The term “fighting game” refers to any video game in which two or more players engage in hand-to-hand combat against one another. Some standard techniques in a fighting game include blocking, hooking, chasing after your opponent, and chaining attacks together.

Hand-to-hand fighting, or at least combat tactics, is the most common method of conflict resolution among the characters. The fighting game genre is similar to but distinct from the beat-’em-up genre, which pits a single player’s character against hordes of computer-controlled foes.

Battles in fighting games often occur on a fixed-sized two-dimensional field, limiting the characters’ potential growth. A character may traverse this flat level by walking, sprinting, or hopping, with the latter option allowing for vertical exploration. Also, certain games, like Tekken, allow for some degree of 3D movement within specific confines.