VIDEO GAME GENRE GUIDES
Know the genre before you press start.
Golem breaks down 30 video game genres — mechanics, why they click, common frustrations, and where to start — so you can pick your next game with confidence.
Top-rated genres
9.1/10
Immersive Sims and Systems-Driven Play
An immersive sim is a first-person (usually) action game built around interlocking systems rather than scripted set-piec…
Read guide →9.1/10
Open-World Games: Freedom and Structure
Open-world games are a genre of action-adventure or role-playing games set in expansive, seamlessly connected environmen…
Read guide →9.0/10
Soulslike Difficulty and Design
Soulslike games are action role-playing games defined by deliberate combat, high stakes, and a world that refuses to exp…
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