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Roguelike

A subgenre of role-playing games defined by three core pillars: procedurally generated levels that create a unique map layout every run, permadeath meaning your character's death ends the run permanently with no save reloading, and turn-based or real-time tactical gameplay that rewards careful decision-making. The genre takes its name from Rogue, a 1980 dungeon-crawling game by Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman developed on UNIX systems. What makes roguelikes so replayable is that no two runs are identical: the dungeon layouts, item placements, enemy types, and random events all change every time you start fresh, ensuring hundreds of hours of distinct play. Pure roguelikes adhere strictly to all original conventions (permadeath, turn-based, grid movement, high complexity); examples include NetHack, Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, and Caves of Qud. The more casual 'roguelite' branch borrows the aesthetic while softening the rules with persistent unlocks. A common misconception is that Hades is a roguelike. Technically, it is a roguelite because retained currency and hub upgrades survive each death. The best roguelikes reward mastery: a skilled player learns item synergies and threat hierarchies well enough to achieve consistent victories despite the procedural randomness.

Genre

Roguelite

A genre that borrows the core pillars of roguelikes (procedurally generated levels and permadeath) but layers in persistent meta-progression that carries over between runs, softening the harshness of starting from scratch. When you die in a roguelite, you retain currency, unlocks, or passive upgrades that make future attempts slightly more powerful or give you more starting options. This persistent layer fundamentally changes the player psychology: every failed run contributes something, turning frustration into motivation. Hades, Dead Cells, Risk of Rain 2, Slay the Spire, and Vampire Survivors are defining roguelites. The term emerged in the early 2010s as game designers adapted the roguelike formula for wider audiences who found pure permadeath discouraging. The distinction matters because roguelites can be 'beaten' by accumulating enough meta-progress, while pure roguelikes demand raw skill from run one. Roguelites often also use real-time action combat rather than the turn-based movement found in traditional roguelikes, making them feel faster and more action-oriented. The genre is now one of the most popular in indie gaming, with new roguelites releasing every month across all platforms.

Genre

Metroidvania

A genre of 2D action-adventure games built around interconnected maps where progression is gated by abilities your character has not yet acquired. You explore freely until you hit a barrier (a high ledge, a locked door, a water section) that requires a specific power-up or ability to pass. Once gained, that ability unlocks not just the new area but also rewards hidden earlier in the game, encouraging backtracking across a richly layered world. The name is a portmanteau of Metroid (Nintendo, 1986) and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami, 1997), the two series that codified the formula. The genre's structure creates a satisfying sense of mounting mastery: the same world that was intimidating at the start feels familiar and navigable once you're fully powered up. Modern genre-defining examples include Hollow Knight, Ori and the Blind Forest, Blasphemous, Axiom Verge, and Dread Templar. Many Metroidvanias are indie titles because the interconnected map design suits smaller development teams. A common misconception is that any 2D game with exploration qualifies. True Metroidvanias require hard ability gating and intentional backtracking design, not just open levels.

Genre

Soulslike

A subgenre of action RPGs defined by FromSoftware's Dark Souls trilogy and its design philosophy: challenging, methodical melee combat built on stamina management and pattern recognition; death as a teaching tool rather than a punishment (you lose carried currency but respawn at a checkpoint); minimal hand-holding with lore delivered through item descriptions and environmental detail rather than exposition; and interconnected world design that reveals surprising shortcuts as you explore. FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki established the template with Demon's Souls (2009) and refined it through Dark Souls (2011), Bloodborne (2015), and Elden Ring (2022). The genre's appeal lies in the satisfaction of conquering bosses that seemed impossible after dozens of attempts; every death contains information. Soulslikes beyond FromSoftware include Lies of P, Nioh 2, The Surge 2, and Lords of the Fallen (2023). A key distinction: soulslikes are hard but fair. Deaths result from the player failing to read patterns, not from random unfairness. Elden Ring broadened the template by adding open-world exploration, allowing players to tackle the game's challenges in flexible order and making it the most accessible entry point for newcomers to the genre.

Genre

Battle Royale

A multiplayer game genre in which a large number of players, typically 60 to 150, are dropped onto a large map with no equipment, scavenge for weapons and armour, and fight to be the last player or squad standing. A defining mechanical feature is the shrinking play zone: an ever-tightening safe area (often represented as a circle or storm) forces players who would otherwise hide to continuously move toward each other, guaranteeing escalating confrontation as the match progresses. The genre takes its name from the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale (and indirectly the 1999 novel by Koushun Takami). PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG, 2017) established the modern template and sold 75 million copies; Fortnite (Epic Games, 2017) made the genre a global cultural phenomenon by adding building mechanics and free-to-play. Today's major battle royales include Apex Legends (hero-based abilities), Warzone (military realism), and the mobile-dominant BGMI and Free Fire. The genre demands a combination of looting efficiency, combat aim, and positioning strategy; players who understand the final safe zones and manage their rotations consistently outperform purely aim-focused players. Squad-based modes (duos, trios, quads) have become dominant because they reduce the pressure of solo play.

Genre

Action RPG

A genre that blends real-time action combat (where the player directly controls attacks, dodges, and abilities in real time) with RPG progression systems such as character levelling, skill trees, loot-driven equipment upgrades, and stat allocation. The player's mechanical skill matters alongside their character build, distinguishing ARPGs from traditional turn-based RPGs where strategy matters more than reflex. The genre divides broadly into two visual styles: the isometric hack-and-slash ARPG (Diablo, Path of Exile, Torchlight, Last Epoch), which emphasises loot density and build optimization; and the third-person narrative ARPG (The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Baldur's Gate 3's combat mode), which emphasises world-building and story alongside combat depth. Diablo (1996) and its sequels established the loot loop that became the isometric ARPG standard, while FromSoftware's games created the soulslike ARPG branch. The genre dominates modern mainstream gaming: in any year, the biggest titles are almost always ARPGs or genres directly adjacent to them. A common criticism of ARPGs is 'gear treadmill' design: content exists primarily to deliver better numbers rather than meaningfully different gameplay.

Genre