A Game is a form of play with certain rules, milestones, or achievements where one or more players are involved. Usually, the games are undertaken for enjoyment, but often used for educational purposes. By “games” we are referring to digital games. It is different from real-life enjoyment and has a completely different meaning. Instead of interacting with real-world scenarios, digital games also can be said as computer games or smartphone games are controlled by the players using the controllers.
When we say the word “game” we usually think about the structured form of play, which is often done purely for enjoyment, entertainment, or even educational purposes. Some of the oldest games (for pc) were a tug of war or any card game, for example. While many think playing those games is a waste of time, numerous scientists believe that they can help us develop better reflexes, improve our brain function, and even make us less nervous. Those who play computer games, know that this is somewhat true. As the word “game” is now narrowed to a computer or video game, we are going to talk about these games, regardless of being console or PC games. Let’s just call them video games altogether.
What is a Video Game?
Video games are a modern type of game where you are put in the role of the player. The player can be a human, car, or any other character that the developer created. Usually, the goal of the game is to get from the start of the game to finish, but this doesn’t always apply, as we have multiplayer games, where the ending doesn’t exist. Older single-player and multiplayer games were just about straight action, and leveling didn’t exist until the first RPG game came out. RPG games changed overall game development and introduced many new elements that were combined with other genres. This is the simple definition of games.
Types of Games
Now, modern games often introduce these elements and are generally more innovative and interesting than old titles. There are various genres of games like Shooter, Strategy, Racing, RPG, Fighting, Horror, and Sports games. These are basic genres of games, and many other subgenres are derivative from these genres. Apart from that, we may consider the Single-player and Multiplayer games as two game types. I think it’s clear what the game is, so we should move on to explaining these types of games.
1. Strategy games
Strategy games are sometimes very complex, yet very simple games. Complex, because the player needs to focus on planning and thinking how to achieve victory, and simple because of controls. For one strategy game, you’ll only need a mouse and a few keyboard buttons. Strategy games often focus on military or building a city for example, like in the Civilization series, and both require some serious focus. This genre of game is divided into two types: real-time and turn-based. A real-time strategy game is set in real-time, which means that usually you can’t pause the game, and these games are sometimes “point and click” type.
A turn-based strategy game is all about tactics. You have one turn, then the opponent has his turn, like playing cards for example. Turn-based strategy games are in our opinion a little harder because the player needs maximum focus on using his turn as good as he can. Both of these types are focused not only on fighting but building various stuff like base, buildings, shelter, or crafting items. These are done by exploring the game world. To conclude, these games focus on creative thinking and gameplay, rather than graphics for instance. Strategy games aren’t that famous for their graphics. Some of the best strategy games are Rome: Total War, Company of Heroes, Rise of Nations, etc.
Best Strategy Games
- Total War: WARHAMMER II
- XCOM 2
- Stellaris
- Civilization 6
- Crusader Kings II
- Hearts of Iron IV
- Homeworld
- Halo Wars 2
2. Shooting games
Shooting games are one of the most popular games today, and this genre surely is one of the oldest. These games follow a very simple gameplay algorithm, but very effective when it’s done right. Nowadays, shooting is combined with various elements of RPG, racing, strategy, horror, and fighting, making these games versatile and more mature titles. Shooting games are divided into two categories: First-person shooters (FPS) and third-person shooters (TPS).
In FPS, you are looking through the eyes of the protagonist and only see your gun and arms. This type of shooter game is older and dates back to the early ’90s. Fine examples of FPS games are Doom, Duke Nukem, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Counter-Strike, and much more.
In the TPS game on the other side, you see your whole character, which expands game possibilities in some games. For example, you can take cover when playing TPS and this feature is now almost a must in every game, wherein FPS games cover isn’t that relevant feature. However, this doesn’t make TPS better than FPS. In modern FPS games, the possibility of taking cover is often introduced, which made this genre more advanced. Some of the best TPS games are Max Payne, Hitman, Mass Effect, etc. Shooting games are often one of the most beautiful games on PC, like for example Crysis 3, which is an insanely good-looking game and requires a very strong PC.
