Unlike just watching movies or television,gamingisn’t just another form of entertainment. It’s a hobby, something you can really submerge yourself in and experience a variety of different feelings and perspectives.
As with most hobbies, gaming has a variety of different points of entry in the form of its many genres, though some are admittedly more accessible than others.
10 Hardest Game Genres To Get Into, Ranked
There’s a multitude of game genres that you can’t love no matter how hard you try, but which are the hardest to get into?
It wouldn’t be a good idea for someone entirely new to gaming as a concept to jump right into something like a 4X strategy game or a MOBA, as those games have a lot of dense mechanics and lingo.
Even if you can’t do the complicated stuff right off the bat, you’re by no means locked out of gaming entirely. You just have to start a little simpler. Whether you’reintroducing a young person to the hobbyor entering it for the first time yourself, these are the genres that can help to ease you in.
102D Platformer
You Can’t Beat The Classics
2D platformers may not have been the first genre of video game ever made, but they are undoubtedly some of the most iconic. If you see an image of a little dude running horizontally across a screen, that immediately makes you say, “yep, that’s a video game.”
New gamers have gotten their feet wet with 2D platformers since the 80s, and they’ve only gotten better as a beginner’s genre.
There are definitely some prohibitively difficult 2D platformers out there designed with precision play in mind, but there are also plenty of calmer, lower-risk platformers that you’re able to freely tackle at your own pace.
Thanks in large part to better checkpointing and a general departure from lives systems, these kinds of games have become much more forgiving than their ancestors.
Some good, beginner-friendly examples of 2D platformers includeSuper Mario Bros. Wonder,Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, andRayman Legends.
93D Platformer
They’re Different, Shush
In the mid-90s, more powerful hardware allowed gaming to gradually make the leap from 2D to 3D, with platformers being one of the first genres on the scene.
The addition of depth to length and width created much cooler locales to explore, not to mention opened possibilities for all kinds of new movement mechanics like full-on flight.
For as much good as the transition to 3D has done gaming as a whole, it wasn’t without its awkward years.Super Mario 64 is a definitive classic, but it’s not an easy game, and might not be the best choice for a beginner in this day and age.
Luckily, much like 2D platformers, 3D platformers have evolved with the times as well, becoming more accessible and free-flowing to accommodate learning players. Some newer platformers even have height markers that show where your character will land after a jump.
Some pleasant examples of 3D platformers includeSuper Mario Odyssey,New Super Lucky’s Tale, andSpyro Reignited Trilogy.
8First-Person Shooter
Point, Shoot, Dead
If the 80s and 90s were all about platformers, the early 2000s were all about first-person shooters. Both realistic military shooters and hyper-stylized arena shooters were hitting the market in droves, providing players a whole new way to kill each other in-game.
Shooters were around well before then, of course, but that was when they really became one of gaming’s tentpole genres.
Some sub-genres of shooter may be a bit much for a new player, such as hero shooters or extraction shooters. If you’re just learning how to point and shoot in-game, it may be best to stick to something with a linear campaign, perhaps with wider levels and more guns to choose from.
Basically, if you’re in a position of power and can carry an entire arsenal in your pants, you don’t have to worry as much about things like taking cover or ambushing foes.Boomer shooters, in other words.
These low-stakes first-person shooters includeCall of Juarez Gunslinger,Serious Sam 2, and the originalDoom.
7Kart Racer
Chuck A Shell And Laugh
Broadly speaking, racing games fall into two categories: real racers and kart racers.
Real racing games may be more realistic, but they’re also much more technical and competitive. You need to really understand how a car moves to get good at them. If all you’re looking for is to zoom around a track, a kart racer may be more your speed.
Kart racers have always been about joyful fun with friends for decades. You’ve got colorful characters, wacky maps, and a whole suite of obnoxious items and weapons to harass each other with.
Things can get a little sweaty in online play with veteran players vying for first place, but just knowing when to hold the accelerator and throw your shells will get you a long way toward the middle ranks, not to mention consistent victory against low-to-medium-level CPU opponents.
You can’t go wrong with kart racers likeMario Kart 8 Deluxe,Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, andCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.
6Simulator
Like Work Without The Work
Video games can be a nice escape from the doldrums of life. However, somewhat paradoxically, said doldrums of life can actually make great fodder for video game concepts.
Such is the drive of simulator games. Turns out backbreaking labor is more engaging when you’re not actually breaking your back.
