Video Game Genres Explained: 26 Types, Where the Names Come From, and One to Try

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..
• 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 or River Raid.
• Run and gun: a platformer where you shoot as you run, often with a friend. Try Contra or 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; we ranked 13 of them in the best beat ’em ups 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.
• 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 or Temple Explorer Adventure.
• Maze game: you move through a maze, collect things and avoid chasers. Try Ms. Pac-Man, or read how the Pac-Man ghosts chase you.

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.
• Sorting puzzle: you move items until each container holds one kind. Try Water Sort Puzzle.
• Sliding-block puzzle: you slide pieces around a board to free one of them. Try Unblock Metro.
• Logic and order puzzle: the right moves in the wrong order fail. Try Seat Jam 3D.
• One-tap timing game: one button, one moment to press it. Try 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, a roguelite deck builder built on the count to 21; we tested whether a smaller deck is better.
• Card and table games: digital versions of games played with cards, chips or boards. Try 21 Blackjack with practice chips.
• Tank and arena battles: top-down battles where you steer, aim and use cover. Try Battle City or 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 or the motocross classic Excitebike.
• Sports: a real sport turned into a game, often with simple controls. Try Track & Field or Street Hoop.
• Simulation: copies a real job or machine as closely as it can. Try Heavy Excavator Simulator.

Creative and casual games

• Dress-up and design: there is no losing; you make something you like. Try Nail Art Studio, Sweet Cake Shop or Avatar Maker.
• Coloring: fill pictures with color, or follow numbers. Try Coloring Book.
• Swipe and slice: quick casual games played by swiping across the screen. Try 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.