Gameplay

Gameplay elements makes up the majority of the actual game from the player's perspective; the mechanics and rules of the game, how the player controls the in-game character, the items that can be used by or against the player. These are all aspects of gameplay. Gameplay covers a broad spectrum of topics and is very dependent on the type of game being created.

For a simple puzzle game, gameplay might consist of:

• The controls used by the player to interact with and manipulate the puzzle pieces
• The puzzle pieces and how they interact with each other after a move (i.e., certain moves may result in 'combos' that reward the player)
• Any 'powerups' the player may be able to obtain
• The game rules and how it is determined whether the player wins or loses.

A seemingly more complex game, such as an RPG, might have gameplay elements consisting of:

• The player character, controls, and statistics (i.e. level, health, mana, etc.)
• Items the player can collect and use improve statistics or perform actions (i.e. potions, spells, weapons, etc.)
• NPCs the player can interact with in one way or another (i.e. enemies, towns people, bosses, etc.)
• The game rules and how it is determined whther the game ends.

Unreal Engine 3 contains generic systems for creating players, NPCs, game rules, camera perspectives, collectible items and weapons, vehicles, etc. that can be crafted to fit any type of game.