History Main / GamePlaysItself

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' has the Gambit system, where characters can be told to automatically do things in specific conditions. Unfortunately, Gambits don't get much more complicated than (for example) "(if) someone is at less than X% health (then) heal him", [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing and have to be earned before they can be used]].

* PlayedForLaughs in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47YPs-qwNQU an episode]] of ''WebVideo/JonTron''. Jon and his friends are playing [=FF13=], and can only get Lightning to go forward. They get freaked right out because "the game is playing itself", which Jon thinks is a sign of the Apocalypse, accompanied by the NightmareFuel scene from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''.

* PlayedForLaughs in an episode of ''WebVideo/JonTron''. Jon and his friends are playing [=FF13=], and can only get Lightning to go forward. They get freaked right out because "the game is playing iself", which Jon thinks is a sign of the Apocalypse, accompanied by the NightmareFuel scene from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''.

* The "continue" command in ''VideoGame/AIDungeon2'' can be used to let the AI keep generating more lines.[[note]]Which in itself was [[AscendedMeme born originally from players typing 'continue' in the dialogue box for the same effect]] before the option was added[[/note]] Of course, you can keep spamming the continue button for the AI to generate a story all on its own, the results of which can be quite... [[HilarityEnsues Amusing]].

** The "continue" command in ''VideoGame/AIDungeon2'' can be used to let the AI keep generating more lines.[[note]]Which in itself was [[AscendedMeme born originally from players typing 'continue' in the dialogue box for the same effect]] before the option was added[[/note]] Of course, you can keep spamming the continue button for the AI to generate a story all on its own, the results of which can be quite... [[HilarityEnsues Amusing]].

* In ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', the remake of ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'', the interactive aspect of the tutorial (the parts which don't specifically deal with Gourmet Race, The Great Cave Offensive, or Milky Way Wishes) is completely removed.

* ''[[VideoGame/MegamanBattleNetwork Megaman Battle Chip Challenge]]'' may be the ultimate example of this. You select your character and Navi, adjust their folder/deck (complete with an arbitrary limit to how strong it can be at any given time), and...that's it. All the fights are purely automated, and can even be put on fast forward. How well your Navi performs is based purely on how you built their deck (you can only access the folder between fights similar to side decks in card games), their generic attack, and RNG.

* The first level of the [[FirstPersonShooter FPS]] ''[[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps Black Ops]]'' can be completed (on Hardened difficulty, even), without ever firing your weapons except at two scripted spots. This is not a stealth level; rather, this example illustrates that the player's interactivity (using firearms) with the level is mostly optional: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RULv6HbgEjY

* ''VideoGame/ProgressQuest'' plays itself after character "creation". It is a joke game parodying the MMORPG mechanics.

* Non-game example: Adam (TheAntichrist) of ''Literature/GoodOmens'' only has look at a game for a while until it starts playing itself out of fear.

* PlayedForLaughs in an episode of ''WebVideo/JonTron''. Jon and his friends are playing [=FF13=], and can only get Lightning to go forward. They get freaked right out because "the game is playing iself", which Jon thinks is a sign of the Apocalypse, accompanied by the NightmareFuel scene from ''RaidersOfTheLostArk''.

* PlayedForLaughs in an episode of ''WebVideo/JonTron''. Jon and Aron are playing [=FF13=], and can only get Lightning to go forward. Aron gets freaked right out because "the game is playing iself", which Jon thinks is a Sign of the Apocalypse.

A videogame forcibly automates an activity that--in other games of the same genre--have traditionally been controlled by the player. This can be during gameplay, or it can turn a story sequence that should have been playable into a non-interactive cutscene.

* PlayedForLaughs in an episode of ''WebVideo/JonTron.'' Jon and Aron are playing FF13, and can only get Lightning to go forward. Aron gets freaked right out because "the game is playing iself", which Jon thinks is a Sighn of the Apocalypse.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' took the bold step of "streamlining" the franchise's combat system; reducing the player's choices of attacks and limiting your commands to only the lead character. Your other characters where only loosely controlled by changing their role during battle, and you could only have six different combinations of roles during one battle. The sequel ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'' follows this up, allowing switching between two characters, rather than the more traditional three or four.

