Gameplay includes all player experiences during the interaction with game systems, especially formal games. Proper use is coupled with reference to "what the player does". Arising alongside game development in the 1980s, gameplay was used solely within the context of video or computer games, though now its popularity has begun to see use in the description of other, more traditional, game forms. Generally, the term gameplay in video game terminology is used to describe the overall experience of playing the game excluding factors like graphics and sound. The term game mechanics refers to sets of rules in a game that are intended to produce an enjoyable gaming experience. Current academic discussions tend to favor terms like game mechanics Fact: date=August 2007 specifically to avoid 'gameplay'.

Despite criticism, the term gameplay has gained acceptance in popular gaming nomenclature, being the only common phrase describing the quality of player engagement or how "fun" the game is. The primary aspects of gameplay are the challenges the game presents to players, and the actions that players may take in response to those challenges. Some gaming reviews give a specific score for gameplay, along with graphics, sound, and replay value. Many consider "gameplay" to be the most important indicator of the quality of a game.

A review of the game design literature reveals that among computer and video game developers there are numerous definitions. Examples include:

• "A series of interesting choices." - Sid Meiers
• The structures of player interaction with the game system and with other players in the game." - Patterns in Game Design (2005) Bjork, S. & Holopainen, J.
• "One or more causally linked series of challenges in a simulated environment." - Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design (2003) Rollings, A. & Adams, E.
• "A good game is one that you can win by doing the unexpected and making it work." - Game Architecture and Design (2000) Rollings, A. & Morris, D.

See also

• Emergent gameplay
• First-person shooter
• Third-person shooter
• Game design
• Interaction design
• Play (activity)
• AI

External links

• Interaction Design Patterns in Games - describing solutions that can make your game more usable and accessible
• Croatian Gaming magazine
• Ukrainian Gaming magazine