mechanism 
A gameplay mechanism (or often mechanic) is a metaphorical term referring to a functional aspect of a game. This is perhaps best explained through examples:
Example
In Candyland, there is one central mechanism that drives the game: You draw a card, then move to the next space whose color matches that card. This could be considered a type of roll-and-move mechanism.
Example
In Amun-Re, there are multiple significant mechanisms, which include:
- auction of the sites
- blind bidding in making offerings to Amun-Re
- resource management in maximizing the efficacy of your funds and income
- secret agendas from power cards
- competitive construction of pyramids
- balanced construction of pyramids
Observations
As with a physical machine comprising many mechanisms, a game with multiple mechanisms is more wondrous and difficult to fully analyze. As a result, repeated plays of such a game will tend to satisfy an adult much more than repeated plays of a game with a single mechanism. On the other hand, a game with few mechanisms will be easier for someone new to games (e.g. young children) to understand. If a game has more mechanisms than a player can deal with, it most likely will result in great frustration and disinterest for that prospective player.
Sometimes elegantly wondrous permutations of play can be produced with few, but well-meshed mechanisms. Such games tend to be easy to teach, easy to play, but not easy to solve.
BGG-Recognized Mechanisms
To do:
- Create the missing target page for each mechanism with a redirect to the Glossary, e.g. [ redirect=Glossary#name of the mechanism ] (without the spaces before and after the brackets). Add the mechanism to the Glossary, and define the mechanism in the Glossary. Definitions for most of the mechanisms are found when you hover over the name of the mechanism in a game entry.
- Since most definitions are only a line or two in their respective pages, for ease of access and reference this list should be a table with the definition in the second column.
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