Does switching between genres improve gaming skills?

We live in a golden age of technology, especially when it comes to the gaming industry. There are so many different genre-bending games being released seemingly every day. We all know how easy it can be to stick with one main genre and rarely, if ever, branch out from that.

But is it worth dipping your toes in a different genre? Can branching out improve your gaming skills overall? Let’s find out.

Games of chance 

When talking about games of chance, there may not be any skill involved, but it is still certainly worth understanding the basic mechanics of a random number generator (RNG), as this could come in handy in other genres.

Playing at an online slots casino in the UK could help you understand what makes a game of chance sometimes worth the risk, and when it’s best to avoid them.

Crossover skills that you may not expect

Many different skills can cross over into genres that you may not expect. For example, in a game such as Stardew Valley, you may gain skills such as resource and time management that can be used in a game that is on the opposite side of the spectrum, like a Resident Evil title, where time and resource skills are vital to make it through the whole campaign.

It can be easy to put these different genres in boxes within your mind; on the surface, they seem so unrelated that it comes across as absurd to suggest that playing one could help you with the other. But there are many similar examples of gameplay element crossovers.

Another great example would be that the reflexes needed for a first-person shooter, such as Call of Duty or Battlefield, could greatly help in other games where split-second reflexes are incredibly important, such as in a racing or sports game.

Keeping an open mind

It can be very easy to get stuck in a genre hole, playing the same franchise over and over, trying to get better, only to stall on a plateau that you just can’t seem to get past.

It can be hard, but keeping an open mind and trying something that you would not usually pick up could be a great way of developing some skills that might just help you get off that plateau.

Game subscription services can be really great for this – PS Plus or Xbox Game Pass offer a wide variety of different games that players can enjoy free of additional charges.

These services can make you aware of games that you may not have previously known about, and who knows, you may just find your next favourite on one of these services.

Finding an online community

Online gaming communities are one of the luxuries of the age of the internet. It has never been so easy to find like-minded people, not only for specific games or genres, where you can discuss different play styles and game modes you like, but also to participate in wider communities to find new gaming experiences that you may have missed before. There have never been so many opportunities to find a hidden gem of a game.

Genre-bending games

In recent years, we have seen more games bend and combine genres that haven’t been done before. Perhaps one of the most famous examples, when it comes to internet circles, is Doki Doki Literature Club, blending cheesy dating simulator gameplay with existential fourth wall-breaking horror. It is certainly an experience.

These genre-bending games are becoming more standard as developers keep testing the limits and trying new things, which is both great for the consumer, as they are getting to play games with fresh, new concepts, and also great for the industry, as the innovation is driving expansion.

Another extremely popular genre-bending game that just has to be mentioned is Minecraft. Although it may seem rather one-dimensional from the outside looking in, that couldn’t be further from the truth, especially in this modern age.

The sandbox nature of Minecraft lets the player mould it into whatever kind of genre they want, especially if you are playing the Java edition, which can utilise mods.

But even with the vanilla edition, it can be a punitive endurance game, where you will have to scavenge for supplies just to survive in the harsh wilderness.

It can also be a purely creative experience to build to your heart’s content – or enjoy a mix of the two through a custom experience. There truly is no limit to this game, and there is good reason why it is the highest-grossing video game of all time.

What comes next for the gaming industry?

The gaming industry is ever-expanding; nothing seems to stand still, and we are in a golden age of games, some of which stick to formulas that have been proved to work year after year, and others that expand the reach of the industry into experiences that are special and simply could not be done in any other form of media.

But what comes next? What do the coming years look like? Well, that’s a tough question; it could go in one of many different directions, but there will always be developers who push the boundaries of what is possible for the medium, and we as consumers are likely to keep getting new and refreshing experiences.

The games industry has been a titan in the entertainment sector for a long time, and that does not seem to be about to change any time soon.