Every video game is based on basic principles and solutions, which are then developed into unique features and finalized. Game mechanics is a key aspect of any virtual game that affects the gamer’s experience and makes the gameplay interesting. Below we will tell you what game mechanics are, how they work and what popular varieties exist.
First of all, the game attracts with the story, graphics, elaboration of locations and a variety of features. But mechanics in games gives interest, although, in fact, it is just the rules of in-game processes. To put it even more simply, mechanics is a set of rules and algorithms by which something works. Let’s say, if you take action X, event Y will be triggered, but you need to fulfill requirement Z to do so.
A prime example is the well-known Monopoly, where moving a chip onto a vacant property means you can buy it, and throwing out a higher number on the dice gives you the right to walk first. These are basic mechanics that are understandable to any player and do not require specialized knowledge.
The mechanics of the game for game designers are a field of experimentation that is constantly being challenged. Being a bare set of principles and rules, gameplay gradually grows peculiarities and unique features that designers introduce into it.
Mechanics are the rules by which the entire player’s environment works: characters, game particles, locations, missions, movements, and more. Understanding mechanics is a basic requirement for a skilled game designer, because without it you can’t create a quality game product.
In the game space, mechanics combine, intertwine, and overlap. They can be obvious and easily solved by users, but there are also confusing schemes (for example, the activation of “easter eggs”). For example, the thief’s job in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is only available at night, and when morning comes, the mechanics will not work, even if you get in the van to activate the mode.
