When referring to arcade games, they are generally used as a category for a specific type of game. Or something that emulates the gaming machines found at arcade venues, but this is not a singular type of game. In fact, there are many different genres and categories that can fall under the arcade game term, and they have drastic fundamental differences. That being said, there are some universal design principles that are evident in practically all arcade games, however these may be translated differently in different contexts.
The games must be instantly accessible, in that they are easy to pick up and learn, even for complete beginners. They have a clear objective, and while the mechanics of the game can be simple, the objective is engaging enough to keep players wanting more. Finally, but perhaps most importantly of all, the games must have cyclical patterns, they are repetitive and they can be replayed. In fact, replaying value must be extremely high with these games, as the goal is to get players coming back and wanting more.
The original games ran on coin fed mechanics, so replaying was a crucial part of an arcade game’s business model. They need players to come back and feed more coins into the game, to keep playing and trying again. After ticking all those boxes, however, there are loads of other mechanics and frameworks that can be implemented into the games to create countless unique offerings.
Story Based vs High Score Objectives
There are loads of different genres within the realm of arcade games, and plenty of intersections between them that can create layered arcade games with more complexity. The most famous games in the industry became overnight hits for their replayable value, with simple enough gameplay to cater to larger audiences, but enough depth to sustain players for longer gaming sessions. Then, for an objective, the arcade games could go about numerous ways to keep players coming back for more. They could introduce high score leaderboards or create a story. A narrative.
In the first case, players tasked themselves with the goal of beating the old high scores and setting new high scores of their own. It is simple enough, but it is enough to make the players want to stick in the long hard hours to learn the game to the point of mastery, and dedicate themselves to beating the high scores. The second objective type, a storyline or narrative, often had important plot points revealed at the beginning of the game. Then, the players had to progress through rounds and levels to fill in the plot and reach the end of the story. Again, there were games that could combine these objectives, creating stories wherein players could score points for how well they performed during the entirety of the tale, and then finish with a score.
Most Famous Arcade Game Genres
Onto the gameplay itself, there were plenty of different gaming genres that vendors could use to create unique games. Shooting games often included waves of enemies in rounds, with score tallies and introduced the concept of endurance. Players wouldn’t just get high scores for killing more enemies, but they had to last as long as they could against the increasingly harder rounds. Contrast that with racing games, where the goal was to perform better within a fixed time frame. The racers have to beat finish times, potentially picking up collectibles or points for other in-race achievements. Platformers were also pretty close to these genres. In that they required quick hand-eye coordination, and for gamers to make decisions in the heat of the moment.
But that can be contrasted with the puzzle style arcade games. Instead of quick tapping, constant shooting or jumping, these games revolved around figuring out patterns, identifying problems and solving them quickly. These main gaming genres, naturally, had massive intersections where titles could use elements of different genres to create completely revolutionary gameplay. But all of them revolve around fast paced rounds, quick thinking, progressive skill building, and maintaining focus to the events as they unfold.
Edgy Adrenaline Pumping Platformers
Platformers, like Mario Bros or Donkey Kong, required precision and timing skills. Players have to navigate their characters, avoiding obstacles and enemies, and get through maps that get increasingly harder. They can accumulate points by surviving the rounds, collecting important items, or combo chains. The cleaner and faster the run, the better the score, and after several rounds, the players will be able to get through the initial rounds practically seamlessly. But they want to progress further, pass each round smoother, and increase their final score.
Small mistakes can quickly tally up, and they can harm the player’s final score. However, in repetition, players will remember these traps and can avoid them when they crop up again. It creates huge competition and an endless loop for the gamers. Because the more they play, the better they get, and then the higher they can push their top score. Of course, fatigue will eventually kick in and the players will have to call it a day. But the platformers are some of the most iconic and engaging arcade games out there.
Surviving the Onslaught in Shooters
The goal of shooters is to survive endless rounds of enemies or obstacles, firing at wave after wave and trying to reach higher scores. Titles such as Space Invaders and Galaga built their entire identity around survival and precision. As the enemies descend, move faster, and fire more frequently, these force the player to sharpen their reflexes with every passing second. There is no safety net. One lapse in concentration can bring an otherwise flawless run to an abrupt halt, and then the player has to start again from scratch.
The scoring systems in these games reward more than just survival. Accuracy, streaks, risk taking, and even positioning can all influence the final tally. This introduces strategy into what appears, at first glance, to be chaotic action. But even with the expertise and the sharpened hand-eye coordination, players must stay alert to any new elements that may be brought into the game, forcing them to think quickly on their feet and adapt their strategy. Each new personal best proves that reflexes have sharpened and strategies have evolved. It turns what could be a simple survival mechanic into a deeply competitive and personal challenge.
