Millions of people around the world enjoy massive mainstream game genres such as platforming, first-person shooting, and role-playing games. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but if you only try out the mainstream stuff everyone likes, you’ll miss out on creative and engrossing game genres that might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
Even if you’ve heard ofsomeof these genres, if you haven’t actually dipped your toe in you won’t really know what they’re like. So I’ll add a few suggested titles to give you a gentle introduction.
10Immersive Sims
This is possibly one of my all-time favorite game genres, but sadly it’s fallen out of mainstream favor in recent years with excellent games likePrey (2017)failing to set the sales charts on fire.
Immersive sims are all about putting you in a sandbox with numerous interlocking systems and then giving you a goal without being too fussed about how you achieve it. So, for example, you might have to neutralize a target, but you can go about it peacefully by sneaking drugs into their drink, going in guns blazing, hacking a computer system to trap them somewhere, or anything else. One of the best parts of immersive sims is that you can come up with solutions that no one, not even the developer, has ever considered. To me, “imsims” are the pinnacle of video games, and if you give them a try you might think so too.
9Typing Games
Maybe, as someone who writes for a living, I’m a little biased, but typing games let you mix becoming a better typist with some pretty good gaming action in many cases. The most famous example is probablyTyping of the Dead:Overkillwhich is basicallyHouse of the Dead, but you type words to kill zombies instead of using a light gun. Trust me, it’s more fun than it sounds, and you might even convince your boss to let you play on company time as part of on-the-job “training”.
8Deckbuilders (Not Card Collectors)
In a TCG (trading card game) likeMagic: The GatheringorHearthstone, you usually start with a pre-made deck of cards, and draw from it as you play to gain moves and actions.
In a deck-building game, you earn random cards as you play, usually as a reward for completing a challenge or battle. So you can’t rely on a known deck and strategies, but have to make the best of the cards that come your way. It’s an excellent twist on card-based gaming, and of courseSlay The Spireis the poster child of the genre, so you might as well start there.
7Brawler RPGs
Take the fast-paced, punchy combat of beat-‘em-ups and graft it onto an RPG skeleton—stats, quests, gear, and leveling included. Most of the best games in this genre are sidescrollers likeCastle Crashers.Technically, I guess you’re able to also put 3D games likeDevil May Cryinto this category as well.
6Pinball Metroidvanias
Yeah, this is one of the more unique genres and the only games that I can find that actually belong to it areYoku’s Island ExpressandPinball Spire.
Basically, these are platforming Metroidvania games, but with a pinball mechanic. Like someone tookSonic Spinballand combined it withMetroid.Doesn’t that sound like a blast?
Yoku’s Island Express
WHERE TO PLAY
A game that combines pinball and the Metroidvania genre with an adorable art style.
5Reverse Horror Games
In most horror games, you’re a hapless human trying to get away from some horrifying monster. In reverse horror games, you’re the monster terrorizing humans. Now, thatisa lot of fun, but remember that humans are dangerous and smart, so you have to be careful, or the hunter might become the hunted instead.
The best example here isCarrionwhere you’re basically a faceless horror that must feed and survive, like in John Carpenter’sThe Thing.I’d also maybe classAliens Vs. Predatorin this genre, because if you play as the Alien or Predator you are basically messing with the humans as a monster. Asymmetrical multiplayer games like the (sadly defunct)Friday the 13th: The GameI think also count, where one player is the killer and the others are its potential victims.
4Tactical Stealth Games
Not a genre for casual players, these games definitely don’t have the “stealth optional” ethos and do not let mistakes go unpunished. There may be quite a lot of trial and error as you try to get your character or squad through a mission unseen, and unexpected things can happen. Patience, forethought, and flawless execution are the name of the game.
I’d say games likeShadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and Desperados III,are a good place to start.
3Extraction Shooters
This is a modern take on the multiplayer looter shooter: enter a map, loot everything, and get out alive. You bring in your gear, and if you die, it’s gone. Permanently. The stakes are high, and often getting shot just once is enough to punch your ticket. These games are also known for having “proximity chat” which means that players can hear each other if they are close to one another in-game.
This leads to some amazing, tense encounters where people try to talk their way out of a situation, or try to fool the other person into giving up their loot or being fatally slow to defend themselves. These games are often brutal and you may easily lose a ton of progress just through bad luck, but the addictive high-risk/high-reward formula has players investing thousands of hours once it all clicks.Escape from Tarkovis still the standard-bearer for the genre.
2Survival City Builders
This is basically a melding of games likeSim CityandDon’t Starvewhere the objective isn’t to build the city of your dreams, it’s to survive harsh conditions like climate change, food shortages, weather, and maybe even rampant cannibalism. So if you fancy being the mayor of a city post-apocalypse, this is the genre for you.Frostpunkis the most mainstream example here.
1Narrative Survival Horror Dating Sim
Saving maybe the weirdest for last! Yes, it exists. These games combine horror tropes, character interaction, and often romance mechanics in surreal, genre-blending experiences.
Games likeBoyfriend Dungeon, Hooked on You: A Dead by Daylight Dating SimandDoki Doki Literature Clubmix visual novels, dating sims, and horror games in often surprising and engrossing ways.Doki Doki Literature Clubis actually a personal favorite of mine—just be warned that these games are generally not for sensitive gamers, but if you’re into the horror genre as a whole, then you already knew that. One of the most interesting recent additions isMiSide, but I do suggest watching a trailer first.
So, are you ready to try something a little different in your gaming diet? I’m sure any one of these could be your next gaming addiction, but eve if not—trying new things is enjoyable just for its own sake. Don’t you think?
