Introducing game mechanics
You probably already know about game mechanics after playing games, but you probably don't know they are game mechanics, as a game designer will refer to them and use them. Game mechanics are simply the rules of the game that allow gameplay. More simply, they build the interactivity in a game to make it playable. Game mechanics can be really simple or they can be really complex. Let's take a look at a few simple game mechanics:
- Running
- Jumping
- Score keeping
- Shooting
- Lives
- Health
- Physics
Game mechanics are used to make a game playable. They can be simple. For example, a player can run and jump, but there are several ways in which we can tweak running and jumping. How fast does the player run? How high does the player jump? How many times can the player jump?
All of these variables equate to a certain kind of gameplay. It is your job as a game designer to figure out what combination works out best for your game. If you want an action-packed game, you can use really...
