Swipe This!: The Guide to Great Touchscreen Game Design

Chapter 10: The New Genres

We now stand on the observation deck of the present, gazing at the viewport of the future of touchscreen gaming. It’s a great view. The horizon is wide, full of possibilities. There are many bright stars, pinpoints, and supernovas. But looking at these stars is like staring at a lit Christmas tree with your eyes squinted. It’s beautiful, but nothing is clear. If I could see this future clearly, I would be working on the next Angry Birds or World of Warcraft or Minecraft and spending the rest of my days rolling around in a swimming pool full of money1. No one can truly see the future.

But there is one thing we do know about the future: For each new technology that is created, new genres of games emerge—games that cleverly play to the strengths of the technology. And because you are smart (and you have read this book), you know those strengths are . . .

• Portability

• Short play experiences

• Touch controls

• Built-in camera(s)

• Accelerometer

• Gyroscope

• Connectivity

Over the course of this book, you’ve seen many genres translated from other systems onto touchscreens. Now let’s put on our monocles and examine genres that have naturally evolved on touchscreen systems. These are the new genres.

Micro-games

Miniature games (or mini-games) have been part ...