Types of Computer Games

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Although computer games mainly provide entertainment and fun, it also improves hand/eye coordination and problem-solving skills. Each game has its own strategy, action and fantasy that make each game unique and interesting. Generally, we can classify computer games into the following types: card games, board games, puzzles, maze, fighting, action, adventure, role playing, strategy, sports and simulation games. However, the classification is a fuzzy concept, as many games are hybrids that fall into more than one class. For example, Doom can be classified either as a maze game or an action game, while Monopoly can be classified as a board game or strategy game. The different types of computer games are briefly described as follows:

Card Games
They are computerized versions of traditional card games, or games which are essentially like card games in that they are primarily card-based (such as solitaire). Examples of card games include Blackjack, Bridge, Casino, Solitaire and Video Poker.

Board Games
They are adaptations of classic board games. Examples of board games include Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, Scrabble and Monopoly.

Puzzles
Puzzle games aim at figuring out of a solution, which often involves solving enigmas, navigation, learning how to use different tools, and the manipulating or reconfiguring of objects. Mastermind and Tetris are examples of puzzle games.

Maze
Maze games require the successful navigation of a maze. Mazes can be viewed in different ways. For example, they may appear in an overhead view (as in Pac-Man), or first-person perspective (as in Doom).

Fighting
Fighting games involve characters who fight usually hand-to-hand, in one-to-one combat situations. The fighters are usually represented as humans or animated characters. Fighting games include Street Fighter, Avengers and Body Slam.

Action
Action games involve the human player shoots at a series of opponents or objects. Traditional action games include Space Invaders, Asteroids, etc. The recent popular action games are Doom, Quake, Descent, Half-Life and Unreal that involve the human player to control a character in a virtual environment to save the world from the forces of evil by using deadly force.

Adventure
Adventure games are different from action games. They emphasize more on the story, plot and puzzle solving rather than simply catching, shooting, capturing, or escaping. The human player must solve puzzles while adventuring. Characters are usually able to carry objects, such as weapons, keys, tools, etc. The settings of these games often evoke a particular historical time period and place, such as the middle ages or Arthurian England, or are thematically related to content-based types such as Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Espionage. Examples of adventure games include Adventure, Zork, Haunted House, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Superman.

Role Playing
In role playing games, players can take on different types of character. The character’s description may include specifics such as species, race, gender, and occupation, and may also include various abilities, such as strength and dexterity. In the virtual game world, the player goes on quests, fights monsters and improves the capability of the character on strength and magic. Example games include Diablo, Dungeons & Dragons and Ultima. Many role playing games are also networked games that allow more than one player to play and interact in the same game world over the network such as the Internet or LAN (Local Area Network). Everquest and Ultima Online are networked role playing games.

Strategy
Strategy games emphasize the use of strategy as opposed to fast action or the use of quick reflexes. Traditional strategy games include Chess, Monopoly, and Othello. In recent popular strategy games such as Age of Empire, Warcraft and Close Combat, the player can control many combat units to do battle against one or more opponents. In these games, the player needs to resolve the problem of resource allocation, and organization of defenses and attacks.