Gaming is still a relatively young form of entertainment, though it has skyrocketed in prominence since its inception to the point where it is now one of the largest forms of entertainment in the world. While many modern releases incorporate various gameplay mechanics, art styles, and genres, games from the past would predominantly feature just one or two core ideas. This may sound rudimentary, but designers were constantly finding ways to make their games stand out with unique concepts.
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Through these unique ideas that would differentiate their games, every once in a while, a designer or development team would stumble on a gameplay mechanic that would birth an entire genre,influence thousands of games, and perhaps even play an indirect part in offshoot genres and subgenres.
The designers or development teams behind the following games on this list may not have known it at the time, but they were creating the foundations of some of gaming’s pillars.
Updated July 19, 2025 by Adeolu Adeoye:There are many games that are generally agreed to be the originators of a genre. Oftentimes, the genre is even named after the game that created it. Even though the industry is still as strong as it has ever been,genre-defining gamesare very rare. At most, a new title might come across that tweaks a classic formula, but it is almost impossible for a modern project to create something entirely fresh. What titles did just that?
8Monster Hunter – Hunting
While the “action game” genre was alive and well by the time 2004’sMonster Hunterwas released, the project’s unique focus on longer fights against a cast of boss-level enemies set it apart from the crowd. Capcom’s game was the origin of the hunting subgenre of action games that went on to birth other titles likeDauntless,God Eater, andthe newly releasedWIld Hearts.
Although relatively popular, this subgenre is still quite small, and the games in it are few and far between. Even though some highly regarded projects have hit the market,Monster Hunteris still regarded as the king of the genre and the title that all other members get compared to.
7Space Invaders
Shoot-em-ups are a subgenre of shooting games that put the action on a larger scale. Usually, they involve a craft of some kind flying through a stage while firing bullets to take out swarms of incoming enemies or giant bosses. It is itself a progenitor to ‘bullet hell’ games.
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This genre can be traced back to the iconicSpace Invaders, which was first released in 1975. In it, players took control of a small spacecraft firing on invading aliens that slowly descended from the top of the screen. This genre would go on to birth games likeGradiusandIkaruga, but it is somewhat niche nowadays.
6Donkey Kong – Platformer
Although the 1978 action gameFrogswas the first to have a jumping mechanic – a core component of platformers –Donkey Kongwas the first true platformer. Not only did the game birth the platforming genre, but it also gave the popular style of game two of its most notable characters right off the bat with Mario and Donkey Kong.
The game uniquely features Donkey Kong as a villain and tasks players with climbing ladders and avoiding barrels as Mario to save Pauline, who Donkey Kong has captured.
Mario would, of course, go on to become gaming’s biggest icon, thanks to the character’s trademarkSuper Marioseries and a multitude of spin-off and party titles likeMario Kart,Paper-Mario,andnumerous sports games. As forDonkey Kong, the born-again-hero peaked withDonkey Kong Country, a game that has been remade and re-imagined on multiple occasions.
5PUBG: Battlegrounds – Battle Royale
Battle royales are a big genre nowadays. They are large-scale multiplayer games in which players compete to be the last person standing at the end of a match. Battle royales have seen many iterations over the last decade, from shooters likeFortniteto platformers such asFall Guysand even puzzle games likeTetris 99.
Technically, battle royales started off as mods for games likeMinecraft, having been inspired by films likeBattle RoyaleandThe Hunger Games. However,PUBGwas the first dedicated battle royale game and launched the genre into its modern-day popularity.
4Metroid & Castlevania – Metroidvania
No prizes for guessing which two games inspired the aptly named Metroidvania genre.MetroidandCastlevaniawere both released in 1986, just one month apart from each other, and collectively laid the genre’s foundations. The Metroidvania genre is distinguishable for featuringlarge world mapsthat are interconnected and initially filled with inaccessible areas that players will be able to explore once they gain abilities like double jumping or underwater swimming.
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The Metroidvania genre is predominantly known for 2D side-scrollers, but there have been examples of 3D Metroidvanias over the years, such asBatman: Arkham Asylumand theMetroid Primeseries. Those looking for modern Metroidvanias to play are in luck, as the genre is still going strong, with critically acclaimed games likeOri and the Will of the WispsandGuacamelee! 2being recent successes.
3Demon’s Souls – Souls-Like
The Souls-Like genreis by far the newest on this list. As the name suggests, the genre originated with theSoulsgames, which were developed by FromSoftware and includeDemon’sSoulsand theDark Soulstrilogy. FromSoftware’sSoulsstyle can also be seen in some of their other releases, namelyBloodborne,Elden Ring, and to a lesser extent,Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
The Souls-Like genre is defined by its environmental storytelling,punishing difficulty, interconnected areas, andemphasis on boss fights. Many studios have tried to capture the magic of theSoulsseries, withSalt and SanctuaryandNiohbeing successful examples.
2Rogue – Roguelike
Roguefirst hit stores in 1980 and was released on a plethora of consoles, including Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and various PC systems.Roguetasks players with fighting their way through enemy-infested levels to reach the bottom level of a dungeon to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor before returning to the top. The game features procedurally-generated levels,permadeath, and numerous helpful items to collect along the way, which are all staples of the roguelike genre.
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The roguelike genre is thriving today, withHades,Dead Cells, and the recently releasedRogue Legacy 2all being commercial and critical successes that are helping the genre continue its push into the attention of gaming’s mainstream audience.
1Wolfenstein 3D – First-Person Shooters
Though id Software’s 1993 masterpieceDOOMwas the game that popularized first-person shooters, it was another id Software release,Wolfenstein 3D,that is credited with kickstarting the genre. The game was originally going to be a 3D remake of the stealth titleCastle Wolfenstein,but the development team instead chose to make a game that wasfast-paced, action-packed, and violentto differentiate it from other PC games at the time.
Since the release ofWolfenstein 3Din 1992, the first-person shooter genre has sky-rocketed in popularity to become one of gaming’s most recognizable and profitable genres. TheWolfensteinandDOOMseries are still going strong today, while franchises likeCall of Duty,Battlefield, andHalohave raked in eye-watering sums of money in the gaming industry.
