Computer and video games are generally categorized into genres. Due to a general lack of commonly agreed-upon genres or criteria for the definition of genres, classification of games are not always consistent or systematic and sometimes outright arbitrary between sources. Within game studies there is a lack of consensus in reaching accepted formal definitions for game genres, some being more popular than others. For example, some schemas are largely semiotic, while others rely more strongly on configurative patterns of interface and mechanics. It has been suggested that Multiplayer Video Games be merged into this article or section. ... Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Semiotics, or semiology, is the study of signs and symbols, both individually and grouped in sign systems. ...

Following is a listing of commonly used computer and video game genres with brief descriptions and examples of each. This list is by no means complete or comprehensive. As with nearly all varieties of genre classification, the matter of any individual computer or video game's specific genre is open to personal interpretation. For an alternative arrangement of super- and sub-categories see the List of computer and video games by genre article. It has been suggested that Multiplayer Video Games be merged into this article or section. ... . ...

Many of these categories overlap due to the subjective nature of many genres. For example, the Legend of Zelda series has elements of action, adventure and role-playing. This overlapping is further pronounced as more games are being produced and styled as hybrids, blending elements characteristic to one or more popular genres (for example, action-RPGs like Diablo, Vagrant Story, and Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance). Sometimes themes can determine a genre. There are Christian-based video games which can be in most any genre, but have Christian themes. Also, there are Active games which can also be in any genre, but encourage players being physically active in the gameplay. The Legend of Zelda series (ゼルダの伝説 シリーズ; often shortened to just Zelda series) is a series of action-adventure video games created by Nintendo and industry legend Shigeru Miyamoto beginning in 1986. ... Adventure is a genre of video game typified by exploration, puzzle-solving, interaction with game characters, and a focus on narrative rather than reflex-based challenges. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Diablo is a best-selling hack and slash action role-playing game developed by Blizzard North and released by Blizzard Entertainment on January 2, 1997. ... Vagrant Story ) is a unique action RPG released for the PlayStation in 2000. ... The first Christian video games were made in the late 80s for the Nintendo Entertainment System by Wisdom Tree and now are made by many different developers. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as Christ. ... An active game is a computer/video game that allows the player to actively be involved with the game, not by mearly pressing buttons with their thumbs. ...

Major genres

Action

Action games are perhaps the most basic of gaming genres, and certainly one of the broadest. Action games are characterized by gameplay with emphasis on actions that the player must perform reflexively, in realtime. Fighting and first-person shooters both fall into this category.

Action-adventure

Action-adventure games focus on exploration, and usually involve item gathering, simple puzzle solving, and combat. Action-adventure games (British English: arcade adventure) are video games that combine elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. ...

The first action-adventure game was the Atari 2600 game Adventure (1978). It was directly inspired by the original text adventure, Colossal Cave Adventure, but in adapting a text game to a console with only a joystick for control, designer Warren Robinett created a new genre. The Atari 2600, released in October, 1977, was the first successful video game console to use plug-in cartridges instead of having one or more games built in. ... This article is about a video game for the Atari 2600 video game console. ... Zork, an early work of interactive fiction, running on a modern interpreter Interactive fiction, often abbreviated as IF, is a simulated environment in which players use text commands to control characters. ... Colossal Cave Adventure (also known as ADVENT, Colossal Cave, or Adventure) (Crowther & Woods, 1976) was the first computer adventure game. ... Warren Robinett is a designer of interactive computer graphics software, notable as the developer of Adventure, the first graphical adventure video game, and as the founder of The Learning Company, where he designed Rockys Boots. ...

Because of their prevalence on video game consoles (and the absence of typical adventure games), action-adventure games are often confusingly called "adventure games" by console gamers. The Nintendo GameCube is an example of a popular video game console. ... This is an article about a game company. ...

Two of the most notable series of action-adventures are the Legend of Zelda series and the Grand Theft Auto series. The Legend of Zelda series (ゼルダの伝説 シリーズ; often shortened to just Zelda series) is a series of action-adventure video games created by Nintendo and industry legend Shigeru Miyamoto beginning in 1986. ... The original Grand Theft Auto, PC Version Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is a video game created by DMA Design (now Rockstar North) and published by ASC Games in 1997. ...

First-person shooter

Half-Life, a first-person shooter video game

First-person shooter video games, commonly known as FPSs, emphasize shooting and combat from a first-person perspective of the character they are controlling. This perspective is meant to give the player the feeling of "being there", and allows the player to focus on aiming. Most FPSs are very fast-paced and require quick reflexes on high difficulty levels. Half Life (ingame) This work is copyrighted. ... Half Life (ingame) This work is copyrighted. ... Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The fast-paced and 3D elements required to create an effective looking FPS made the genre technologically unattainable for most consumer hardware systems until the early 1990s. Wolfenstein 3D was the first widely known FPS, and Doom was the first major breakthrough in graphics; it used a number of clever techniques to make the game run fast enough to play on consumer-grade machines. Wolfenstein 3D (commonly abbreviated to Wolf 3D) is the computer game that started the first person shooter genre on the PC. It was created by id Software and published by Apogee Software on May 5, 1992. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is among the landmark titles in the first-person shooter genre. ...

