The list of video game genres looks completely different today than it did 20 or even 10 years ago, as many early concepts have either become obsolete or improved upon to such an extent that the original ideas are barely recognizable. Some of the bigger genres, like RPGs and shooters, have remained mostly the same, giving players a similar feel now as they have for quite some time, just with a few gameplay tweaks and graphical improvements that make the whole experience feel a bit more polished. But as more developers enter the space and more crazy ideas are attempted, it seems like every year a new genre craze pops up and takes over the gaming world in completely unexpected ways.
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One of the best examples of this is soulslikes, which is a term that literally didn't exist until FromSoftware decided to introduce players to a world of challenge and pain. Since then, it is pretty hard to talk about gaming without bringing up Elden Ring or the myriad of other exceptional games that just simply wouldn't exist without the risks taken that led to the creation of a whole new genre. But that isn't the only example out there, as just in the last few years, there have been several new classifications made to describe a certain kind of game that is fundamentally distinct from other previous terms. These iterative ideas often come from existing genres, only with a slight twist, while others combine several things at once to create a super interesting experience that takes the core concepts of one group of games and fuses them with another that no one would have ever expected to work.
Extraction Shooters
In And Out With Whatever Loot You Can Find
Details:
- Pioneered by Tarkov, but seen briefly in The Division
- Now a staple in the shooter space
The tactical shooter space is anything but new, having titles that go back all the way to the early days that continue to see sequels and revivals all these years later. A lot of the games in the genre focus on slow, methodical gameplay that requires a lot more game sense and knowledge rather than just raw aim, and over time, the emphasis shifted away from fast-paced action to this more tense style of shooting. But as more games tried their hand at this approach, it was clear a new genre was on the cusp of coming into existence, and it wasn't The Division that players first got to experience the early concept of what would later become an extraction shooter. In the Dark Zone, players could enter alone or with a group of friends and hunt out valuable loot locations, while fighting off other players who were all just as hungry for a prize, and hopefully, make it out alive.
This idea of in-and-out gameplay was pretty new and unique, and it is where the DNA of the genre was first starting to take shape. A few years later, Tarkov exploded onto the scene, blending realistic gunplay with tense extraction gameplay that demanded so much of the player from a mental perspective as well as a mechanical one. Since then, the floodgates have been thrown open, as many more games have attempted to create a similar loop of looting in a variety of different settings. Some went down the military route, like Delta Force and its take on the genre, while others went the complete opposite direction, like Hunt: Showdown, bringing a horror element to an otherwise fairly grounded space. The genre is bigger than ever, with breakout hit ARC Raiders setting a new high and bringing in so many new players that would have otherwise never even tried an extraction shooter to begin with.
Co-op Horror
Blending Scares And Laughs Into One
Details:
- Fast loops and easy mechanics
- Cooperative gameplay with very low barriers
Horror is a genre that has been around for almost 40 years at this point, and in that time, the games have gone from pretty basic point-and-click adventures to terrifying journeys into the unknown. There has been a huge amount of innovation in the space, driven both by graphical improvements and experimental design philosophies, but one of the more interesting aspects is the idea of a cooperative horror experience. Scary co-op games as a concept aren't exactly new, as even 20 years ago, players could enjoy a chilling tale with a friend and have just as much fun, but the 2020s have made way for a whole different kind of game that focuses more on combining comedy and emergent moments with the horror, rather than just outright terrifying the players.
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Games like R.E.P.O. And Lethal Company have completely changed how people see the world of horror, as, rather than being an immersive single-player thrill ride, players can instead jump into a quick game and have just as many laughs as scares. One of the biggest reasons for this blend working so well is proximity chat, as there are few funnier things than hearing a friend screaming from a mile away and slowly listening as their microphone fades into the distance. Also, the early days of the sub-genre were fairly limited, letting just two players go through a fixed narrative together, but now, it is pretty common to see lobbies of 6+ people, all running around panicking and generally having a great time.
Autobattlers
No Inputs Needed At All
Details:
- Team compositions replace mechanical skill
- IP spinoffs from popular titles
Not every game has to have insanely high mechanical demands of the player, and in a lot of cases, there is a bigger focus on tactics and strategy over raw skill. RTS games have been extremely popular for decades, giving players a chance to engage in large-scale conflicts and plan out attacks, without ever having to actually fire a bullet themselves, making them much more accessible for those who prefer a more laid-back experience. Over time, as more games entered the space, the communities began to experiment and try new things, but it wasn't until Warcraft 3, with the Legion TD custom map, that players would get to witness the first iteration of what would become the auto-battler genre.
The basic concept has players spending resources to deploy units each round, both to defend themselves and attack the enemy, and after nearly a decade of this concept existing, the first mainstream auto-battlers would finally come into existence. The first big name was DOTA Auto Chess, another community-driven project that would later be adapted into a full release, which was then followed by TFT and Hearthstone Battlegrounds, all of which used existing characters and concepts, only in an entirely different style of game. In the years since, several other games have entered the space, like Super Auto Pets, and the genre remains a fun tactical alternative for players who enjoy certain IPs but prefer the slightly more casual feel.
Roguelike Deck-builders
Finding More Insane Combos Every Time
Details:
- Satisfying mechanics and combinations
- Heavy emphasis on experimentation
Roguelikes and card games aren't exactly the new kids on the block in the gaming world, and in fact, they are among the longest-running genres in the entire industry. The former focuses on creating a compelling gameplay loop that players can enjoy over and over again, while the latter is more interested in giving players a lot of choice over how they engage with the game through different card combos and interactions. Despite both being incredibly popular genres, it wasn't until Slay the Spire that the two actually met up and became a mainstream phenomenon that has now taken over the gaming world.
Roguelike Vs Roguelite: What's the Difference?
Roguelikes and Roguelites are hugely popular genres, but what makes something a Roguelike instead of a Roguelite?
By combining a fast yet replayable loop with a strategic gameplay style, players could suddenly play through satisfying runs over and over again that brought a far more thought-based element that simply didn't exist in the genre before. Despite being fairly simple on the surface, there have been so many interesting takes that all do something completely different, while still remaining within the same card-based space. Inscryption, for example, feels more like an escape room than an actual game at times, fusing puzzles into the roguelike loop in intriguing ways, while Balatro takes the basic concept of poker hands and turns them into a mathematical mess of modifiers and multipliers that feels even more addictive than the gambling games it is based on. The genre is now one of the most popular out there, and it is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Bullet Heaven/Survivor-Like
Fighting Off Wave After Wave
Details:
- Altered version of bullet-hell
- Gradual progression through weapon/item upgrades
Bullet-hells are an incredibly early video game genre that can be traced all the way back to the days of single-color systems. The idea of avoiding wave after wave of attacks from a central point was incredibly compelling, and despite being innovated on into the 3D world, the core concept has remained the same, pretty much since the start. But in 2019, a game called Magic Survival decided to flip the idea on its head, replacing the bullets with enemies and having the player fight their way through hordes rather than avoiding constant barrages. That initial release didn't gain much traction, but it did serve as the main inspiration for Vampire Survivors, which would then go on to usher in countless new titles in this new style of shoot 'em up game.
20 Minutes Till Dawn, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, Brotato, the list goes on, each carrying the same progression ideas and gameplay philosophies that made the initial breakout so addicting. Interestingly, though, the genre is following a very similar trajectory as its predecessor, as games like Megabonk have shown that the concept can work pretty damn well in a three-dimensional environment. It might not be the most groundbreaking new field in the industry, but it is the perfect example of the iterative nature of gaming, where a single good idea can quickly turn into a craze that countless players flock to and adore for years to come.
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