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Mobile Game Genres and Terms Explained

Mobile gaming has its own vocabulary, and store descriptions often assume that you already know it. This glossary explains common genres and terms in plain language so that you can understand what a game offers before you install it. It also helps when reading the guides on Instander Games.

Genres

  • Idle or incremental game. Progress continues while you are away. You spend what you earn on upgrades that increase future earnings. Sessions are short, and the main skill is deciding what to upgrade first.
  • Roguelike. Each run is randomly generated, and defeat sends you back to the start, though some permanent upgrades usually remain. Replayability comes from different choices every time.
  • Deckbuilder. You build a collection of cards and play them in battles. Strength comes from combinations and synergy more than from any single card.
  • MMORPG. A massively multiplayer online role-playing game where many players share a persistent world, join guilds and take on group content.
  • Auto-battler. You arrange or draft a team, and the fight runs automatically. Planning happens before the battle, not during it.
  • Tower defence. You place defenders along a path or lanes to stop waves of enemies.
  • Merge game. You combine identical items to create better ones, often with a cooking, building or decorating theme.
  • Endless runner. A character runs automatically while you dodge obstacles. The aim is to travel as far as possible.
  • Sandbox. An open game with few fixed goals, where you build, explore and create in your own way.
  • Match-three. You swap neighbouring pieces to line up three or more of the same kind.

Gameplay terms

  • PvE and PvP. Player versus environment means fighting computer-controlled enemies. Player versus player means competing against other people.
  • Synergy. A bonus that appears when certain characters, cards or items are used together.
  • Meta. The strategies that are currently considered strongest. It changes when a game is updated.
  • Grind. Repeating activities to gather resources or experience.
  • Prestige or ascension. Resetting progress in exchange for permanent bonuses, common in idle games.
  • Raid and guild. A raid is a large group challenge, and a guild or clan is a community of players who organise them.
  • Cooldown. The waiting time before an ability can be used again.

Business model terms

  • Free to play. Free to download, usually with ads or optional purchases.
  • Premium. Paid once, often without ads or purchases.
  • In-app purchase. A payment made inside the game for virtual items or currency.
  • Gacha or random item. A reward with a random outcome, such as a pack or summon.
  • Battle pass. A seasonal track with rewards that unlock as you play, sometimes with a paid premium tier.
  • Energy or stamina. A limit on how much you can play before waiting or paying.
  • Open beta. A test version available to the public. Progress may be reset before the full release.

For tips on spending safely, see our Parents' Guide to Ads, In-App Purchases and Random Rewards, and for installing safely, our Safe Download Guide.

Last updated: 26 October 2026.