Game Genres: What kinds do you prefer?

[Shiny Motley]

Honestly, I'm a fairly casual gamer only involved in like 3 or 4 game fandoms so I have no idea what all the game genres are out there. But I'll assume most people know what genre they tend to like more, or at the very least can describe the genre they like.

So, first and foremost, probably my favorite kinds of games are puzzle games (Bejeweled and bubble burst styles are my jam), though none of them can keep my interest for more than a couple months at most. I play, I get sucked in, but the gameplay gets tiring, frustrating, and repetitive after a while.

I also love.... rhythm games. But similarly to the above, I get bored after a while, though mobile rhythm games seem to be able to avert this for me by adding new content pretty much every week (either a new event, new cards, new songs... the list goes on). This might be why I'm so invested into Love Live.

RPG games are also a ton of fun. Pokemon, of course, is an RPG, but I've played a few more RPG maker games and stuff. Just moving a little character through an overworld map and interacting with different objects is so fun to me.

Other genres/styles I enjoy include doll makers (do those count? They do now), bullet hell (I had a Touhou phase at one point), and survival/roguelike (PMD and Don't Starve have a dear place in my heart).

 

[NonAnalogue]

Hoo... okay, let's see here.

1. RPGs. I love RPGs, but I have a hard time staying committed to them. An RPG either has to be part of a series I already adore (Pokemon, Mario & Luigi, Golden Sun) or really exceptional (Persona 5... which is actually also in a series I adore anyway) for me to play it all the way through. It doesn't help that a lot of times I'll get walled by a tough boss, and I don't like grinding - I think games should be set up so that if you beat every enemy in your path, there shouldn't ever be a time when you're not strong enough to at least have a go at a boss. I'm looking at you, I Am Setsuna.

2. Rhythm games. I love 'em but I'm garbage at 'em. Not much of a sense of natural rhythm here. Example: Gitaroo Man. Lordy but that game was awesome. Waaaay too fast for my abilities, though, even on easy. Theatrhythm was more my speed though.

3. Kart racers. I'm so-so on realistic racing sims, but I adore party kart racers like Mario Kart and Sonic All-Star Racing whatever it's called. Crazy amounts of fun, and the rosters are usually full of cool characters.

4. Super Smash Bros. I know it's a series, not a genre, but it deserves an honorable mention. It wasn't the first party platformer fighter, but it certainly set a high standard, and I haven't found another one yet that does the job as good.

 

[StellarWind Elsydeon]

I suppose that I could classify my favorite 'genre' under the very broad umbrella of "adventure games" - which can sort of be divided in two branches (although they have their occasional overlaps!)

One branch is the Puzzle-Adventure branch, largely personified by point-and-click adventure games of the sort I grew up with, but also in games like The Room series which have a bit of a back story but are mostly focused on puzzles. I like games that get me thinking, although if shit gets too repetitive or pixel hunt-y and there's nothing to offset it, I might lose interest. (This is why I could never get into the Myst series, for example).

The other branch the more Exploration-Adventure branch - big immersive exploration-driven ones that are usually open-world or at least semi-open world, where your skills and power level are what stands in your way of exploring more. These are usually some flavor of RPG, but some of them can get more action-oriented (like the Metroid series, or Borderlands - both of which may have some RPGish elements but they aren't quite RPG). I really like worlds that I can immerse myself in, what can I say?

And it's even more awesome when you have games that have elements of both these branches - things like Uncharted 4 and Horizon: Zero Dawn, for example!

An honorable mention goes to JPRGs - I do enjoy the occasional good JRPG, but i need to be in a certain sort of mood to play ones these days, as the repetitive battles get tedious as balls after a while. <<;

Of course, I have notable favorites from other genres too - good storylines, good characters, and a tone that may be serious at times but doesn't take itself too seriously all the time can make a game for me. But that is a topic for another thread. ^^

 

[Linkachu]

RPGs have likely been my favourite gaming genre for (almost) the entirety of my gaming life. From the moment that I played Final Fantasy on NES I was instantly hooked on turn-based RPGs, and that love only deepened thanks to the awesome RPG collections on SNES and Game Boy. Nowadays I've grown attached to action-based RPG battle systems as well, stuff like the Tales of and Xenoblade franchises. Even though they're not turn-based, they still have all of same charm that I loved about my oldschool RPGs - plus, they're fun!

