There are aton of video game genres, and odds are you probably don’t enjoy at least a few of them. Be honest. You’ve probably seen a game with “strategy” or “roguelike” in their description and immediately glazed over like when your coworkers start talking about sports.
It’s ok, no shame. But what if you just haven’t had the right introduction? It turns out that, with the right game, almost any newcomer can broaden their digital horizons. Every genre can be accessible, provided you find the right entry point.
There’s no denying that strategy games are often among the most difficult genre to break into if you’re not a seasoned veteran of the tactical arts. But despite a few beginner-friendly titles coming out over the years, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle might be the ideal entry point.
Thanks to its familiar characters from the Mario and Rabbids series' (or perhaps despite them), it’s easy to get engaged with what’s going on from the start, and the strategy elements themselves are simple enough for anybody to handle. It also helps that it, along with its sequel,Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, is amongthe funniest Mario gamesout there.
You would be forgiven for being turned off by the idea of roguelikes. A whole genre revolving around basically starting from the beginning every time you die? Torture, thy name is all that stuff. But sure, there’s much more to it than that, and Hades is a fantastic example.
The same idea of dying and restarting is there. Except this time, the focus is more on characters, whom you may get to know (and maybe smooch) every time you come back to level up your attributes. It helps very much that the combat is extremely satisfying, and everyone in this game is strikingly gorgeous.
CRPGs (technically “Computer Role-Playing Games” even if the computer part is optional) are a hardcore genre, there’s no denying that. But the freedom of storytelling they provide is very much worth experiencing. They’re heavily inspired by tabletop games likeDungeons & Dragonsafter all, and in this case, you can have a nice romance without making it weird for the other players.
So why not give Baldur’s Gate 3 a try? It’s pretty much built for CRPG veterans and newcomers alike. While the combat might take some getting used to, the combination of incredibly lovable (by every definition of the word) characters and that satisfying feeling you get from a good dice roll are more than enough to keep your attention.
Souls-likes, with their focus on combat featuring lots of dodging and blocking, are among the most divisive game genres out there. Most people seem to either love these typically difficult adventures or despise them with every midichlorian of their being. But just like every other genre, there’s something there for everybody.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order already has that built-in draw of being a Star Wars game. But even aside from that, it’s got great characters, a gorgeous galaxy to explore, and its difficulty options are very accommodating for newbies. It also has BD-1, one of thecutest droids in Star Wars history.
Sure, it seems like everybody hasalready played a Mario Kart game. But there are certainly some who might think they just won’t vibe with the genre. Maybe serious racing games like Forza Horizon or Gran Turismo just seem understandably intimidating.
If you’ve somehow never played a racing game, give Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a try. Its humungous roster of characters means you’ll find someone you like, and the items make things much more dynamic than just racing down a track. Just be careful who you play with. Nintendo is not responsible for destroying relationships.
Getting into farming sims can be difficult if you’re not already predisposed to the genre. Luckily, Harvestella is here for those who want to grow a carrot with their own two hands but also really want to bludgeon something.
Harvestella feels like a classic PS2-era JRPG, but with the added twist of letting you manage your farm and maybe find romance in between all the violence. The farming aspects are relatively simple, allowing for a satisfying balance where you never feel overwhelmed.
Some people are simply unable to play first-person shooters without getting sick, and that’s not exactly easy to remedy. But for those who simply haven’t found a game in the genre they enjoy, Borderlands 2 has your back. Don’t worry, you’re able to play this one first. It’s a game about living a roguish life of adventure, so you might as well start by bucking numerical trends.
For one, it’s simplyone of the funniest FPS games(and arguably any style of game) ever made. The comedic writing is top notch and the incredible characters like Tiny Tina and the gloriously hateable villain Handsome Jack sell it completely. But beyond that, it’s just a blast to play and a great excuse to have some friends along for the ride in co-op. It may not be your genre, but you’ll get something out of it.
Sure, you might immediately keep scrolling when you see the descriptor “card-based” in a game. But ask yourself this: have you ever wanted to fight Venom alongside Spider-Man before going to book club with Wolverine? If your answer was yes, of course it was.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns naturally threw some people off with its battle system focused on cards and strategy. But this is Marvel by way of BioWare, letting you hang out with your favorite superheroes in your off time. Plus, the forgiving difficulty settings make it that much easier to get past the combat and back to what’s important: getting matching “EMO KIDS” shirts with Doctor Strange.
Portal is a double threat for genre noobs. It’s a first-person puzzle game, so anyone looking to breach both genres is in luck. There’s no combat, so the FPS-curious out there don’t have to worry about that tension, and the portal-jumping puzzles are largely there to keep the funny coming.
Both Portal andPortal 2include some genuinely involved physics-based puzzles, it’s true. But considering the hilarious writing and performances in both games, you’ll want to keep going if only just to hear more of GLaDOS' passive-aggressive comments about your progress.
Turn-based RPGs have been around for nearly as long as parents have complained about their kids playing too many video games. But it’s admittedly still a difficult genre to fully engage with if you’re coming in with fresh eyes. That’s where Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door brings the noise.
This game is so good that practically nothing had to be changed from its 2004 original version to its 2024 remake. It keeps every aspect from the battles to the exploration simple but never talks down to the player either. Between the excellent writing and fantastic characters (includingthe trans joy icon Vivian), you’ll find plenty of reasons to keep playing.