Since the release of Doom, most FPS games now have a multi-player feature to allow competition between multiple players. To ensure decent performance, it is common for the games to limit the number of players at between 8-64 players in the same game. A notable exception is World War II Online, which was the first game to bring fast paced first-person shooter action to MMOG framework, allowing thousands of players to simultaneously play in the same world. Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is among the landmark titles in the first-person shooter genre. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Notable FPS series include Half-Life, Doom, Unreal, Quake, Far Cry, Counter-Strike, Halo, Medal of Honor, Call of Duty and Battlefield. Half-Life For a quantity subject to exponential decay, the half-life is the time required for the quantity to fall to half of its initial value. ... This article refers to the video game Unreal. ... The Quake series is a line of first person shooter computer and video games produced by id Software. ... Far Cry is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Crytek Studios and published by Ubisoft on March 23, 2004. ... Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ... Master Chief emerges from smoke and rubble that litters an African plain in Halo 3. ... Medal of Honor (MOH) is the name of a series of first-person shooter games set in World War II. The first game was developed by DreamWorks Interactive (currently known as EA Los Angeles) and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for the PlayStation game console. ... CoD redirects here. ... Battlefield may refer to: the location of a battle, the Battlefield televised documentary series, shown on the Discovery Channel, which explores battles of World War 2, the Battlefield Vietnam televised documentary series, shown on the Military Channel, which gives detail explanations of Vietnam War, (1945-1975), battles. ...

Fighting

Versus fighting

Street Fighter II, a one-on-one fighting game

Versus Fighting games (also known as beat 'em ups, particularly in the UK) emphasize one-on-one combat between two characters, one of whom may be computer controlled. These games usually focus on martial arts and other forms of unarmed combat. Many of the movements employed by the fighters are usually dramatic and occasionally physically impossible. Less regularly the characters engaged in combat may also employ handheld weapons such as swords and/or ranged attacks such as chi-based energy blasts. Image File history File links Street_Fighter_2. ... Image File history File links Street_Fighter_2. ... Screenshot of Street Fighter (arcade version). ... Screenshot of Kung Fu Master (1984, Irem). ... Combate Naval de Iquique - oil on canvas painting by Thomas Somerscales, XIX century Combat, or fighting, is purposeful violent conflict between one or more persons or organizations, often intended to establish dominance over the opposition. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... A mêlée weapon is any weapon that does not involve a projectile--that is, both the user and target of the weapon are in contact with it simultaneously in normal use. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... QI, standing for Quite Interesting, is a comedy panel game television show hosted by Stephen Fry and shown on BBC Two and BBC Four. ...

This genre arose in the mid-1980s and became a phenomenon, particularly in the arcades, with the release of Street Fighter II. The genre is still popular today, although it has failed to see the extreme popularity it once did. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) was a highly popular fighting game created by Capcom. ...

Notable series of games include Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros., King of Fighters, Soul Edge and Soul Calibur, Tekken, and Virtua Fighter. Mortal Kombat has multiple meanings. ... Screenshot of Street Fighter (arcade version). ... Super Smash Bros. ... The King of Fighters ), or KOF for short, is a fighting game series by SNK that debuted in 1994. ... Soul Edge (Soul Blade in Europe, North America and Australia) is the first installment in the Soul series of fighting games. ... Soul Calibur is the second game in the Soul series of fighting games developed and produced by Namco, consisting of Soul Edge (Soul Blade in the US), Soul Calibur, Soul Calibur II, and Soul Calibur III. Originally an arcade game, Soul Calibur was ported and released for the Sega Dreamcast... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Virtua Fighter is a 1993 fighting game developed by the Sega studio AM2, headed by Yu Suzuki. ...

