Game Mechanics Make Games

Anything that’s a part of the game is going to shape how the game is played.

A great example of this is alignment. Alignment is a game mechanic common in fantasy tabletop RPGs, and a very controversial one. People have argued about whether or not alignment is an essential part of Dungeons & Dragons for decades. The latest edition dropped the concept entirely, and there are many games that don’t use alignment at all.


Alignment as a game mechanic is an easy target for problems. It’s often presented as an absolute, and if a character does something that doesn’t fit with the alignment, then it’s a matter of poor writing, or poor understanding of the game, or simply poor roleplaying. (I’m not going to get into whether or not alignment is good or evil, or how it works or doesn’t work. That’s not really the point here.)

But even if alignment isn’t used during play in a given game, it’s often still a concept that’s very present in the game. If a game is set in a fantasy world with multiple factions, for example, the player characters are likely to be aligned with one or more of those factions. Their actions are going to be shaped by the goals and objectives of those factions, and if they do something that’s contrary to those goals, the factions are going to react. If the characters are aligned with the kingdom of Elvendale, then they’re going to be expected to uphold the laws of that kingdom, or suffer the consequences.

Alignment isn’t just a game mechanic, it’s a part of the game world.

Alignment is one of those game mechanics. It is a way to track a character’s moral and ethical choices within the game world.

Some games use alignment as a way to determine whether a character is good or evil. Others use it to track a character’s loyalty to a specific faction or ideology.

Alignment can be a simple binary choice, like good or evil, or it can be a more complex system with multiple options, like the nine-point alignment system in Dungeons & Dragons.


No matter how simple or complex your alignment system is, it should always be tied to the game world in some way.

For example, in a game where alignment is used to track a character’s moral choices, the game world should be designed in such a way that moral choices are a significant part of the game.

Maybe there are factions in the game world that are at odds with each other, and the player’s choices will determine which faction their character belongs to.

Or maybe the game world is divided between those who follow the law and those who do not, and the player’s choices will determine which side their character is on.

In either case, the game world should be designed in such a way that the player’s choices actually matter.

A good alignment system is an important part of any RPG, but it’s not the only part.

Alignment is just one of many game mechanics that can be used to track a character’s progress and choices within the game world.

Other game mechanics, such as skills and abilities, can also be used to track a character’s progress and choices.

The most important thing is that all of these game mechanics work together to create a cohesive and believable game world.

A game world that is believable is one that players can invest themselves in and care about.

A game world that is cohesive is one that feels like it makes sense and is internally consistent.

A game world that is believable and cohesive is one that players will want to return to again and again.


There are many other examples where game mechanics shape the game world. If a game has a magic system, then magic is going to be a part of the game world. If a game has a social system, then social interactions are going to be a part of the game world. If a game has a strategic element, then strategy is going to be a part of the game world.

You can’t have a game without game mechanics. And anything that’s a part of the game is going to shape how the game is played.

The point is that game mechanics are not just a collection of rules that determine how the game is played. They also define the game world and the way that the game is experienced.

When designing a game, it is important to think about how the game mechanics will shape the game world. What kind of world do you want to create? What kind of experience do you want players to have?

The answers to these questions will help you design game mechanics that create the right kind of game world for your vision.

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