Page Text: Action
The action category refers to the broadly applied term for games with major emphasis in testing and challeging the player's abilities, such as reflexes, dexterity, timing, reaction time and eye-hand coordination. This is a major video game genre, dating as far back as 1962's Spacewar, and it has spawned several subgenres such as shooters and beat 'em up. While games from other genres can be encompassed by such definition, the action genre refers to games in which the gameplay is heavily based on the previously mentioned common factors. The prime distinction, between games that only incorporate some of the mechanics and factors from action games and actual action games, is based in the influence rather than the presence of such mechanics and factors in the general gameplay. That means that despite a game featuring and requiring real-time responses from the player, what matters and defines a game as an "action game" ultimately depends of how much and to which degree the progression of the game relies on the real-time responses, skills and abilities of the player.
4 subgenres
Action-adventure
Action-adventure is a term used for games that include elements of both, as its name suggests, the action and adventure genres and is thus considered by many to be possibly the broadest genre in video gaming. In traditional adventure games, the player is tasked with solving puzzles and difficult situations with little to no action. In contrast, action games focus on combat and reflex testing, so action-adventure ideally includes both of these aspects in one.
10 subgenres
Adventure
The adventure game is one of the oldest and most long-standing of all gaming genres. They are not necessarily games which feature the protagonist going on the dictionary definition of an "adventure"; the genre's name is instead derived from the 1976 game ADVENT (a.k.a. Colossal Cave Adventure or simply Adventure) - which is widely regarded as being the first ever adventure game - rather than from its actual mechanics or themes.
Arcade
'Arcade' is a style of gameplay that was developed in the '70s and gained widespread popularity in the '80s. Most of the notable early examples of arcades were released in the form of coin-operated machines in amusement arcades. Titles such as Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, Mortal Kombat, Metal Slug, Mario Bros., and Sonic the Hedgehog helped define and popularize the genre early on.
1 subgenre
Driving
Games centered around controlling vehicles, which may or may not involve racing against opponents or completing laps of a course. These games may focus on exploration, completion of missions, finding collectibles or other objectives. While some of these games feature an open-world, others involve a specific set of levels that the player must complete.
3 subgenres
Edutainment
Edutainment video games incorporate elements of educational software for the purpose of teaching players concepts and skills. These games are often intended for younger children, who are more likely to engage with learning materials when they are presented in the form of entertainment media.