The modern gaming landscape is evolving so fast that simple labels are becoming a thing of the past.

As new titles blend mechanics from multiple categories, identifying your playstyle requires a deeper look at core interactions. This guide breaks down the defining traits of the industry's most popular genres.

MOBA

Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) enables a team-based strategic competition with an array of characters to choose from.

Players take control of one character, and the MOBA genre involves teamplay on a different level, combining the abilities and special powers of each character in the same team for some wondrous fights and plays.

Popular games in this genre include Dota 2, League of Legends, and Smite.

Battle Royale

Take this genre literally. A large number of players enter an arena or a world in an ensuing battle, with the last user standing being crowned the winner.

Battle Royales can also involve team-based gameplay, wherein the last team standing is crowned the champion of the arena.

It lets users experience the thrill of survival. Popular titles include PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Fortnite, and Call of Duty.

MMO/MMORPG

Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) and Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) include worlds with social progression.

Storyline and quests take center-stage here, and usually, the game is filled with fascinating lore that keeps users hooked and continuously queuing with other users.

The most popular games in this genre are EverQuest, World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

Arcade Shooter

One of the old block, Arcade Shooters are fast-paced games with simple controls and easy objectives: engage with targets and avoid obstacles.

Arcade Shooters were the primary hits in the early video gaming era. But video gaming franchises like Contra still keep them relevant because of their replayability and popularity.

Hero Shooter

Hero Shooters are mostly first-person and third-person multiplayer games that have heroes, champions, and unique characters as the central part of their gameplay and storyline.

One of the most popular sub-genres in the modern age, games like Valorant, Apex Legends, and Overwatch are all a part of this category.

Light Gun Shooter

A hyper-realistic experience of the legacy era, Light Gun Shooters bridged the gap between what you controlled and what you interacted with in the game.

Games like Duck Hunt, Point Blank, and Virtua Cop were a hit back in the arcade era.

FPS

A large umbrella, First-Person Shooters (FPS) basically add the realism effect of putting you inside the body of the character you're controlling.

This has become the elite benchmark for battleground games, with franchises like Call of Duty, Half-Life, Doom, and Wolfenstein popular examples that have a huge fanbase.

TPS

Third-Person Shooters (TPS) give you a more out-of-the-body control experience of your character. You can see the entire character and their surroundings in the game's world, enabling more awareness of incoming threats.

Gears 5 and Helldivers 2 are good examples, whereas Battle Royale games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds actually have both FPS and TPS options.

Real-Time Strategy

Real-Time Strategy games involve managing resources, building an army, and constructing important structures. It involves a high level of decision-making and quickness in deciding what to prioritize when.

Games like Dune II, Age of Empires and StarCraft II capture this genre very well.

Turn-Based Strategy

Turn-Based Strategy games are games where players take turns in decision-making or finalizing their moves.

These games offer a more directed pace than real-time strategy games, rewarding foresight and good planning. The Civilization series champions the characteristics of this genre impeccably.

Life Simulator

Basically living a virtual life, Life Simulators grant you full control of the lives of the characters in the games, as you make the smallest and largest of decisions shaping their everyday lives.

Video game franchises like The Sims defined this genre perfectly, encapsulating the simulation aspect in depth.

Vehicle Simulator

This genre involves taking control of real-life vehicles, offering an immersive and realistic way of getting behind the wheel without actually getting behind it.

This genre ranges from casual to fully professional titles.

Games like Euro Truck Simulator are easy-going games where the journey is more important than the speed. And then you have games like Assetto Corsa, the Formula 1 series, and the Forza series, which are highly competitive.

Walking Simulator

A loosely based concept that involves storyline-centric gameplay with huge open worlds. Gameplay takes a little backseat to visuals, immersion, lore, and other things that enhance the overall experience.

A slower pace than usual, Firewatch offers a completely different experience compared to most other categories.

That is all for part 1 of our video game genre guide. Stay tuned for part 2, where we dive into more niche and emerging genres and how they shape the way you play.

Read more at Gaming Community by Max Level.

Written by

Abhisek Bajaj

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore