Video games come in a huge variety of genres, each offering campers a different style of experience and skill development, and they are developed with different systems or “engines”.
Game genres
Here’s an overview of the main genres, with quick examples and what makes each unique:
Platformers
Platformers challenge players to jump, climb, and maneuver through tricky courses full of hazards and enemies. Timing and dexterity are key! Classics include Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog, and modern indie gems like Celeste or Limbo keep the tradition alive.
Shooter Games
Shooters (first-person or third-person) focus on aiming and shooting enemies, often in fast-paced action. Examples range from single-player adventures like Halo or DOOM to massive online games like Fortnite. Shooters reward quick reflexes and strategic aiming.
Role-Playing Games (RPG)
RPGs feature immersive stories and worlds. You control a character (or team), make decisions, customize your gear, and often follow a deeply creative narrative. Final Fantasy, Pokémon, and The Witcher are key examples. Some RPGs use turn-based combat and others use real-time action.
Adventure Games
Adventure games focus on exploration and puzzle-solving, often with a strong story. Traditional examples are point-and-click games like Monkey Island, while modern ones blend with other genres—The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild lets players roam and discover secrets at their own pace.
Action-Adventure Games
A blend of combat, exploration, and puzzles. Action-adventure games, such as Uncharted or Tomb Raider, throw players into cinematic stories where fighting and finding clues go hand in hand.
Strategy & Simulation
Strategy games require careful planning and tactics—think StarCraft or Civilization, where resource management and long-term decisions win the day. Simulation games, such as The Sims or Flight Simulator, aim to recreate real-world experiences from flying planes to city-building.
Racing & Sports
These games recreate the thrill of competition, from driving cars (Gran Turismo) to scoring goals (FIFA). They’re fast-paced and usually reward hand-eye coordination and strategic play.
Puzzle Games
Puzzle games challenge logic and brainpower, whether arranging blocks (Tetris), guiding lasers (Portal), or unraveling mysteries (Myst). Many platformers and adventure games include puzzle elements too.
Fighting & Beat-‘Em-Up
Fighting games such as Street Fighter or Tekken pit players against each other in close combat with combos and special moves. Beat-‘em-up games focus on brawling through waves of enemies—think Final Fight or Castle Crashers.
Survival & Horror
Survival games (like Minecraft or The Long Dark) challenge players to manage resources and stay alive in dangerous worlds. Horror games (Resident Evil) add suspense and scare tactics for intense atmosphere.
Sandbox & Open-World
Sandbox games give players tools to create and control their own worlds—think Minecraft, Roblox, or Garry’s Mod. Open-world games like Grand Theft Auto V allow exploration with few limits and lots of freedom.
Here’s an easy-to-understand guide to the main video game genres, with short, parent-friendly descriptions and a few well-known examples of each.
| Genre | Simple Definition | Layman’s Explanation | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action | Focuses on fast-paced challenges that test reflexes and timing. | Players rely on quick reactions—running, jumping, or fighting through enemies and obstacles. | Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, Assassin’s Creed |
| Adventure | Centers on storytelling, exploration, and puzzle-solving. | Players explore worlds, talk to characters, and make choices that advance the story, not just fight. | The Legend of Zelda, Firewatch, Monkey Island |
| Action-Adventure | Combines combat with exploration and puzzles. | A mix of action and story-driven adventure in a detailed environment. | Tomb Raider, Uncharted, The Last of Us |
| Role-Playing Game (RPG) | Focuses on character growth, decision-making, and story. | Players take on roles, make moral choices, and level up characters through experience. | Final Fantasy, The Witcher 3, Pokémon |
| Simulation | Mimics real-world activities. | Lets players “live” experiences—flying a plane, managing a city, farming, or even raising families. | The Sims, Flight Simulator, Stardew Valley |
| Strategy | Centers on planning and decision-making. | Players think ahead, balancing resources and tactics rather than acting fast. | Civilization, StarCraft, Age of Empires |
| Shooter (FPS/TPS) | Involves aiming and shooting, often from a first- or third-person view. | Focused on target accuracy, fast reflexes, and strategic positioning. | Call of Duty, Fortnite, Overwatch |
| Fighting | Features one-on-one or small-group combat. | Players master character moves and combos to outplay opponents. | Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat |
| Platformer | Requires running and jumping across platforms or obstacles. | Tests timing and movement—they’re about skill and coordination. | Super Mario Bros., Celeste, Ori and the Blind Forest |
| Sports | Recreates real-world sports. | These games let you play or manage sports teams virtually. | FIFA, NBA 2K, Madden NFL |
| Racing | Focuses on speed and competition. | Players race vehicles on real or imaginary tracks for the best time. | Gran Turismo, Mario Kart, Forza Horizon |
| Puzzle | Challenges logic and problem-solving skills. | Players figure out patterns or solve puzzles to progress. | Tetris, Portal, Candy Crush Saga |
| Survival | Tests endurance through limited resources and overcoming danger. | Players must hunt, build, and survive in harsh environments. | Minecraft, The Forest, Subnautica |
| Horror | Aims to create suspense or fear. | Combines story, tension, and atmosphere for a thrilling experience. | Resident Evil, Dead by Daylight, Amnesia |
| Stealth | Rewards sneaking and avoiding detection over fighting. | Players win by being quiet and strategic rather than aggressive. | Metal Gear Solid, Hitman, Splinter Cell |
| Open World / Sandbox | Gives freedom to roam and create in large virtual spaces. | Players decide what to do, whether building, exploring, or creating stories. | Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V, Roblox |
| MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) | Involves many players interacting in shared universes. | Thousands of people play together online, completing quests or competing. | World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, Guild Wars 2 |
| Battle Royale | Survival with dozens of players until one remains. | Players start empty-handed and scavenge gear to outlast everyone else. | Fortnite, PUBG, Apex Legends |
Each genre encourages different creative and cognitive skills—problem-solving in puzzles, teamwork in MMOs, or creativity in sandbox worlds—which is why game development camps often let students experiment with several at once.
Each genre teaches different skills—from creative thinking and logic to fast reflexes and teamwork. Campers gain real experience by building games in favorite genres, discovering what makes each type of game fun and challenging.
Engines
Exposure to different game engines during camp (or across camps) gives your child a substantial advantage in learning. Think of game engines as different musical instruments—learning multiple ones develops adaptable problem-solving skills and helps students understand which tools work best for different creative goals.
When campers experience various engines, they learn to think beyond a single workflow. They discover that game development isn’t about memorizing one system, but understanding core principles that transfer across platforms. This versatility is very valuable, as it develps intellectual flexibility and a genuine mastery of underlying concepts rather than rote learning.
Additionally, different engines excel at different tasks. Students who’ve worked with multiple platforms can make informed decisions about which tool suits their creative vision, rather than forcing every idea into a single engine they happen to know. This practical wisdom is something many professional developers take years to develop.
Most Popular Game Engines: Uses, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Unity
Unity strikes an excellent balance between power and accessibility, making it the most popular choice for both beginners and professionals. On the plus side, it supports both 2D and 3D development, exports to virtually every platform (mobile, console, PC, VR), and offers an enormous Asset Store with over 70,000 ready-made assets and tutorials that accelerate learning. The C# programming language it uses is industry-standard and relatively beginner-friendly. However, Unity recently faced controversy over proposed runtime fees that damaged trust in the platform, though these were later reversed. The engine can also become resource-intensive for very large projects, and the sheer number of features can overwhelm newcomers without proper guidance.
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine represents the gold standard for cutting-edge graphics and AAA game development, making it ideal for students interested in photorealistic visuals or film/animation careers. Its Blueprint visual scripting system allows complete beginners to create games without writing code, while advanced students can dive into C++ programming. Unreal provides free access to its massive library of photorealistic assets (Megascans) and is used by over 550 films and TV shows, giving students exposure to professional workflows. The downside is a steep learning curve for advanced features, significant hardware requirements (older computers may struggle), and it’s less suited for 2D games or mobile development where Unity excels. For younger or less technically experienced campers, Unreal can feel overwhelming.
Godot
Godot is the open-source champion—completely free forever with no royalties, making it perfect for students who want to learn without commercial restrictions. It excels at 2D game development (better than Unity for 2D) and is lightweight enough to run on modest hardware. The engine’s GDScript language is Python-like and very beginner-friendly, though it also supports C# for those familiar with Unity. Because it’s open-source, students gain access to the entire engine’s code, fostering deeper understanding. However, Godot has a smaller community and fewer learning resources compared to Unity or Unreal (around 3,000 assets versus Unity’s 70,000+), and it’s less proven for large-scale 3D projects. For families prioritizing ethical technology and long-term flexibility, Godot is excellent; for those seeking maximum resources and industry alignment, it lags slightly behind.
Roblox Studio
Roblox Studio offers instant gratification—students can build games and immediately share them with millions of existing Roblox players, creating a built-in audience and social motivation. It teaches real programming through Lua/Luau while providing drag-and-drop 3D building tools that make creation feel playful and accessible. The platform is especially effective for younger students (ages 8-14) who are already Roblox fans. However, it’s locked into the Roblox ecosystem—games can’t be published elsewhere as standalone products—and Roblox takes 75% of any revenue earned. The quality of community-created tutorial content is inconsistent, and the “toolbox” of free assets often contains low-quality or even malicious content that frustrates learners. It’s a fantastic starting point for engagement but less transferable to professional game development than Unity or Unreal.
GameMaker
GameMaker focuses exclusively on 2D games, making it perfect for students interested in platformers, puzzle games, or retro-style projects. Its drag-and-drop interface combined with GameMaker Language (GML) allows beginners to start without coding and gradually add custom scripts as they advance. The engine excels at rapid 2D prototyping and has a gentle learning curve. However, it offers no 3D capability whatsoever, limiting creative scope compared to multi-dimensional engines, and has a smaller community than Unity. Code written in GML doesn’t transfer easily to other platforms or languages, potentially limiting long-term skill development. It’s ideal for campers focused solely on 2D game design but less versatile overall.
Construct 3
Construct 3 is the easiest entry point for absolute beginners—pure visual programming with zero coding required, making it perfect for younger students (ages 6-10) or those intimidated by text-based programming. It’s browser-based (accessible from any device), exports to HTML5 for web games, and includes built-in sprite editing. Students can create functional games in a single session, building immediate confidence. The drawbacks are that it’s limited to 2D only, has a smaller asset marketplace than competitors, and uses a subscription pricing model rather than one-time purchase. Projects built in Construct don’t easily scale to professional-level complexity, so it’s best viewed as a gateway experience rather than a long-term platform.
Specialized Engines
CryEngine: Excels at stunning graphics and large open-world environments but has a very steep learning curve and smaller community.
Phaser: Browser-based 2D games and HTML5 mobile games; lightweight JavaScript framework, ideal for web developers.
Amazon Lumberyard: Free AAA-quality 3D engine with AWS integration, but complex and requires significant technical expertise.
Bottom Line for Parents
For younger campers (6-12): Scratch, Construct 3, or Roblox Studio provide accessible, confidence-building experiences.
For middle schoolers and teens ready for depth: Unity offers the best combination of resources, career relevance, and versatility.
For advanced high schoolers interested in film, animation, or cutting-edge graphics: Unreal Engine provides industry-standard training.
For families valuing open-source values or 2D game focus: Godot delivers powerful tools without commercial lock-in.
The key takeaway: experiencing multiple engines teaches adaptability, critical thinking, and genuine technical literacy—skills that transcend any single platform and prepare students for whatever t