1 Realtime poetry

On the very boundaries of what is considered a game, thoughtful titles such as The Graveyard, which sees players assume the role of an elderly lady pondering mortality, are at the very boundaries of what is actually considered a game, and like many in the genre, are minimally interactive, offering compact worlds where abstract narratives explore the human condition.

2 Dating sims

Anyone yearning for awkward social interactions is catered for by this sometimes pornographic genre which characteristically casts players as a meek young man surrounded by hordes of the opposite sex, and is often mixed with other genres, such as the popular series Sakura Wars. Easy to dismiss as rather creepy, the dating sim has influenced elements of western-released titles such as Harvest Moon and Persona 3.

3 Kaiju

The Japanese word "Kaiju" often refers to giant creatures that rampage through cities. It's an activity equally popular with gamers, King of Monsters being a good example.

4 Infrastructure sims

Utterly sincere titles such as Street Cleaning Simulator don't tackle typical gaming subject matter, but refuse management can be surprisingly relaxing. Seriously.

5 Audio-only

The games industry is obsessed with visual flair, but an entire genre of visual-free creations exists: most recently in iOS horror titles Papa Sangre 2 and Vanished, through to experimental game artworks like 4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness.

6 Skincare therapy

Centred on Nintendo's DS, a wealth of games are devoted to pores and foundation, with the likes of Dream Skin proving games can, allegedly, make you beautiful.