Games That Defy Genre Expectations

Summary

• Persona 5 Royal redefines classic RPGs with unique systems & style.
• Pokemon Legends: Arceus breaks franchise formula with real-time gameplay.
• Katamari Damacy invents a new genre with surreal, quirky gameplay.

There are many genres of games, each setting expectations of what kind of experience players are going into. Players pick up an RPG and anticipate variations in combat and character progression, or load into FPS games ready for fast-paced action. Some games tend to blend these genres and create new concepts, or develop entirely new genres.

The following games aren’t just great games, but milestones in game design evolution, defying expectations by either blurring the lines between genres or inventing a new one out of pre-existing ideas. There may be story spoilers ahead due to the nature of discussing genres and expectations in games.

10

Persona 5 Royal

Visual Novel Sim & Turn-Based Dungeon Crawling

Stemming from a game released in 1996, the Persona series developed a unique reputation as a turn-based RPG with slight twists, like a social simulation system in Persona 3 and a more in-depth timing system in Persona 4. Persona 5 Royal defies expectations of classic RPGs by creating an utterly unique experience that even redefines what previous Persona games accomplished, all backed by a fantastic sense of style in terms of aesthetic and soundtrack.

Persona 5 Royal’s calendar-based structure doubles down on timing, forcing players to make meaningful choices about how to spend each in-game day. The main dungeons players explore are called “Palaces,” which feature puzzles, stealth elements, and interesting boss mechanics, drawing inspiration from other immersive sims and action games.

9

Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Pokemon Reimagined As Open-World Hunting

Pokemon games first appeared in 1996 and held a consistent style of gameplay that truly emphasized what Pokemon is. Up until 2022, with the release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the formula remained relatively the same. The addition of an open-world format appeared first in Sword & Shield in 2019, which Legends: Arceus expanded upon and then some.

The way Pokemon Legends: Arceus defies Pokemon’s genre expectation is first through the disposition of the characters in their story; most are afraid of wild Pokemon and going through a journey of learning to love them. The gameplay features real-time catching with the stakes raised by the player themselves being targeted by Pokemon. Overall, this game breaks away from the franchise’s long-standing formula and changes the expectations of what a Pokemon game looks like, setting a good path for Pokemon Legends: Z-A to follow and expand upon.

8

Katamari Damacy

Genre Defying & Defining Action-Puzzle Games

Katamari Damacy is worth noting here because it’s a great example of genre subversion, as it basically invented a new genre that many games have borrowed from since. Originally released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, it contrasted with anything else at the time for embracing absurdity and offering gameplay that had no real precedent.

The concept is nearly impossible to explain, other than that the player must roll a magical ball called a “Katamari” that sticks to anything smaller than it, forming a large ball that eventually becomes large enough to collect large creatures and buildings. This game defies all expectations of puzzle and action games by providing something surreal and quirky, setting a new standard for games that don’t have to rely on overarching narratives or complex gameplay systems.

7

Outer Wilds

Space Exploration Powered By Knowledge

At first glance, Outer Wilds appears in the same family as No Man’s Sky, a space travel sim. However, this game rejects nearly every conventional expectation of progression, challenge, and reward. There are no enemies to fight, no stats to increase, no new tools to unlock; in Outer Wilds, every player must utilize their thinking abilities and persistence to discover what the game is about.

The main defining mechanic of this game is its 22-minute time loop triggered by the death of the sun, forcing players to think critically by observing planetary orbits, deciphering left-behind texts, and discovering hidden physics systems. Progress is cataloged on the player’s ship, but no guidance exists other than the player’s imagination and what clues are left behind.

6

Tunic

Zelda Meets Cryptic Language Archeology

Tunic is the kind of game that can be fully enjoyed on a surface level as The Legend of Zelda meets Dark Souls, featuring challenging combat and gradual progress through items and routes. However, what makes this game defy expectations is the numerous puzzles embedded within it. Similar to Outer Wilds, this game allows players to play non-linearly and learn new ways to play the game in a different way.

