Game
Alternatively known as an electronic game and video game, a game is software code designed to entertain or educate an individual. Today, computer gaming is a big business, and people of all ages enjoy games. The picture shows a screenshot of the 2023 game Baldur's Gate 3.
What are the types of games?
A game may have different ways of being played. Below are the types or modes of games in alphabetical order.
- Browser-based game
- Co-op game
- Single-player game
- Mobile game
- Multiplayer game
- Offline game
- Online game
- Pay-to-earn
- Pay-to-win
- PvP (Player vs. Player)
- VR game
What are the genres of games?
There are many genres of games available today. Below are the popular genres of games in alphabetical order.
- Action game
- Adventure game
- Alternate reality game
- Augmented reality game
- Battle royale
- Biofeedback game
- Fighting game (aka beat'em ups and brawlers)
- FPS (first-person shooter)
- Hack and slash
- IF (interactive fiction)
- Maze games
- MMO (massively-multiplayer online)
- MMORPG (massively-multiplayer online role-playing game)
- Music games (rhythm games)
- Open-world
- Platform games
- Racing game (car game)
- RPG (role-playing game)
- RTS (real-time strategy)
- Sandbox
- Side-scrollers
- Single-player game
- Simulation
- Sports
- Survival
- Third-person shooter
- Turn-based strategy
How are computer games made?
While large teams (AAA games) usually make popular games, some small game studios and independent developers (indie games) can make very successful games. Regardless of the size of the company, creating a functioning game requires three stages outside of business and marketing.
Programming
A game's functionality is created using a programming language. By definition, games have several attributes, including victory and loss conditions, obstacles, and rewards. Players must also be able to control the player using an input device, like a keyboard & mouse or controller. Besides these bare minimum requirements, modern games are usually packed with other features and mechanics to make the game more immersive.
Games are programmed in a game engine, such as Unreal Engine or Unity. Large studios, including Bethesda and Electronic Arts, are also known for making proprietary engines for their games.
Art and asset creation
The game's assets are often created by a separate team of specialized artists and are also a crucial part of game design. Environments, characters, objects, and animations must be created to give the game a consistent look and feel. In 2-D games, graphics are often created using an image editor. If the game is 3-D, modeling software is used. In either case, animation software is used to simulate motion.
Audio is created using a DAW (digital audio workstation) program and can involve foley artistry for sound effects, character voice acting for characters, and musical compositions for the game's soundtrack.
Testing and bug fixes
Once the programming is working, the game is considered an alpha stage. At this point, assets like characters, objects, and the environment are often incomplete, and temporary placeholders are used during development to refine the game's mechanics. After these assets are implemented, the game is considered beta until finalized.
Testing is conducted throughout these phases of development to ensure a good experience.
What platforms can I play games on?
Today, games are made for virtually any device. Some recent games, like Minecraft and Fortnite, are cross-platform, allowing players on any platform to join each other.
Below are the main platforms that games are developed for playing.
- PC - PC games are released on distribution platforms like Steam, Epic Games Launcher, and Ubisoft Connect. Although most PC games are played on Windows, they can also be available on macOS or Linux computers.
- Console - Console games are released for proprietary entertainment consoles, like the Xbox, PlayStation, and the most recent Nintendo console.
- Mobile - Mobile games are released on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets and other platforms like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. Mobile games are often free-to-play, but include microtransactions and advertisements to generate revenue.
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