It can be a little strange to think about, but video games are still a relatively new form of entertainment. While it can be argued that some form of electronic entertainment devices existed as far back as the late 1940s, commercial video games have only been around since the 70s, and many still think of the 80s as the birth of the modern game.
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In fact, gaming is such a new form of media that the genres contained within its sphere are still being defined and redefined regularly. Whether a game has pioneered a brand-new way to play or refined an old system into something original and fresh, here are a few games that created new genres within the medium.
8 Harvest Moon
While some early simulation games featured farming elements as an aspect of their gameplay, none of those could rightfully be categorized as a "Farming Simulator." The first game to receive such a description was undoubtedly 1996's influential farming RPG, Harvest Moon.
Toted as a unique and original concept in its time, Harvest Moon revolved almost entirely around maintaining your farm - harvesting crops, caring for your farm animals, and generally keeping your small plot of land in tip-top shape. The series also features a robust relationship system, allowing you to befriend and even marry other residents of the town you inhabit. Harvest Moon has inspired a litany of other titles since its inception, from Stardew Valley to the recent Square Enix title Harvestella.
7 Metroid
The Metroidvania genre has become one of gaming's most popular enres. Encouraging exploration, puzzle solving, and brilliant level design, these games are all about interacting with your environments in new was as you progress forward. Games like Ori and the Blind Forest and Axiom Verge are often classified as members of this growing genre.
Some may call back to titles like 1985's Brain Breaker as the true pioneers of this genre, but 1986's Metroid created the blueprint that future games would follow. Traversing alien lands while collecting key items that unlock new areas and abilities in the original Metroid game would set a standard for many brilliant experiences to come. Traces of this formula can even be seen in God of War: Ragnarok.
6 Rogue
Another enormously popular category of games in recent years, the Roguelike and Roguelite genres are also some of the most popular in indie gaming. Originally based around rules established in the ASCII dungeon crawler Rogue, Roguelike games are known for features such as their random, procedurally-generated levels, as well as a "permadeath" system that wipes out progress upon a player's defeat.
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As modern games have adopted some of these game design elements, they have put their own spins on the genre, often making the games a bit less random or the deaths a bit less permanent. These games, including titles like Hades, Returnal, and Rogue Legacy 2, are usually referred to as "Roguelites."
5 Demon's Souls
Developer From Software truly struck gold with its "Soulslike" subgenre of games. While Demon's Souls borrows elements of other genres, including a few already listed here, it implements them in such a unique way that it still felt like an entirely new experience when it released in 2009.
Incorporating design philosophies such as the interconnected layout of a Metroidvania and the near-permadeath of the modern Rogeulite, Demon's Souls is an RPG in which you explore a derelict castle, delving further and further as you unlock new abilities and defeat stronger foes. Dying in a Soulslike game will typically require you to return to the spot of your death to reclaim your lost goods and experience points, a gameplay principle adapted into other titles such as The Surge 2, Nioh 2, and even the largely Metroidvania-inspired Hollow Knight.
4 Pokemon
It's hard to argue against the sheer impact and influence of Pokemon. Often touted as the most successful franchise across any medium, the Pokemon phenomenon may have extended to the anime and card game, but its origin lies in the original RPGs, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue.
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Released on the Game Boy in 1996, the first two Pokemon games introduced the world to the monster-collection genre, where players build a team of captured creatures in order to battle and progress as a master collector. The Pokemon series has inspired games like Temtem, Nexomon: Extinction, and even Ni No Kuni.
3 Dear Esther
First-person exploration and puzzle-based games have existed as far back as 1993's Myst, and even further according to some video game historians. But 2008's Dear Esther is often credited as the first "walking simulator", with its gameplay focused not on a specific end goal but on the focus of fleshing out the game's narrative purely through exploration and observation across its varied landscapes.
Dear Esther's harrowing and heartfelt story is experienced in an interactive way that's only possible in video game form, despite its minimalist gameplay style. This artistic and subtle approach to game design would go on to inspire a wide range of other games, from Journey to What Remains of Edith Finch and beyond.
2 Wolfenstein 3D
The First-Person Shooter, or FPS, is a genre that needs no introduction. One of gaming's most popular and accessible genres, it's spawned a countless number of hugely successful series, such as Call of Duty, Halo and many more.
While 1993's Doom is often seen as the birth of the FPS genre, the honor truly belongs to 1992's Wolfenstein 3D, also developed by id Software. id's unique approach to 3D graphics was incredibly ahead of its time, and it's easy to see the groundwork laid by these initial titles even decades later.
1 Donkey Kong
When you think of the "platformer" genre, there are many different game types that come to mind. Variations of this category of game exist far and wide, from the punishing Super Meat Boy to the tranquil masterpiece Celeste, to action heavy titles like The Messenger and My Friend Pedro.
Despite the different branches that have spawned from the family tree of platformers, they can all track their origin back to 1981's Donkey Kong. The game that put Nintendo, Mario, and the titular tie-wearing ape on the map, this original title not only saved the video game industry, it created a fresh new archetype for what video games could be.
NEXT: Best Sci-fi Roguelike Games
