i've been working on a list of the fundamental archetypes of video-games. literature is primarily concerned with men causing drama, so all works of literature can concisely be boiled down to a man opposing something. video-games on the other hand are primarily concerned with our instinctual desires for interaction, so our archetypes are fundamentally different.

so far i've got:

1. make a little doll

2. make nest for doll

3. protect doll

4. fruit

5. climb

6. block puzzles

7. follow deer

8. find a really nice stick

9. poke things with stick to see what happens

10. enhance stick

11. fire?!

12. FIRE!!!!!!

13. FIRE!!!!!! >:3

14. make soup

8. find a really nice stick

9. poke things with stick to see what happens

10. enhance stick

11. fire?!

12. FIRE!!!!!!

13. FIRE!!!!!! >:3

14. make soup

oh, almost forgot an important one:

15. trains

EDIT: although, thinking on it further, trains are a subcategory of block puzzles, so maybe they don't need their own archetype

let's substitute "trains" for "rave party"

oh! i got another important one:

16. dog!!!

@aeva honestly I think you should shift the whole list down and start with

1. hit thing with other thing

@oblomov thats just "9. poke things with stick to see what happens"

@oblomov sometimes a stick is just a rock

@aeva or a tennis racket. OK, I see your point.