Summary
Most video games live or die on their ability to appeal to popular fantasies, whether the dream of being an all-powerful warrior, a cunning adventurer, or even a heartbreaker. Just as cultural tastes differ, so do the standards of normality. In the West, most dating sims are considered “outside acceptable normality,” whereas eventhe most violent, revenge-fueled murder simulatorsare hunky-dory for the most part. On the flip side, big, non-linear games that emphasize player freedom are met, at best, with a shrug from audiences in some Eastern countries.
Rather than point out cultural contrasts, a weird genre should defy the logic of any region and should prompt anyone to ask, “Why do we like this?” Of course, finding enjoyment in unconventional activities is a universal human quirk, and besides appealing to escapism or latent desires, video games also thrive in the market of novelty. After all, unusual games can lead to some of the most memorable experiences. However, some of these genres might exist entirely to provoke (or perhaps because their creators thought it might be funny).
Idle Games
Games So Fun They Play Themselves
Like sunsets and animal-shaped confectionery, there’s something about seeing a number go up on a chart that makes the human brain light up. That’s the only explanation for the success of games likeCookie ClickerorBanana.The whole gameplay loop of these games is that players click the titular object and watch the number increase. InBanana’s case, the number goes up, and so does the chance to gain rare achievements and tradable, banana-themed in-game items.
The same goes for idle games, in which moment-to-moment gameplay takes the back seat to long-term strategizing. Much of their appeal stems from the satisfaction of somethingmaking progress in the background, perfect for those with busy lives. Whether they are mindless or meditative, and whether they offer a simple relief of a number going up for once instead of down or are a cynical hack of human psychology, the genre has had a lasting appeal, but explaining what makes them engaging is still usually met with many a raised brow of skepticism or confusion.
Avant-Garde / Art Games
What Is A Video Game? What Is A Game? And Who’s Asking?
Anyone who has ever taken a peek inside a games studio or taken a good-faith plunge into a video game interested in exploringbeauty, philosophy, or the human conditionwill know unequivocally that video games are art. The real question is whether they are good works of art or not. However, some creators exist seemingly to push the boundaries on what can be considered a “game” for the sake of art, or at least the conversation around it. Avant-garde pieces such asThe Graveyardhave a tough time finding acceptance from audiences primarily conditioned to expect conventions of visceral action, progression, and exploration, and (arguably) for good reason.
The Graveyardis notorious for its minimalism and linearity. However, other thought-provoking games, which could be described as “psychedelic walking simulators,” such asLCD Dream EmulatorandProteus, are equally perplexing for the opposite reason. These games also exist entirely on the merit of their (trippy) environmental designs, but the player is left to give their own interpretations of what they are doing and why. Perhaps becausemind-bending gameslikeViewfinderorManifold Gardenare out there, which also manage to bring mind-bending gameplay elements, making these ambiguous types of games “weird” and “fringe.” However, many feel their emptiness and ambiguity still provide something of worth.
Job Simulators
Jobs That People Pay Real-Life Money To Do
While the truth behind the sparkle of the high-visibility vest might, in reality, be brutally depressing, certain jobs have an immediate “inner-child” appeal. For example, who wouldn’t want the chanceto fly a military-grade jetor ride the big red truck? However, for everyAce Combator wackySurgeon Simulatorout there, there’s an immersive title about cleaning grime from flagstones and heavy machinery likePowerWash Simulatoror a soul-crushing bureaucracy sim likePapers, Please. Some gamers will forgo real-life travel, sporting activities, or even a moment of touching grass to mow a virtual lawn inLawn Mowing Simulator.
It is an odd quirk of human nature that some of the most grueling professions create superfans with their simulation iterations (Medieval Dynasty, Truck Simulator,Garbage Truck Simulator). While dangerous or mundane in the real world, perhaps the reason for their popularity is that, contrary to popular belief, humans actually like to work. However, unlike most jobs in the real world, which offer crushingly little compensation (and increasingly worsening conditions), job sims offer players a chance to grow, progress, and consent in the tasks they get to do instead of existing only as an asset to increase someone else’s bank balance high score.
Utsuge (Melancholy Games)
Depression And Misery (Guaranteed!)
Even in “game” genres where users are not expected to play, or in others when the player is expected to make their own fun, there is, at least somewhere, an attempt to elicit a positive emotion or create a unique experience. Even beating a horror game grants the player a feeling of relief after the credits roll. However, a type of game exists explicitly to make the player cry or miserable:utsuge. Whereas most cathartic games empower players to release their frustrations against tangible (and often one-dimensional) villains or enemies,utsugegames do the opposite.
After enamoring the player with endearing characters (often in a visual novel or dating sim format) for hours on end, the game inevitably subjects them to tragic fates. This includes (but is not limited to) incurable, debilitating disease, addiction,severe mental illness, and physical abuse. In short, there is no way to “win” without just walking away. While a tragic movie or TV show can help an audience vicariously release repressed feelings, the mark of a goodutsuge,such asOMORIorNarcissuseems to be the intimate, long-term deliberation of a person’s mood and the installment of depression. The genre may seem weird on the face of it, perhaps because it uncomfortably reminds people of the very human need to (occasionally) consent to suffering.
Editing-Based FMV / Interactive Film Games
The Most Cinematic Video Game Genre
Full-motion video (FMV) games were all the rage in the 80s and 90s, thanks to the explosive developments of memory storage technology. However, audiences began to reject recorded footage of real people in their video games in favor of increasingly realistic-looking pre-rendered humans (with the occasional flair-up of uncanny valley). This may have been due to the ballooning costs of having to film hours of footage with real (and bonafide) actors only to offer the player limited interactivity. However,FMV games have made a comebackin recent years thanks to a few innovative FMV interactive film titles, many of which (coincidentally) involve the art of video editing.
Older FMV games suffered from clunky load times, but that problem has been resolved. For example,Not For Broadcasthas the player manage footage in real-time as they are forced to decide before a two-second delay elapses what the public should see and what should be censored. The player must maintain viewership and toe the line of an authoritarian government (or face the consequences for failing at either).Her StoryandImmortalityalso use video and movie footage editing as major gameplay elements, perhaps suggesting an emerging, editing-based interactive film sub-genre.