Beating the Clock in Racing Games
Racing arcade games use timers and narrow racing windows to create a high scoring culture, they devoid from the standard collect points format. Instead of accumulating points through destruction or collection, players compete against the clock. Every lap, every corner, and every straight becomes an opportunity to shave off fractions of a second. The difference between an average run and a record breaking one can be measured in milliseconds. As such, these games actually do have finishing lines, and players don’t need to keep going for hours on end to break new records.
Classic arcade racers such as Out Run and Pole Position embodied this format. The timer ticking down creates immediate tension, so there is no room for hesitation and players cannot make even the smallest mistakes. The games have an instant replayability about them, as gamers can memorize the track layouts, best times to break or speed up, and stay on track to beat their race time and rank higher. The simplicity of racing against time keeps the objective crystal clear.
Problem Solving Puzzle Games
Puzzle arcade games brought high score competition into a more strategic and intellectual arena. These games are not about developing quick motor neuron skills, or reducing reaction times, but instead require players to think ahead, recognize patterns, anticipate the unexpected, and be as efficient as possible. One of the best known games of the genre is Tetris. Tetris showed that even the simplest mechanics, in this case arranging falling shapes, could produce endless replay value when tied to a scoring system. In puzzle formats, points are often awarded for combinations, speed of completion, or chaining moves together.
The escalating pace in many puzzle arcade games also mirrors the difficulty curves seen in shooters and platformers. As speed increases, players must think faster and act more decisively. The beauty of high score puzzle games lies in their balance between calm and chaos. At the beginning of a session, the board may feel manageable. Minutes later, it becomes a high pressure test of composure. When players finally surpass their previous best, they don’t just feel that they have beaten a record, but that their anticipation, and decision making have improved.
Differences in the Controls and Gameplay
The controls applied in the different gaming genres will differ too, based on what players are required to do. Just compare a shoot’em game that requires movement and quick firing options for players against a puzzle based game that only requires a handful of timed and well-thought-out movements. The gameplay will dictate what kinds of controls, and how players should react to these, are determined. Platformers and racing games generally need multi-directional movement controls, so players can successfully navigate the obstacles and manage timely and precise movements. They may also incorporate a couple of additional buttons or controls to ensure the players can do actions such as jump, speed up, or brake, when required.
Shooters require slightly more precision in the directional controls, as gamers need to aim and fire their shots accurately. They also require buttons to shoot, and perhaps a secondary movement control to ensure the player can move their character within the setting of the game. This creates a dual tension, as gamers are not only firing to hit their enemies, but their playable characters must remain in constant motion, to avoid incoming enemy fire or obstacles. The opposite of this is puzzle games, which don’t require much more than a few buttons for gamers to solve the puzzles on the screen. They are not constantly mashing buttons or continuously moving in the games. Instead, they are making a few decisions within the context of the puzzle, focusing on how to solve the problem rather than smashing and racing their way through them.
High Score Endurance Games vs Round Based
Heading back to the actual mechanics of the games, an important difference in arcade game genres is the structure of the gameplay. The games can use neverending rounds, demanding persistence and endurance from their users, and these could tie into leaderboard contests and high score chasing. The others are not based on endurance, but rather break up the gaming into separate rounds or levels, breaking up the flow of the gameplay. Instead of holding out for as long as possible, these games could give players a break in the momentum. As the arcade games evolved to digital and even mobile platforms, the latter became a crucial component of retaining player activity and keeping the games exciting for even better long-term playability.
Because chasing high scores and staying focused as long as possible has its drawbacks. Players need to be ready to dedicate the time and their resources to keep at it and sustain longer gaming sessions. They cannot simply pause the games, so they are tied to the machines and have to be ready to build up from the starting point to get to the high score chasing levels. It requires dedication and high levels of motivation. Round based, or level based games, especially later, did come with pause options. This reinvented the wheel as far as arcade games are concerned.
Casual and Intermittent Gameplay
Suddenly, players could stop a game, get on with other tasks, and then come back and pick up where they left off. These games took to a life of their own when mobile gaming became a thing. Because players could take these games with them anywhere. Instead of creating a time and a place to hit the games, the players could use these games to fill out empty spaces in their daily life. When they are travelling, waiting for something, or in between tasks, the opportunities present themselves. Also, the narrative of the game completely changes, as now players have a lot more time and energy to spend on the games, but their focus levels may vary greatly.