I suppose that "JRPGs" are technically the games that I seek out first and foremost but I'm happy giving western RPGs a shot. It just depends if they share the same charms that I enjoy with my JRPGs. It's not that I discriminate between the two (that would be silly ), the RPGs coming out of Japan just seem to mesh with my tastes much better than most western RPGs.

Back in the day "action RPGs" (as they were labeled at the time, such as Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana, and Secret of Evermore) also quickly became a favourite genre of mine. Nowadays it's difficult to for me to find games of that play-style and quality, but Bastion was excellent. I'd love playing more games like it if people have recommendations!

Moving away from RPGs completely... I love Puzzle games, like Puyo Puyo and Tetris (which made Puyo Puyo Tetris amazing), and I also dig Simulation games. Between the two, I occasionally poke at various puzzlers but haven't seriously played any sim games in ages. What tends to happen instead is that I'll play a game (of a completely different genre) that includes simulation gameplay and then waste all the time messing about with the sim stuff. It can be so addictive. @_@

Finally, I have a soft spot for RTS and turn-based Strategy games, like the StarCraft and Fire Emblem franchises. I can be quite selective when it comes to which games from the genres I fall in love with, but when one hooks me... man, are they fun. Finding various new strategies to accomplish your goals can be really exciting - especially when a plan pays off.

With all of that said, however... I honestly like a bit of everything. Cart Racers are great; I love both the Super Smash Bros. series and Splatoon despite not playing many Fighting games or Shooters; certain Platformers (both 2D and 3D) really capture my heart; Rhythm games like Hatsune Miku and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy are brilliant; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has become one of my favourite games ever made; and the list goes on.

No matter what genre a game is, if it has a certain spark that resonates with my tastes then there's always the chance that I'll fall for it. Video games are great for that. ^^

 

[OnePiecefan11]

I've played games from a lot of different genres. And if I had to choose which ones I like playing the most, I would say RPGs, Hack n Slash, and Puzzle games.

There aren't a lot of Hack n Slash games that I played but I do enjoy them because of the gameplay. Games like Devil May Cry and One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 are the ones I'm most familiar with. You get to do a lot of combos when attacking multiple enemies and it's so much fun to me. I like RPGs because I like games that have a big story to them (no matter how long it is). I guess I can count JRPGs in the same category. Some of these that I played are the Mother series, Skyrim, and Okami. And as for puzzle games, there types of games where you have to think and I like that. Although I will agree it can be frustrating sometimes. The Lego games being an example. But then games like Professor Layton are not so tedious, and makes you feel like a genius when you get an answer to a puzzle right.

For an honorable mention, I guess shooters (mostly third person). I've been playing more shooter games since last year. Games like Saints Row, Metroid, and Kid Icarus: Uprising being my favorites. And there are others that I want to play like Splatoon and Duke Nukem.

 

[Al the Bard]

RPGs - I love immersing myself in RPGs with a vast world, colorful cast of characters and the history of that universe. There are also the games where you get to create characters and I love watching them progress through the adventure.

Fighting - They're simple - 1v1 or in some cases 3v3 - but they're full of interesting characters who have different reasons for competing in the game's overall tournament.

 

[ShinyZekrom009]

I think that RPGs are a clear favorite among the game genres I adore. Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles- the list goes on and on. I just love exploring a world full of monsters and fighting them to get stronger, while taking on the evils that threaten the land and listening to badass music. And evidently, there's a lot of games that fulfill that desire for me.

Other than that, though, I find that I really enjoy open-world games of all kinds, like Fallout and Breath of the Wild. I like having a gigantic world full of danger to explore at my own pace and in any order that I like, instead of being forced down a linear path.

