Action games primarily involve fast-paced combat with some form of movement, and elements of puzzle solving, strategy, plot, and story line. These elements are not prime themes of the games, but may still be important features.
Many other genres list games that have elements of action.
Fighting lists games with a very high proportion of combat in a relatively fixed arena.
Shooter lists games with a very high proportion of combat and exploration or movement across terrain.
Action-Adventure lists games with higher proportion of puzzle solving than combat.
Driving_and_Racing lists games that primarily involve racing or piloting vehicles, although may contain elements of combat.
Simulation lists games that stress the interaction of vehicles and environment over action.
Certain collections of games based around a space theme (such as
Star Wars or
Star Trek) are listed within action, even though certain individual titles may not be action titles.
Please note that many games popularly classified as ''action'' are categorized by ODP under other more specific genres. These include
Fighting,
Shooter,
Action-Adventure,
Driving_and_Racing, and
Simulation.
If you cannot find a suitable category within Action/, please consider looking in the categories listed above, or using the search facility to check that the game category does not exist under another genre. Most games, particularly popular ones such as
Counter-Strike or
Grand Theft Auto, already have established categories.
Please submit sites that have no English language content within
World.
Lists sites for groups of individual arcade titles for modern platforms they were not originally released for. Sites related to specific titles within each compilation are listed elsewhere within title specific categories.
Games that can be played online with a web browser. Some require browser components such as Java, JavaScript, or Shockwave, but all are playable through the web browser.
Please submit sites with multiple online games that contain at least one based off of an arcade game in the Collections subcategory.
Contains sites which provide cheats, frequently asked questions (FAQs), walkthroughs, help files, hints, and codes.
This category contains sites for independent developers of action games.
Sites offering just one non-commercial title should normally be submitted within Freeware or Shareware. Sites offering clones or tribute games may be submitted within the category for the original game that they are based upon.
This category lists primarily Action games that may
only be played online with or against hundreds of other players. This category does not list games that have both single and multiplayer options. It does not list
browser based games played over the internet, or
MUDs.
Contains links to sites which provide player-created downloads for modifying a game or adding to it.
Contains sites whose main focus are to provide information, news, reviews, previews, articles, and fora about action games.
Sites directly related to video game titles which are primarily set in a futuristic or fictional universe beyond the earth's atmosphere. Collections of games based around a space theme (such as Star Wars or Star Trek) are listed here, even though certain individual titles may not be space combat titles. True space combat games typically allow players to pilot or command spacecraft, and allow ship-to-ship 'first person' combat. They may offer other complementary features, such as planet-based play, wingmen, trading, and roleplay.
Games that involve space flight simulation are normally listed here. Space related
god games are not listed here.
Adventure,
roleplaying and
strategy games simply set in space are listed within their respective genres.
Games in a very early stage of development should be submitted to
Independent Developers, unless they relate to an existing game series.