The goal of shooting games is simple- kill or be killed. In singleplayer, there are levels which player needs to finish in order to get to the end of the game where usually boss fight occurs. Boss is a different type of enemy which takes a lot more to be killed and is much stronger than any type of enemy. Multiplayer can also introduce boss fights, but this is not so common. Instead, players are divided into teams and fight against each other in-game modes like “deathmatch” or “capture the flag.”
Best Shooting Games
- Battlefield 1
- Call of Duty Series
- Titanfall 2
- Doom 2016
- Max Payne 3
- Overwatch
- Gears of War Games
- Tom Clancy’s The Division
3. Horror games
Horror games are what separates a man from a boy. These games aim for a good atmosphere, lighting effects, and sound design, rather than streamlined and fluid gameplay, although many of them have these features. It’s supposed to feel like horror, not only look like one. The goal of this game is to scare the player, simple. Horror games combine elements of TPS, FPS, RPG, and fighting, or can sometimes exclude any type of fighting like Outlast and Amnesia for example. The player is usually put in the role of the protagonist which is being chased by some sort of known or unknown creature and is trying to escape or kill it, depends on the game.
Horror games usually have boss fights, especially at the end of the game or even throughout the game, like for instance Silent Hill or Resident Evil series. Even if a player is given a weapon in these games, they are most of the time under-powered, and finding ammo takes time and effort. Common highlight in horror games is the story. The story in horror games is often focused on some kind of mystery that player needs to uncover, escaping from a particular place, rescuing or killing the particular boss. Good examples of this genre are Amnesia, Outlast, F.E.A.R, Alien Isolation, etc.
Best Horror Games
- Silent Hill 2
- P.T.
- Resident Evil 7
- Alien: Isolation
- Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
- Outlast
- Alan Wake
- Lone Survivor
4. RPG games
RPG games are one of the oldest types of games. They usually combine RPG with fighting, shooting, and action-adventure elements. The point of the RPG game is usually to level your custom created character as much as you can. This is done by upgrading different aspects of your character and even some objects in the game, which can be built in some games. What makes these games different from the other games is that players can interact with the NPCs and decide what to say and do. The game-ending is usually based on the player’s choices throughout the game, making these games non-linear.
RPG games usually focus on gameplay and graphics, and games like Skyrim and Witcher 3 represent the finest examples of RPG games. These games are usually set in medieval time, and fighting is usually with swords and knives, although some games like Deus Ex or S.T.A.L.K.E.R doesn’t apply this formula. A big part of the RPG game is crafting mechanics. Crafting is essential for leveling and optimizing your character, so it’s a basic element of every RPG game. Some of the best RPG games include Witcher 3, Skyrim, Deus Ex, World of Warcraft, etc. RPGs are must mention when we talk about the meaning of a game.
Best RPG games
- The Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim
- The Witcher 3
- World of Warcraft (WOW)
- The Legend of Zelda
- Mass Effect series
- Fallout Games
- Dark Souls series
- Dragon Age – Origins
5. Fighting games
In fighting games, the player controls the character and engage in close combat with another player or AI. These games usually focus on fast-paced and precise gameplay and are better played on higher frame rates. Fighting games are mostly in 2.5D, which means that characters move in two planes and the game environment is rendered in 3D. Speaking of characters, every fighting game has its set of characters which players can choose, and these characters are different in terms of fighting style. Matches are played in rounds.
Usually, there are 2 rounds, and the third one is played if it’s 1:1. Some games like Mortal Kombat include fatalities with which you can kill your opponent, but this is optional. Combo mechanics are also included in these games, meaning that player can chain his attacks thus inflicting the other player or the AI more damage. Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and Tekken are pioneers of this genre.
Best Fighting games
- Mortal Kombat Fighting Games
- Injustice – Gods Among Us
- Super Street Fighter IV
- WWE 2K Games
- Deadpool
- For Honor
- Blazblue – Calamity Trigger
6. Racing games
Racing games have one of the simplest game mechanics of all games. The point of these games is to win the race. Racing games can be focused on street or sports racing, where street racing is usually an arcade type of racing and may combine shooting elements, and sports racing is more of a simulation type of racing and has more strict rules. Racing is usually done by cars, motorcycles and in some games even trucks and off-road vehicles. Some of the best racing games are Need for Speed (for PC), DiRT, F1, and MotoGP. Below is more of them.
