Classification of computer game genres

The emergence of game genres

Computer games originated in the 1950s (more than 60 years ago), but game genres appeared only 20 years ago.

In the early days of the gaming industry, each game was unique and unrepeatable. But over time, the number of games grew. To navigate the vast variety of games, people began to categorize them.

The criteria for dividing games into categories varied widely: number of players, camera angle, and plot (for more information on all types of game classification, see the article ” Computer Game Classification “). However, the most popular method was dividing games into genres.

 

Game genres developed unstructured and intuitively over a long period of time. Game developers conducted bold experiments, creating new game mechanics. Failed experiments were forgotten, while successful games became role models for other developers. Developers copied popular game mechanics, adding a few ideas of their own, thus creating entire classes of similar games around the most popular ones; these classes became known as game genres.

 

Moreover, unlike classic film and book genres, game genres imply entirely different characteristics. Game genres are defined not by plot, but by the in-game actions most frequently performed by the player. (And what are called genres in classic narrative works are called settings in games.)

The division into genres is very useful in practice. Games of a certain genre attract an established gaming audience. A developer announces that they are releasing a game in a certain genre, and players already have a rough idea of ​​what will happen in the game, even without further comment from the developers.

 

	What genre is DotA?

The problem of the lack of structure in genres

We know what to call the most popular genres, and we know how they differ from each other. But there’s still no complete and clearly structured classification of computer game genres:

– there are doubts about the genre of many games (what genre are “Grand Theif Auto” (GTA), “Defender Of The Ancient” (DotA)?);

– different sources call the same genres by different names (“3D-shooter”, “3D-Action”, “FPS”, “TPS”, “action”, “thriller”);

– all types of games are sometimes called different simulators (“Action” – “soldier simulator”, “Strategy” – “commander simulator”, “Team action” – “tactical simulator”).

At the same time, many game critics cannot even clearly explain their classification.

 

Yes, it’s all very confusing and ambiguous. Many say a clear classification of computer games is fundamentally impossible. Computer games are works of art; they know no boundaries (in this case, genres act as boundaries). It’s very common for a game to contain features of almost every genre, and in such proportions that it’s truly unclear which genre is its primary one. This is true. But genres themselves are simple structures, and it’s high time they were systematized.

 

Genre diagram

Our website, gamesisart.ru, has created the most comprehensive classification of games by genre—a unique diagram of computer game genres. Details on how this diagram was created can be found in the article ” Classification of Genres (for Researchers) .”

An alphabetical list of genres is available on the ” Game Genres. Full List of Titles ” page.

 

 

A detailed description of the entire table can be read here:

Genre diagram

 

Elementary genres:

Information Games: Learning Puzzles Communication Role Study

Action Games: Collecting, Evasion , Destruction, Competition , Driving

Control Games: Caring, Creating , Controlling, Tactics , Planning

 

Structure of the genre diagram

If you’re seeing this genre chart for the first time, its complexity might intimidate you. Don’t worry, let’s get to it together. This chart contains all the commonly used game genres familiar to most players, but it’s arranged in a way that creates a clear structure. Let’s explore the logic behind this structure.

The entire diagram is divided into 15 vertical stripes. These 15 stripes are grouped into three broad categories: “Information Games,” “Action Games,” and “Control Games.” At the bottom of each stripe is its core—a basic (indivisible) genre that can be summarized in a single word. The core categories are: learning, riddles, communication, hero, exploration, collection, evasion, destruction, competition, driving, care, development, control, tactics, and planning.

Above the entity names (basic game mechanics) are the genres themselves, arranged as rectangles. The simplest genres are at the bottom, occupying only one stripe. The higher a genre is positioned, the more stripes it occupies. A genre block occupying multiple stripes means that it contains several basic game mechanics combined into a single unit. (For example, the “Quest” genre is a combination of two basic classes: “Riddles” and “Communication”).

 

How to use the genre diagram

The diagram on the “Genre Table” page is interactive. You can click on any genre block to see a detailed description of it. After viewing the details, you can press the “Backspace (<-)” key to return to the diagram. (For those still unsure how to navigate the diagram, all genre names are duplicated below as a simple, numbered text list.)

 

Classification of genres (for researchers)

 

Are you curious about how the genre structure described above was devised? Do you want to know the logic behind it? Everything brilliant is simple. And to be a genius, you need to see patterns where ordinary people see only random coincidences. Let’s begin our search for patterns…

 

Justification of the structure of the genre scheme

Decomposition into elementary particles

Our initial data consists only of historically established genres. We arrange their names on a single plane and try to determine, based on existing examples, the coordinate system in which they reside.

The main criteria for dividing genres are the actions most frequently performed in games of a given genre, and nothing more (camera position: first-person view, rear view, top view, cockpit view; time movement: real time or turn-based mode; number of players – these are not criteria for genres, they only determine the way the gameplay is presented).

Let’s begin by dissecting each genre, hoping to break it down into its component parts. It takes extensive gaming experience in the respective genres to understand their components.

 

Grouping, coordinate system

We place all the found elementary particles of genres on a line and use them as a coordinate system.

