{ "platforms": [ { "name": "Steam", "category": "Storefront", "owner": "Valve", "markets": [ "Global" ], "what_it_is": "The dominant PC storefront and the best-instrumented platform in games. It is the reason PC research is even possible. Valve publishes concurrents and rankings only. Every unit or revenue number anywhere is a third-party estimate. JP data historically weak, growing.", "link": "https://store.steampowered.com/" }, { "name": "Epic Games Store", "category": "Storefront", "owner": "Epic Games", "markets": [ "Global" ], "what_it_is": "Challenger storefront and Fortnite launcher. It matters for exclusives and free-game economics. Structurally opaque. The free-games program makes install counts meaningless as demand signals.", "link": "https://store.epicgames.com/" }, { "name": "DMM GAMES", "category": "Storefront", "owner": "DMM.com", "markets": [ "JP" ], "what_it_is": "Japan's domestic PC/browser games storefront (Kantai Collection lineage, Umamusume PC). It is a JP market layer invisible to Western trackers. You'll need to use a VPN to access. Adult-content adjacency exists on the wider DMM platform. Flag it for family-brand research contexts.", "link": "https://games.dmm.com/" }, { "name": "Nintendo (Switch ecosystem)", "category": "Console ecosystem", "owner": "Nintendo", "markets": [ "Global", "JP" ], "what_it_is": "The family-play console default and JP market anchor. Hardware install base drives everything downstream. eShop digital charts are not archived publicly, and Nintendo is absent from GSD digital. JP digital share is a blind spot.", "link": "https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/" }, { "name": "PlayStation", "category": "Console ecosystem", "owner": "Sony", "markets": [ "Global", "US", "EU", "JP" ], "what_it_is": "The default premium console in most Big 8 markets. Segment aggregation hides per-title detail. MAU definitions shift between reports.", "link": "https://blog.playstation.com/" }, { "name": "Xbox", "category": "Console ecosystem", "owner": "Microsoft", "markets": [ "US", "UK" ], "what_it_is": "Post-Activision, it is more a subscription/service layer (Game Pass) than a box. It is the platform whose strategy is hardest to read from data. The most opaque major platform. Treat all Game Pass impact claims as unverifiable.", "link": "https://www.xbox.com/" }, { "name": "Apple App Store", "category": "Mobile store", "owner": "Apple", "markets": [ "Global", "JP", "US" ], "what_it_is": "Half the mobile duopoly. It is where premium mobile spend concentrates. Apple discloses rankings, never numbers. Post-DMA/Epic-ruling third-party payment and web stores erode store-reported revenue completeness, so vendor revenue is increasingly a floor.", "link": "https://www.apple.com/app-store/" }, { "name": "Google Play", "category": "Mobile store", "owner": "Google", "markets": [ "Global" ], "what_it_is": "The other half of the duopoly. It covers the Android world outside China. Absent from China entirely (no Play there). In Korea, One Store share is invisible in Play-only views.", "link": "https://play.google.com/" }, { "name": "One Store (원스토어)", "category": "Mobile store", "owner": "One Store Inc. (carrier JV)", "markets": [ "KR" ], "what_it_is": "Korea's domestic Android store. It holds material market share that global vendor default views miss entirely. A structural reason KR mobile numbers from global vendors run low. Always state whether One Store is in scope.", "link": "https://onesto.re/" }, { "name": "Twitch", "category": "Livestreaming", "owner": "Amazon", "markets": [ "US", "EU" ], "what_it_is": "The EN-default live platform and the reference culture most streaming research wrongly assumes to be universal. Twitch exited Korea in Feb 2024 (network costs), and KR live culture now lives on Chzzk/SOOP. Twitch data tells you nothing about Korea.", "link": "https://www.twitch.tv/" }, { "name": "YouTube (Gaming / Live)", "category": "Video and live hybrid", "owner": "Google", "markets": [ "Global", "JP" ], "what_it_is": "Live and VOD in one culture. Japan's VTuber economy concentrates here, making JP YouTube structurally unlike JP Twitch. The gaming/general boundary is blurry, and channel-level \"gaming\" classification varies by vendor. Super Chat leaderboards skew JP/VTuber. Beware the difference between a livestreamer and a YouTuber who publishes edited videos, these are different but overlapping cultures.", "link": "https://www.youtube.com/gaming" }, { "name": "Kick", "category": "Livestreaming", "owner": "Stake-adjacent (Easygo)", "markets": [ "Global", "BR" ], "what_it_is": "A Twitch-lookalike with structurally different culture and moderation posture. Its economics are gambling-adjacent. Culturally unrelated to Twitch despite the identical format. Never merge Kick and Twitch creator lists into one \"streaming\" ranking. Gambling adjacency makes this a family-brand avoid zone.", "link": "https://kick.com/" }, { "name": "TikTok Live", "category": "Livestreaming", "owner": "ByteDance", "markets": [ "Global", "KR" ], "what_it_is": "The largest hole in streaming research: enormous live viewership with near-zero per-game instrumentation in any vendor. Industry estimates put TikTok Live at roughly half of live-streaming hours. Any \"total streaming market\" claim that omits TikTok Live is materially wrong. KR viewership is heavy.", "link": "https://www.tiktok.com/live" }, { "name": "SOOP (ex-AfreecaTV)", "category": "Livestreaming", "owner": "SOOP Co.", "markets": [ "KR" ], "what_it_is": "Korea's legacy live platform (BJ culture, esports lineage), rebranded from AfreecaTV in 2024 SOOP Korea and SOOP Global are distinct services. Do not merge their numbers.", "link": "https://www.sooplive.co.kr/" }, { "name": "Chzzk (치지직)", "category": "Livestreaming", "owner": "Naver", "markets": [ "KR" ], "what_it_is": "Naver's live platform, launched into the vacuum of Twitch's 2024 Korea exit. It is now the KR streamer default alongside SOOP. (Naver is the oldest search platform in Korea.) A young platform with fast-moving share. Any figure older than a quarter is stale. Partnership migrations are still reshaping rankings.", "link": "https://chzzk.naver.com/" }, { "name": "Facebook Gaming", "category": "Livestreaming", "owner": "Meta", "markets": [ "SEA", "LATAM" ], "what_it_is": "Residual live platform after the 2022 app shutdown. It matters mainly in SEA/LatAm creator economies. Never forget that Facebook is popular for non-normies outside the US. Declining and thinly instrumented. Audience-location data is sparse.", "link": "https://www.facebook.com/gaming/" }, { "name": "niconico (ニコニコ動画)", "category": "Video and live hybrid", "owner": "KADOKAWA (Dwango)", "markets": [ "JP" ], "what_it_is": "Culturally foundational to JP internet play (MAD culture, VOCALOID, 実況 commentary lineage) even as commercial weight faded to YouTube Research it for cultural lineage, not current scale. The 2024 cyberattack disrupted archives. Verify availability.", "link": "https://www.nicovideo.jp/" }, { "name": "Roblox", "category": "UGC platform", "owner": "Roblox Corp.", "markets": [ "US", "Global", "KR" ], "what_it_is": "The sandbox economy at scale, and the rare platform that publishes real engagement data (public company). Bookings are not revenue. The 13+/under-13 split is coarse. Creator-economy payout framing is IR-managed. KR adoption is notable.", "link": "https://ir.roblox.com/" }, { "name": "Minecraft", "category": "UGC platform", "owner": "Microsoft (Mojang)", "markets": [ "Global" ], "what_it_is": "The most-played, least-measured game-as-platform. No public analytics exist at all. Every Minecraft scale claim traces to a dated press release. Check the announcement date before citing.", "link": "https://www.minecraft.net/" }, { "name": "Fortnite (Creative / UEFN)", "category": "UGC platform", "owner": "Epic Games", "markets": [ "US", "EU" ], "what_it_is": "Creator islands with real payout economics. It is the third sandbox alongside Roblox and Minecraft. The community tracker reads Epic's public API, so coverage is what Epic exposes. Payout economics are known only from Epic announcements.", "link": "https://fortnite.gg/" }, { "name": "Discord", "category": "Social infrastructure", "owner": "Discord Inc.", "markets": [ "Global" ], "what_it_is": "Where game communities actually live: the coordination layer under modern play. It is essential