Cross Genre Games That Became Something Unique

Summary

• Crypt of the NecroDancer blends roguelike and rhythm game genres with unique gameplay synced to music.
• Portal revolutionized puzzle games by introducing physics-based puzzles with a dark, humorous storyline.
• Dark Souls created the soulslike genre by blending action RPG elements with Metroidvania-style gameplay.

In the world of video games, crossing genres is a bold move that can produce groundbreaking results. Developers often experiment by blending mechanics from different genres, creating games that challenge conventions and appeal to diverse audiences.

Such games do not merely mix genres; they innovate and carve a niche of their own. Often resulting in games that become iconic due to their originality, gameplay features, and impact. Each of these games is a testament to the creativity and ambition of their developers, pushing the boundaries of what games can achieve. And in some cases, these blended genres became a new genre all of their own.

9

Crypt Of The NecroDancer

Roguelike Music Game

This list starts with a truly strange combination; a roguelike game combined with a rhythm-following game. In Crypt Of The NecroDancer all of the player’s actions such as movement, interactions, and attacks are performed by syncing with the beat of the music track.

Players have to match their actions with the tempo of the soundtrack as they crawl through dungeons, taking on enemies. The enemies themselves have their own attack patterns as well. The result is a game that, at the time of release, was completely unique. There was nothing else remotely like it.

8

Portal

Puzzle Platformer Meets Physics Simulation

Portal was a huge success for Valve, and this was undoubtedly due to the fact that it was something new and unique. At heart, a puzzle platformer, but with a huge twist. Puzzles were almost entirely physics-based, with the player having to use the Portal Gun to navigate through or around them.

The storyline was great too, with the player having to overcome the evil AI, GLaDOS. The plot was dark but funny, and the entire experience was highly polished. Overall, the game requires the player to think, not just react, and its place on this list is well deserved.

7

Dark Souls

Become A Genre Of Its Own

This list wouldn’t be complete without Dark Souls. A game that took elements of roleplaying games, and grafted them onto a Metroidvania-style of gameplay, incorporating exploration as a core mechanic, and made something new. The game has been so influential, that it spawned the entire soulslike genre.

Combat in Dark Souls is tough, really tough, taking skill and patience to master. However, the game is far more than just combat, with the player exploring interconnected worlds, through hidden pathways. The storytelling is excellent as well, with a narrative that fits the theme perfectly.

6

Hades

Rogeulike Meets Storytelling

Taking on the role of Zagreus, the son of Hades, the player has to try and escape from the underworld in Hades. The game features excellent procedurally generated levels, and great combat mechanics.

What sets Hades apart from other roguelike games, is the way that it seamlessly integrates a fantastic story, using a compelling narrative. Players become invested in the game in a way that isn’t normal for roguelikes. Few games have managed to combine a great plot with fast-paced action in the way that Hades does.

5

Slay The Spire

Deckbuilding Meets Roguelike

Slay The Spire is based on a very odd combination of genres, being a deckbuilding game that features roguelike dungeon crawling. At face value, this is a weird combination, but it works pretty well. The player has to ascend the spire, building a deck as they go.

During the ascent, the player will fight enemies, discover relics, and uncover hidden paths. Building the right deck is crucial to success in this game. Slay The Spire was something unique when it was released, and has spawned a fair number of copycat titles.

4

Stardew Valley

Roleplaying Meets Farming Simulator

Stardew Valley has been a massive hit for a 2d indie game, and much of this success is due to the way it seamlessly blends two genres, a farming simulator and a roleplaying game. Choosing to combine these two genres was either madness of genius, but it worked out well.

In Stardew Valley, the player takes over an old farm, and is tasked with rebuilding it. Crops need to be grown, animals need to be raised, and the player has to form relationships with the local townsfolk. There are also dungeons to be explored as well. Stardew Valley shows how a farming sim can become something more than the sum of its parts.

3

Death Stranding

Delivery Game Meets Action Game

Death Stranding has a place on this list because, well, it was just so unique when it was released. The game includes aspects of several genres, as the player navigates around a desolate landscape, attempting to deliver parcels.

There is action gameplay in Death Stranding, and also quite a bit of stealth gameplay, it really defies description in many respects. The unconventional gameplay mechanics, combined with a unique gameplay loop, means that the game stands on its own, as a unique combination of genres, which just works.

2

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Open-World Exploration Meets Action-Adventure

In The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, players are free to explore a stunning, open-world map, that is packed full of puzzles, enemies to fight, and vast areas to discover. The game takes the action-adventure format of many other Zelda titles, and grafts them into an almost sandbox style of gameplay.

The game relies on players to think outside the box, and come up with creative ways to solve problems, whilst still allowing a good level of player agency, with a large helping of emergent gameplay as well.

1

Disco Elysium

Detective Game Meets RPG

Disco Elysium is an intriguing game in many ways, most notably because it features no combat at all, and instead, the game is driven forward by player decisions and dialogue choices. However, there is also an underlying roleplaying layer, with choices triggering skill checks to determine the outcome.

The premise of Disco Elysium, is that the player must solve a murder case, and the plot slowly unravels using a well-crafted narrative and a complex plotline. Disco Elysium takes narrative-driven gameplay, adds in some key features of RPGs, and combines them into a unique whole.