Game classification

Game classification

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17 June 2005

Below are some dimensions that can be used to classify games:

Theme:

Abstract vs. reality based - Chess is a very abstract game, while CRPGs and adventure games are reality based. The more reality-based the game, the more complex the "rules" can be since players can use their knowledge of real-world rules as a basis for understanding the game world.
Game-given goal vs. player-given goal - Virtual worlds tend to have player-driven goals, while shorter games have game-driven goals. Player-given goals are stronger.
Associated story or history - Some games have no backstory (such as Pac Man), while others require knowledge of the backstory to complete the game (such as Adventure games). A game whose backstory is useless to gameplay might as well discard the backstory.

Available sub-games and activities:

Single sub-game or variety of sub-games - Arcade and console games are typically built around one sub-game that's played over and over. Adventure games, and some CRPGs, rely on dozens to hundreds of sub-games.
How much sub-games interact - A game where the sub-games don't interact with one another is a "games web-site" like Yahoo Games. Conversely, virtual worlds usually rely on sub-games interacting with one another, such as killing monsters producing loot, which can then be sold, crafted, and used to produce weapons and armour that improves killing monsters.

Characters:

Player's characters persist over several sessions - Arcade and console games typically have characters that only last one game session. CRPGs rely on characters that survive over many sessions.
Single character vs. multiple characters - CRPGs let players control a single character (or small party). God-games allow players to control whole armies and civilisations.
Direct control of the character vs. an AI intermediary - CRPGs and adventure games give the player direct control over their character(s). Pet-raising games and The Sims only let players control their characters indirectly.

Miscellaneous:

Play with or against other players, and single-player games - Everquest encourages play with other players, while a Halo 2 is about playing against other players (as well as playing with your friends).
Players can change the world - Some games allow players to change the world their characters inhabit. This is particularly relevant for multiplayer games.