# Video Game Genres Explained: 26 Types, Where the Names Come From, and One to Try > Video game genres explained in plain words: platformer, shoot 'em up, beat 'em up, roguelike, deck builder, metroidvania and more, each with a free game to try. - Source: https://yesthisgame.com/blog/video-game-genres-explained/ - Published: 2026-11-02, updated: 2026-11-02 - Author: Yes This Game (the team that makes the games on the site) ## Key takeaways - A genre describes what you mainly do in a game: jumping in a platformer, shooting in a shoot 'em up, fighting groups in a beat 'em up. - Roguelike comes from Rogue (1980); a roguelite keeps something between runs. - Metroidvania joins Metroid and Castlevania; battle royale comes from the 2000 Japanese film. - Deck builders start you with a weak deck that you improve while playing; Dominion (2008) made them popular. - Many games mix genres, so the labels describe parts of a game, not fixed boxes. **A video game genre describes what you mainly do in a game, not what it looks like. A platformer is about jumping, a shoot 'em up about shooting what flies at you, a roguelike about runs that start over when you lose.** Below are 26 genres you will meet on game sites: what makes each one that genre, where the name comes from and, for 22 of them, a game you can play free in your browser to see it for yourself. Many games mix two or three genres, so think of these as labels, not boxes. ## Action games Games that test your reactions and timing. - **Platformer:** you run and jump between platforms, over gaps and enemies. Donkey Kong (1981) made jumping the heart of a game, and Super Mario Bros. (1985) turned it into a long adventure. Try [Super Mario Bros.](https://yesthisgame.com/super-mario-bros/). - **Shoot 'em up (shmup):** you fly a ship, usually from the bottom of the screen, and shoot waves of enemies. Space Invaders (1978) started it. Try [Galaga](https://yesthisgame.com/galaga/) or [River Raid](https://yesthisgame.com/river-raid/). - **Run and gun:** a platformer where you shoot as you run, often with a friend. Try [Contra](https://yesthisgame.com/contra/) or [Metal Slug](https://yesthisgame.com/metal-slug/). - **Beat 'em up:** you walk through a street or a castle and fight groups of enemies with fists and kicks. Double Dragon (1987) and Final Fight (1989) set the pattern. Try [Final Fight](https://yesthisgame.com/final-fight/); we ranked 13 of them in [the best beat 'em ups online](https://yesthisgame.com/blog/best-beat-em-up-games-online/). - **Fighting game:** two fighters, one screen, special moves typed in with joystick motions. Street Fighter II (1991) made the genre huge. Try [Street Fighter 2](https://yesthisgame.com/street-fighter-2/). - **Endless runner:** the character runs on its own and you only dodge; the run lasts until you crash. Canabalt (2009) and Temple Run (2011) made it a phone favourite. Try [Istanbul Tyre](https://yesthisgame.com/istanbul-tyre/) or [Temple Explorer Adventure](https://yesthisgame.com/temple-run/). - **Maze game:** you move through a maze, collect things and avoid chasers. Try [Ms. Pac-Man](https://yesthisgame.com/ms-pac-man/), or read [how the Pac-Man ghosts chase you](https://yesthisgame.com/blog/pac-man-ghost-behavior/). ## Puzzle games Games where thinking matters more than speed. - **Falling-block puzzle:** pieces drop from the top and you fit them together to clear lines. Tetris (1984) is the classic. Try [Tetris](https://yesthisgame.com/tetris/). - **Sorting puzzle:** you move items until each container holds one kind. Try [Water Sort Puzzle](https://yesthisgame.com/water-sort-puzzle/). - **Sliding-block puzzle:** you slide pieces around a board to free one of them. Try [Unblock Metro](https://yesthisgame.com/unblock-metro/). - **Logic and order puzzle:** the right moves in the wrong order fail. Try [Seat Jam 3D](https://yesthisgame.com/seat-jam-3d/). - **One-tap timing game:** one button, one moment to press it. Try [Coreball](https://yesthisgame.com/coreball/). ## Strategy and card games - **Roguelike:** every run is new and built from random pieces, and losing means starting again from the beginning. The name comes from Rogue (1980), a dungeon game played in text characters. A **roguelite** keeps something between runs, such as unlocked characters. - **Deck builder:** you start with a weak deck and improve it as you play. The tabletop game Dominion (2008) made it popular. Try [Lucky 21 Tower](https://yesthisgame.com/lucky-21-tower/), a roguelite deck builder built on the count to 21; we tested [whether a smaller deck is better](https://yesthisgame.com/blog/deck-building-tips/). - **Card and table games:** digital versions of games played with cards, chips or boards. Try [21 Blackjack](https://yesthisgame.com/21-blackjack/) with practice chips. - **Tank and arena battles:** top-down battles where you steer, aim and use cover. Try [Battle City](https://yesthisgame.com/battle-city/) or [Tank Battle