The conception of genre is divided amongst various disciplines and mediums, which has divided genre scholars across academia. However, consensus is recognizing a social theory of genre that focuses on the communication between the author and the audiences of a text within a shared media ecosystem. This consensus unifies genre theory across disciplines providing an opportunity for new methodologies that realize the analytical potential of genre. This study demonstrates the critical value of genre-focused analysis in developing new insights for the medium and how systems of play must always be considered within the broader socio-cultural and meta-textual context. To that end, the researcher analyzes the Metroidvania genre, establishing the patterns and traditions of features, and situating these features within their sociocultural context by developing a new qualitative genre-focused methodology. The Metroidvania case study demonstrates the analytical potential of genres and how scholars can actualize genre-focused frameworks. It is hoped that the methodology will be used in the future by scholars looking to employ genre-focused analysis and develop genre-focused methodologies.