Rules versus mechanics
Ian Schreiber posted on Twitter asking
Game designers: in your everyday use of the terms, is there a difference between “rules” and “mechanics”? If so, what?
I do make the distinction, and I had to think a bit about how to even phrase it. So here’s a quick thousand+ words on it. 🙂
First off, I think these are both terms that will feel different to a player vs a designer.