Mechanics and Logic Vocabulary

mechanic — A rule that defines what a player can do in a game.
Examples: jumping, shooting, crafting, dashing.

ability — A specific thing a player character can do.
Examples: double jump, wall jump, shoot, shield.

powerup — An item that gives you a new ability or makes you stronger.

progressive discovery — Finding new abilities through exploration, where
the game immediately lets you practice each new ability.

gating — Blocking access to an area or challenge until the player has
the right ability or item.

tutorial — An explicit instruction that tells the player what to do.
(“Press Space to jump.”)

environmental storytelling — Teaching the player through the game world
itself, without text or cutscenes.

feedback — How the game tells you what just happened.
Examples: score going up, a sound effect, a flash of color.

game feel — How satisfying and responsive a mechanic feels when you use it.

HUD — The always-visible info on screen: health bars, score, ability icons.