Beat 'em up

Screenshot of Super Double Dragon in SNES

Scrolling beat 'em up (or brawler) games have an emphasis on one-on-many close quarters combat, beating large numbers of computer-controlled enemies. The fighting style is usually simpler than for versus fighting games. This genre became popular in 1987 with the release of Double Dragon, leading to a large number of similar games. Gameplay in these side-scrolling beat 'em ups involves the player fighting through a series of increasingly difficult levels. Critics denounced this genre as being repetitive and boring. [1][2] In recent times, the genre has largely merged with that of action adventure, with side-scrolling levels giving way to more open three-dimensional areas, and the melee combat co-existing with shooting, puzzles and missions. Image File history File links Screenshot of Super Double Dragon (SNES). ... Image File history File links Screenshot of Super Double Dragon (SNES). ... Billy and Jimmy Lee, the protagonists of the Double Dragon series. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... An Iggy Pop album where his band first becomes known as the Trolls,Iggy Pop,Whitey Kirst,Pete Marshall,Alex Kirst,LloydMoosemanRoberts ... Combate Naval de Iquique - oil on canvas painting by Thomas Somerscales, XIX century Combat, or fighting, is purposeful violent conflict between one or more persons or organizations, often intended to establish dominance over the opposition. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Billy and Jimmy Lee, the protagonists of the Double Dragon series. ... ...

Notable beat 'em up game series include classic Double Dragon, Battle Toads, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, and modern Dynasty Warriors, Viewtiful Joe, The Warriors and Samurai Warriors. Billy and Jimmy Lee, the protagonists of the Double Dragon series. ... Battletoads (バトルトード) is a video game franchise. ... Streets of Rage is a side-scrolling beatem up video game released by Sega in 1991. ... Golden Axe is a side-scrolling arcade fighting game released in 1989 by Sega. ... The Logo of Shin Sangoku Musou 4 (Dynasty Warriors 5) Dynasty Warriors ( 真・三國無双:Shin Sangokumusou in Japan and 真•三国无双: Zhen Sanguo Wushuang in China; literally meaning True Three Kingdoms Unrivaled) is a series of video games created by Koei based loosely around the Romance of the Three Kingdoms epic, and is a... Viewtiful Joe is a video game developed by Capcoms Capcom Production Studio 4 design team Team Viewtiful. The other games in the series, including the PS2 port of the first game, have been made by Clover Studio. ... The Warriors is a 1979 film directed by Walter Hill based on the 1965 novel by Sol Yurick. ... Samurai Warriors 2 (Sengoku Musou 2) PS2 Japanese game cover. ...

Role-playing

Neverwinter Nights a popular computer role-playing game

Fallout, one of the most highly acclaimed Western RPGs

Computer role-playing games (CRPGs or simply RPGs) often place the player in a fantasy or science fiction setting and drive the gameplay via a prominent storyline. Most of these games have the player acting in the role of a specific type of "adventurer" who specializes in a certain set of skills (such as combat, or casting magic spells). These various types of adventurer are called "classes" and players can normally control one or more of these characters. Description: The Elven warrior/rogue Tindra Cysvarianien is in a desperate showdown with Morag, the Queen of the Old Ones, in her majestys Inner Sanctum. ... Description: The Elven warrior/rogue Tindra Cysvarianien is in a desperate showdown with Morag, the Queen of the Old Ones, in her majestys Inner Sanctum. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File links Fallout_01. ... Image File history File links Fallout_01. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Magic/magick and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical or paranormal means. ... A character class represents a characters archetype and career in some role-playing games (RPGs). ...

Most of these games are similar to traditional role-playing games played with pencil and paper (notably D&D) except, in this case, the computer takes care of all the record keeping and nondeterministic elements such as dice rolling. Since the emergence of affordable home computers coincided with the popularity of pencil and paper role-playing games, this genre was one of the first in video games and continues to be popular today. Gameplay elements strongly associated with RPGs, such as statistical character development, have been widely adapted to other video game genres. A role-playing game (RPG, often roleplaying game) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create or follow stories. ... A selection of colored pencils. ... Piece of A4 paper Paper is a thin material produced by the amalgamation of plant fibres, which are subsequently held together without extra binder, largely by hydrogen bonds and to a large degree by fiber entanglement. ... The original Dungeons & Dragons set Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) published by Gary Gygax and David Arneson in January 1974. ... Typical role-playing dice, showing a variety of colors and styles. ... TRS-80 Color Computer II The home computer is a consumer-friendly word for the second generation of microcomputers (the technical term that was previously used), entering the market in 1977 and becoming common during the 1980s. ...

Though nearly all of the early entries in the genre were turn-based games, modern CRPGs have introduced a real-time aspect. Thus, the CRPG genre has followed the strategy game's trend of moving from turn-based to real-time combat. The Battle for Wesnoth turn-based strategy, released under the GPL. A turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy, is a game where the game flow is partitioned in well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. ... It has been suggested that Game of strategy be merged into this article or section. ...

Notable entries in the role-playing genre include Planescape: Torment and series like Baldur's Gate, The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Final Fantasy, Ultima, and Dragon Quest. Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing game (CRPG) that takes place in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Planescape setting. ... Title screen of Baldurs Gate, the first game in the series. ... Bethesda Softworks Elder Scrolls 10th anniversary logo from 2004. ... Fallout is a series of computer role-playing games produced and published by Interplay. ... Final Fantasy ) is a series of computer and console role-playing games produced by Square Enix (originally Square Co. ... It has been suggested that Mongbat (Ultima) be merged into this article or section. ... Dragon Quest ), known as Dragon Warrior in North America until the 2005 release of Dragon Quest VIII, is a series of role playing games created by Enix (now known as Square Enix). ...

