Some of the most underrated video game genres out there have the most massive cult following. These can include the type of retro games our readers may have never seen or played. But it can also include the type of games that most don’t even realize are obsolete already.
In the list below, we are going to point out some of these underrated video game genres that have a cult following.
Underrated Video Game Genres That Have Their Own Massive Fanbase
Rhythm Games
Rhythm games have to be one of the most underrated video game genres, which were once massive during arcades. It’s not that the genre is completely dead; it just is not as relevant among the sea of other competitive and high-score games anymore.
These games are unique for being some of the most physically involving video games, especially if we are talking about dancing rhythm games, which have a massive cult following.
Gameplay in rhythm games is reactionary and very hard as it demands precise reaction to button presses from the players.
Memorable Games: Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution.
Rail Gun Shooters
If there is one video game genre that has barely gotten any spark or resurgence in the modern age of video games, then it has to be railgun shooters. These had massive cult followings back in the age of arcades.
The term rail gun comes from the fact that the whole experience is auto-sailing through levels. Players use proprietary controllers to shoot at enemies on the screen and acquire high scores.
Later on, most of the rail gun shooters moved from arcades to home consoles, with a lot of them finding massive success.
Memorable Games: The House of The Dead, Star Fox and Virtua Cop
Visual Novels
Visual Novels are one of the most misunderstood game genres in existence. It is not really considered a type of video game genre because Visual Novels are mostly digital books. Some games in the genre are choice-based, but most of them have a linear flow of narrative.
Even though these have a massive cult following, Visual Novels fans are usually made fun of by fans of other genres. But the interesting part is that visual novels are some modern examples of adventure games.
They helped influence storytelling elements in a lot of video games, such as the Persona and Danganronpa series.
Memorable Games: Tsukihime, Fate/Stay Night, and Steins; Gate.
Arcade Racing Games
You might be confused for a bit, thinking why racing games are on this list, since it is a pretty popular genre of video games. But don’t worry, we are specifically talking about the arcade sub-genre of racing games.
With the rise of the simulator video games, racing simulators have also become the dominant type of racers. These games focus on recreating the exact realistic feeling of being in the seat of race cars, such as Formula 1.
Long gone are the days when gamers used to desire playing racers that prioritized breakneck speed and reactions. But all is not lost because these types of games still have a massive cult following and have been seeing some small resurgences.
Some arcade racers you can check out for modern systems currently include Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Inertial Drift, and Night Runners.
Memorable Games: Ridge Racer, F-Zero and Wipeout
Dungeon Crawlers
With the evolution of RPGs, developers have been doing away with some game design ideas that everyone considers pretty dated. These include some systems, such as random encounters, which really needed a modern overhaul.
But at times, such overhauls also lead to the loss of some legacy game designs, such as dungeon crawling. Nowadays, RPGs are leaning more towards the open-world level design for their games, which leads to sandbox-like game designs.
Not that sandboxes are bad, but they are technically inferior to the systems introduced in dungeon crawlers. Those games used to have linear designs, which made for streamlined but interesting experiences.
Not to mention the sheer volume of incredible puzzles and obstacles, along with the uniqueness in each level. Dungeon crawlers still have a cult following, hence it is survived by indie RPGs such as the Dragon Ruins and Artificial Dream in Arcadia.
Memorable Games: Wizardry and Legend of Grimrock
Real Time Strategy Games
It is hard to believe that RTS or Real Time Strategy Games are presently a dying genre. Because one of the most popular and competitive games, StarCraft, hails from the RTS genre.
The most plausible reason as to why we don’t see RTS games anymore can be attributed to MOBAs. This is pretty much a game genre that has evolved out of RTS. Most of the potential fanbase has moved to games such as Dota or League of Legends.
But there is still some residual cult following that specifically craves the thrill of controlling entire nations of armies.
Memorable Games: Rise of Nations and Age of Mythology
God Game
Many readers might be confused as to what kind of name this one is. God Games are a sub-genre of strategy games that are not seen these days. In these games, players are put in the position of a god like being, in control of a game world.
There have been a lot of games in the past that have utilized mechanics from the genre. Games such as ActRaiser, which was released for the SNES, and Dungeon Keeper are some examples.
ActRaiser even got a rerelease on the Nintendo Switch system because of the apparent cult following around these games. The genre is said to have originated from the 1989 video game Populous.
Memorable Games: Black & White and Godus
Interactive Drama
Just like visual novels, interactive dramas are also a very unconventional genre of video games. It certainly does have a cult following, as it is a sub-genre that evolved out of adventure games.
The general gameplay in these types of games is based on making the right choices that lead to different outcomes, like the butterfly effect. There have been modern interactions of the genre in games such as Life is Strange and PlayStation’s Detroit: Become Human.
But there is also an underrated side of these games that has a massive following. Interactive movies like A Hiest with Makplier and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch are the ones that fall into this sub-genre.
Memorable Games: Late Shift and The Complex
Bullet Hell
Bullet Hell is another underrated video game genre from the arcade era. These are also the kind of games that have a cult following.
There are some franchises in this genre that have become very popular on the internet. The Touhou game series has become an internet sensation. But most people do not know that the characters were born out of bullet hell games originally.
The origin of this genre of games comes from the game called Batsugun from 1993. These games have a differentiating factor because some games are vertically scrolling, while some are horizontally scrolling.
Memorable Games: Vampire Survivors and Ikaruga
Horror Escape
Horror Escape is a particular sub-genre in the greater horror game umbrella. While horror is a very popular genre among fans of video games, this one is a sub-genre that is not usually popular.
But some of the games in the horror escape genre have a cult following. Especially, some Japanese titles like the Zero Escape series have a niche group of fans. There are not really too many other games that can be summed up under this sub-genre.
Usually, the gameplay crosses over with adventure games, where choices matter as well as puzzle games. Both of which are also pretty underrated genres in gaming.
Memorable Games: Zero Escape- The Nonary Games and Zero Escape- Zero Time Dilemma
