What Are Action Games?

When most people hear the phrase video game, they tend to think of action games. The reason is historical: Almost all the earliest video games were action games, and some of those early games—Asteroids, Pac-Man, Space Invaders—have become iconic representatives of the action genre. However, the genre is vast and covers just about any imaginable activity that can be characterized in terms of physical challenges.

In this e-book, you’ll learn the definition of an action game, then go on to study the many subgenres of action games. Following that, we’ll look in more depth at the distinctive features of action games that set them apart from other genres.

Action games require good hand-eye coordination and usually require quick reactions as well. The fastest action games are sometimes called twitch games, implying that the action takes place at almost a reflex level. In such games the player doesn’t have time for strategy or planning, so while the stress level is higher than in slower paced games, the nature of the challenges themselves must be simpler. For example, because the player doesn’t have the time to work out a complex puzzle, puzzles in action games have fewer elements than they do in other genres.

Not all action games depend on raw speed, however. Some require other physical skills such as accurate aim, rhythm or timing, or the ability to execute combo moves—complicated sequences of commands.

Action games are ones in which the majority of challenges presented are tests of the player’s physical skills and coordination. Puzzle-solving, tactical conflict, and exploration challenges are often present as well.

Most arcade games are action games because arcade games make their money by quickly defeating unskillful players. Only highly skilled players can play them for a long time without losing. The simple core mechanics and gameplay of action games mean that those games without too much audiovisual content are also well suited to less powerful machines, such as handhelds and mobile phones, and to web browser games.