Electronic game

An electronic game is a game that uses electronics to create an interactive system with which a player can play. Today, the most common form of electronic games are video games, so the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, there are many other types of electronic games, including handheld electronic games, standalone arcade game systems like pinball and slot machines, and even games you can enjoy using only your ears, such as audio games. These different kinds of games show how technology has opened up new and exciting ways for people to play and have fun.

An LCD screen Yahtzee game

Arcade games

Main article: Arcade game

Arcade games are special types of electronic games that often use special equipment to create exciting experiences. In the past, these games used unique hardware for each game, but today many use parts from video game consoles or computers. They can include fun features like special controllers, such as mats you step on or shaped like vehicles, which make the games feel more real.

Examples of popular arcade games include [Galaxy Game] (1971), [Pong] (1972), [Space Invaders] (1978), [Pac-Man] (1980), and [Street Fighter II] (1991).

Main article: Arcade video game

Main articles: Pinball § Solid-state era, and Pachinko

Main article: Redemption game

Main article: Slot machine

Audio games

Main article: Audio game

Audio games are special games played on electronic devices like computers. Unlike regular video games, you only hear sounds and no pictures. These games were first made to help people who cannot see, but now many people enjoy them, including sound artists, researchers, game makers, and regular gamers. Audio games can be played on computers, handheld devices, or video game consoles and come in many types, like adventure games and racing games.

Examples of audio games include:

Real Sound: Kaze no Regret (1997)
Chillingham (2004)
BBBeat (2005)^{[citation needed]}

Tabletop games

Tabletop audio games are designed to be played on a table instead of in your hand.

Examples of tabletop audio games include:

Brain Shift (1998)
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (2000)
Electronic Battleship (1977) (Milton Bradley)
- Electronic Battleship is a portable game where you try to mark all enemy ships. When you mark a ship, the game makes an explosion sound.
- Milton Bradley made the Electronic Battleship game in 1977, and later, Hasbro bought the company in 1984.
- Today’s version of Electronic Battleship has an interactive missile launcher and a special attack mode.

Tabletop non-audio games include:

Electronic Chess Boards (DGT)
DGT makes electronic chess boards used in big chess tournaments and national events like the USCF. These boards can show games live.

Electronic handhelds

Main article: Handheld electronic game

Handheld electronic games are small, portable devices that let you play interactive games. They are like tiny versions of video games, with everything—controls, screen, and speakers—in one compact unit. Unlike modern screens made of tiny dots called pixels, these early games often had special screens made just for one game. They could be as small as a digital watch and used simple lights or small screens to show what was happening.

These handheld games were very popular from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. They were cheaper and simpler than the handheld game consoles that came later. Some well-known examples include Mattel Auto Race, Simon, Merlin, Game & Watch, MB Omni, Bandai LCD Solarpower, Entex Adventure Vision, and Lights Out.

Home video games

Main article: Video game

A video game is a game where you use a special tool to see pictures on a screen. These games can be played on many different kinds of screens, not just the old ones that used special lights.

Main article: PC game

A PC game is a video game you play on a personal computer, which is different from game machines made just for games. People have been using computers to play games since the very beginning of video games.

Main article: Console game

Teletype games

Main article: Text-based game

The earliest computer games were text-based games played on teletypes. These games did not have screens. Instead, they printed words on paper that the player could read. Each action in the game used a line of paper, so players had a paper record of their game. Because of this, these early games were smaller or needed lots of paper.

When computer screens became common, these text-based games changed into visual stories called interactive fiction. This allowed for more complex games and less paper. These games moved from big mainframe computers to personal computers. Some of these games were later changed to work on systems with screens, so they no longer needed teletype printers.

Examples of text-based Teletype games include:

The Oregon Trail (1971)
Trek73 (1973)
Dungeon (1975)
Super Star Trek (1975)
Colossal Cave Adventure (1976)
Zork (1977)

Hybrid or combined games

Hybrid or combined games mix traditional tabletop games with electronic parts. These games use devices or apps to change how players interact. This can make games fairer, more exciting, and easier to understand.

Hybrid games can include special devices, like electronic dice, or use technology to track player movements. Some games use augmented reality to bring virtual elements into the real world, adding sounds and animations to make playtime more fun.

Other games

Electronics are used in many different kinds of games. Some board games, like Dark Tower, use electronics a lot. There are also fun electronic games that are not like usual games, such as Rubik's Revolution. Toys that feel like games, such as the Electronic Magic 8 Ball Date Ball or the Electronic Ouija Board, are also considered electronic games.

Non-human games

People have made electronic games even for pets! Because animals cannot use their fingers like humans do, these games do not need fine finger movements. They also use different ways to see, so these games do not depend on normal sight. Some examples include Mice Arena for mice, Chicken Petman, and CyberPounce for cats.