Soulslike, Stealthy, Horror? These Video Games Shaped Entire Genres

Video game genres don’t appear out of thin air.

From time to time, there emerges a unique game that sets the blueprint for games yet to be created. In this piece, I delved into the history behind groundbreaking games that sparked numerous imitators and left an indelible mark on the evolution of game design, shaping the gaming world as we know it today.

These games might not necessarily be the pioneers in their respective categories, but instead, they stood out as the ones that captured public attention significantly. To ensure clarity and consistency, we will classify each game according to a single video game genre.

Absolutely, this list doesn’t cover all game genres that exist. If you have a standout game from a specific genre that we didn’t include, feel free to share it in the comments. There’s a chance we could highlight it in our next installment!

Platformers – Donkey Kong

It’s likely that many people aren’t aware, but the character Mario, now famous from Nintendo, made his debut in the 1981 game Donkey Kong. This groundbreaking game not only introduced one of the most enduring video game characters, but it also laid the foundation for an entire genre.

Although Space Panic might have been the original platformer game, Donkey Kong paved the way and defined the genre of side-scrolling action games, known as “jump-and-run,” for many years to come.

The genre took a leap (literally) into 3D with Super Mario 64.

These popular titles such as “Astrobot, Hollow Knight“, and “Ori and the Will of the Wisps” demonstrate that platform games remain vibrant and competitive even alongside games boasting more photorealistic visuals, showcasing their enduring relevance.

Stealth – Metal Gear

Introduced in 1987, the game “Metal Gear” was initially categorized as an action title due to the lack of a recognized “stealth” genre at the time. However, the tactic of concealing oneself in shadows and evading guards proved revolutionary, setting new standards for gaming.

As time progressed, games such as “Thief,” “Splinter Cell,” and “Hitman” evolved the genre into a sophisticated form of cat-and-mouse play.

And yes, Pac-Man might technically count as stealth. Sort of.

Survival Horror – Alone in the Dark

Back in the day, games such as Sweet Home left a significant impact on the horror genre. However, it was Alone in the Dark that truly shaped the form we know and love today, speaking as an avid fan of this chilling genre.

It laid the groundwork for Resident Evil (1996), which coined the term “survival horror.”

Initially, the genre started with games such as “Resident Evil 4” and “Dead Space,” which combine intense action elements, and more recent titles like “Amnesia” and “Outlast,” which focus on psychological terror. However, it was “Alone in the Dark” that pioneered incorporating fear into gameplay mechanics.

Soulslike – Dark Souls-Series

The term “Soulslike” in video games, a genre that stands out as uniquely contemporary, owes much of its popularity to the groundbreaking 2009 release, “Demon’s Souls,” and the subsequent Dark Souls series.

Hard games existed before Demon’s Souls, but few made suffering feel so… meaningful.

Nowadays, the term “Soulslike” can be shorthand for “This will destroy you, and you’ll thank it.”

Roguelike – Rogue

Rogue was brutally simple and endlessly replayable.

This game sparked over a thousand different versions and set the standard for the roguelike genre, featuring distinctive characteristics such as turn-based navigation and random level creation.

Currently, roguelike games are available in a variety of forms. They span from the popular indie game “The Binding of Isaac” to the fashionable adventures in “Hades” and “Dead Cells”.

“One more run” culture? You can thank Rogue for that addiction. Hence the name.

Farming Sims – Harvest Moon

For a long time even before “cozy games” emerged as a distinct style, the game Harvest Moon captivated players by offering them the straightforward pleasure of tending to crops and winning the hearts of villagers.

For quite some time, it was the one and only farming simulation game in its genre. However, this changed when Stardew Valley emerged as an indie sensation, attracting a fresh wave of enthusiasts to the field. This was later followed by other games like Story of Seasons, Fae Farm, and Coral Island.

Who knew chores could be so therapeutic?

Sports – Pong

Pong was not only the very first sports game, but also the first highly profitable video game to hit the market.

Playing it was akin to experiencing table tennis, showing that digital sports can offer the same level of challenge (and aggravation) found in traditional sports.

Today, advanced sports simulations such as EA Sports FC, NBA 2K, and Football Manager provide a level of realism and detail that even the original Pong could scarcely imagine. However, it is crucial to remember that these complex games trace their roots back to the simple origins that paved the way for their development.

Metroidvania – Metroid & Castlevania

Back in the day, when I was just starting my gaming journey, Metroid truly set the stage for what a metroidvania game should be in 1986. However, it wasn’t until the 2000s that Castlevania took this genre to new heights by consistently dropping fantastic titles.

The term “Metroidvania” was coined to differentiate the game “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” (1997) from the earlier, linear “Castlevania” games. It incorporated the item-based progression and open-ended exploration found in “Metroid”, but also included RPG elements such as leveling up and gear acquisition.

As I delved deeper into the world of gaming, “Metroidvania” emerged as a catch-all term for games that offered me the freedom to explore their expansive, non-linear maps at my own pace. These games often required me to revisit previously explored areas after acquiring new abilities, making progression dependent on the skills I’d unlocked along the way.

Currently, Metroidvania games continue to be among the most cherished independent game genres, producing top-notch titles such as “Animal Well” and “Ultros.”

In this sentence, the author is saying that Metroidvania games are still popular among gamers today, with some of the best games in this genre being “Animal Well” and “Ultros”. The original uses more technical language, but I’ve tried to simplify it while keeping the meaning intact.

Battle Royale – PUBG: Battlegrounds

While these military simulation games such as ARMA and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (introduced in 2017) laid the groundwork for the contemporary style of battle royale games.

This game style takes inspiration from survival games and last-person-standing rules, often associated with the 2000 Japanese dystopian film “Battle Royale.

In a simpler and more natural way of expression: Fortnite introduced mechanics such as shrinking areas and looting, while Apex Legends focused on speed; however, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) laid the foundation for the battle royale genre.

You might not win, but the adrenaline rush is the same every time.

Monster Collection – Pokémon

Gotta catch ‘em all!

While not the pioneer in incorporating team-building mechanics and monster collection, Pokémon undeniably left the greatest mark on this genre, as Shin Megami Tensei and Dragon Quest V had preceded it.

The genre persists in its prosperity through shows such as Digimon, Yo-Kai Watch, and independent titles like Temtem. The fundamental mechanism (discovering creatures, nurturing them, competing against them) still holds an undeniable allure for many.

First-Person Shooters – Doom

You can’t talk FPS without Doom.

While Wolfenstein 3D paved the way, it was DOOM (released in 1993) that sparked the boom of first-person shooter (FPS) games. The impact of DOOM was immense, and many early FPS games were referred to as “DOOM clones.

Shoot ‘Em Ups – Space Invaders

The classic game Space Invaders played a significant role in igniting the era of popular arcade gaming and sparked numerous space-themed shooting games, often referred to as ‘shoot-’em-ups’.

Moving from games like Gradius, which are side-scrollers, to more chaotic “bullet hell” titles such as Ikaruga and Touhou, this genre primarily involves navigating through patterns while also putting your reflexes to the test.

Also: it’s responsible for those cute pixel-art enemies you see everywhere.

Survival Sandbox – Minecraft

Minecraft (2009) turned an indie passion project into one of the best-selling games of all time.

The game is a genre-bending sandbox that redefined exploration and creation.

Many have attempted but ultimately fell short in replicating its achievement, yet Minecraft paved the way for an array of sandbox and survival games, spanning from Terraria and Valheim to The Forest.

2025-07-07 22:10