Game Mechanics

Some definitions

 “methods invoked by agents, designed for interaction with the

game state” (Sicart)
 "any part of the rule system of a game that covers one, and only
one, possible kind of interaction that takes place during the game,
be it general or specific (…) mechanics are regarded as a way to
summarize game rules” (Lundgren and Björk)
 “"what the players are able to do in the game-world, how they do it,
and how that leads to a compelling game experience” (Rouse)
 “mechanics are the various actions, behaviours, and control
mechanisms afforded to the player within a game context”
(Hunicke, Zubek, LeBlanc)

http://www.gamestudies.org/0802/articles/sicart
Tetris Game Mechanics
 Rotation system:
 Where the tetrominoes spawn, in what position
they spawn, how they rotate, and their wall
kick (their position when you try to rotate on
the edge).
 Randomizers:
 The order/sequence in which the tetromino
types spawn.
 Scoring Systems:
 The points you get for line clears, including
back-to-back lines, combos, T-spins, etc.
 Mobility:
 The player’s ability to manipulate the
tetrominoes, including rotating, dropping, etc.
 Gameplay vs Mechanics
Gameplay
 The player will be given grenades
that they can pickup throughout
the levels off of a dead corpse
and use, but the player cannot
hold more than 'x' amount of
grenades at one time. These
grenades act like a typical
grenade, they bounce a little
when thrown and you can "cook"
the grenade before throwing
shortening the explosion time.
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-define-the-core-mechanics-of-a-game
Mechanics
 Grenades will have an ammo
counter with a maximum value
 Player can pick these up by
walking over a corpse
 Player can hold grenade in hand
while countdown to explosion is
active
 Grenades bounce off of a surface
before exploding.
Common Mechanics categories

Internal
Physics Progression
economy

Tactical Social
manoeuvring Interaction
Physics
mechanics
 The science of motion and force
in the game world
 Computing a game element’s
position
 Computing the direction in
game element is moving
 Computing whether game
element intersects or collides
with other elements
 Common to use modified
version of Newtonian
mechanics so that characters
can do non-Newtonian things
such as change direction while
in mid-air.
Internal economy

transactions involving game elements that

are collected, consumed, and traded

items easily identified as resources: money,

energy, ammunition

can also include abstractions such as

health, popularity, and magical power.

Skill points and other quantified abilities in

many role-playing games also qualify
Progression
mechanisms
 progress of the player
controlled by
mechanisms that
block or unlock
access to certain
areas
 levers
 switches
 magical objects
 keys
Tactical manoeuvring

 placement of game units on a

map for offensive or defensive
advantages.
 strategy games and some
role-playing and simulation
games.
 what strategic advantages
each type of unit may gain
from being in each possible
location.
Social interaction.

 mechanics that reward giving gifts

 inviting new friends to join
 participating in social interactions
 role-playing games might have rules that
govern the play-acting of a character
 strategy game might have rules that govern
the forming and breaking of alliances
between players
 Example Mechanics

 Avoiding Unkillable Objects - There are objects that the player cannot touch. These are different
from normal enemies because they cannot be destroyed or moved.
 Instant Death - Something causes the player to instantly die, such as spikes or bottomless pits.
 Remember an Increasing Number of Things - Tests the short-term memory of a player. (Example:
Simon)
 Repeat Pattern - The player must repeat a series of given steps. (Example: Simon, Dance Dance
Revolution)
 Forced Constant Movement - The player cannot stand still at any point. (Example: Nibbles, Rail
Shooters, Asteroids, Winter Bells)
 Block Puzzles - The game involves standard sized objects that must be moved around in a
specific way. (Example: Tetris, Sokoban, Connect Four, Dr. Mario, Kirby's Avalanche / Puyo Puyo)
 Game Keeps Gets Harder Until You Die - Like "Game Repeats Until You Die" except the difficulty
level also keeps increasing. (Example: Tetris)
 Big Gains for You Can Be Big Gains for Enemy - There is an obvious and easy way to score points,
but the more points you take the better position your enemy will be in also. (Example: Othello,
Risk)
 Block Path - You don't directly fight your enemies but instead tried to block their movements.
(Example: Tron, Quoridor, Minotaurus, Abalone, Chess (capturing the king))

https://inventwithpython.com/blog/2012/07/30/need-a-game-idea-a-list-of-game-mechanics-and-a-random-mechanic-mixer/
A movement mechanic
An attack mechanic
Internal economy mechanic
http://deadpixel.co/gamedesign1/week%2012%20-%20read%20by%2011.29/AdvancedGameDesign.Ch1and4-excerpts.pdf
Flow
 A challenging
activity that requires
skill
 Activity provides
clear goals and
feedback
 The outcome is
uncertain but can
be influenced by
your actions

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990). Flow – The psychology of

optimal experience. London: Harper
Effects of Flow
 A merging of action and awareness: spontaneous,
automatic action/reaction
 Concentration on immediate task without mind
wandering: focus on here-and-now
 Loss of awareness of self, of ego – at one with the
situation
 Distorted sense of time (game time slows down, real
time speeds up)
 Experience of the activity becomes an end in itself
Snakes &
Ladders
Chess
Poker