How to Choose Video Games: A Practical Guide to Finding the Right Game for You

April 22, 2026 iris

Picking a video game sounds simple until you’re staring at a shelf — or a storefront with tens of thousands of options — and realizing you have no idea where to start. Genre, platform, budget, playtime, age-appropriateness: there are more variables than most people account for. Getting it right matters. A game that doesn’t suit your preferences or lifestyle gets abandoned quickly, and that’s money wasted. This guide covers what actually matters when choosing a video game, whether you’re buying for yourself or someone else.

Start With What You Already Like

The most reliable starting point is your existing tastes. If you enjoy fast-paced competitive experiences, action games and shooters like the Call of Duty or Halo series are a natural fit. If you prefer slower, story-driven content, role-playing games (RPGs) like The Witcher 3 or Final Fantasy XVI are worth exploring. If you tend to enjoy strategy and resource management in other contexts — whether that’s board games or even spreadsheets — games like Civilization or Total War reward exactly those instincts.

A useful exercise: think of three games you’ve genuinely enjoyed and look at what they have in common. Genre, pacing, tone, or game mechanics — whatever the overlap is, that’s your preference signal. Steam’s discovery queue and recommendation algorithms do something similar, but your own judgment is usually faster.

Understand Video Game Genres

Genre is the most practical filter to apply before anything else. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main categories:

Action and shooter games: Fast-paced, reflex-driven. Includes first-person shooters (FPS), third-person action, and hack-and-slash titles.
Role-playing games (RPGs): Story and character-driven, often with progression systems and open worlds. Can be enormous time commitments.
Strategy games: Turn-based or real-time decision-making, often involving resource management and long-term planning.
Simulation games: Mimic real-world systems — farming, city-building, flight, sports. Often relaxing and open-ended.
Puzzle and adventure games: Logic-based or story-driven experiences. Usually shorter and more accessible for casual players.
Sports and racing games: Licensed simulations of real sports or arcade-style racing. Annual release cycles with incremental updates.
Horror and survival games: Tension-driven, often resource-constrained environments. Not suitable for all audiences.

Most modern games blend genres, but knowing which primary genre appeals to you narrows the field significantly. Our breakdown of Indiana Jones adventure games is a good example of how genre-mixing works in practice across both tabletop and digital formats.

Check the ESRB Rating Before You Buy

Every commercially released game in North America carries an ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rating. These ratings exist to communicate age-appropriateness and content type at a glance:

E (Everyone): Suitable for all ages. Minimal cartoon violence, no strong language.
E10+ (Everyone 10 and older): May include mild violence, cartoon mischief, or crude humor.
T (Teen): Suitable for ages 13 and up. May include violence, suggestive themes, or mild language.
M (Mature 17+): Includes intense violence, blood, strong language, or sexual content.
AO (Adults Only): Contains content only suitable for adults 18+. Most major retailers don’t stock AO-rated titles.

Ratings are listed on physical boxes and on every major digital storefront. For family or shared purchases, the rating is the fastest quality check available. For solo purchases, content descriptors beneath the rating give more detail — things like “Blood and Gore,” “Online Interactions Not Rated,” or “Strong Language.”

Set a Budget and Stick to It

New AAA releases typically cost $60-$70. Indie games range from $5 to $30. DLC and microtransactions can add significantly to the total cost of multiplayer and live-service games, so factor those in before committing. There are three main ways to manage game spending effectively:

Buy on sale: Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Game Pass, and Nintendo eShop all run regular sales. A game that costs $60 on release often drops to $15-$30 within 12 months. Sites like Metacritic track reviews across time, so you can gauge quality and wait for price drops simultaneously.
Use subscription services: Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra include large game libraries for a monthly fee. Good value if you play regularly and don’t need to own games permanently.
Buy used or physical: Physical copies of console games can be resold, which reduces the net cost. Digital purchases cannot be resold.

Match the Game to Your Platform

Not every game is available on every platform. Some titles are PC-exclusive, some are console-exclusive, and some are only on specific generations of hardware. Before purchasing, confirm the game is available on your device.

Platform considerations beyond availability:

PC gaming: Broader library, mod support, and usually cheaper software prices. Requires hardware investment upfront. Check minimum system requirements before buying.
PlayStation / Xbox: Curated exclusive libraries with consistent hardware performance. Less setup friction.
Nintendo Switch: Unique portable/home hybrid, but lower graphical fidelity and a more family-oriented library.
Mobile: Free-to-play with heavy monetization as the norm. A few premium titles offer genuine depth without microtransactions.

For an overview of how a versatile device like the Chromebook handles gaming tasks alongside everyday use, see our Google Chromebook complete review.

Consider How Much Time You Have

Game length varies dramatically. Some narrative games can be completed in 6-8 hours. Open-world RPGs like Elden Ring or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can take 80-150 hours to complete. Multiplayer games have no defined endpoint.

Be honest about how much time you’ll realistically spend playing. A 100-hour RPG is a poor investment if you have 30 minutes a day. A quick puzzle game or session-based multiplayer title may be a better fit for limited availability. Check How Long to Beat (howlongtobeat.com) for community-sourced completion times on most major titles before committing.

Read Reviews — but Pick Your Sources Carefully

Professional reviews from outlets like IGN, Eurogamer, or Digital Foundry offer technical depth. User reviews on Steam and Metacritic reflect broader player experience but can be skewed by launch-day issues or coordinated review campaigns. A useful approach: read 2-3 professional reviews and then look at user reviews from people whose playtime and preferences roughly match yours. YouTube gameplay footage is also worth 10 minutes — watching someone play a game gives you a faster sense of its pace and feel than any written review.

Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing Video Games

How do I find out what video game genres I enjoy?

Think about three games you’ve enjoyed in the past and identify what they have in common — pacing, theme, progression system, or whether they’re competitive or cooperative. That overlap is your genre preference. If you’re new to gaming, start with short or free titles to sample genres before committing to a full purchase.

Should I buy a game on day one or wait for reviews and sales?

Waiting is usually the better financial decision. Games typically drop 40-60% in price within 6-12 months, and many launch-day technical issues are patched by then. Buy on release only if you’re actively invested in the game’s community at launch or want to support a developer whose work you value.

What ESRB rating is appropriate for children?

E (Everyone) and E10+ titles are appropriate for children. T (Teen) games may be suitable for mature younger teenagers, depending on the specific content descriptors. Always check the content descriptors below the rating label for specific details about violence, language, or themes.

How do I choose between a PC and a console for gaming?

Consoles offer a simpler, curated experience with no hardware compatibility concerns. PCs offer a broader game library, better long-term value on software, and mod support. The right choice depends on whether you already own a capable PC, how much you want to invest in hardware, and which exclusive games matter most to you.

What’s the best way to discover games I might enjoy?

Follow genres and developers you already like. Use Steam’s recommendation tools or browse curated lists on Metacritic for your platform. Watching gameplay footage on YouTube and following gaming communities on Reddit are also reliable discovery methods because they reflect real player experience rather than marketing.