The Purpose of a Game Setting

Games exist to entertain, and the entertainment value of a game is derived from several sources: its gameplay, its story, social interaction (if it is a multi-player game), and so on. The setting also contributes to the entertainment that the game provides. In a game such as chess, almost all the entertainment value is in the gameplay; few people think of it as a game about medieval warfare. In an adventure game such as Escape from Monkey Island, the setting is essential to the fantasy. Without the setting, Escape from Monkey Island would not exist, and if it had a different setting, it would be a different game.

As a general rule, the more a game depends on its core mechanics to entertain, the less its setting matters. ...

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