There are probably many reasons you play video games, but what exactly is it that keeps you coming back? Gameplay loops are a key part of video game design, yet most gamers are unaware of what they are.
Let's explore what a gameplay loop is in video games.
A Gameplay Loop, Explained
A gameplay loop consists of a cycle of actions that you repeat over and over within a game.
Let's look at Tetris, which has one of the most recognizable gameplay loops in all of gaming. In Tetris, you position, rotate, and slot various blocks from the top of the screen to the bottom of the screen.
This is Tetris's core gameplay loop—its fundamental set of actions that you endlessly repeat. Although it only lasts a second or two, it's what you do for the whole game. And it's incredibly satisfying.
Games usually have multiple gameplay loops that all feed into this core gameplay loop. Alongside its core gameplay loop, Tetris has other loops to keep you engaged: once you fill a row it clears, you have a total score to work towards, and the longer you last, the faster the blocks fall, increasing the challenge.
All of this helps make things more interesting, but they wouldn't work if the core gameplay loop of Tetris wasn't so fun.
Clear and Unclear Gameplay Loops in Gaming
Most modern games have a lot more going on than Tetris, but they still need a core gameplay loop that keeps you hooked. Let's look at two genres with simple and not so simple gameplay loops; shooters and role-playing games (RPGs), respectively.
Gameplay Loops in Shooters
Let's start with shooters. The core gameplay loop of a shooter, like Call of Duty or Battlefield, is spotting an enemy, shooting them, then moving to the next enemy—that's what you're doing for the majority of the game.
The developers have to make this set of actions—potentially only lasting a few seconds—so good that you're prepared to do it for potentially dozens or hundreds of hours. They can do this through animation, sound design, weapon variety, movement speed, weapon weight, etc.
In addition to this, you have larger gameplay loops, like progression systems, unlocking items, and winning/losing matches. But, all of these won't work if the shooting mechanics aren't solid.
Gameplay Loops in RPGs
Now let's look at a genre with more complicated gameplay loops; role-playing games.
Looking at games like Skyrim, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, or Fallout 4, what would their core gameplay loop be? Ask yourself "what exactly do I do in these games"?
Looking at The Witcher 3, you could say that the core gameplay loop revolves around exploration, combat, and talking to non-playable characters (NPCs). Several gameplay loops facilitate these three things: quests, side activities, new weapons and armor, abilities, etc.
However, you'll likely disagree that this is the reason you play The Witcher 3—what about the world, the music, the story, the character, the writing? RPGs can kind of get away without a short, gratifying core gameplay loop because their aim is to keep you immersed, which puts more of an emphasis on creating a living, breathing, and interesting world.
Though there are a set of actions you repeat over and over, your reason to keep playing an RPG might be more abstract.
Think About Your Game's Core Gameplay Loop
Gameplay loops are one of, if not the main reasons you play a game. They can keep you engaged for hours on end despite being the same cycle of actions that you repeat.
Gameplay loops vary from genre to genre, and understanding what you want from your game will help define what core gameplay loop it should have.