context, not a data source. A private company with no disclosures. Activity is unmeasurable from outside. Resist inferring scale from server counts.", "link": "https://discord.com/" }, { "name": "Bilibili", "category": "Video and live hybrid", "owner": "Bilibili Inc.", "markets": [ "CN" ], "what_it_is": "China's youth video/game culture hub and a licensed game publisher. It is the CN platform most legible to outside researchers (US-listed, IR in English). Thematic-touch scope only. The CN data environment is structurally different. Route through Niko Partners rather than DIY.", "link": "https://ir.bilibili.com/" }, { "name": "Douyin / Huya / DouYu", "category": "Livestreaming", "owner": "ByteDance / Tencent-linked", "markets": [ "CN" ], "what_it_is": "China's live-streaming triumvirate consists of Douyin (short-video-native live) plus the two legacy game-live platforms, both Tencent-orbit. Thematic-touch scope.", "link": "https://www.huya.com/" }, { "name": "Nuuvem", "category": "Storefront", "owner": "Nuuvem Jogos Digitais S.A. (Square Enix investment 2025)", "markets": [ "BR", "LATAM" ], "what_it_is": "The largest LatAm digital games store and the first to sell in BRL. It encodes Brazil's payment reality (Pix, boleto, interest-free installments) that global storefront data misses. Based in Rio de Janeiro. A reseller of keys (Steam/console codes), not a walled platform. No public analytics. Consumer-reputation scores fluctuate.", "link": "https://www.nuuvem.com/" }, { "name": "Gamers Club", "category": "Competitive and community platform", "owner": "Siprocal", "markets": [ "BR", "LATAM" ], "what_it_is": "The home of Brazilian competitive Counter-Strike (plus Valorant, Free Fire, LoL, R6). It runs 500+ tournaments/yr and owns DRAFT5 and the Gamers Club Media network. Founded 2015 with FalleN among the co-founders, merged into Siprocal in 2023. Features are subscription-gated, with app/login walls on most data. The 2026 sponsorship by betting operator BetBoom colors the ecosystem.", "link": "https://gamersclub.com.br/" }, { "name": "Rooter", "category": "Livestreaming", "owner": "Rooter Sports Technologies", "markets": [ "IN" ], "what_it_is": "India's largest homegrown streaming platform, now fused with an in-game purchase shop. It is the vernacular, mobile-first layer that Twitch and YouTube data misses. Delhi-based, founded 2016. App-first, with a thin web presence. User/GMV figures are company-reported and unaudited.", "link": "https://rooter.gg/" }, { "name": "JioGames", "category": "Storefront", "owner": "Reliance Jio", "markets": [ "IN" ], "what_it_is": "The access layer for mass-market India: preloaded on Jio devices and set-top boxes, it runs esports challenges with publishers/Qualcomm. It is a distribution channel with reach no storefront chart captures. A walled telco ecosystem with no third-party data. Strategic direction shifts with Reliance priorities.", "link": "https://www.jiogames.com/" }, { "name": "Codashop", "category": "Top-up and marketplace", "owner": "Coda Payments", "markets": [ "SEA", "LATAM", "MENA" ], "what_it_is": "The region's dominant top-up layer, this is how SEA actually pays for games outside app stores. Official publisher partnerships (Moonton, Garena, Krafton, HoYoverse) plus every local payment rail (GoPay, Dana, OVO, GCash, convenience-store cash). Also active across South Asia. Direct carrier billing is core to the model. Coda Payments is Singapore-based. Owner Coda also builds publishers' own webstores, so it sits on both sides of the third-party-payment shift. There is no published data.", "link": "https://www.codashop.com/" }, { "name": "UniPin", "category": "Top-up and marketplace", "owner": "UniPin", "markets": [ "SEA" ], "what_it_is": "Indonesia's homegrown counterpart to Codashop, with deep local-payment integration, IDR pricing, and its own esports circuit (SEACA) and content arm. It is a window on the top-up economy from inside the region. Jakarta-based, operating since 2009. It runs media/community properties promoting the same games it sells top-ups for.", "link": "https://www.unipin.com/" }, { "name": "Oyunfor", "category": "Top-up and marketplace", "owner": "Oyunfor", "markets": [ "TR" ], "what_it_is": "One of the two dominant Turkish digital-goods storefronts: Steam wallet codes, game keys, and in-game currency in TL with local payments. The community treats it as a Steam-listed authorized seller. The epin layer is how many Turkish players route around currency volatility and card limits. Requires TC national-ID for transactions (fraud/compliance), a distinctive access fact. There is no published data.", "link": "https://www.oyunfor.com/" }, { "name": "ByNoGame", "category": "Top-up and marketplace", "owner": "ByNoGame Bilişim Ltd.", "markets": [ "TR" ], "what_it_is": "Turkey's oldest digital game-goods platform. Players buy and sell in-game currency, skins, and accounts, making it a visible secondary economy (Knight Online gold to CS2 skins) that global storefront data never captures. The skin and item trade reaches international buyers. Account trading sits against most publishers' ToS, a gray-market layer. Commission structures shift. Buyer-protection quality is debated in forums.", "link": "https://www.bynogame.com/" }, { "name": "GOG.com", "category": "Storefront", "owner": "GOG sp. z o.o. (sold by CD Projekt to co-founder Michał Kiciński, December 2025)", "markets": [ "Global", "PL" ], "what_it_is": "After Steam, the only globally significant PC games storefront in markets outside of the Big 8, and ideologically distinct: DRM-free by rule, plus the GOG Preservation Program restoring and maintaining old titles. Its origins are specifically Polish, built for a market where piracy long outcompeted legitimate sales. Now separated from CD Projekt, so it disappears from those filings going forward, a real loss of public data. There are no analytics. The catalog skews retro.", "link": "https://www.gog.com/" }, { "name": "TapTap", "category": "Mobile store", "owner": "XD Inc. (心动)", "markets": [ "CN", "Global" ], "what_it_is": "China's leading third-party Android game store and review community. TapTap China passed 41 million monthly active users in 2022 per owner XD's annual report, and publishers use it as a direct launch channel, miHoYo distributed Genshin Impact there at launch. It is the most legible public surface for what CN players are playing, rating and tagging. ByteDance, miHoYo and Bilibili have held investment stakes, per 2021 TechCrunch reporting. The CN edition (taptap.cn) and global edition (taptap.io) are distinct services, do not merge their numbers. A swarm of lookalike mirror domains exists, use the two official domains only. Ratings and reviews are community sentiment, not evidence of fact. iOS distribution is not part of the model, so TapTap views skew Android.", "link": "https://www.taptap.cn/about-us" } ], "genres": [ { "name": "Puzzle", "segment": "Mobile, cross-platform", "definition": "Logic and pattern games solved one problem at a time, covering matching, sorting, words, physics and riddles. Short sessions, low commitment.", "local_terms": "CN: 解谜 (jiěmí), with 益智 (yìzhì) for brain-training puzzles. KR: 퍼즐 (peojeul). JP: パズル (pazuru).", "subgenres": "Match Swap, Match Pair, Sort, Riddle, Word, Physics, Block, Match Merge, Trivia", "example_games": [ { "name": "Candy Crush Saga", "link": "https://www.king.com/game/candycrush" }, { "name": "Royal Match", "link": "https://dreamgames.com/games/royal-match" }, { "name": "Block Blast!", "link": "https://www.blockblast.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Simulation", "segment": "Mobile", "definition": "Games that model a system to build, manage or inhabit, covering creative sandboxes, light tycoon and management, idle loops and life sims.", "local_terms": "CN: 模拟经营 (mónǐ jīngyíng) for the management strain. KR: 시뮬레이션 (simyulleisyeon). JP: シミュレーション (shimyurēshon), but see the JP note on Strategy.", "subgenres": "Sandbox, Simulator, Idler, Tycoon/Crafting, Driving/Flight", "example_games": [ { "name": "Hay Day", "link": "https://supercell.com/en/games/hayday/" }, { "name": "Township", "link": "https://playrix.com/games/township" }, { "name": "AdVenture Capitalist", "link": "https://www.hyperhippo.com/games/adventure-capitalist" } ] }, { "name": "Arcade", "segment": "Mobile", "definition": "Fast, reflex-driven