Understanding Game Mechanics
We are going to play games! But there’s more to it than just playing, we are going to learn what are game mechanics and how to develop them.
Game mechanics are the rules of interaction inside a game that create gameplay. Each game uses mechanics but not everyone agrees on what qualifies as a “mechanic.”
We will use the C.A.P.E. method that I have created to discover game mechanics.
- Control is how you use a controller device to make something happen.
- Action is what happens in the game. If it has an action, it’s a game mechanic.
- Player refers to anything you control.
- Environment refers to anything you don’t control.
You’re going to put C.A.P.E. on your dry erase board and play one of the following games for 30-60 minutes. Fill out as much as you can on the board. If you finish your board, have the instructor review it before moving on to another game.
Here’s an example of MarioKart 64. As you can see, games have plenty of mechanics.
