Game (video entertainment)
An interactive digital work in which players act within a rule-governed system, usually to achieve goals or overcome challenges.
Game mechanics: Rules and procedures that define player actions and their effects in a game. Mechanics specify what players can do and how the game responds.
Game engine: Software framework that provides tools and systems for creating and running video games. Engines coordinate rendering, physics, audio, and other recurring game functions.
Platform game: A game genre centered on navigating spaces by running, jumping, and avoiding hazards. Platform games make movement and spatial challenges the central activity.
Toy: An object designed for play, often without a fixed goal or formal rules. Toys can support open-ended play without the structured objectives common in games.
Video game industry: The global business of developing, publishing, distributing, and selling video games. Commercial production and distribution make games a major media industry.
Game rules: Constraints and procedures that govern actions and outcomes within a game. Rules establish the system players act within.
Game loop: The repeated cycle that processes input, updates a game's state, and presents its output. This cycle keeps interactive play responsive while the game runs.
Role-playing video game: A video game in which players develop characters through choices, abilities, and narrative events. Role-playing games foreground character development and consequential decisions.
Interactive fiction: A digital narrative in which user choices or commands shape the unfolding text. Interactive fiction may emphasize narrative choices over challenge and rule mastery.
Game studies: An interdisciplinary field that examines games, play, players, and gaming cultures. Game studies investigates how games work and what they mean socially.