Arena](https://yesthisgame.com/tank-battle-arena/). ## Racing, sports and simulation - **Racing:** beat the clock or the other cars. Drift games score how long you slide sideways. Try [Car Drift Racer 2024](https://yesthisgame.com/car-drift-racer-2024/) or the motocross classic [Excitebike](https://yesthisgame.com/excitebike/). - **Sports:** a real sport turned into a game, often with simple controls. Try [Track & Field](https://yesthisgame.com/track-and-field/) or [Street Hoop](https://yesthisgame.com/street-hoop/). - **Simulation:** copies a real job or machine as closely as it can. Try [Heavy Excavator Simulator](https://yesthisgame.com/heavy-excavator-simulator/). ## Creative and casual games - **Dress-up and design:** there is no losing; you make something you like. Try [Nail Art Studio](https://yesthisgame.com/nail-art-studio/), [Sweet Cake Shop](https://yesthisgame.com/sweet-cake-shop/) or [Avatar Maker](https://yesthisgame.com/avatar-maker/). - **Coloring:** fill pictures with color, or follow numbers. Try [Coloring Book](https://yesthisgame.com/coloring-book/). - **Swipe and slice:** quick casual games played by swiping across the screen. Try [Ninja Fruit Slice](https://yesthisgame.com/ninja-fruit-slice/). ## Genres you will hear about but rarely see in a browser - **Metroidvania:** one large connected map that opens up as you find new abilities. The name joins Metroid (1986) and Castlevania, after Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) used the same idea. - **Battle royale:** many players drop onto one map and the last one standing wins. The name comes from the Japanese film Battle Royale (2000). - **MOBA:** multiplayer online battle arena, two teams of heroes pushing down lanes. It grew out of Defense of the Ancients, a fan-made map for Warcraft III. - **Idle or incremental game:** numbers keep going up even when you are not playing. Cookie Clicker (2013) is the best known. ## How to find the genre you like - **Like quick reactions?** Start with shoot 'em ups and endless runners: rounds last minutes. - **Like to think at your own pace?** Puzzle games and deck builders do not rush you. - **Playing with someone else on one keyboard?** Beat 'em ups and run and guns were made for two. - **Want something calm?** Design and coloring games have no timer and no game over. Every game linked above is free in your browser on Yes This Game, with nothing to download. Our genre pages group them the same way, starting with [Puzzle Games](https://yesthisgame.com/category/puzzles/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What are the main video game genres? Action (platformers, shoot 'em ups, beat 'em ups, fighting, endless runners), puzzle, strategy and card games, racing, sports, simulation, and creative or casual games. Many games mix two or more. ### What does roguelike mean? A game where each run is built from random pieces and losing sends you back to the start. The name comes from Rogue, a 1980 dungeon game. A roguelite keeps some progress between runs. ### What is a metroidvania? A game set on one large connected map that opens up as you gain new abilities. The name joins Metroid and Castlevania. ### What is the difference between a beat 'em up and a fighting game? In a beat 'em up you walk through levels fighting many enemies at once. In a fighting game two fighters face each other one on one, usually with special moves. ### What is a shoot 'em up? A game where you control a ship or character and shoot waves of enemies, often from the bottom of the screen. Space Invaders (1978) and Galaga (1981) are classics. ### What genre is Tetris? A falling-block puzzle game: pieces fall and you fit them together to clear lines. ## Games in this guide - [Super Mario Bros.](https://yesthisgame.com/super-mario-bros.md): Play the original Super Mario Bros. online free: run and jump through 8 worlds and 32 levels of the 1985 NES classic. Cheats for Fire Mario and stars. - [Galaga](https://yesthisgame.com/galaga.md): Play Galaga online free: shoot the alien swarm, rescue your captured fighter for double fire and ace the challenging stages. Cheats for lives. - [Final Fight](https://yesthisgame.com/final-fight.md): Play Final Fight online free: fight through Metro City as Haggar, Cody or Guy to rescue Jessica in the 1989 Capcom arcade game. Cheats for lives. - [Lucky 21 Tower](https://yesthisgame.com/lucky-21-tower.md): Play Lucky 21 Tower free: draw cards, get close to the magic number and strike. Climb 30 floors in three worlds, build your deck, unlock six heroes. - [Water Sort Puzzle](https://yesthisgame.com/water-sort-puzzle.md): Play Water Sort Puzzle free online. Pour colored water between the tubes until each one holds a single color. No download, works on phone and PC. - [Istanbul Tyre](https://yesthisgame.com/istanbul-tyre.md): Play Istanbul Tyre free: a runaway tyre rolls through traffic across the Bosphorus Bridge. Ride slipstreams, bounce off roofs and roll farther.