Game Mechanics

When conceptualising and designing games, it’s natural to imagine mechanics that you have come across before or have already used. We take inspiration from what we have already experienced in the world, be that a lived experience or a game experience. I tend to feel a pressure to know more than I do, and to expect my mind to come up with elegant solutions for game mechanics on the spot. This is too much to expect.

So, I’ve made an attempt to categorise, explore and explain various game mechanisms. The intention of this resource is to function as a growing library of mechanics, for anyone to reference. There’s no substitute for taking a game with a mechanic you are interested in and studying how it works for yourself, but as a quick guide, using this library may be useful. Please get in touch to let me know if there’s anything inaccurate, or if you’d like to contribute in any way.