Pretty much any kind of profession or minute task can serve as the basis of a simulator game, whether it’s flying a transcontinental aircraft or managing a supermarket. If you’ve got a head for business logistics, there areplenty of simulatorswith an emphasis on number crunching.
Or, if you just like fiddling with switches, there are various vehicular simulators that recreate all kinds of methods of conveyance with surprising authenticity. Some games even let you live an entire simulated life, buying or building a home and raising a family.
Some entertaining simulator games includePowerWash Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2, andThe Sims 3.
Just Feel The Beat
Even if you have absolutely no ability to play an instrument or sing, at the very least, most people can recognize a beat when they hear it. If you can at least hear and internalize a consistent rhythm, then you pretty much already have everything you need to enjoy rhythm games.
Rhythm games had their 15 minutes of fame in the mid-2000s before largely falling out of vogue. In recent years, though, there’s been a renewed interest in the genre.
10 Best Rhythm Games On Steam
Never a dull note.
This has given rise to both traditional rhythm games where all you have to do is follow notes on a track, and hybrid rhythm games that integrate elements from other game genres.
If you’re a beginner, the former would be the better choice. What’s especially neat about some of these games is that they tend to have lots of creative support, with players making their own levels based on popular songs.
If you’re interested, some toe-tapping rhythm games includeTrombone Champ, Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival, and Audiosurf 2.
4Visual Novel
Enjoy The Story
Another mildly paradoxical thing about games is that they don’t always need to have gameplay. Sometimes, a video game merely serves as a medium to tell you a story, introducing you to a world and characters as they go about their lives.
If you’re more in the mood to have a thread spun rather than experience high-impact action, you may be a burgeoningfan of visual novels.
Obviously, a visual novel is similar to just reading a book, but the addition of visible characters and reactions, as well as the occasional potential to influence the outcome of the story, makes things a little more engaging.
Some visual novels also incorporate small gameplay elements, such as mixing drinks or solving puzzles. The main focus is still on the story, but getting you to use your head a little bit helps to ensure you’re paying attention and properly internalizing what the characters are telling you.
Coffee Talk,Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, andVA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Actionare some of the best visual novels out there.
3Casual Puzzle
Take Your Time To Solve It
Speaking of puzzles, a little brain-teaser now and then is a great way to keep your neurons firing when you’re tired. Puzzle games are another major tentpole genre, though some puzzle games are a bit too complex or high-concept for new players.
Thankfully, there are plenty of low-stakes, casual puzzle games available that you’re able to occupy half your brain with while watching TV.
These kinds of puzzle games don’t usually have timers or fail states, or if they do, they’re very forgiving. You’re free to take your time and really think about the solution, or in some cases, just experiment with different approaches and see what works.
This is also where the casual games from the mid-2000s like Bejeweled really shine, as they start exceptionally simply before gradually ramping up to more elaborate mechanics. There’s a reason phone games have been a hot ticket for a while, you know.
Some relatively simple puzzle games includePeggle Deluxe, Puzzle Agent, andScribblenauts Unlimited.
Make Your Own Fun
Emergent gameplay, if you’re not familiar with the concept, refers to when deeper, more complex gameplay mechanics arise from the interactions of simpler mechanics.
Technically, this can happen in any genre of game, but the genre that best exemplifies it is sandbox games.
Sandbox games often overlap with other genres of game, like shooters and simulators, but with the added wrinkle that you can pretty much go wherever and do whatever you want. It’s a very freeing style of game, great for folks who love to make their own fun.
Since emergent gameplay can be as simple or complex as you yourself make it, sandbox games are a good choice for younger players who may not want to engage with a game’s full scope. That’s why games like Minecraft are so popular with the youngins, for instance.
Best examples of free-flowing sandbox games includeStardew Valley, House Flipper, and, of course,Minecraft.
Less Skill, More Luck
Gaming doesn’t necessarily have to be a social activity, but if you’re looking more for something silly to do with friends than something to be absorbed into on your own, there are plenty of games that fit that niche.
Specifically, we’re talking about party games, which are often less reliant on understanding gameplay mechanics and noodling around or getting lucky.
Party games can be competitive to an extent, but they’re usually built on a foundation of exceptionally simple, universally-understood concepts.
For instance, many party games draw inspiration from board games with luck-based rules, relying on dice rolls or card draws. Or, if there is more traditional gameplay, it’s compartmentalized enough that the rules and controls can all be printed on a small note card.
If you need to entertain your friends, party games such as Super Mario Party Jamboree,Gang Beasts, andThe Jackbox Party Packare safe bets.
