Summary
As video game fans, it can be easy to become obsessed with certain genres of games over others. Some gamers play exclusively competitive fighting games, while others prefer MOBAs, first-person shooters, or evencasual farming games. As a result, it can be hard to explore lesser-known niche genres that might not get as much attention.
Fortunately, some of these niche video game genres have great games for first-time players. While some of these might be classic games that defined the future of their respective genres, others are newer and take the recognizable gameplay to new heights. Here are some video game genres more people should know about, and the games recommended for players interested in learning more about them.
4X games are a subgenre of strategy games that prioritizes four key components (as per its title):exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination.Most games involve the development of an empire or armythrough real-time strategy gameplay, with players eventually building their customized nation to become one of the most powerful in the real or fictional world.
Sid Meier’sCivilizationseries is the most notable example of the 4X genre, withCivilization VIbeing the most recently-released and easily-accessible entry in the franchise. The game, which is available on every modern console, mimics the gameplay of popular board games likeRiskorSettlers of Catan, albeit with an emphasis on the evolution of human history.
When most people think of a puzzle game, they probably think ofTetrisorPortal, notPikmin. However, thePikminfranchise occupies the unique subgenre of strategy puzzle games, which combine aspects of real-time strategy games with the ingenuity and problem-solving of puzzle-solving. In the series, the Wii U and Switch titlePikmin 3does this best.
Puzzle strategy games have been around for a while, including the classic PC seriesLemmings. However,Pikmin 3feels the most indebted to the strategy genre. Players control an army of the titular plant creatures to traverse through environments, defeat carnivorous creatures, and collect juice to repower their ship and journey home.
First-person shooters and third-person shooters are the most well-known shooter subgenres, but rail shooters have been around for even longer. Taking after the shoot-em-up genre, rail shooters place players on a (mostly) preset path. They control the aiming of gunfire and evasion of projectiles, rather than navigating through an environment.
Star Fox 64is perhaps one of the most iconic rail shooters in the subgenre, notably forwarding the genre into the 3D space. Nintendo has perfected the genre with further titles as well, like the photography-basedPokemon Snapand 3DS titleKid Icarus: Uprising. However,Star Fox 64remains the simplest interpretation of the rail shooter genre to date.
7Clicker: AdVenture Capitalist
Don’t Tire Out Your Keyboard
Also known as “incremental games,” gamers probably became familiar with entries in the clicker genre,like the browser-basedCookie ClickerorMake It Rain. These games have simplistic gameplay, involving players just clicking one button over and over again. Clicking is basically like RPG grinding, allowing players to become more powerful with each individual click.
The best re-interpretation of this subgenre isAdVenture Capitalist, which was released for mobile devices, as well as PC and PlayStation 4. This game takes players from a measly lemonade stand to a full-fledged business tycoon. This genre might not retain long-term interest from its players, butAdVenture Capitalistis one of the most fun to progress through.
Cooking simulation games might be popular, but they’re still niche given how different they can be from one another. Franchises likeCooking Mamatake players through the steps of making dishes, whileDave the Divercombines cooking mechanics with deep-sea exploration. However, few games capture the experience of cooking better thanOvercooked!
Overcooked! emphasizes a co-op experience, as several players control chefs in a single kitchen. It can quickly turn a party into an episode ofThe Bear, as players bark orders at each other to achieve perfect scores. Its follow-up,Overcooked 2, is an all-around improvement of the first game’s formula, and is also worth checking out.
Everybody who’s ever been near a video game has probably playedMario Partyat least once. However, the party subgenre dates back to gaming’s earliest days, with examples including the trivia-basedYou Don’t Know Jackand 2000’sCrash Bash. However,Mario Partyis probably the most notable, with its board game formula and memorable minigames.
Super Mario Party, released for the Switch in 2018, is a new take on the series. It features the familiarity of previous games while introducing unique character dice blocks, as well as the recruitment of allies throughout the game to assist with dice rolls and minigames. If you’re looking for the perfect party supplement,Super Mario Partyis it.
Visual novels are a peculiar type of video game genre, involving little gameplay and just allowing players to read through a story via art and dialogue. However,Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorneygets credit for advancing the visual novel adventure. These games combine the storytelling of visual novels with point-and-click adventures, allowing for a more hands-on experience.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorneyputs playersin the shoes of its titular lawyer, who investigates crimes, participates in courtroom trials, and cross-examines suspicious witnesses. The original version of the game has been ported to modern-day consoles, so it’s the perfect example for a visual novel adventure to hook in curious gamers.
Platform fighters are a little different from usual fighting games, likeStreet FighterorMortal Kombat, in which two characters battle on a flat battlefield. However, it’s a much more recognizable genre thanks to theSuper Smash Bros.franchise, which established up to four players battling all at once on a stage with platforms and hazards.
Super Smash Bros. Meleeis the preferred entry in the franchise for nostalgic fans, and is the one most often imitated by clones likeNickelodeon All-Star Brawl,MultiVersus, and indie games likeRivals of Aether. These games especially find popularity in competitive communities, though it’s hard to outshine the thriving, passionateMeleecommunity.
Role-playing games take onmany different shapes in the video game world, but roguelikes offer the most variety. Roguelike RPGs combine the leveling up and acquiring of power-ups in RPGs with dungeon crawling, procedurally-generated levels, and permadeath. This gives players a uniquely replayable but never identical experience.
Games likeThe Binding of IsaacandSpelunkypopularized the genre in the indie game world, but few are as polished and fully-realized asHades, which combines the roguelike genre with hack-and-slash combat. It may be nearly impossible to complete, but that’s part of the fun: dying, and then trying again stronger and more prepared.
One of the most niche video game genres out there is the “Metroidvania,” aptly named with a portmanteau ofMetroidandCastlevania. These 2D platformers are less about making it to the finish line likeSuper Mario BrosorSonic the Hedgehog.Instead, they prioritize exploration, non-linear world building, and RPG mechanics like leveling or powering up.
There aremany games that nail this subgenre, but few are as iconic or as definitive asSuper Metroid. Not only isSuper Metroidone of the greatest video games of all time, but it shows all the potential of the “Metroidvania” genre, from the narrative storytelling to the slow building of the players' strength as they progress through the game.
