Different Subgenres of Computer Games

What exactly are games? A game is simply a structured type of play, normally undertaken for fun or entertainment, and at times also used as a teaching tool. Games are quite different from work, which most often are performed for profit, and from literature, which are usually more of an expressive or aesthetic elements. Games are intended to provide entertainment, recreation, or teach. Many people agree that most video games, both old and new, have become less interesting over time, as people seem to lose interest in the storyline and the ‘pacing’ of the games. However, other people take video games very seriously, considering them an important part of our culture, an essential component of our modern world.

There are many different types of games, most notably the classic PC game, which can be categorised into Action, Adventure, Role Playing, Simulation, Platforming, timing puzzle, hidden objects, card, board, arcade, fighting etc. All these genres can be played on a single computer or on a number of computers connected to a network. Of course, each of these genres can also be played by using only one particular type of computer or networking device, known as’multi-player games’ or MP3 player.

Of the major genres, the one with the most followers is the simulation games. In these types of games, the player plays a character in a world without any life simulation. Players control a character by choosing how they will go through a situation, selecting the clothes, food and vehicle, and eventually traveling through the surroundings. Most simulation games are oriented towards realism and towards providing a background for the adventure the player will have. For example, in Grand Theft Auto, players assume the role of a criminal, who must investigate a series of events, steal and try to avoid capture, all the while completing the story, as many times as possible.

Another interesting genre is the text-based adventure games. Similar to adventure games, text-based adventure games require players to make significant decisions regarding their characters, their actions and their surroundings. The storyline of these games is constructed based on texts, audio clips or even images. The graphics and the sounds used in text-based adventure games can be impressive, but the actual gameplay can sometimes be very dull, especially if there are few players competing for the same attention. Text-based adventure games are suitable for players who enjoy a slower pace and more involved gameplay than the action packed thrillers.

The third most popular genre is the simulation games. These games are focused on tasks that help players achieve goals. Examples of these games include airplane management, race driving, restaurant management, virtual pet care, shopping and finance management. If you prefer the type of game that requires more strategy and less luck, then you should play the simulation genre. The most popular simulation games in this genre are Abalone and the classic Lemonade Tycoon. A fun fact about this genre is that there are actually no limits to how many players can play at one time, as long as there is Internet access available for everybody.

Finally, there is the subgenre known as the time management subgenre. In this subgenre, the emphasis is on managing personal life simulations. There are some examples of these games in the form of personal simulation games such as the LifeSim and SuperTime War. Some of the examples of time management games include the Spore and the Ship Simulator. A fun fact about this subgenre is that the games all share certain common elements; they all involve the management of resources, and they all incorporate some sort of time management technique or another.