Video Game Design: Mechanics and Logic Glossary

Quick definitions for the core terms used in this workshop.

mechanic: A rule or system that defines what a player can do or what can happen in a game. Mechanics are the “verbs” of a game. Examples: jumping, shooting, crafting, talking to NPCs.

game feel: The quality of how a mechanic responds to player input. Good game feel makes actions satisfying — a jump that feels “floaty” vs. one that feels “snappy.”

ability: A specific mechanic available to the player. Examples: double jump, wall jump, dash, grapple, shoot, shield.

powerup: An in-game item that temporarily or permanently grants a new ability or improves an existing one.

progressive disclosure: Gradually revealing new mechanics to the player over time, rather than teaching everything at once.

progressive discovery: A design pattern where the player finds and unlocks new abilities through exploration, and the world immediately gives them a chance to use each new ability.

Metroidvania: A game design style (named after Metroid and Castlevania) where exploration is gated by abilities. You find a new ability, and it opens up areas you couldn’t reach before.

gating: Using a required ability or item to block progress until the player has acquired it. Example: a high ledge you can only reach after getting the double jump.

tutorial: An explicit instruction to the player, often shown as text or a prompt. (“Press A to jump.”)

environmental storytelling: Teaching the player something through the game world itself — placement of objects, enemy behavior, level design — without using text or cutscenes.

feedback: How the game communicates what happened as a result of a player’s action. Examples: score goes up, character flashes, sound effect plays.

input: What the player does (press a button, move a joystick).

output: What the game does in response to input (character jumps, enemy takes damage).

UI (User Interface): On-screen information shown to the player, like a health bar, score, or ability status.

HUD (Heads-Up Display): The part of the UI that stays visible during gameplay — health, ammo count, minimap, etc.