5 Video Game Genres That Have Essentially Disappeared

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Video games started with simple sports titles, like the very first game, Tennis for Two, released in 1958. Over time, as technology improved, the industry expanded into many different types of games, and even smaller categories within those types. While some genres have remained popular, others have faded away. These are five game types that major developers have largely stopped making, though you might occasionally find a small independent game in these styles. It’s possible things could change in the future, but for now, they’re mostly a thing of the past.

1) Instrument-Based Rhythm Games

Rhythm games, like those in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series, were incredibly popular for a time, receiving great reviews and attracting many players. While the genre actually started earlier, it really took off in the 1990s and continued to be a hit throughout the 2000s. However, interest began to decline in the 2010s. Rock Band 4, released in 2015, was the last major rhythm game that used instruments. While there haven’t been many instrument-based titles since, it’s possible they could make a comeback in the future.

2) Full Motion Video

For many years, using real-life video footage in video games seemed impossible due to limitations in computer power and storage. However, technologies like LaserDiscs and CD-ROMs changed that, leading to a new type of game where full-motion video (FMV) played a key role in storytelling. While some games like Night Trap didn’t age well, others, such as Dragon’s Lair, were truly great. This genre thrived throughout the 1990s, but eventually, developers began to prefer creating cutscenes with computer graphics instead of filming live-action movies, as the latter was much more costly and complex. Today, FMV games are largely a thing of the past, appearing mostly in smaller, independent titles.

3) Rail Shooters

Rail shooter games first became popular in arcades in the mid-1980s, thanks to innovations by Sega. The 1990s saw some of the best examples of the genre, with games like Lethal Enforcers, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (shown here), and Time Crisis II becoming huge hits. However, towards the end of the decade, interest in rail shooters began to decline as players shifted towards first-person shooters and other types of shooting games. With arcades also becoming less common, rail shooters became rarer. While the genre hasn’t completely vanished, new releases are infrequent and hard to find.

4) Point-And-Click

The point-and-click interface revolutionized adventure games, enabling richer stories through graphics and text. Lucasfilm Games created many memorable titles using this style in the late 80s and 90s. However, as gaming evolved with more action-oriented gameplay, point-and-click adventures became less popular. Most major studios stopped making them, though a few independent developers still create games using this classic style. You rarely see point-and-click adventures from large game companies these days.

5) Text Adventures

Early computer games often couldn’t display images. When they could, home computers were limited to simple, memory-heavy vector graphics. This led to the rise of text-based adventure games, which allowed players to experience something similar to tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons on a computer. These games became popular in 1976 with Colossal Cave Adventure and continued with excellent titles like Zork. While people still create and play text adventures today, the audience is small – it’s easy to see why the genre lost popularity when games with graphics became available.

What kind of video game would you love to see make a comeback? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-17 15:12