Games based on activities adapted from other mediums eg sports, table top games, board games etc

Games player is the main character; set in a world mad up of multiple connected rooms or screens; complex objective; settings often historical or thematic eg Sci Fi

Today the most popular RPG-like games; the player is in control of a character in real-time, who interacts with the environment and opponents directly; game play combines elements of Adventure Games and CRPGs with combat or puzzle-solving bring the principal game activities.

Game involves the growth and/or maintenance of digital creatures; creatures can die without proper care by player

Pong was the first; The player controls a paddle or ship which they must manoeuvre to bounce a ball around the play area; lives are lost when the ball leaves the play area.

Adaptation of existing board game; includes classic games eg chess, checkers; excludes paper-pencil or card games

Primary objective is capturing of objects or characters that try to evade the player

Primary objective is to collect objects that don’t move or the surrounding areas; Not used very often today as its genre was more popular in the early days of computer games; no aspect of the game play focuses around jumping between platforms or shooting.

Aims to teach the user a skill eg maths, typing

Main objective involves escaping pursuers or getting out of some sort of enclosure; excludes games where the player battles the opponent

Characters usually fight hand-to-hand in one-to-one combat situations; excludes games that use firearms or weapons

Players balance the use of limited resources to build or expand some kind of empire or community

Massively multiplayer online role playing games; designed to be played online; interact with other players

Game play is identical to ordinary pinball

Primary objective requires movement through a series of levels by way of running, climbing, jumping; side view perspective

Game involves finding a solution; solving enigmas; navigating or manipulating objects

Game play involves winning a race or covering more ground than an opponent; opponent may be the computer; difficulty is maintained by the use of obstacles or by making the courses more convoluted.

Simple interface; 4 directional movement is common; one basic command; Pong and PacMan examples

Games where players keep time with a musical rhythm; use various controllers or keys

Player creates or takes on a character represented by various statistics; specifics may include gender, race, species and occupation; may include various abilities; game play or game mechanics draws from table top RPGs in which the characters progress by accumulating experience points or a percentile based skills system: much of the game play focuses around combat, often involving a party of characters controlled by the player; Combat is generally turn-based; Dungeons (referring to any enclosed area which can be explored, and within which the player encounters traps and monsters/opponents) are an integral part of the game play.

Game play revolves around shooting certain things (targets, opponents) ; the player can generally die and may have either a life bar or a number of lives (or both)

Shoot ‘em up; Shooters rendered in first person 3D; a;so known as ‘ego shooters’; places player behind weapon or gun; fast paced shooting on a large scrolling map or playing field

Shoot ‘em up; Perspective just behind the player; fast paced shooting on a large scrolling map or playing field

Game play simulates a specific activity eg flying

Game emulates playing of a traditional sport eg football, cricket, soccer

Game focuses on careful planning; skilful resource management; the player is in charge of multiple units (or a single unit with multiple capabilities) which they must use to defeat the opposition. Game play is turn based, and the player must make decisions as to how use their units on a turn-by-turn basis.

Game focuses on fear; attempts to scare the player; may involve blood, gore, death, gore, atmospherics etc