There are four basic approaches to classifying the games used in physical education: ;Game categories:This is a classification schemeproposed by Nicols, who classifies games according to three major categories: the game's physical requirements, the structure of the game, and the game's personal requirements. ;Games for understanding:This is a classification scheme proposed by Werner and Alomond that classifies games according to their strategies. It divides games into target games ; net or wall games ; striking and field games ; and invasion games. ;Core content:This is a classification scheme proposed by Allison and Barrett that categorizes games by their form, by the movement skills that they require, by the "movement concepts" and game tactics that they require, and by the educational results of the game. ;Developmental games:This is a classification scheme proposed by Gallahue and Celand that classifies games into four developmental levels, as part of an overall educational strategy of applying, reinforcing, and implementing movement and sports skills. The levels, in ascending order, are "low-level", "complex", "lead-up", and "official sports".
Video games
There are several methods of classifying video games. Solomon puts forward a "commonsense, but broad" classification of video games, into simulations, abstract games, and sports. In addition to these he points out that games fall into classes according to numbers of players. Games with two players encompass board games such as chess. Games with multiple players encompass card games such as poker, and marketed family games such as Monopoly and Scrabble. Puzzles and Solitaire are one-player games. He also includes zero-player games, such as Conway's Game of Life, although acknowledging that others argue that such games do not constitute a game, because they lack any element of competition. He asserts that such zero-player games are nonetheless games because they are used recreationally. Another method, developed by Wright, divides games into the following categories: educational or informative, sports, sensorimotor, other vehicular simulators, strategy games, and "other". A third method, developed by Funk and Buchman, and refined by others, classifies electronic games into six categories: general entertainment, educational, fantasy violence, human violence, nonviolent sports, and sports violence.