single-session games with simple controls, covering endless runners, rhythm and casual action.", "local_terms": "KR: 아케이드 (akeideu). CN: 休闲 (xiūxián), casual, covers much of the same ground. The JP App Store has no Arcade category either.", "subgenres": "Platformer/Runner, Other Arcade, Music/Rhythm, Arcade Combat", "example_games": [ { "name": "Subway Surfers", "link": "https://subwaysurfers.com/" }, { "name": "Geometry Dash", "link": "https://www.robtopgames.com/" }, { "name": "Crossy Road", "link": "https://www.crossyroad.com/" } ] }, { "name": "RPG", "segment": "Mobile, PC, console", "definition": "Character progression, collection and persistent advancement, usually gacha-monetised on mobile.", "local_terms": "CN: 角色扮演 (juésè bànyǎn). KR: 롤플레잉 (rolpeulleing). JP: ロールプレイング (rōrupureingu). JP trade press often writes ソーシャルゲーム (sōsharu gēmu) or スマホゲーム (sumaho gēmu) for the segment.", "subgenres": "Idle RPG, MMORPG, Squad RPG, Puzzle RPG, Turn-based RPG, Open-World Adventure", "example_games": [ { "name": "Genshin Impact", "link": "https://genshin.hoyoverse.com/en/" }, { "name": "Honkai: Star Rail", "link": "https://hsr.hoyoverse.com/en-us/" }, { "name": "Fate/Grand Order", "link": "https://fate-go.us/" } ] }, { "name": "Strategy", "segment": "Mobile, PC", "definition": "Planning, resource management and competition, covering base-building, real-time tactics, 4X empire, tower defense and card battlers.", "local_terms": "CN: 策略 (cèlüè), with 塔防 (tǎfáng) for tower defense. KR: 전략 (jeollyak). JP: ストラテジー (sutoratejī), though JP usage often files turn-based strategy under シミュレーション as SLG.", "subgenres": "MOBA, 4X, RTS, Build & Battle, Tower Defense, Card Battler", "example_games": [ { "name": "Clash of Clans", "link": "https://supercell.com/en/games/clashofclans/" }, { "name": "Mobile Legends: Bang Bang", "link": "https://m.mobilelegends.com/en" }, { "name": "Last War: Survival", "link": "https://www.lastwar.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Casino", "segment": "Mobile", "definition": "Social-casino and chance-based games, covering slots, poker, bingo, coin-pusher, dice and board formats, and mahjong. Gambling-adjacent with no real-money payout.", "local_terms": "CN: 棋牌 (qípái), the board-and-card category where CN gambling-adjacent play files. KR: 카지노 (kajino). JP: カジノ (kajino).", "subgenres": "Slots, Coin-pusher, Mahjong, social casino", "example_games": [ { "name": "Coin Master", "link": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/coin-master/id406889139" }, { "name": "Slotomania", "link": "https://www.slotomania.com/" }, { "name": "Bingo Blitz", "link": "https://www.bingoblitz.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Lifestyle", "segment": "Mobile", "definition": "Expressive, identity and care-oriented play, covering avatar and character customisation, dress-up, home design and virtual pets.", "local_terms": "", "subgenres": "Customization, Virtual Pet", "example_games": [ { "name": "Toca Boca World", "link": "https://www.tocaboca.com/toca-boca-world" }, { "name": "ZEPETO", "link": "https://zepeto.me/" }, { "name": "My Talking Tom 2", "link": "https://outfit7.com/apps/my-talking-tom-2/" } ] }, { "name": "Tabletop", "segment": "Mobile, PC", "definition": "Digital versions of classic table and card games, covering solitaire, chess, board games and coloring. Includes culturally specific variants such as Korea's 고스톱 (Go-Stop) and 맞고 (Matgo).", "local_terms": "CN: 桌游 (zhuōyóu), often paired as 棋牌桌游. KR: 보드 (bodeu) and 카드 (kadeu), plus 맞고 (Matgo). JP: ボード (bōdo) and カード (kādo).", "subgenres": "Solitaire, Board, Drawing & Coloring", "example_games": [ { "name": "Microsoft Solitaire Collection", "link": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/microsoft-solitaire-collection/9wzdncrfhwd2" }, { "name": "Chess.com", "link": "https://www.chess.com/" }, { "name": "피망 뉴맞고 (Pmang New Matgo)", "link": "https://gostop.pmang.