Genre

A **genre** in RPG Maker is an informal classification works for fiction that inspired other media, such as films and video games, the latter similarly noted an explanation to be playable rather than visual or narrative elements. A single game must add at least five genres at once.

For example: **Role-Playing Game** genre (or **RPG**s) is considered "an early precursor" of RPG Maker game genre in most years since 1997.

**NOTE**: There are two types of genres which categorized in RPG Maker games: **Fiction** and **Game**.

## List of **fiction** genres

### **Avant-garde**

Sometimes known as "**art game**" or "**experimental game**". A unique genre of RPG Maker games, being used as an experimental work of art that unusually innovative or creative in the artist's way. Avant-garde in RPG Maker is specifically exhibited in niche or independent market through websites such as Itch.io and Steam, allows to distribute solely for freeware or commercial purposes.

#### Examples

* *Capacity* (2016)
* *OneShot* (2014)
* *Super Columbine Massacre RPG!* (2005)

### Black comedy

A comedy subgenre that stylized infamous subject matter where is considered taboo or darkly comic, especially the use of sex, vulgar, and death for comical purposes, generally provoking amusement to players. Another term of black comedy categorizes controversial themes such as cannibalism, incest, mockery of mental illness, racism, and sexism.

#### Examples

* *The Coffin of Andy and Leyley* (2023-2024)

### Satire

A comedy subgenre that emphasis the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule real-life events or fiction.

#### Examples

* *Mango Mischief* (2022)
* *Super Columbine Massacre RPG!* (2005)

### **Drama**

A primary genre of RPG Maker games used for dramatic elements.

### Psychological drama

A subgenre of drama emphasis on psychological elements, allows to use these genres' tropes to focus on the human condition and psychological effects, usually in a mature and serious tone.

#### Examples

* *Irrational* (2019)
* *To the Moon* (2011)

### **Extremity**

Alternatively known as **RPG Maker Extremity**, a notorious genre for RPG Maker games used to distinguish excessive sexual and violent natures, in opposite of adult-only or "**Not Safe for Work**" (**NSFW**) works.

#### Examples

* Charon's games: *The Dark Side of Red Riding Hood* (2013)
* Deep-sea Prisoner's games: *Mogeko Castle* (2012, 2014), *The Grey Garden* (2012), *Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea* (2013)
* *Fear & Hunger* (2018) and its sequel, *Termina* (2021)
* *Morimiya Middle School Shooting* (2018)
* *The Witch's House* (2012, 2018)

**NOTE**: The "**RPG Maker** **Extremity**" term drew inspiration or is often closely related to **New French Extremity**; although it does not mention that term used for "violent" video games, but the term unknowingly adopted the idea by some game developers and viewers to describe trends with graphic sex and violence in use of content closely to RPG Maker games.

### Dark fantasy

A fantasy subgenre used for RPG Maker games. Its emphasis on darker and gloomy atmosphere with fantasy elements, incorporates the use of disturbing and frightening themes in the genre rather than horror or thriller.

#### Examples

* *Exile's Journey* (2020)
* *Grimm's Hollow* (2019)

### **Historical**

A rare genre of RPG Maker games, depicted in real-life events. The term of the genre dramatizes the narrative of a real-life person, people, or company, where it shows their lives of character's real name is optionally used for historical purposes.

### **Horror**

A **horror game in RPG Maker** is a video game genre in which the main task of the game itself is to scare or shock the player in many ways, either by including psychological horrors, showing disturbing content, or by being a survival style game, especially if failing is penalized by severe or complete loss of progress.

These games are more likely to have child unfriendly content such as blood, violence, and gore, as the main objective of these games is to cause the player to become scared or shocked.

Strangely, a noticeable percentage of RPG Maker games are in fact horror games, generally popularized in recent years. This may be due to popular games such as *Yume Nikki*, influencing the users of the RPG Maker series. The first horror game *CORPSE-PARTY* was made with the precursor program, RPG Tsukūru Dante 98.

#### Examples

* *Ann* (2021)
* *Ao Oni* (2008)
* *The Crooked Man* (2012)
* *Dreaming Mary* (2014)
* *Lisa: The First* (2012)
* *Ib* (2012)

### Psychological horror

The term or subgenre emphasis on psychological elements in the horror genre focuses on mental, emotional, and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle the player.

