Video Game Genres

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Video Game Genres
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Action

• FPS (Halo), TPS (Gears of War), or beat-em-ups
• Key ideas Excitement and pace! Require eye/hand
  coordination and quick reflexes. No deep
  thinking, but some tactical thought required.
• Camera
• First-person more immersive, cant see all
  around (more fear?)
• Third-person more identification with character,
  wider view

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Action

• Level Design
• is crucial!
• If player is forced to slog through the same area
  over and over again (Halo), they know you're
  being lazy.
• Weapons must be
• Varied
• Well Balanced
• Powerful Feeling

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Action

• Ammo / Items
• much or little? (conservation and fear or
  plenty?)
• adaptive to their use?
• Engine choice important

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RPG (Role-playing Game)

• Final Fantasy, Oblivion
• Key ideas characters, character growth, and
  combat. Large worlds to explore.
• Character growth (leveling up)
• lord of the slimes
• Several paths (build orders)
• Several classes?
• Design for both the role player and the roll
  player
• similar to the rule we apply with application
  software like Microsoft Office

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RPG (Role-playing Game)

• Linearity vs non-linearity
• japanese vs. american
• Allow for non-linearity by grouping quests into
  story arcs
• Combat - hack-and-slash or strategic?

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Adventure

• Legend of Zelda
• Key ideas
• Story
• Exploration
• Item Collection
• Puzzle Solving
• Increasingly a hybrid with action and/or RPG.
• Story
• This is key. Adventure games are all about
  characters and story.

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Adventure

• Item Collection
• Avoid pointless key hunts
• Puzzles
• Must be intuitive, but not easy
• Make them reasonable to be there!
• Make them fit with theme, and villain, if
  applicable
• Use each puzzle as a storytelling opportunity

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Strategy

• Civ, Dawn of War, Warcraft
• Key ideas
• Resource Management
• Distinct teams
• Balance
• Resource Management
• make resources relevant to story
• make resources encourage the gameplay you intend
• if resources run out from a certain location,
  users are forced to scout and roam