Using a trial-and-error method, we group all the particles into three subgroups: role-playing games, shooters, and strategies. All games within a group are very similar, but at the same time, there are games with various deviations. Sometimes the deviations are small, and sometimes very significant. These games, having deviated significantly from the benchmark, become completely unlike their ideological ancestors, but they are still within the group. This means that the game groups themselves are much broader than their benchmark representatives. The benchmarks are in the middle, while games with increasingly greater deviations are further from the center.

In each group, the extreme boundaries were identified. Once the boundaries are identified, it’s easier to give the group a proper name and divide it into its individual components. Ultimately, all genres were successfully classified into three initial large groups, each large group breaking down into five equal elements lying on the same plane. The result was a beautiful, perfectly structured table consisting of fifteen elementary genres. And surprisingly, this table easily classifies any game, not just computer games. Board games, yard games, television games, and educational games are all classified.

 

The three major groups of games were given the following names:

• Communication games.
  Key activities: gathering information, communicating, and exploring the world.
• Action games.
  Basic actions: movement in space, use of weapons and equipment.
• Control games.
  Key actions: command, control, and distribution of resources.

 

Game palette

Let’s take this idea further. We can present the identified elementary genre particles in a different form for greater clarity. We’ll use the analogy of a color wheel. To achieve this, we arrange the elementary genres not in a straight line, but in a circle.

We assign each element its own color to create an RGB palette. For convenience, we divide the entire circle into six sides: three primary colors—green, red, and blue—and three composite colors—yellow, violet, and blue-green.

Each face of the hexagon is divided into three genres, resulting in 18 components. But only 15 elementary game genres have been identified, so where are the other three? These three components exist, but they are not elementary genres. On the contrary, they represent the very thing against which all types of games are created. They are the boundaries dividing games into three broad categories. All 15 game genres have already been examined. Let’s consider the anti-game components.

 

Anti-game elements

Boredom .

At the intersection of role-playing games and strategy games lies the line of “abstraction.” This is the complete opposite of “action games,” which combat “boredom” with spectacle.

Games of this type are characterized by schematic nature, limited freedom, lack of realism, and lack of spectacle.

From the point of view of strategies in abstractions, the main thing becomes the fulfillment of the “goal”.

From the perspective of role-playing games – “submission”.

The end result is subordination to someone else’s goals, that is, performing boring work. While completely new events, never before seen, may occur, during these events, one must still submit to someone else’s will (this is the main difference from the other element—”ordinary”). The central point of this element is slavery and unquestioning obedience to orders. This has nothing in common with games.

Everyday life .

At the intersection of strategy and action games lies the “simulation” line. It’s the complete opposite of “role-playing games,” which combat the “ordinary” with an engaging “plot.”

Games of this type are characterized by the imitation of real processes, limited freedom, lack of novelty, and a complete absence of plot.

From the strategy side, the main thing in simulations is the “process” itself.

From the perspective of action films – the “realism” of what is happening on screen.

The end result is a realistic imitation of a process—that is, ordinary life. There are a few events that constantly occur, and beyond them, nothing new emerges. The central point of the element is not used, as complete realism is unattainable in games, and who needs an exact, 100% replica of reality when it already exists in real life?

 

Loneliness .

At the intersection of role-playing games and action films lies the “freedom” dimension. This is the complete opposite of “strategies,” which counter “solitude” with the “multiplicity” of subordinates at one’s disposal. (Strategies, of course, don’t combat loneliness in the usual sense, but they do simulate power—the most pleasant form of communication.)

Games in this category are characterized by large open spaces, a lack of simulation realism, a lack of novelty, and a lack of control over other participants.

From the perspective of role-playing games, the main thing in “freedom games” is the absence of ready-made role connections, the possibility of independent choice, that is, “role freedom”.

On the part of the action films, there is a “simplification” of real events and processes, compared to simulators.

The result is role-playing freedom in a simplified model of the real world. One being’s freedom ends where another’s begins, so the ultimate point of freedom is complete solitude. The ultimate point of simplification is an empty world, freedom in space. The action that offers the greatest freedom is the creation of something completely new. The result is the central point of the element: complete solitude in an empty world in which one can create—the level editor. Editing capabilities aren’t used directly during gameplay, but certain elements of the creation process are present in games.

 

This hexagon makes it easy to understand what is most important in certain types of games, what game developers have to compromise between, what should never be in games, what can be mixed together, and what cannot be mixed.

In the illustration, the various genres are depicted in different colors, smoothly flowing into one another. This is no accident. This hexagon of genres is a veritable palette for game creation, the same palette used by fine artists.

 

Justification for the choice of colors for the circuit edges

The edge of ” abstraction “.

Represents submission and learning, the acquisition of new information. New means fresh . Abstract (casual) games often test new gameplay styles and ideas for the first time, and only when players embrace them does the innovation spread to other genres. In role-playing games, acquiring information becomes learning, which implies player submission , i.e., passivity . The center of the edge—excessive abstraction in games (the center of the edge) leads to boredom, and therefore is not used in games.

 

The edge of ” role-playing “.