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Sports", "segment": "Mobile, console, PC", "definition": "Realistic and arcade sports simulations, covering football, pool, basketball and management titles.", "local_terms": "CN: 体育 (tǐyù). KR: 스포츠 (seupocheu). JP: スポーツ (supōtsu).", "subgenres": "Realistic Sports, Arcade Sports, Sports Manager", "example_games": [ { "name": "EA Sports FC Mobile", "link": "https://www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-mobile" }, { "name": "8 Ball Pool", "link": "https://www.miniclip.com/games/8-ball-pool/" }, { "name": "Football Manager", "link": "https://www.footballmanager.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Shooter", "segment": "Mobile, PC, console", "definition": "Aim-and-fire combat, covering battle royale and first and third-person shooters.", "local_terms": "CN: 射击 (shèjī). JP: シューティング (shūtingu), abbreviated STG. The KR Play tree has no shooter category.", "subgenres": "Battle Royale, FPS/TPS", "example_games": [ { "name": "Call of Duty: Mobile", "link": "https://www.callofduty.com/mobile" }, { "name": "PUBG Mobile", "link": "https://www.pubgmobile.com/" }, { "name": "Free Fire", "link": "https://ff.garena.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Racing", "segment": "Mobile, console", "definition": "Driving and racing games, mostly arcade-style on mobile.", "local_terms": "CN: 竞速 (jìngsù). KR: 자동차 경주 (jadongcha gyeongju) on Google Play, 레이싱 (reising) on the App Store. JP: レーシング (rēshingu).", "subgenres": "Arcade Racing", "example_games": [ { "name": "Asphalt Legends Unite", "link": "https://www.gameloft.com/game/asphalt-9" }, { "name": "Mario Kart Tour", "link": "https://mariokarttour.com/" }, { "name": "Real Racing 3", "link": "https://www.ea.com/games/real-racing/real-racing-3" } ] }, { "name": "Action", "segment": "Mobile", "definition": "Real-time combat and reflex games outside the shooter and arcade buckets, covering hack-and-slash, action sandbox and shoot-'em-up.", "local_terms": "CN: 动作 (dòngzuò). KR: 액션 (aeksyeon). JP: アクション (akushon), abbreviated ACT.", "subgenres": "Shoot 'em Up, Hack and Slash, Action Sandbox", "example_games": [ { "name": "Archero 2", "link": "https://archero2.habby.com/" }, { "name": "Honkai Impact 3rd", "link": "https://honkaiimpact3.hoyoverse.com/global/en-us/home" }, { "name": "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas", "link": "https://www.rockstargames.com/games/sanandreas" } ] }, { "name": "Geolocation", "segment": "Mobile", "definition": "Location-based games using real-world movement, GPS and AR.", "local_terms": "", "subgenres": "Geolocation", "example_games": [ { "name": "Pokémon GO", "link": "https://pokemongolive.com/" }, { "name": "Ingress", "link": "https://ingress.com/" }, { "name": "Monster Hunter Now", "link": "https://monsterhunternow.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Adventure & narrative", "segment": "PC, console, stores", "definition": "Story-led games where progress comes from exploration, dialogue and puzzle-solving rather than combat systems.", "local_terms": "CN: 冒险 (màoxiǎn). KR: 어드벤처 (eodeubencheo). JP: アドベンチャー (adobenchā), which names visual novels rather than Western adventure, see Visual novel.", "subgenres": "Point-and-click, Walking simulator, Narrative adventure, Interactive fiction", "example_games": [ { "name": "Life is Strange", "link": "https://lifeisstrange.square-enix-games.com/" }, { "name": "Firewatch", "link": "https://www.firewatchgame.com/" }, { "name": "Return to Monkey Island", "link": "https://returntomonkeyisland.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Survival & crafting", "segment": "PC, console", "definition": "Games built on resource gathering, base construction and persistent threat, usually in an open world with heavy loss on death.", "local_terms": "CN: 生存 (shēngcún).", "subgenres": "Open-world survival, Crafting, Extraction, Colony survival", "example_games": [ { "name": "Rust", "link": "https://rust.facepunch.com/" }, { "name": "Valheim", "link": "https://www.valheimgame.com/" }, { "name": "ARK: Survival Ascended", "link": "https://playark.