Game types
Every kind of game, in plain language
A short reference to game types. Each page says what the type is and lists well-known games, picked by hand. Games in the Gamedexy library come first. The lists are examples, not a ranking, and they say nothing about sales or player counts. Where a game is in the Gamedexy library, the title links to its screens and flows.
Puzzle and word
Matching, merging, wordplay and quizzes.
- Block puzzlePuzzle games where you fit shaped blocks onto a grid and clear full rows or columns.
- Brain teaserShort trick puzzles that reward lateral thinking, often with a joke in the answer.
- Bubble shooterPuzzle games where you aim colored bubbles at a cluster overhead to pop groups of the same color.
- ColoringRelaxed games where you fill in pictures, usually by number, with no way to fail.
- Escape roomPuzzle adventures where you examine a locked space, gather clues and combine items to get out.
- Hidden objectPuzzle games where you search a detailed scene for a list of items, often to move a story along.
- JigsawDigital versions of the jigsaw puzzle, where you assemble an image from loose pieces at your own pace.
- Mahjong solitaireSolo tile games where you clear a layered stack by pairing matching free tiles.
- Match-3Puzzle games where you swap or tap pieces to line up three or more of the same kind and clear them from the board.
- MergePuzzle games where you combine two matching items into one better item, again and again, to build up something larger.
- Number and logicPure logic puzzles such as sudoku and nonograms, solved by reasoning and never by luck.
- Physics puzzlePuzzle games where gravity and momentum do the work and you set up the right shot or structure.
- Pin and screw puzzlePuzzle games where you pull pins or remove screws in the right order so a structure comes apart safely.
- Sort puzzlePuzzle games where you move colored items between containers until each container holds one color.
- Tile matchPuzzle games where you pick matching tiles or objects from a pile into a small tray until the pile is gone.
- TriviaGames that ask you questions about the world, in categories, and score you on what you know and how fast you answer.
- Word gamesGames built on spelling and vocabulary, where you find, build or guess words to solve a puzzle or beat an opponent.
Simulation and management
Build, run and grow something over time.
- City builderGames where you lay out and run a town or city, balancing housing, services and money.
- FarmingGames where you plant, harvest and sell crops and raise animals on a growing farm.
- God gameGames where you shape a world from above and guide its people without controlling each one.
- Home designGames where you furnish and decorate rooms, often as the reward for finishing another kind of level.
- Idle and incrementalGames where numbers keep growing on their own, and your choices are mostly about what to upgrade next.
- Life simulationGames where you direct the everyday life of a character or household, from jobs and homes to relationships.
- SandboxOpen games with few set goals, where you build and experiment with the world as you like.
- Survival and craftingGames where you gather resources, craft tools and build shelter while hunger and danger close in.
- Time managementGames where you serve customers against the clock, chaining quick actions as orders pile up.
- Transport and vehicle simGames where you drive or manage trucks, trains, planes or buses, with an eye on routes and upkeep.
- Tycoon and simulationGames where you build and run something, such as a farm, a restaurant or a business, and make it grow.
- Virtual petGames where you feed, clean and play with a creature that grows and reacts over time.
Casual and hybrid
Quick, simple play with light progression on top.
- ArcadeShort score-chasing games with instant restarts and difficulty that climbs quickly.
- ClickerGames where repeated taps earn a currency that buys upgrades, so each tap counts for more.
- Endless runnerGames where your character keeps moving and you dodge obstacles for as long as you can.
- Fashion and dress-upGames where you style characters with outfits and makeup, often to meet a theme or compete with others.
- FishingGames where you cast, reel and collect fish, from relaxed idle catches to careful simulations.
- Hybrid-casualGames with the simple, easy-to-learn core of a hyper-casual game plus longer-term progression borrowed from mid-core games.
- HypercasualVery simple games built around one tap or swipe mechanic, playable in seconds and usually funded by ads.
- IOQuick online arenas where you grow by eating, cutting off or outlasting other players.
- RhythmGames where you tap, hold or slide in time with music.
- Satisfying and ASMRCalm games built on tidy, pleasing actions such as cleaning, cutting, packing or peeling.
Strategy
Plan, expand and out-think other players.
- 4X strategyStrategy games built on four actions: explore, expand, exploit and exterminate, played over long stretches against rivals.
- Auto battlerStrategy games where you draft and place a team before each round, then watch it fight on its own.
- Base builder and raidStrategy games where you build a defended base, train troops and attack other players' bases.
- Grand strategyLong-form strategy games where you run a nation across wars, diplomacy and trade.
- MOBATeam battle games where two sides of heroes fight to push lanes and destroy the enemy base.