These frequently separate into two distinct styles: those where your character is completely of your own creation (as in Neverwinter Nights), and those where you take control of an existing character, defining only limited aspects of a character (like in Final Fantasy). These styles are sometimes referred to as Western and Japanese Role-Playing Games respectively, although there are numerous exceptions to these descriptors.
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Final Fantasy ) is a series of computer and console role-playing games produced by Square Enix (originally Square Co. ... Look up West in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Massively-multiplayer online games are virtual worlds in which potentially thousands of players may interact together over the Internet. Most of these games are subscription-based, but recently some MMOs have allowed for players to purchase the game one time and play online with no monthly fees. MMORPGs emerged in the mid to late 1990s as a commercial, graphical variant of text-based MUDs, which had existed since around 1979. The massively multiplayer concept was quickly combined with other genres. A massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) is a type of computer game that enables hundreds or thousands of players to simultaneously interact in a game world they are connected to via the Internet. ... A virtual world is a computer-simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Some mud. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

• Fantasy MMORPGs are the most popular type of MMOG. Ultima Online, EverQuest, Final Fantasy XI, Lineage, World of Warcraft, RuneScape, City of Heroes and MapleStory are some of the more popular MMORPGs. Though other types of MMO are appearing, this category still remains by far the most popular.
• Sci-fi MMORPGs hold a smaller part of the MMO Market. One of the first examples of this type of MMOG is Anarchy Online. Many other Sci-fi MMORPGs have launched with the popular space sci-fi game EVE Online being the most notable.
• MMOFPSs are a category of computer games that combines first-person shooter gameplay with a large number of simultaneous players over the Internet. It is a category of massively multiplayer online games. World War 2 Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Battlefront and Gunz are a few notable games of this genre.

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Released on September 25, 1997, by Origin Systems, Ultima Online (UO) is a popular graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today. ... EverQuest (EQ) is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was released on March 16, 1999. ... Final Fantasy XI ), also known as Final Fantasy Online, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in Square Enixs Final Fantasy series. ... Lineage (Korean: 리니지) is a medieval fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 1998 by the South Korean computer game developer NCsoft. ... World of Warcraft (commonly abbreviated to WoW) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment. ... RuneScape is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by British developer Jagex Limited, programmed in Java. ... City of Heroes (CoH) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing computer game based on the superhero comic book genre, developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCSoft. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Anarchy Online (AO) is a science fiction MMORPG released in June 2001 by Funcom. ... EVE Online is a persistent world multiplayer online game set in space. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... World of Warcraft, a very well known MMORPG A Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG or MMO) is a computer game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously, and is played on the Internet. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... PlanetSide is a Massively multiplayer online first-person shooter computer game published by Sony Online Entertainment and released on May 19, 2003. ... Star Wars: Battlefront is a first-person shooter/third-person shooter (interchangeable) video game based around battles featured in the Star Wars movies. ... GunZ is a Multiplayer Online Shooting/Role Playing Game (MOSRPG) created by Korean-based MAIET Entertainment. ...

Platform game

Title screen of Super Mario World, a platform game

Platform games, also called platformers, are games in which downward gravity restricts the player to travelling on horizontal surfaces, which are referred to as platforms. Title screen This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Title screen This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Super Mario World )(commonly abbreviated SMW) is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. ... Platform game, or platformer, is a video game genre characterized by jumping to and from suspended platforms. ...

This is one of the earliest genres of computer games, being arguably the most prominent and popular during its time. While the genre declined with the increasing popularity of 3D graphics, it is still well-supported and continues to garner huge new games, such as those of the Mario, Metroid, and Mega Man series. Traditionally, platform games were 2D, viewing the environment from a side-on, 'cutaway' perspective. This could be done easily with sprites and was simple for early computers to handle. 3D computer graphics have removed the necessity for this restricted view, and can create platform worlds in full 3D. However, this loses the simplicity of control and gameplay of the 2D games. Nonetheless, 3D platformers are not uncommon. Also, while it may not always be the case, the so called 2.5D games are essentially platform games, with 3D rendered graphics but 2D platforming/side-scrolling gameplay. Mario ) is a video game character created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and is the official mascot of Nintendo. ... Box art of the first Metroid game The Metroid ) games are a series of video games produced by Nintendo. ... An illustration featuring several Mega Man characters from three incarnations of the series (the original series, X and Legends). ... 2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models (such as 2D geometric models, text, and digital images) and by techniques specific to them. ... In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. ... A 3D rendering with raytracing and ambient occlusion using Blender and Yafray 3D computer graphics are works of graphic art that were created with the aid of digital computers and specialized 3D software. ...