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Fighting", "segment": "Console, arcade, esports", "definition": "One-on-one or small-team melee combat with per-character movesets, built around competitive skill expression.", "local_terms": "CN: 格斗 (gédòu).", "subgenres": "2D fighter, 3D fighter, Platform fighter, Arena fighter", "example_games": [ { "name": "Street Fighter 6", "link": "https://www.streetfighter.com/6/" }, { "name": "Tekken 8", "link": "https://tekken.com/" }, { "name": "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate", "link": "https://www.smashbros.com/en_US/" } ] }, { "name": "Platformer", "segment": "Console, PC", "definition": "Movement-led games where traversal, jumping and level geometry are the core challenge.", "local_terms": "", "subgenres": "2D platformer, 3D platformer, Metroidvania, Precision platformer", "example_games": [ { "name": "Super Mario Bros. Wonder", "link": "https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/super-mario-bros-wonder-switch/" }, { "name": "Hollow Knight", "link": "https://www.hollowknight.com/" }, { "name": "Celeste", "link": "https://www.celestegame.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Horror", "segment": "PC, console, streaming", "definition": "Games organised around fear, dread and threat. Defined by tone rather than mechanic, which is what makes it unstable as a category.", "local_terms": "CN: 恐怖 (kǒngbù). JP: ホラー (horā).", "subgenres": "Survival horror, Psychological horror, Co-op horror, Analog horror", "example_games": [ { "name": "Resident Evil Village", "link": "https://www.residentevil.com/village/" }, { "name": "Phasmophobia", "link": "https://www.kineticgames.co.uk/" }, { "name": "Five Nights at Freddy's", "link": "https://scottgames.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Roguelike & roguelite", "segment": "PC", "definition": "Run-based games with procedural generation and loss of progress on death, where some progress carries across runs in the roguelite variant.", "local_terms": "CN trees use the Latin terms Roguelike and Roguelite as-is. JP: ローグライク (rōguraiku) and ローグライト (rōguraito).", "subgenres": "Traditional roguelike, Roguelite, Roguelike deckbuilder, Action roguelike", "example_games": [ { "name": "Hades", "link": "https://www.supergiantgames.com/games/hades/" }, { "name": "Slay the Spire", "link": "https://www.megacrit.com/" }, { "name": "Balatro", "link": "https://www.playbalatro.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Party & social deduction", "segment": "Cross-platform", "definition": "Short-session multiplayer games designed for groups, including hidden-role and social-deduction formats.", "local_terms": "", "subgenres": "Party, Social deduction, Minigame collection, Quiz", "example_games": [ { "name": "Among Us", "link": "https://www.innersloth.com/games/among-us/" }, { "name": "Fall Guys", "link": "https://www.fallguys.com/" }, { "name": "The Jackbox Party Pack", "link": "https://www.jackboxgames.com/games/" } ] }, { "name": "Visual novel", "segment": "Japan, PC", "definition": "Text-led games where the primary interaction is reading and branching choice, often with limited or no other mechanics.", "local_terms": "JP: アドベンチャー (adobenchā).", "subgenres": "Visual novel, Otome, Sound novel", "example_games": [ { "name": "Steins;Gate", "link": "https://steinsgate.jp/" }, { "name": "逆転裁判 (Ace Attorney)", "link": "https://www.ace-attorney.com/" }, { "name": "Doki Doki Literature Club", "link": "https://ddlc.moe/" } ] }, { "name": "Rhythm & music", "segment": "Japan, Korea, arcade, mobile", "definition": "Games where input is timed to music, with a strong arcade and mobile presence in Japan and Korea.", "local_terms": "CN: 音游 (yīnyóu). KR: 음악 (eumak), the Music category. JP: 音ゲー (ongē), also リズムゲーム (rizumu gēmu).", "subgenres": "Rhythm action, Idol rhythm, Instrument, Arcade rhythm", "example_games": [ { "name": "太鼓の達人 (Taiko no Tatsujin)", "link": "https://taiko-ch.net/" }, { "name": "プロジェクトセカイ (Project SEKAI: Colorful Stage)", "link": "https://pjsekai.sega.jp/" }, { "name": "DJMAX RESPECT V", "link": "https://djmaxrespect.com/" } ] }, { "name": "MMO", "segment": "PC, Korea, console", "definition": "Persistent shared-world games supporting large simultaneous populations, usually subscription or item-shop monetised.", "local_terms": "CN trees use MMO as-is.", "subgenres": "MMORPG, MMO sandbox, Social world", "example_games": [ { "name": "World of Warcraft", "link": "https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/" }, { "name": "Final Fantasy XIV Online", "link": "https://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/" }, { "name": "리니지W (Lineage W)", "link": "https://lineagew.plaync.