The core of this aspect is interaction with other characters, a gripping storyline, and the acquisition of information. Friendly communication makes up a large part of the gameplay.

The edge of ” freedom “.

This facet includes arcade action games characterized by high- energy gameplay. The center of this facet is solitude. This solitude is not forced, but conscious, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s easier and more fun with other characters; you can either cooperate with them or resist them . All of this takes time and energy, so the most productive activity is in complete solitude. However, since the player can’t create anything from scratch in games , the center of the facet isn’t used in the games themselves, but it is used in their creation .

 

The edge of ” action “.

The main component of all games in this category is aggression . And aggression and the danger associated with it are always associated with the color red . Even the blood that abounds in action games is red. The closer to arcade-style games, the more intense the emotions , the brighter and lighter the color. The closer to simulation, the more restrained the aggression, the duller and darker the color.

 

The edge of ” simulation “.

This includes vehicle simulations, everyday life simulations, and sports and economic games that are close to simulation. All these simulations consist of two basic actions, mixed in equal proportions: observation and control. These games pay meticulous attention to small, insignificant details. The center of the edge is complete realism and almost disinterested observation of the process – melancholy , which is always associated with the color purple . The center of the edge (complete realism ) is not used in games.

 

The edge of ” strategy “.

This category includes management games. The primary focus is the rational management of controlled assets: squads or entire armies, cities or entire countries. In such games, cold calculation and situational awareness are essential . The closer to simulation, the weaker and more inconvenient the control becomes, the more it resembles realistic management. The closer to abstraction, the simpler the control becomes, the more it resembles schematic planning.

 

Palette analogies

The resulting palette, a regular hexagon, is universal. This shape can be used to break down many things into their elements: color itself, sunlight, tastes, personalities, feelings, and relationships, all while maintaining a similarity of color and meaning. It seems that much of the world is created from this triune duality.

 

 

Classification of games

 

Genres have been successfully classified. Fifteen basic elements that make up any game have been identified. Now we can classify computer games themselves by their basic composition. Let’s look at some very complex games in terms of genre composition as an example.

Let’s take Space Rangers .

1. The game includes a short introductory tutorial, marked “tutorial” on the diagram.

2.3. The game contains quests in both text form and simple tasks. We mark “quests” (“riddles” + “communication”).

4. Role elements are present: there are characteristics, there are character classes, we mark the “role”.
5. Exploring the world is what most of the game is built on, and there’s roleplaying freedom. We’ll highlight “exploring the world.”
6. Freedom is not in the first person, actions are not so free, which means the element of “overcoming” is absent.
7. There are few evasions: you can only escape from a battle, you cannot evade during a battle, but in battles in hyperspace there is “arcade action” (“evasion” + “destruction”).
8. In normal battles there is a normal “destruction”, we note it.
9. Competition exists: there are other rangers performing the same tasks as the player; statistics are kept among all rangers, and there is a podium. We mark “competition.”
10. “Technique simulation” is missing.
11. There is “planning”: there is a global map and the player can choose which star to conquer now and which one later.
12. “Tactics” is also available: you can hire up to four assistants.
13. There is no “microcontrol”.
14. “Development” is present: a good economic system, lots of goods, places to spend money, you can upgrade your ship, you can build new space stations, you can order military operations.
15. There is no “care”.

As a result, we see that “Space Rangers” is mostly an ” Open RPG ” with the addition of ” Action ” and small elements of ” control games “.

Let’s take ” The Godfather 2 ” as a prime example of GTA-like games. (The game “Grand Thief Auto” itself is a bit simpler in its genre composition, so we won’t consider it.)

1. There is initial “training”.
2. There are no “riddles”.
3. There is no free “communication”, it is only in the screensavers.
4. There are some minor “role-playing” elements: subordinates with different professions, but the hero himself has nothing of the sort.
5. There is no role freedom.
6. But there is freedom in space (three cities) and actions.
7. In principle, it is possible to “evade”, but there is no need.
8. “Destruction” is the basis of the game.
9. “Competition” is present: enemy families do not sit still, but act in the same way as the player.
10. There is a “technique simulation”, but it is very primitive.
11. There is “planning”: you can choose which buildings to capture, which ones to guard more strongly, and which ones to leave to chance.
12. There is a “tactic”: you can take up to three guards with you, but in general there is a maximum of seven.
13. There was an attempt to implement “microcontrol,” but it failed: fighters who do not accompany the hero, but go out separately on missions and to capture buildings.
14. There was also an attempt to implement “development” (“economy”), but it also failed: each building brings money and certain bonuses; but money is not needed; it can only be spent on fighter stats and weapons, which in turn change little.
15. There is no “care”.

In the end, we see that “The Godfather 2” is “ Open Action ” (an action game with an open world) with a little bit of “ planning ” and “ tactics ” added in.

The examples analyzed above show that this classification is more complex than a simple one- or two-word designation. However, unlike an unconscious genre definition based solely on a player’s personal experience, this method is more scientific and accurate. Using a genre table significantly reduces the risk of error when positioning a game within a genre. Furthermore, this method of genre definition most fully conveys the essence of complex and multifaceted games.