Trend Setters: 5 Games that Leveled Up Their Genre

Every now and then, a game comes along that grabs the gaming world's attention so tightly that studios everywhere scramble to capture the magic for themselves. Whether it's through groundbreaking mechanics, immersive storytelling, or just raw cultural impact, these titles were undoubtedly the ones that raised the bar for everyone else. These titles didn't just succeed—they redefined.

But a quick disclaimer: we're only focusing on titles that inspired a wave of imitators or gave their genre a new identity altogether. (That means you won't find platform fighters like Smash Bros here—some genres just have many imitators, but no worthy challengers.)

Courtesy Next Upgrade Shop

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Dark Souls — The Birth of the Souls-like

From FromSoftware

While it wasn't the first punishing action RPG, Dark Souls perfected the formula and gave rise to a whole new subgenre: the Souls-like. With its stamina-based combat, cryptic world-building, and brutal difficulty, it turned player frustration into a badge of honor (and a death screen into a meme). 

From GIPHY | @BandaiNamco

FromSoftware showed the world that patience and persistence could be fun, and dozens of games followed suit, from Nioh to Lies of P.

Minecraft — Survival Crafting Goes Mainstream

From Minecraft

Minecraft took the idea of blocky freedom and ran with it, becoming the blueprint for every survival crafting game that followed. Its mix of creativity, resource gathering, and base-building in a procedurally generated world sparked a generation of imitators. Whether it's Terraria, Valheim, or The Forest, the roots of modern sandbox survival gaming trace back to Mojang's megahit.

Grand Theft Auto III — Open World Sandbox Redefined

From Rockstar Games

Before GTA III, open worlds were often shallow or segmented. Rockstar created a living, breathing city where players could drive, shoot, and explore at their own pace. It wasn't just a game; it was a digital playground. Its DNA is still felt in everything from Spider-Man to Cyberpunk 2077.

Doom (1993) — The FPS Blueprint

From IMDB

It wasn’t the first FPS, but Doom made the genre a household name. Its fast-paced action, inventive level design, and moddability made it the gold standard for years. Without Doom, there's no Call of Duty, Halo, or any number of corridor-crawling gunfests. It's the game that made shooting things in first-person feel incredibly cool.

Fortnite — The Battle Royale Boom

From Fortnite

While PUBG laid the groundwork, Fortnite made battle royale a cultural phenomenon. With its fast building mechanics, seasonal events, and colorful aesthetic, it turned a niche genre into a global pastime. It also redefined live-service games and how developers keep players coming back.

Gear Up Like a Game Changer

Whether you're taking on undead bosses, scavenging through pixelated forests, or diving into a 100-player shootout, the right gear can make all the difference. The Aula Wired Gaming Mouse F805_Black offers precision, speed, and style that matches the spirit of these genre-defining giants. Find it now at the Next Upgrade Shop and level up your own game.