Traditional elements of platform games include running, jumping, and climbing ladders and ledges. Fighting and shooting are also frequent elements.

Notable platform games and series include Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man series, Donkey Kong, Contra, Lode Runner, Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot and the Prince of Persia series.
Super Mario Bros. ... Box art of the first Metroid game The Metroid ) games are a series of video games produced by Nintendo. ... The Sonic the Hedgehog series is a franchise of video games released by Sega starring their mascot character Sonic the Hedgehog. ... An illustration featuring several Mega Man characters from three incarnations of the series (the original series, X and Legends). ... Donkey Kong is a video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, featuring a gorilla called Donkey Kong. ... Contra, NES version 1988 The Contra series (é­‚æ–—ç¾… in Japanese) is a well-known line of run and gun shoot em up games created by Konami from 1987 through 2004. ... Lode Runner is a 1983 computer game. ... Spyro the Dragon is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation. ... // Crash Bandicoot is a popular series of video games. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Simulation Games

Simulation games aim to simulate an experience, such as flying an aircraft, as realistically as practically possible, taking into account physics and other real-world limitations. Some require a great deal of reading before the game can even be attempted, while others include a simple tutorial. A simulation game, or sim game, (also known as a game of status or mixed game) is a game that contains a mixture of skill, a chance and strategy to simulate an aspect of reality, such as a stock exchange. ... An Airbus A380, currently the worlds largest airliner An aircraft is any vehicle or craft capable of atmospheric flight. ... Physics (from the Greek, (phúsis), nature and (phusiké), knowledge of nature) is the science concerned with the discovery and understanding of the fundamental laws which govern matter, energy, space and time. ...

Simulators

Simulators are often closely connected with serious simulators, and some of them find use in actual training for military or civil purposes.

Flight

Falcon 4.0 is a prime example of a combat flight simulator.

Combat flight simulators are the most popular subgenre of simulation. Falcon 4.0 and IL-2 Sturmovik are examples of the genre. Image File history File links Falcon 4 in-game screenshot This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... Image File history File links Falcon 4 in-game screenshot This is a screenshot of a copyrighted computer game or video game. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Falcon 4. ... Il-2 Sturmovik: an external view of a Bf-109 in the Crimea map IL-2 Sturmovik is the name of a combat flight simulation video game, focused on the air battles of the Eastern Front during World War II. It is named for the Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 ground...

There are also civilian flight simulators, Microsoft Flight Simulator and X-Plane being the most popular examples.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a flight simulator program for Microsoft Windows, marketed and often seen as a video game. ... X-Plane is a flight simulator for personal computers produced by Laminar Research. ...

Military

There are simulation games built around different warfare, or covering a wide range of types. For example, a well-known example of tank simulator is Abrams. Ships and submarines simulators like Silent Hunter are among the less popular.^{[citation needed]} Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis is a general combat simulator, including simulation of just an infantry soldier along with tanks, aircraft and boats. Its improved version, VBS1, is used for actual military training. Abrams is a city in the state of Wisconsin in the United States of America. ... A World War II submarine combat simulation for DOS, developed by Aeon Electronic Entertainment and published by Strategic Simulations in 1996. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Space

Space Shuttle Atlantis lifting off in the Orbiter spaceflight simulator

Space Combat Sims are a subgenre on border with action or strategy games. Examples include Star Wars: X-Wing, Descent: FreeSpace, Independence War, Wing Commander, Freelancer, X: Beyond the Frontier and Homeworld. Space simulators are different from other subgenres, and are not generally considered to be simulators, as their simulated objects do not always exist and often disregard the laws of physics. However, simulators of real spacecraft do exist: Orbiter is one example. Download high resolution version (900x720, 33 KB)Screenshot of a Space Shuttle lifting-off from cape canaveral in Orbiter. ... Download high resolution version (900x720, 33 KB)Screenshot of a Space Shuttle lifting-off from cape canaveral in Orbiter. ... Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of the space shuttle fleet belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ... Orbiter is a closed source freeware space flight simulator for the Windows operating system created by Dr Martin Schweiger, a computer scientist at University College London. ... To meet Wikipedias content policies, the external links section for this article may require cleanup. ... Descent: Freespace Screenshot Freespace 2 Screenshot Descent: FreeSpace is a space simulation computer game series developed by Volition Inc. ... For other uses of the abbreviation I-War, see I-War I-War (known as Independence War after the North American release) is a space simulation computer game developed by English development house Particle Systems Ltd. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Wing Commander game series. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Homeworld is a revolutionary real-time strategy (RTS) computer game released in 1999 developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment. ... Orbiter is a closed source freeware space flight simulator for the Windows operating system created by Dr Martin Schweiger, a computer scientist at University College London. ...

