Industry

Understanding the Games Industry

The platforms where gaming and game streaming happen, plus a taxonomy of gaming genres.

Thirty genres, each with a definition, its subgenres, ninety named example games, and the words actually used for it in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. These are the labels the platforms use, not a scheme imposed over them: the industry has no shared genre taxonomy, so two datasets that look like they describe the same thing often do not.

Segment

30 of 30 shown

These rows

GenreDefinitionSubgenresSegment
PuzzleLogic and pattern games solved one problem at a time, covering matching, sorting, words, physics and riddles. Short sessions, low commitment.Match Swap, Match Pair, Sort, Riddle, Word, Physics, Block, Match Merge, TriviaMobile, cross-platform
Example games
SimulationGames that model a system to build, manage or inhabit, covering creative sandboxes, light tycoon and management, idle loops and life sims.Sandbox, Simulator, Idler, Tycoon/Crafting, Driving/FlightMobile
Example games
ArcadeFast, reflex-driven single-session games with simple controls, covering endless runners, rhythm and casual action.Platformer/Runner, Other Arcade, Music/Rhythm, Arcade CombatMobile
Example games
RPGCharacter progression, collection and persistent advancement, usually gacha-monetised on mobile.Idle RPG, MMORPG, Squad RPG, Puzzle RPG, Turn-based RPG, Open-World AdventureMobile, PC, console
Example games
StrategyPlanning, resource management and competition, covering base-building, real-time tactics, 4X empire, tower defense and card battlers.MOBA, 4X, RTS, Build & Battle, Tower Defense, Card BattlerMobile, PC
Example games
CasinoSocial-casino and chance-based games, covering slots, poker, bingo, coin-pusher, dice and board formats, and mahjong. Gambling-adjacent with no real-money payout.Slots, Coin-pusher, Mahjong, social casinoMobile
Example games
LifestyleExpressive, identity and care-oriented play, covering avatar and character customisation, dress-up, home design and virtual pets.Customization, Virtual PetMobile
Example games
TabletopDigital 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).Solitaire, Board, Drawing & ColoringMobile, PC
Example games
SportsRealistic and arcade sports simulations, covering football, pool, basketball and management titles.Realistic Sports, Arcade Sports, Sports ManagerMobile, console, PC
Example games
ShooterAim-and-fire combat, covering battle royale and first and third-person shooters.Battle Royale, FPS/TPSMobile, PC, console
Example games
RacingDriving and racing games, mostly arcade-style on mobile.Arcade RacingMobile, console
Example games
ActionReal-time combat and reflex games outside the shooter and arcade buckets, covering hack-and-slash, action sandbox and shoot-'em-up.Shoot 'em Up, Hack and Slash, Action SandboxMobile
Example games
GeolocationLocation-based games using real-world movement, GPS and AR.GeolocationMobile
Example games
Adventure & narrativeStory-led games where progress comes from exploration, dialogue and puzzle-solving rather than combat systems.Point-and-click, Walking simulator, Narrative adventure, Interactive fictionPC, console, stores
Example games
Survival & craftingGames built on resource gathering, base construction and persistent threat, usually in an open world with heavy loss on death.Open-world survival, Crafting, Extraction, Colony survivalPC, console
Example games
FightingOne-on-one or small-team melee combat with per-character movesets, built around competitive skill expression.2D fighter, 3D fighter, Platform fighter, Arena fighterConsole, arcade, esports
Example games
PlatformerMovement-led games where traversal, jumping and level geometry are the core challenge.2D platformer, 3D platformer, Metroidvania, Precision platformerConsole, PC
Example games
HorrorGames organised around fear, dread and threat. Defined by tone rather than mechanic, which is what makes it unstable as a category.Survival horror, Psychological horror, Co-op horror, Analog horrorPC, console, streaming
Example games
Roguelike & rogueliteRun-based games with procedural generation and loss of progress on death, where some progress carries across runs in the roguelite variant.Traditional roguelike, Roguelite, Roguelike deckbuilder, Action roguelikePC
Example games
Party & social deductionShort-session multiplayer games designed for groups, including hidden-role and social-deduction formats.Party, Social deduction, Minigame collection, QuizCross-platform
Example games
Visual novelText-led games where the primary interaction is reading and branching choice, often with limited or no other mechanics.Visual novel, Otome, Sound novelJapan, PC
Example games
Rhythm & musicGames where input is timed to music, with a strong arcade and mobile presence in Japan and Korea.Rhythm action, Idol rhythm, Instrument, Arcade rhythmJapan, Korea, arcade, mobile
Example games
MMOPersistent shared-world games supporting large simultaneous populations, usually subscription or item-shop monetised.MMORPG, MMO sandbox, Social worldPC, Korea, console
Example games
Sandbox & UGC platformPlatforms where most playable content is made by users rather than the operator. Function as storefronts and social spaces as much as games.UGC platform, Creative sandbox, User-generated worldsCross-platform
Example games
Simulation, vehicle and managementHigh-fidelity simulation of vehicles, farming, industry and sports management, usually with long sessions and steep learning curves.Sim racing, Flight sim, Farming sim, Sports management, Colony simPC, console
Example games
Educational & kidsGames made for children and for learning contexts, distributed through store categories rather than vendor genre trees.Early learning, Kids entertainment, ClassroomStores, mobile
Example games
IndieNot 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.No subgenres. The term describes who made a game rather than how it playsCross-platform
Example games
PinballDigital recreations of physical pinball tables, plus original tables built to the same physics conventions.Table simulation, Original tables, Licensed tablesCross-platform, arcade
Example games
Quiz and triviaQuestion-and-answer games scored on knowledge and speed, including live and asynchronous multiplayer formats.Trivia, Quiz show, Live quiz, Pub quizMobile, cross-platform
Example games
WordGames built on vocabulary, spelling and letter manipulation, including crosswords, anagrams and guessing formats.Crossword, Anagram, Word search, GuessingMobile
Example games