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Sandbox & UGC platform", "segment": "Cross-platform", "definition": "Platforms where most playable content is made by users rather than the operator. Function as storefronts and social spaces as much as games.", "local_terms": "CN: 沙盒 (shāhé).", "subgenres": "UGC platform, Creative sandbox, User-generated worlds", "example_games": [ { "name": "Roblox", "link": "https://www.roblox.com/" }, { "name": "Minecraft", "link": "https://www.minecraft.net/" }, { "name": "Fortnite Creative", "link": "https://www.fortnite.com/creative" } ] }, { "name": "Simulation, vehicle and management", "segment": "PC, console", "definition": "High-fidelity simulation of vehicles, farming, industry and sports management, usually with long sessions and steep learning curves.", "local_terms": "", "subgenres": "Sim racing, Flight sim, Farming sim, Sports management, Colony sim", "example_games": [ { "name": "Microsoft Flight Simulator", "link": "https://www.flightsimulator.com/" }, { "name": "Farming Simulator 25", "link": "https://www.farming-simulator.com/" }, { "name": "iRacing", "link": "https://www.iracing.com/" } ] }, { "name": "Educational & kids", "segment": "Stores, mobile", "definition": "Games made for children and for learning contexts, distributed through store categories rather than vendor genre trees.", "local_terms": "KR: 교육 (gyoyuk). JP: 子ども向け (kodomo-muke) and ファミリー (famirī).", "subgenres": "Early learning, Kids entertainment, Classroom", "example_games": [ { "name": "Khan Academy Kids", "link": "https://www.khanacademy.org/kids" }, { "name": "ABCmouse", "link": "https://www.abcmouse.com/" }, { "name": "PBS Kids Games", "link": "https://pbskids.org/games/" } ] }, { "name": "Indie", "segment": "Cross-platform", "definition": "Not a genre at all. A production and funding descriptor, meaning a game made outside major-publisher structures, which vendor trees carry alongside genres as though it were one.", "local_terms": "CN: 独立游戏 (dúlì yóuxì). KR: 인디 (indi) on the App Store.", "subgenres": "No subgenres. The term describes who made a game rather than how it plays", "example_games": [ { "name": "Stardew Valley", "link": "https://www.stardewvalley.net/" }, { "name": "Undertale", "link": "https://undertale.com/" }, { "name": "Vampire Survivors", "link": "https://poncle.games/" } ] }, { "name": "Pinball", "segment": "Cross-platform, arcade", "definition": "Digital recreations of physical pinball tables, plus original tables built to the same physics conventions.", "local_terms": "", "subgenres": "Table simulation, Original tables, Licensed tables", "example_games": [ { "name": "Pinball FX", "link": "https://zenstudios.com/games/pinball-fx/" }, { "name": "Zaccaria Pinball", "link": "https://www.zaccariapinball.com/" }, { "name": "Pinball M", "link": "https://zenstudios.com/games/pinball-m/" } ] }, { "name": "Quiz and trivia", "segment": "Mobile, cross-platform", "definition": "Question-and-answer games scored on knowledge and speed, including live and asynchronous multiplayer formats.", "local_terms": "KR: 퀴즈 (kwijeu). JP: トリビア (toribia).", "subgenres": "Trivia, Quiz show, Live quiz, Pub quiz", "example_games": [ { "name": "Trivia Crack", "link": "https://www.triviacrack.com/" }, { "name": "Kahoot!", "link": "https://kahoot.com/" }, { "name": "Jeopardy! World Tour", "link": "https://www.jeopardy.com/play/jeopardy-world-tour" } ] }, { "name": "Word", "segment": "Mobile", "definition": "Games built on vocabulary, spelling and letter manipulation, including crosswords, anagrams and guessing formats.", "local_terms": "KR: 단어 (daneo). JP: 単語 (tango).", "subgenres": "Crossword, Anagram, Word search, Guessing", "example_games": [ { "name": "Wordle", "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle/index.html" }, { "name": "Words With Friends 2", "link": "https://www.zynga.com/games/words-with-friends-2/" }, { "name": "Wordscapes", "link": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.peoplefun.wordcross" } ] } ] }