Games mechanics are rules that dictate how a game behaves. They can be a simple as "roll a die to see if your sword hits the orc", to as complicated as an AI that stalks you through air vents. Be it a board game, a card game, a Tabletop Game, or a Video Game, these mechanics set games apart from other media, and unite them in their differences. From chess, to Dungeons & Dragons, to Halo, to Cards Against Humanity, these mechanics are what make games games.
See also "Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics" for one of the earliest formal definitions of the term "gameplay mechanic".
Tropes:
Related indices
- Gameplay Randomization
- Gaming Stat Tropes
- Instructive Level Design
- Levels and Experience Tropes
- Not the Way It Is Meant to Be Played
- Stock Videogame Puzzle
- Tabletop Game Tropes
- Tabletop RPG Tropes
- Video Game A.I.
- Video Game Effects and Spells
- Video Game Interface Elements
- Video Game Items and Inventory
- Video Game Physics
- Video Game Rewards
- Ability Depletion Penalty
- Action Initiative
- Blending-In Stealth Gameplay
- Breakable Weapons
- Character Level
- Checkpoint
- Chunky Salsa Rule
- Class Change Level Reset
- Close-Contact Danger Benefit
- Color-Coded Item Tiers
- Combatant Cooldown System
- Comeback Mechanic
- Common Tactical Gameplay Elements
- Context-Sensitive Button
- Creature-Breeding Mechanic
- Critical Failure
- Critical Hit
- Critical Status Buff
- Damage Reduction
- Damage Typing
- Desperation Attack
- Diagonal Speed Boost
- Discard and Draw
- Event Flag
- Experience Points
- Extra Turn
- Extrinsic Go-First Rule
- Finishing Move
- Full Health Bonus
- Hit Points
- Item-Drop Mechanic
- Game Hunting Mechanic
- Gameplay Randomization
- Karma Meter
- Level Drain
- Limit Break
- Luck Manipulation Mechanic
- Mana
- Maximum HP Reduction
- Meteor Move
- Minigame
- Morale Mechanic
- No Saving Throw
- Point Build System
- Prestige Class
- Random Drops
- Real-Time with Pause
- Resources Management Gameplay
- Respawn Point
- Resting Recovery
- RPG Elements
- Scoring Points
- Scripted Event
- Self-Damaging Attack Backfire
- Skill Scores and Perks
- Special Attack
- Spell Crafting
- Spell Levels
- Standard Status Effects
- Stat Meters
- Status Buff
- Time Rewind Mechanic
- Turn-Based Combat
- Underused Game Mechanic
- Video Game Sliding
- Video Game Stealing
- Wrap Around
