Game Mechanics Vs. Theme
Some games are 'abstract' - that is, the game action is not intended to represent anything. Go is a famous example of an abstract game. Other games do have a theme - some element of representation. Monopoly is a famous example of a game with a theme: the events of the game are intended to represent another activity, that of buying and selling properties.
Games that are mechanically similar can vary widely in theme. Eurogames often feature relatively simple systems, and stress the mechanics, with the theme merely being a context to place the mechanics in.
Some wargames, at the other extreme, are known for extremely complex rules and for attempts at detailed simulation.
Read more about this topic: Game Mechanics
Famous quotes containing the words game, mechanics and/or theme:
“There are no accidents, only nature throwing her weight around. Even the bomb merely releases energy that nature has put there. Nuclear war would be just a spark in the grandeur of space. Nor can radiation “alter” nature: she will absorb it all. After the bomb, nature will pick up the cards we have spilled, shuffle them, and begin her game again.”
—Camille Paglia (b. 1947)
“It is only the impossible that is possible for God. He has given over the possible to the mechanics of matter and the autonomy of his creatures.”
—Simone Weil (1909–1943)
“Children became an obsessive theme in Victorian culture at the same time that they were being exploited as never before. As the horrors of life multiplied for some children, the image of childhood was increasingly exalted. Children became the last symbols of purity in a world which was seen as increasingly ugly.”
—C. John Sommerville (20th century)