Finally, I have been getting into story-driven point-and-click games recently. Until Dawn and many of the games Telltale churns out come to mind. Solving puzzles and making life-or-death choices while being immersed in a great story is relaxing and engrossing to me. Although, some of these games can get quite intense (looking at you, Until Dawn!).

 

[Grand Master Koop]

I really like RPG games like Pokémon. If i remember correctly, I like this kind of genre because I used to be bad at fighting in games, In RPG you only need to press a few button on the screen to select attacks and other commands which I really enjoyed.

 

[IvanDragwlya]

1. RPGs: What I like the most about RPGs is that YOU are the protagonist. Every time I play an RPG I name the protagonist "Ivan" (which is my real name) so I feel like I'm in the game. Also, RPGs have great stories, great level design and great characters.

2. Platformers: I like platformers because when I was little I used to play a lot of those. And I still do! Some platformers are easy, but others are hard, and when I play videogames I like a little bit of challenge.

3. Puzzle Games: The thing I like about puzzle games is that they FORCE me to think and pay attention to every single detail so that I can win. For example, the Professor Layton games.

 

[Yaspen]

First and foremost for me are the story-driven games. My favorites are Minecraft: Story Mode, Undertale, and Pokemon without a doubt. The characters are fun, the story is there and generally at least tries to be engaging, and it makes you the hero in your own world. Plus, in games like MC:SM and Undertale, your choices count towards how the game progresses, which is something I especially like. Gives every gamer a unique experience. And there's the feels, which happen more often than not. When something untowards happens to a beloved character, it gets you right in the heart.

My other favorite game genre is sandbox-survival, and although I only play two, I love them. Minecraft and Terraria are two games that I can sit down and play for hours at a time without getting bored or frustrated, which is the exact opposite of puzzle games for me XD

 

[deltagamer]

i like rpg's, but i don't play many besides pokemon. i play a lot of platformers though.

 

[glaman5266]

RPGs, but they need to be either full-on ARPGs or "pure" (my term for it) turn-based. NOT that active time battle crap. I absolutely loathe the ATB system, which is why quit playing Final Fantasy games. Chrono Trigger is the only ATB RPG I made an exception for. ATB is the absolute worst system in turn-based RPGs in my opinion. I usually either want to take my time with things or just go in and wreck shop. Don't want to worry about timing my turns or feeling pressured.

Aside from that, I've gotten back into action/adventure games again with the release of BotW, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, and Super Mario Odyssey on the Switch.

 

[Rinoa Heartilly]

Horror genre. I freakin' love horror games. Some of them are awful, but the ones that are good? I don't stop until I've completed EVERYTHING to do with the game. It's my crack cocaine. I need it, dammit. Other genres that I love are adventure based, puzzle related or RPG specific games. I kind of grew up on Resident Evil, Lara Croft, Lighthouse: The Dark Being, Maniac Mansion, Final Fantasy and so on. Pokémon is one of the obvious few. So yeah, the sure fire way to my heart is something tense, scary and hella clever.

 

[Spoiled Bread]

RPG was my favorite genre, but the more I grow up, the more easily I got bored with the level grinding. I appreciate RPGs that offer the player interesting puzzles instead of level grinding like the good ol' Alundra.

I really like Point n Click games, still playing this kind of game until now. Back in my childhood a mobile game of Silent Hill is what make me hooked into this genre. The last point n Click games I played is mobile games from The Rusty Lake series, I binged 9 mini-installments and two premium games in two days.

I like watching horror games. Yes, watching, lol. A big chunks of videos I watched on YT is about some Youtuber play horror games. I'm too scared to play those games myself, but I want to.

Sometimes I also got hooked into competitive games like Yugioh or MOBAs/ARTS. I just like how you can invest lots of time into these game and still not master the game completely, there's always something new to learn.

The least I can mention here, probably, is... what should I call this? Casual game that lets you destroy things, like GTA. Although nowadays I prefer light mobile games so I can play it while waiting for the classes to begin.