- Real-time strategyStrategy games where you command units and gather resources with no turns to pause the action.
- Tower defenseStrategy games where you place towers along a route to stop waves of enemies.
- Turn-based tacticsStrategy games where you move a small squad across a grid, one careful turn at a time.
Cards and board
Tabletop ideas on a phone screen.
- BingoGames where you mark numbers on a card as they are called and race to finish a line.
- Board and dice gamesDigital versions of tabletop play, where dice, a board and turns drive the game, alone or with friends.
- Card battlerGames where you play cards from a deck you build or collect to fight an opponent or work through a run.
- Chess and abstractPure strategy board games with no hidden cards and little or no luck.
- Classic cardTraditional card games like Spades, Hearts, Rummy and Uno, played against people or computer opponents.
- PokerCard games of betting and bluffing, usually played for virtual chips.
- Roguelike deckbuilderSolo card games where you build a deck during one run and start over each time you lose.
- Social casinoSlots, bingo and table games played with virtual coins for fun rather than real money.
- SolitaireSolo card games such as Klondike, Spider and FreeCell, where you sort a dealt deck into order.
Action and shooters
Reflexes, aiming and real-time combat.
- Battle royaleShooters where many players drop onto a shrinking map and the last one or team standing wins.
- FightingOne-on-one combat games built on timing, combos and reading your opponent.
- First-person shooterGames seen through your character's eyes, where aiming and movement decide each fight.
- Hack and slashAction games where you cut through crowds of enemies with fast melee attacks.
- HorrorGames built to frighten you, usually by leaving you weak, in the dark and short on options.
- MetroidvaniaSide-on adventures where new abilities reopen old areas of one large connected map.
- Open-world actionGames set in a large free-roaming place where missions can be tackled in any order.
- PlatformerGames built around running and jumping across levels, where timing is the main skill.
- Shoot 'em upFast scrolling shooters where you pilot a ship through dense patterns of enemy fire.
- Survivors-likeTop-down games where your character attacks by itself while you steer through swarms and pick upgrades.
- Third-person shooterShooters where the camera sits behind your character, with an emphasis on cover and positioning.
Role-playing
Characters, gear and long-term progression.
- Action RPGRole-playing games with real-time combat, where gear and skills sit on top of direct control.
- Dungeon crawlerGames about pushing deeper through monster-filled rooms in search of gear.
- Gacha RPGRole-playing games where you unlock characters through random draws and level them into a team.
- Idle RPGRole-playing games where your team fights and earns while you are away, so short check-ins carry real progress.
- MMORPGOnline role-playing worlds shared by many players, with guilds, trading and group content.
- Monster tamingRole-playing games where you catch, raise and battle creatures as your team.
- RoguelikeGames where each run has new layouts and rewards, and failure sends you back to the start.
- Text RPGRole-playing games told mainly in writing, where choices and stats replace graphics.
- Turn-based RPGRole-playing games where the party takes turns in battle and the story carries the journey.
Adventure and story
Exploration, choices and fiction.
- Cozy explorationGentle games about wandering a pleasant world, helping others and collecting things with no pressure.
- Interactive storyEpisodes of fiction where your choices steer the plot, often paid for with a daily ticket or gem.
- Narrative adventureStory-led games with light puzzles, where the setting and writing are the main draw.
- Point and clickAdventure games where you explore scenes, talk to characters and solve item puzzles.
- Visual novelStory games told through text and character art, with branching routes and endings.
Sports and racing
Real sports and motor racing, played or managed.
- Arcade racingRacing games that favor speed, drifting and boosts over realistic handling.
- Baseball and American footballTeam-sport games built around real leagues, seasons and collectible player rosters.
- BasketballGames where you play matches, build a team or take quick trick shots on the court.
- Combat sportsBoxing, wrestling and martial arts games based on matches, stamina and rosters.
- CricketGames where you bat, bowl and manage a cricket side across short and long formats.
- FootballGames where you play matches or build a squad in association football.
- Golf and tennisOne-on-one and solo sports games built around a single swing or shot.
- Sim racingRacing games that aim for real car behavior, tracks and setups.
- Sports managerGames where you run a club through transfers, tactics and finances instead of playing the matches.
Social and platforms
Playing with groups, and worlds made by players.
- Game platformApps that hold thousands of player-made games and worlds in one place.
- Location-based and ARGames played by walking around the real world, using your position and camera.
- PartyLight multiplayer games made for groups, full of short rounds and silly rules.
- Social deductionGroup games where players hide their roles and argue over who to trust.
Kids and learning
Games for young players and for building skills.