Fun Facts About Video Games
A game is essentially a structured form of interactive play, often undertaken for fun or entertainment, and at times used as an educational instrument. Games are very different from work, which are often carried out only for monetary compensation, and from literature, which is mostly an expression of intellectual or aesthetic values. In a game, players take on the role of a character and interact with others, taking part in a story, resolving conflict, solving puzzles and so forth.
However, some game mechanics have evolved that have made them too complicated to be considered appropriate for any real-world application. This has led to an increase in the number of titles which are categorized as text-based versus game-based. While there are many different types of video games, all of them share some common features, such as the action element, the adventure element, the puzzle element and the simulation element.
There are two broad categories of game genres, action-adventure and adventure games. The former features stories and characters that follow a plot, while the latter feature entirely random gameplay. Action-adventures are generally more popular than adventure games because they require less narrative involvement and offer greater freedom of choice. They are, however, also the most difficult to master, since the more challenging elements tend to be very subtle and may require significant time investments to succeed.
Adventure games are designed to be replayable and provide a very clear objective. Despite this very clear goal, however, they still allow the player to experience a wide range of different gameplay experiences. One of the most popular forms of adventure game is hidden object scenes, where the gameplay revolves around finding a series of items and solving puzzles in order to complete the game. A fun fact about this genre is that it tends to bring out the creative side of its players.
Visual novels, also known as VNs, are an extremely popular game genre, particularly among girls. A visual novel is essentially a game where the player has to solve puzzles or view dramatic happenings through the help of a character, such as a child. In most visual novels, the heroine can control her character through the keyboard and mouse. A fun fact about this genre is that it is often associated with internet games, due to its use of texturing, sound effects and cut scenes.
Finally, RTS and RPGs fall under the category of real-time strategy. In real-time strategy games, the objective of the game is to conquer and colonize a single world using a set of tactics. The best examples of real-time strategy games are Age of Empire and Fall of Rome, both of which have been re-released for modern consoles. A fun fact about this genre is that it often combines elements of both adventure and action-adventures, making it very successful among PC gamers.