Gameplay

Gameplay is the play experience produced by a video game’s rules, mechanics, and player interactions. It includes the actions players can take and the challenges and feedback those actions create.

Game mechanics: Rules and systems that define player actions, constraints, and outcomes in a game. Mechanics provide the rules players encounter through gameplay.
Core gameplay loop: A recurring sequence of actions that forms the central pattern of play in a game. The loop is gameplay’s repeated moment-to-moment structure.
Real-time strategy: A strategy game genre in which players manage units and resources while the game world continues in real time. Its gameplay centers on continuous decisions under time pressure.
Narrative: A representation of connected events arranged into a story. A game’s story can be distinct from the actions and challenges that constitute gameplay.
Flow (psychology): A state of deep absorption in an activity, often associated with focused attention and a balance of challenge and skill. Well-tuned gameplay can help sustain absorption through an appropriate challenge level.
Game rules: Formal constraints that define valid actions and outcomes in a game. Rules set the boundaries within which gameplay unfolds.
Emergent gameplay: Unplanned situations and strategies that arise from interactions among a game’s systems. System interactions can produce play beyond explicitly scripted events.
Turn-based strategy: A strategy game genre in which players and opponents act in discrete turns. Its pauses between turns create a distinct pace for strategic play.
Game aesthetics: The sensory and emotional qualities through which a game is experienced, including imagery, sound, and atmosphere. Aesthetics shape experience without being identical to rules or interaction.
Game accessibility: The design of games to reduce barriers to play for people with varied abilities and circumstances. Accessibility choices determine who can engage with a game’s gameplay.

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Video game genreRelated: Genre labels summarize recurring patterns in how a game plays.