Best Racing Games
- Forza Horizon
- Project CARS
- NFS Games
- DiRT
- GRID Autosport
- Assetto Corsa
- MotoGP
- Rocket League
- F1 Game Series
- Burnout Paradise
7. Sports games
Sports games represent a simulation of various sports like football, basketball, hockey, golf, tennis, boxing, racing, etc. Their strongest part is usually the gameplay, and they lack any kind of story, so these games are basically endless. Players can participate in leagues, play exhibition matches, or make their own teams and play some type of career. The most popular sports games are PES, FIFA, Virtua Tennis, F1, etc. Below is a much bigger list.
Best Sports Games
- FIFA Series
- PES Series
- Project Cars 2
- WWE 2K Series
- Virtua Tennis 4
- Assetto Corsa
- NBA 2K Series
- MotoGP Series
- F1 Series
Best Game Developers
Every game must have a team behind itself. These teams are specialized in various parts of video game making, like sound design, graphics, gameplay, programming, and much more. Which is the best game developer can’t be said for sure, but there are some who are most popular for their legendary titles.
EA, for example, is one of the oldest game developers, and they are one of the best even today. They are responsible for the Need for Speed, Medal of Honor, and FIFA series. Ubisoft is another great game developer, coming from Montreal. Their games like Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell made a huge impact on the gaming industry. A little less famous developer, CD Projekt RED is a game development team from Poland, responsible for the Witcher series. When the Witcher 3 came out, their company expanded instantly, and they are considered as one of the best developers of today.
Valve Corporation from Washington is a company that you’ve surely heard of. Their impact on the gaming industry and FPS genre is huge, with their titles like Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead, and they even made Dota 2 which is an MMO arena-based game. They also developed Steam, which is a digital distribution platform and is used mostly for buying games. If you played Return to Castle Wolfenstein and DOOM, you can agree with us that Activision deserves to be mentioned here. When the first DOOM came out, back in the 1990s, it completely changed the course of game development. It has a huge impact on the FPS genre, and many say that every shooter that came out after DOOM is just a copy of that game.
Which Game Genre should you Choose?
Video games are gaining more popularity every day and are one of the best ways to have fun. As we saw, every genre of video games has its own highlights and flaws, and it’s up to you to choose which one suits you the best. If you think video games are childish, you need to know that most gamers are 30 years or above! Yes, you’ve read it well. Don’t be ashamed if you play video games, they can provide you with hours of fun, regardless of single-player or multiplayer games.
If you are more a fan of a good story and like to play alone, go ahead, get some interesting single-player game. However, if you are a fan of fast-paced gameplay and like a company you can play multiplayer games, it’s all up to you. But have in mind that games are purely for entertainment purposes, and they should be there to relax you and make your day better, so don’t take them seriously. After all, it’s just a game.
Now, you got an idea about computer games. Because we mostly discussed the PC games in this article. But, the world of gaming is far beyond that. There are games for each and every known platform in this world. All the operating systems like Android, iOS, OS X, Linux, etc. coming with numerous games to entertain the users. So, you will never run out of games on any of these platforms.
Where can you get games?
Now that you know what a game is, and several other aspects of it, you might be wondering where could you get one for you. There are several places you can buy a game both online and offline.
1. Online stores
Online stores are generally the preferred go-to when it comes to purchasing games. As the widespread nature of the internet today, it is a piece of cake downloading games for most people. Hence, owning a physical copy is a rare thing these days. You can directly pay and download the games from the online stores such as Steam, Origin, GOG, etc.
2. Offline stores
Buying games from an offline store will let you possess the physical copy of the game, mostly in a DVD format. Offline stores also provide CD/Activation keys you can use on the downloaded games. GameStop is a popular choice among gamers when it comes to offline game purchases.