📖 Mechanics

The way a player interacts with the game

The mechanics of a puzzle piece, or a game as a whole, are how the player interacts with them. The are closely tied to the qualities of the pieces, yet a distinct aspect, in-so-far as how one designs a game.

The mechanics determine how the player will solve the puzzle device. The mechanics are not abstracts, but concrete manners in which the player can solve a puzzle.

For example, in constraint logic, the player must take a series of statements are derive a single state. That is an abstract statement of the puzzle. In the concrete, the player will probably plot a series of dots and crosses on a grid, codifying their knowledge in a more useful form.

How the player tests their answer is also part of the puzzle's mechanics. Do they type their answer into a box, look at a screen and speak it, or spin some dials on a wall?