Every step of the way, Tunic makes players realize there’s something more going on than what’s being shown. Many modes of progress are obscured yet hidden in plain sight, and several moments require the player to read between the lines both literally and figuratively. This game utilizes nostalgia, abstract language, and player creativity to craft an experience that feels ancient and mysterious.

5

Death Stranding

Post-Apocalypse Package Delivery Simulator

Hideo Kojima is well known for defying expectations in games across multiple levels, most famous for the Metal Gear series, developing fusions between action and stealth. His most unique project is Death Stranding, released in 2019 with the self-titled genre label “strand game.” This game begins as a walking simulator and evolves into more complex gameplay that incorporates action segments and asynchronous multiplayer capabilities.

Playing Death Stranding feels like experiencing poetry—a philosophical and surreal experience that highlights fragility, isolation, and what it means to put effort into something. Like many other games from Kojima, this game naturally defies assumptions about what a game can be. It’s not designed for casual consumption, as it demands patience and prioritizes artistic vision over any genre conventions.

4

Return Of The Obra Dinn

Monochrome Deduction Game

Return of the Obra Dinn is another unique game coming from Lucas Pope, the creator of Papers, Please. This game is built entirely around logic deduction, with no combat, traditional puzzles, or guided narrative structures. And yet, it succeeds as a compelling story experience and genre-defying game that reimagines how games deliver interactivity and storytelling.

The player wields a magical stopwatch known as the Memento Mortem, which allows them to view the frozen final moments of the dead while exploring the fate of the 60 passengers and crew aboard a ghost ship. This game refuses to handhold or hint at solutions, trusting players to genuinely think. The deliberate 1-bit monochrome style and ominous gameplay really set the stage for experiencing something haunted and out of time, rewriting how games can share stories in an abstract way.

3

The Stanley Parable

The Hyper-Meta Narrative Satire

This is a unique game that not only defies genre expectations but also disassembles them into a deeply critical meta-commentary on video games. The Stanley Parable literally weaponizes player expectations, beginning with a seemingly simple premise: Stanley, an office worker, finds himself alone at his desk with a narrator calmly describing his thoughts and actions. However, a pivotal moment in the game determines the reality of what is happening—Stanley arrives at two doors, and the player can decide to obey or disobey the narrator when choosing which door to walk through.

The entire structure of the game centers around Stanley exploring the office facility with an omnipotent narrator attempting to guide him in a particular direction. The genius of this genre-defying game lies in how the choices within it alter the story and also question the very nature of storytelling in games.

2

Inscryption

A Deckbuilding Escape Room ARG

Inscryption initially presents itself as a dark deck-building roguelike, similar to Slay the Spire or Hand of Fate, but this game delves deeper and breaks the genre convention in an unexpected way. In Inscryption, players sit across from a shadowy figure and are forced to play a card game centered around the theme of sacrifice. When players get comfortable knowing what’s going on, the game begins to evolve, not only genre-shifting but breaking the fourth wall.

Inscryption uses genre subversion as a storytelling device. When the game shifts, an ARG is discovered, and the game itself is being interfered with by the beings within it. Without spoiling too much, Inscryption defies genre, story, and mechanical expectations in a number of ways, and after only a couple of hours of consistent gameplay.

1

Doki Doki Literature Club

Visual Novel Dating Sim Turned Horror

Doki Doki Literature Club, on its face, is like any other anime-inspired dating sim in a slice-of-life high school setting, with a handful of classmates vying for the protagonist’s attention through poetry writing and shared hobbies. However, this game transcends genre and parody, gradually evolving into a psychological horror with self-aware characters and code manipulation, subverting genre and mechanical expectations entirely.

Players will slowly begin to notice the fourth-wall breaking, which is no accident or hidden Easter Egg, converting the narrative into a meta-horror experience—a rare occurrence in games, also executed very well. This game dismantles genre norms and pushes the traditional boundaries of gaming so far that it forces players who fall into the rabbit hole to self-reflect on moral concepts and how to approach gaming in general.