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:
“Lyke as a huntsman after weary chace,
Seeing the game from him escapt away,
Sits downe to rest him in some shady place,”
—Edmund Spenser (1552?–1599)
“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)
“Only the most acute and active animals are capable of boredom.—A theme for a great poet would be God’s boredom on the seventh day of creation.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)