Train

Screenshot from Microsoft Train Simulator

Train simulators simulate the vehicles, environments and often economics associated with railway transport. These are frequently historical in nature, reminiscing on the evolution and emergence of the railroad in various countries, and the economic booms that often accompanied them. Examples of train simulators include Microsoft Train Simulator and Trainz.
Image File history File links This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Image File history File links This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... [[Image:Comp-bve-amoswolfe. ... Screenshot from Microsoft Train Simulator Microsoft Train Simulator is a train simulator for Microsoft Windows. ... Trainz, fully Trainz Railroad Simulator or (in Britain) Trainz Railway Simulator, is a 3D computer game and train simulator created by Australian games developer Auran. ...

God games

A popular subgenre of simulation games is god games, examples of which include the genre-setting Populous, the very popular The Sims (which generally simulates home-life and social interactions), SimAnt, and SimEarth. Unlike other genres of games, god games often do not have a set goal that allows a player to win the game. God games are generally large-scale strategic fantastic simulations, sometimes of entire worlds and populations, that cast you in the position of an entity with divine or supernatural powers. ... The Sims is a strategic life simulation computer game created by game designer Will Wright, published by Maxis, and distributed by Electronic Arts. ... SimAnt is a 1991 life simulation computer game by Maxis focusing on ants; it properly enters in the category of Ant Simulation Video Games. ... SimEarth: The Living Planet is a simulation computer game designed by Will Wright and published in 1990 by Maxis, in which the player controls the development of an entire planet. ...

Economic simulation games

Economic simulation games generally attempts to represent aspect or the entirety of an economy or business. Popular examples are Railroad Tycoon and Startopia. Typical view from Transport Tycoon. ... Screenshot from Railroad Tycoon Railroad Tycoon is an economic simulation and computer strategy game. ... Startopia is a computer game from Mucky Foot Productions (formed by ex-Bullfrog employees) and published by Eidos in 2001, in which the player takes the role of the administrator of various derelict space stations with the task of rebuilding them to their former states. ...

City-building games

Sample city from Children of the Nile

In city-building games, which is really a specialised sub-genre of economic simulation games, the player acts as overall planner or leader to meet the needs and wants of game characters by initiating structures for food, shelter, health, spiritual care, economic growth, etc. Success is achieved when the city budget makes a growing profit and citizens experience an upgraded lifestyle in housing, health, and goods. While military development is often included, the emphasis is on economic strength. Image File history File links 300 x 205 px Sample city built by characters in city building game Screen image saved by game owner for use in game article File links The following pages link to this file: Computer and video game genres Children of the Nile ... Image File history File links 300 x 205 px Sample city built by characters in city building game Screen image saved by game owner for use in game article File links The following pages link to this file: Computer and video game genres Children of the Nile ... Sample city built by characters in a city building game. ... City-Building usually refers to a type of computer strategy game, where players, from a point-of-view high in the sky, can build and manage an electronic city. ... Typical view from Transport Tycoon. ...

Perhaps the most known game of this type is SimCity, which is still popular and has had great influence on later city-building games. SimCity, however, also belongs to the God Games genre since it gives the player god-like abilities in manipulating the world.
SimCity is a simulation and city-building computer and video game first released in 1989 and designed by Will Wright. ...

Sports

NBA Jam, a sports game.

Sports games emulate the playing of traditional physical sports such as cricket, baseball, soccer, American football, boxing, golf, basketball, skateboarding, ice hockey, tennis, bowling, rugby, etc. Some emphasize actually playing the sport, while others emphasize the strategy behind the sport (such as Championship Manager). Others satirize the sport for comic effect (such as Arch Rivals). One of the best selling series in this genre is the Madden NFL series. Screenshot of NBA Jam by User:Tyan23. ... Screenshot of NBA Jam by User:Tyan23. ... NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game created by Midway in 1993. ... A sports game is a computer or video game that simulates the playing of traditional sports. ... For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... This article is about the sport. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... A skateboarder performing a frontside lipslide Skateboarding is the act of rolling on or interacting with a skateboard. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... A tennis net Tennis is a game played between either two players (singles) or two teams of two players (doubles). Players use a stringed racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponents court. ... Bowling ball and two pins Ten-pin bowling lane Bowling is a game in which players attempt to score points by rolling a ball along a flat surface to knock down objects called pins. ... Rugby football, often just referred to as rugby, refers to sports descended from a common form of football developed at Rugby School in England. ... Championship Manager is a series of British computer games, the first of which was released in 1992. ... Arch Rivals is a basketball arcade game created by Midway in 1989. ... Official cover for the Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 07, starring Shaun Alexander. ...

