Simulation |
Mimicking real-world systems or creating environments. |
The Sims, SimCity, Stardew Valley |
1983 (SimCity Prototype) |
| |
Sandbox |
Open-world gameplay with few predefined goals. |
Minecraft, Garry’s Mod, Terraria |
1984 (Elite) |
| |
Life Simulation |
Managing the daily lives of characters. |
The Sims, Animal Crossing |
2000 (The Sims) |
| |
City/World Builder |
Building and managing cities or worlds. |
SimCity, Cities: Skylines, Planet Coaster |
1983 (Utopia) |
| Puzzle and Skill-Based |
Puzzle |
Solving logical or spatial challenges. |
Tetris, Portal, Candy Crush |
1984 (Tetris) |
| |
Rhythm |
Timing-based gameplay synced to music. |
Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution |
1996 (PaRappa the Rapper) |
| |
Party Games |
Casual, skill-based mini-games for groups. |
Mario Party, Fall Guys, Jackbox Games |
1998 (Mario Party) |
| Social and Multiplayer |
MMORPG |
Persistent online worlds with large player interactions. |
World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Runescape |
1996 (Meridian 59) |
| |
Battle Royale |
Last-player-standing competition. |
Fortnite, PUBG, Apex Legends |
2012 (DayZ mod for Arma 2) |
| |
Cooperative Games |
Players work together to achieve goals. |
Left 4 Dead, Phasmophobia, It Takes Two |
1999 (System Shock 2 co-op mode) |
| |
Competitive Sports |
Simulated real-world sports. |
FIFA, NBA 2K, Madden NFL |
1972 (Pong) |
| |
Esports-Friendly |
Games designed for professional competition. |
CS:GO, Valorant, Rocket League |
1999 (Counter-Strike) |