Game Generes

Like cinema, computer games have as many different genre categories as they do audience groups. Unlike cinema, many of them are known by their tongue-twisting acronyms! Here are some of the most notable:

Advergames: Games developed for advertising purposes.
Adventure: Adventure games involve exploration of, and interaction with, the environment as a main facet of gameplay. Story and puzzle solving are also highlighted and interaction is usually driven by point and click. Fighting plays a minor role. Adventure games include Zork and Myst.
Classic Arcade: Classic arcade games refer to games that originally existed on freestanding coin-operated machines. Classic arcade games include Pong and Space Invaders
Fighting: Fighting games involves rendering opponents unconscious or dead by using a number of different moves. Gameplay tactics are limited to selecting the most appropriate move in a situation. Fighting games include Tekken 3 and Street Fighter.
First Person Shooters (or FPS): are games in which the player has a first-person perspective of their character. FPS shooters include Doom and Quake
First Person Sneaker: This is a sub-genre of First Person Shooter, where the focus is on stealth rather than combat or shooting.
MMORPG: 'Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games' are multi-player role-playing games that enable thousands of players to play in an evolving virtual online world at the same time. MMORPGs include Diablo and WarCraft
MOO: 'Multi-User Domain - Object Oriented' is a type of MUD that allows players greater freedom such as creating new objects and character descriptions and programming new verbs.
MUD: 'Multi User Dimension' (or 'Multi User Dungeon' or 'Multi-User Domain') is a text-based, game-world on the internet where the players can interact using text commands. Generally RPG games.
Platform: Platformers or side scrollers are games in which the background scrolls and the player jumps from platform to platform. Game-play generally includes running and jumping. Platform games include Donkey King and Super Mario Bros.
Puzzle: Puzzle games are short but addictive graphical games that usually require the player to solve a puzzle such as a maze, logical problem or positioning different pieces together. Puzzle games include Tetris and Bust A Move (Puzzle Bobble)
Racing Games: Racing games involve the player competing in races. Racing games include Daytona and the Mario Kart series.
RPG: 'Role Playing Games' are games in which the player's character has skills and abilities represented by statistics. Gameplay involves the characters exploring and completing quests that build up their statistics and possessions. Can be single or multi-player. RPGs include Everquest and Ultima
Shooters: Shoot em' Up or Shooter games involve shooting or destroying multiple objects and opponents. Shoot 'em up games include Doom and Asteroids.
Strategy Games: Strategy games require the player to take on a leadership role and oversee every detail of the provided scenario(s). Gameplay focuses on strategies and careful planning and resource management in order to win. Strategy games include Age of Mythology.
RTS: 'Real Time Strategy' games are strategy games played in real time. RTS include Command and Conquer and Rise of Nations.
Serious Games: Serious games are games aimed at teaching, discussing or debating real-world concepts via gameplay. Serious games include Virtual U.
Simulations: Simulation games attempt to realistically mimic conditions of a particular environment or activity. Sim games include SimCity and Flight emulators.
Sports Games: Sports Games emulate traditional physical sports such as basketball and golf.
TPS: 'Third Person Shooters' offer players a third person perspective of their character. TPS shooters include Grand Theft Auto.
Web based games: Web based games are those available via the web and are usually developed in Flash or Shockwave