Top 10 High Demand Game Genres
The gaming community is diverse. Across languages, cultures, and geographies, players are brought together by the love of the game.
And the game’s type matters.
This diversity in players is also reflected in the diversity of game genres. Different people like different types of games. It is as simple as that.
Going into 2022 from 2021, casual games like action, adventure, arcade, casual, and puzzle games saw a 56% increase in downloads. Strategy games saw a 10.52% increase in downloads in 2022, with RPG games standing at a 4.76% increase.
Overall, the gaming market is projected to grow from $272.86 billion in 2024 to $426.02 billion by 2029. The casual, strategy, RPG, and simulation games are major segments of the overall growing gaming trends.
What are Game Genres?
The classification of a game by its genre is a matter of its game mechanics, perspective, and setting. It can be a broad category like action or a specific one like Battle Royale.
As a developer or a game development company, the data on people’s preferences can help you make well-informed business and financial decisions. In this blog piece, we will take a look at the list of most popular game genres.
We will showcase what makes them so popular and the games that define them.
Let’s dive right in with first-person shooter (FPS) games!
1. First Person Shooter Games
What makes FPS games unique is the player’s ability to see the world through the eyes of their characters. This develops a sense of deep immersion and great urgency that keeps players engaged.
This is why FPS games have fast-paced, adrenaline fueled gameplay with the goal of shooting the enemy with a wide array of weapons.
Game mechanics like precise aiming and shooting set FPS games apart. Players must navigate complex worlds and make split-second decisions to win.
It really does get the blood flowing.
Classics like Doom and Quake have defined the FPS game genre. This is followed by even more popular titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield.
2. Adventure Games
Adventure games are rich in storytelling and large game worlds. They encourage exploration and discovery. Players can wander through immense landscapes, interact with other characters and objects, and take actions that move the story forward.
These actions drive player agency and consequence. When the outcome of the game depends on the players’ decisions, the stakes are higher and the emotional bond is as real as can be.
A classic example for these games include Monkey Island, a swashbuckling adventure with humor and puzzles. A more contemporary example would be The Walking Dead by Telltale Games.
3. Simulation Games
What are video games if not an excellent medium for escapism?
With that said, players can prefer that their alternate reality should feel as real as possible. This is what simulation games do: an authentic and realistic gameplay with activities that might not be accessible in the real world.
This genre comes with the benefit of versatility. The simulation can be of flight and driving or city-building and life. The key is the level of details rendered. From the texture to the physics to the logistics of running a business, it all comes through.
SimCity immediately comes to mind for this genre, alongside Microsoft Flight Simulator.
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4. Sports Games
Sports games are true to the actual game’s rules, strategies, and dynamics. These focus on realistic physics, character animations, and strategic gameplay to capture and simulate real-life sports. This can be football and basketball or golf and table-top.
These games also emphasize competition. You may play against the computer/AI or other players.
Popular titles for sports games include the FIFA series by EA and NBA 2K.
5. MOBA Games
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games are some of the most mainstream and popular games. These include titles like League of Legends (LoL) and Dota2. They have pushed forward the evolution of esports as entertainment.
These games deliver team-based gameplay and player-vs-player combat. They emphasize skills like decision-making, teamwork, and skillful execution of abilities. Players develop their skills over time and unlock new characters.
6. Racing Games
Racing games deliver gameplay based on speed, precision, and competition. There are several types of racing including track-based circuits, point-to-point races, and off-road challenges.
There’s a large diversity in the vehicles as well, with motorcycles, cars, trucks, and even hovercrafts.
Titles like Mario Kart and Need for Speed are the de facto ambassadors of this genre. Other popular games include Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport.
7. Strategy Games
This genre is all about critical thinking, planning, and decision-making. It favors the use of intellect and time to outmaneuver the opponent as opposed to fast-paced, split-second gameplay.
Some of these in-game activities include carefully allocating resources, devising tactics, and anticipating the opponents' moves.
More unique features of this genre include real-time strategy (RTS), turn-based strategy (TBS), 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate), and grand strategy.
Some popular examples of this genre are Civilization, StarCraft, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Total War.
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8. Battle Royale Games
These games are the perfect intersection of last-man-standing and multiplayer competition. Exploration, survival, and combat with a shrinking area forces encounters and keeps the stakes high.
These games feature large player counts and emergent game mechanics.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) is a massively successful battle royale game. We add to this list with Fortnite that incorporated building mechanics and Apex Legends that employed unique character abilities.
9. Fighter Games
Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Tekken. These are not extremely popular fighter games but some of the most popular games, period.
The moves, the combos, the counterattacks and the beating up someone is what makes these games the pleasure they are.
Another important theme for these fighter games is the competition. This can be the local arcade showdowns to international esports tournaments.
10 MMORPGs
Vast virtual landscapes to explore alongside thousands of players. This is the unique feature that makes MMORPGs distinct.
Players dawn interesting avatars, embark on quests, engage in battles, and interact with other players in real-time.
With an immense landscape comes detailed lore and a range of game mechanics. Players collaborate, compete, and most importantly socialize with others. This grows and bonds the community.
World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, and Guild Wars 2 are but a few, beloved MMORPGs.
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The Right Genre for You; The Right Genre for Your Audience
Picking the kind of game to create can be a time-consuming endeavor. It considers factors internal and external to your ideas and vision.
With these top 10 game genres listed and described, you should have a better handle on how to make your game ideas a reality.
Should you need more assistance, a consultation with us with help. We stand as a pioneering game design and development company.
