The Four Types of Games

So, I love coming up with game theories, and this is one of my more well-thought-out ones. Without further ado, here it is.

All games can be distilled into one of four game types. Most games are a combination of these four, but for simplicity's sake I won't be getting into that here. The four types are Skill, Chance, Strategy, and Persistence.

Games of Skill require good hand-eye coordination. Basically, this is "press the button before I do" or "press the button rhythmically" or "press the button as fast as possible". First-person shooters, action RPGs, platformers, and music games fall under this category.

Games of Chance are based around luck. This game can be explained as "draw a number from the hat; if it is bigger than mine, you win". A random number generator is key to this kind of game. Turn-based RPGs, card games, and gambling fall under this category.

Games of Strategy involve knowledge on the part of the player. Foresight is very important here, too. A good example of a strategic game would be chess. RTS, turn-based strategy, any RPG, squad-based shooters, and sandbox games fall under this category.

Games of Persistence require an investment of time. These are the video game equivalents of staring contests. Simply put, players who play longer are better off than new players. MMORPGs fall under this category.

If you have any comments, suggestions, or changes you'd like to see, drop me a comment!