* Any sport manager game. Your duties are managing the team and giving orders while the AI do the rest of the actions.

* Any sport manager game. Your duty are managing the team and giving immediate orders while the AI do the rest of the actions.

This trope does not argue that cutscenes are bad, or that turning cutscenes into [[PressXToNotDie quicktime events]] would be a better choice. Rather, it refers to a design choice that subverts a most players' expectations about gameplay mechanics by reducing the level of interactivity and player agency.

[[GameplayAutomation Gameplay Automation]] is the related trope where the automation is '''optional''' and can be interactive in that game by player choice.

* Any game where the player can defeat enemies that features a [[CutsceneBoss Cutscene Boss]] is an example.
** Hitman: Absolution, a game about finding different ways to [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin kill targets]], has some of your character's targets eliminated in cutscenes.
* The [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Assassins Creed]] games, [[LeParkour parkour]]-styled [[PlatformGame platform games]], have automated the act of '''jumping'''. Rather than pressing a jump button, you hold down a run button and then move the joystick to run at a ledge; the character will jump gaps automatically. (A similar mechanic was developed for the N64 [[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Zelda]] games, but this was the first example of automated jumping in a [[PlatformGame platform game]].
* The first level of the [[FirstPersonShooter FPS]] [[VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps Black Ops]] can be completed (on Hardened difficulty, even), without ever firing your weapons except at two scripted spots. This is not a stealth level, rather this example illustrates that the player's interactivity (using firearms) with the level is mostly optional. Demonstrated here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RULv6HbgEjY
* In the remake of [[VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Kirby Super Star]], Kirby Super Star Ultra, the interactive aspect of the tutorial (the parts which don't specifically deal with Gourmet Race, The Great Cave Offensive, or Milky Way Wishes) is completely removed.
* [[ProgressQuest Progress Quest]] plays itself after character "creation". It is a joke game parodying the MMORPG mechanics.
* ''FinalFantasyXII'' has the Gambit system, where characters can be told to automatically do things in specific conditions. Unfortunately, Gambits don't get much more complicated than (for example) "(If) someone is at less than X% health (then) heal them", [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing and have to be earned before they can be used]].
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' took the bold step of "streamlining" the franchise's combat system; reducing the player's choices of attacks and also limiting your commands to only the lead character. Your other characters where only loosely controlled by changing their role during battle, and you could only have six different combinations of roles during one battle. The sequel ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'' follows this up, allowing switching between two characters, rather than the more traditional three/four.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' took the bold step of "streamlining" the franchise's combat system; reducing the player's choices of attacks and also limiting your commands to only the lead character. Your other characters where only loosely controlled by changing their role during battle, and you could only have six different combinations of roles during one battle. The sequel ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII-2'' follows this up, allowing switching between two characters, rather than the more traditional three/four.

* ''FinalFantasyXII'' has the Gambit system, where characters can be told to automatically do things in specific conditions. Unfortunately, Gambits don't get much more complicated than (for example) "(If) someone is at less than X% health (then) heal them", [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing and have to be earned before they can be used]].

* [[ProgressQuest Progress Quest]] plays itself after character "creation". It is a joke game parodying the MMORPG mechanics.

* The [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Assassins Creed]] games, [[LeParkour parkour]]-styled [[PlatformGame platform games]], have automated the act of '''jumping'''. Rather than pressing a jump button, you hold down a run button and then move the joystick to run at a ledge; the character will jump gaps automatically. (A similar mechanic was developed for the N65 [[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Zelda]] games, but this was the first example of automated jumping in a [[PlatformGame platform game]].

A videogame automates an activity that--in other games of the same genre--have traditionally been controlled by the player. This can be during gameplay, or it can turn a story sequence that should have been playable into a non-interactive cutscene.

* [[GameplayAutomation Gameplay Automation]] is the [[SubTrope Sub Trope]] where the automation is '''optional''' and could be made interactive in that game.
** I.e., if you fail a level too often in [[VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosU New Super Mario Bros Wii U]], a computer-controlled Luigi will play it for you.

* The [[Franchise/AssassinsCreed Assassins Creed]] games, a [[LeParkour parkour]]-styled [[PlatformGame platform games]], have automated the act of '''jumping'''.