game mechanics

Game mechanics are the rules and systems that govern how a game works—the underlying structures that create gameplay.

In a video game, mechanics include how characters move, how combat resolves, how resources accumulate.

In board games, mechanics might be dice rolling, tile placement, or hand management.

The term often appears in discussions of game design: The mechanics are solid, but the story is weak.

A game can have elegant mechanics (simple rules producing complex play) or clunky ones (overly complicated systems that frustrate players).