Action games

Action game genre is for players who prefer to be in the very centre of everything that is happening and start completing given challenges right off the bat. Main mechanics revolve around traits like – accuracy, movement, quick decisions, reflexes, timing.

This genre is meant to entertain players who do not necessarily need a complex story mode within a game and rather seek intense and fast-phased gameplay right from the very beginning. Action genre can be split into many categories such as – platform, rhythm, fighting and stealth.

Action games, to this day by most accounts, make up the most popular video games. Such genre games are easy to get the hang of, but they have a steadily rising learning curve.

While many games can only be put into action genre category if they do not fit in any other genre like Racing/Driving, RPG or Sports, there are many sub genres that widen the extents of action games. Also, most characteristics particularly common to action genre can be found within many other genres. Most common types of games in which action genres characteristics are present:

Platform – game character interacts with various platforms within a game, usually running, jumping, or falling throughout the gameplay. Super Mario Bros is one of the most known examples.
Rhythm – music-based action games that challenge players to keep up a phase with the rhythm of a song or a soundtrack by pressing corresponding buttons on the controller, for example, Dance Dance Revolution or Guitar Hero.
Fighting — action focus is on combat. This sub genre presents many characters with their own unique abilities, skills and fighting style. Either a player versus player combat or single-player focused gradual progression through levels taking on more and more difficult opponents, for example, Tekken or Mortal Kombat series.
Stealth – usually encourages players to engage in covert action and beat enemies using precise and cunning tactics, for example, Assassin Creed franchise.