#### **Examples**

* *Angels of Death* (2015)
* *Omori* (2020)
* *Palette* (2001)

### Reverse horror

The term reverses the use of horror games in RPG Maker, involving the player serves as a main antagonist or villainous role, allows to scare or killing others.

#### **Examples**

* *Morimiya Middle School Shooting* (2018)
* *Off* (2008)

### **Mystery**

A primary genre of RPG Maker games used for adventure and puzzle-solving elements, provides to solve a mystery through clues as well as interrogate various objects and characters by the player.

### **Surreal**

A primary genre of RPG Maker games, depicted in a bizarre environment and characters.

#### Examples

* *Space Funeral* (2010)
* *Hylics* (2014)

### **Thriller**

A primary genre of RPG Maker games that brought suspense and fear to the player.

### Psychological thriller

Like psychological horror, the term or subgenre emphasis on psychological elements in the thriller genre focuses on mental, emotional, and psychological states towards the characters.

#### Examples

* *Morimiya Middle School Shooting* (2018)
* *Lockheart Indigo* (2020)

### **Western**

A rare genre of RPG Maker games, typically set in mid-to-late 19th century inspired by American frontier or Old West.

#### Examples

* *Trailblazer* (2020; currently in development)

## List of **Game** genre

### **Adventure**

A precursor genre for RPG Maker games, subverts the idea of role-playing games but driven by exploration and puzzle-solving elements.

### Walking simulator

The term subverts the use of adventure games in RPG Maker, with primarily elements of exploration, environmental, and use of minimal dialogue.

#### Examples

* *A Bird Story* (2014)
* *Lisa: The First* (2012)
* *Yume Nikki* (2004)

### **Eroge**

A portmanteau of "erotic" and "game", the term of simulation genre used for RPG Maker games. It emulates sexual stimulation (and sometimes sexual violence) through gameplay, depicted its explicit content.

#### Examples

* *Bound by Love* (2020)
* *Violated Heroine* (2009; currently in development)

### **Fangame**

A "polarizing" genre used for RPG Maker games developed by fans of official intellectual properties, with or without permission. *Pokemon Uranium* is a notorious example of fangame genre, being the subject of copyright takedown by officials.

#### Examples

* *Doraemon - Nobita's Resident Evil* (2007)
* *Lisa: The Hopeful* (2017)
* *Pokemon Uranium* (2016)

### **Role-playing game (RPG)**

A very first genre for RPG Maker games, primarily use the role-playing elements.

### Anti-RPG

The term or RPG subgenre subverts the standard expectations of the role-playing game genre, mainly for comical and satisfying method.

#### Examples

* *Lisa: The Painful* (2014)
* *Off* (2008)
* *OMORI* (2020)
* *OneShot* (2014)

### Non-RPG

The term came out that allows to create or play games without the use of role-playing elements in RPG Maker, deconstructing the idea into more adventurous and story-driven elements. Horror is the most popular genre used in that term with the 2012 game *Ib* has been credited as a deconstruction of JRPGs with helping popularize its engine's use in developing games without using the role-playing elements.

#### Examples

* *Ib* (2012)
* *To the Moon* (2011)

### Pseudo-RPG

The term self-described by the developer Deep-Sea Prisoner. It limits the use of role-playing elements with heavily focuses on narrative structure.

* Deep-sea Prisoner's games: *Mogeko Castle* (2012, 2014), *The Grey Garden* (2012), *Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea* (2013)

## References

1. ↑ Genre and game studies - Wayback Machine (archive.org)
2. ↑ Biographical film - Wikipedia
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Psychological thriller - Wikipedia
4. ↑ Walking simulator - Wikipedia
5. ↑ Fan-made Pokemon Uranium is shelved by its creators after Nintendo notices - Polygon
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Anti-RPGs For Fans of Undertale (thegamer.com)
7. ↑ RPGmakerweb (15 July 2014). THE RISE OF THE NON-RPG RPG MAKER GAME: HORROR GAMES. (webarchive.org)