This genre emerged early in the history of video games and remains popular today.

Racing

Gran Turismo 2, a racing game on the PlayStation

Racing games typically place the player in the driver's seat of a high-performance vehicle and require the player to race against other drivers or sometimes just time. This genre of games is one of the staples of the computer gaming world and many of the earliest computer games created were part of this genre. Emerging in the late 1970s, this genre is still very popular today and continues to push the envelope in terms of graphics and performance. There are two main sub-genres within racing: arcade and simulation. Arcade racers tend to have exaggerated physics, fantastical settings and course layouts, and unrealistic damage handling. Simulation racers focus more on accurate handling and performance of real-world cars, many times allowing the player to simulate partaking in real-world racing events, such as the Indianapolis 500 or the Dakar Rally. Simulation racers tend to allow the player to alter the performance of the vehicles, from the looseness of the brakes to the gear ratio of the engines, but this has also been applied in a more arcade-style racing game Need For Speed: Underground. Screenshot of Gran Turismo 2 (PSX), made User:Tyan23. ... Screenshot of Gran Turismo 2 (PSX), made User:Tyan23. ... Gran Turismo is Italian for grand touring or grand tourisme. ... For other versions of PlayStation, please see PlayStation (disambiguation) The PlayStation ) is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid-1990s. ... A racing game is any game that involves competing in races through a surrogate playing piece or vehicle, either getting it from one point to another or completing a number of circuits in the shortest time. ... Indianapolis 500, 1994 An Indianapolis 500 racecar depicted on the Indiana state quarter The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, is an American automobile race, held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. ... A support truck during the 2004 Dakar The Dakar Rally (or simply The Dakar; formerly known as The Paris Dakar Rally) is an annual off-road race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. ... Need for Speed: Underground is a racing video game, developed and published by Electronic Arts in 2003. ...

A popular subgenre of the racing game is the kart racing game, which simplifies the vehicle handling and introduces various obstacles and other quirks to the racetrack. A kart racer takes a turn on an indoor track Kart racing (as the word is so spelled by enthusiasts) or karting is a variant of open-wheeler motor sport with simple, small four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. ...

Notable arcade style racing games include Out Run, Mario Kart, and the Project Gotham Racing series. Notable simulation style racing games include Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport.
Out Run (also spelled OutRun and Outrun) is a 1986 racing game designed by Yu Suzuki and Sega-AM2 for the video arcade market. ... A screenshot from Mario Kart DS Mario Kart is a series of Nintendo racing games that feature characters from the Mario Bros. ... Project Gotham Racing (PGR) is a racing game franchise developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Microsoft for the Xbox and Xbox 360 gaming consoles. ... Gran Turismo (GT) is a racing video game series developed by Polyphony Digital for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable gaming systems. ... {{| title = Forza Motorsport | image = | developer = Microsoft Game Studios | publisher = Microsoft | designer = | engine = | released = May 3, 2005 May 12, 2005 May 13, 2005 | genre = Racing | modes = Single player, multiplayer | ratings = ESRB: Everyone (E) | platforms = Xbox | media = | requirements = | input = }} Forza Motorsport is a racing simulator video game developed by Microsoft Game Studios...

Strategy

Screenshot of combat in StarCraft, a real-time strategy game.

Strategy games focus on careful planning and skillful resource management in order to achieve victory, and are therefore classified as "thinking games". These games may be turn-based or realtime, but there are some that mix the two types of play (such as X-Com). This genre has had a consistent following since the mid-1980s. Though a large portion of strategy games tend to be wargames, many are not based or focused on war. Common alternative foci are simulation and management of economic transactions, of building things, of managing large-scale affairs, etc. Screenshot from a game of Starcraft between tomsOn (Purple Zerg) and Joyo (Teal Terran), from a six_part series that Joyo goes on to win, despite his loss in this game: In this scene, the Zerg player lures the Terran player into attacking an expansion (a resource base in addition to... Screenshot from a game of Starcraft between tomsOn (Purple Zerg) and Joyo (Teal Terran), from a six_part series that Joyo goes on to win, despite his loss in this game: In this scene, the Zerg player lures the Terran player into attacking an expansion (a resource base in addition to... StarCraft is a real-time strategy computer game by Blizzard Entertainment. ... It has been suggested that Game of strategy be merged into this article or section. ... X-COM is a series of computer games, started by MicroProse in 1994. ... Wargaming is the play of simulated military operations in the form of games known as wargames. ...

