This is a term I borrow from Kirby Kid — aka Richard Terrel.
Mechanics are the player initiated actions from controller inputs as designated by the game designers. These actions have effects on the gamestate in terms of the variables and dynamics of the gameplay system
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In fact, if we consider that gameplay is the part that defines and rules interactions between game elements based on user inputs, mechanics are actually atomical element of the gameplay.
I’m mostly building platformers here, so my primary mechanics are JUMP and RUN. I can modulate them with FLOAT. I don’t quite have a shooting or fighting character, but it instead GRAB and THROW things.
As you have noted, I use all-caps when I want to obviously refer to gameplay actions (mechanics) within the text. I promise I won’t shout too much.
Bouli's Homebrew Blog 
Although a mechanic is bound to user input, it is not *only* user input, but also interplay. So “pushing a block”, “breaking jars”, etc. may be mechanics too.
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Although a mechanic is bound to user input, it is not *only* user input, but also interplay. So \”pushing a block\”, \”breaking jars\”, etc. may be mechanics too.
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A mechanic is *not* individual if either:
– its input triggers at least one other mechanic (e.g. mario RUN + SHOOT mapped on B)
– it requires a sequence of inputs (e.g. Ha-Do-Ken)
– it requires simultaneous use of other mechanics' inputs (e.g. double dragon's FIST + KICK = JUMP)
– it is affect by context element that is out of player's control (e.g. rhythm-dependent jump height in Mia's Everlasting Love)
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A mechanic is *not* individual if either:- its input triggers at least one other mechanic (e.g. mario RUN + SHOOT mapped on B)- it requires a sequence of inputs (e.g. Ha-Do-Ken)- it requires simultaneous use of other mechanics' inputs (e.g. double dragon's FIST + KICK = JUMP)- it is affect by context element that is out of player's control (e.g. rhythm-dependent jump height in Mia's Everlasting Love)
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