Strategy wargames

Most strategy titles tend to be wargames and are either turn-based or real-time games. Real-time wargames are generally of real-time strategy (RTS) or real-time tactical (RTT) game types. Turn-based games were originally the more common form of strategy game: the computers of the time being too slow for real-time interaction. They go back to Star Trek games played on teletypes. Early home computers were soon adopted for wargames, and the genre expanded from there. The Battle for Wesnoth turn-based strategy, released under the GPL. A turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy, is a game where the game flow is partitioned in well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wargaming is the play of simulated military operations in the form of games known as wargames. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The real-time tactical (RTT) computer game genre is a derivation of the real-time strategy (RTS) genre. ... Netrek is a free to play open source software cross platform multiplayer hybrid multi-directional shooter and real time strategy game for up to 16 players. ... Wargaming is the play of simulated military operations in the form of games known as wargames. ...

Web based strategy games are a less popular variant where the player does not need any additional software installed at their computer because the games have web site interfaces. Such games often last for several months, before the round ends and the game restarts. Some of these games are extremely popular and have hundreds of thousands of players. Examples of web based strategy games are Planetarion, Dawn of Myth and Terra Incognita. Planetarion is a web browser based multiplayer war-game, set in space. ... Terra incognita is a term used in exploration for unknown territory that has not been mapped or documented. ...

Massively Multiplayer Online RTS (MMORTS) is an extremely small subdivision, but has proven to have great potential. Games of this sub-genre include Shattered Galaxy, Mankind and the recently scrapped in development Sovereign. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Mankind is a little-known MMORTS in which you try to stake out an empire starting with only a small ship. ...

A group of games of this category are known as 4x games (short for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate), though the denomination has not gained popular recognition as a genre, with notable examples such as Master of Orion, Galactic Civilizations and Sid Meier's Civilization. 4X refers to a genre of strategy game, usually a computer game, with four primary goals: explore, expand, exploit and exterminate. ... Master of Orion (MOO or MoO) is an interstellar turn-based computer strategy game that was released in 1993. ... Galactic Civilizations is a turn-based strategy computer game developed by Stardock and released in March 2003 for Windows—an earlier version was released for OS/2 in 1994. ... Civilization is a computer game created by Sid Meier for Microprose in 1991. ...

Real-time strategy and turn-based strategy games

Main articles at Real-time strategy, Turn-based strategy

The vast majority of strategy games could be called "strategic war games" as they have heavy focus on military combat. Of these one major subtype of titles is usually classified as real-time strategy games, the focus of which is generally on simplified and stylised military battle tactics (e.g. reconnaissance, flanking, massed rushes, etc.), while turn-based games are more focused on strategy (i.e. looking at war from the perspective of a general or even the leader of the nation). Both these distinctions tend to place great emphasis on logistical aspects of battle: resource and economic micro-management and base and unit production. There is a recent trend towards hybrid games that include components typically associated with turn-based and real-time strategy games. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Battle for Wesnoth, an example of a turn-based tactics game. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Military tactics (Greek: Taktikē, the art of organizing an army) is the collective name for methods of engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... The Battle for Wesnoth turn-based strategy, released under the GPL. A turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy, is a game where the game flow is partitioned in well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. ... A strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, as differentiated from tactics or immediate actions with resources at hand. ... A General is an officer of high military rank. ...

Examples of games in the real-time strategy genre include Warcraft, StarCraft, Command and Conquer, Age of Empires and Total Annihilation. Examples of turn-based games include Sid Meier's Civilization, the Heroes of Might and Magic series, and Shattered Union. Examples of hybrid games include Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends, Age of Empires III, and upcoming Sins of a Solar Empire. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is a real-time strategy computer game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 1994. ... StarCraft is a real-time strategy computer game by Blizzard Entertainment. ... Command & Conquer is a real-time strategy series of computer games released by the game developer Westwood Studios, now a part of Electronic Arts. ... This article is about the first game in a series. ... Total Annihilation aka TA, known internally as Really Cool Wargame during production, is a futuristic real-time strategy (RTS) videogame, created in 1997 by Chris Taylor and Cavedog Entertainment. ... The Battle for Wesnoth turn-based strategy, released under the GPL. A turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy, is a game where the game flow is partitioned in well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. ... Civilization is a computer game created by Sid Meier for Microprose in 1991. ... Heroes of Might and Magic II Heroes of Might and Magic (sometimes called simply Heroes or HoMM) is a series of turn-based computer games developed by New World Computing, a division of The 3DO Company. ... Shattered Union is a turn-based strategy video game about a second major American Civil War. ... Age of Empires III (AoE III) is the direct sequel to Age of Empires II and the third title [2] of the history-based real-time strategy Age of Empires series of computer games. ... The current version of the article or section reads like an advertisement. ...

Real-time tactical and turn-based tactical games

Main articles at Real-time tactics, Turn-based tactics

A different genre which focus on a set number of units, and do away with the resource gathering and unit production aspects of RTS games is real-time tactical, or RTT, games. Noteworthy examples are the fantasy Warhammer: Dark Omen game, one of the first purely RTT titles, th