gameplay

noun

game·​play ˈgām-ˌplā 

variants or game play

plural gameplays or game plays

1

: the characteristic way in which the action of a game (such as a video game) occurs or is experienced

Each game is cleanly done with smooth gameplay and colorful graphics.

—Joe Hindy

Featuring intuitive and addictive gameplay, the game is a lovely distraction from the troubles of the day.

—Amy Davidson

The unique game play led to players adopting all sorts of interesting strategies for getting a high score.

—Jeff Fulton and Steve Fulton

2

: the practice or activity of playing games (such as board games, card games, or video games) : gaming sense 2

Unlike the vast majority of previous studies on the effect of video games on wellbeing, the Oxford team were able to track actual gameplay, rather than relying on self-reported estimates.

—Alex Hern

While not all card shufflers operate more quickly than manual shuffling, in general, a card shuffler speeds up gameplay.

—Allen Foster

… a gaming chair that also massages your back, features an adjustable headrest and has an ergonomic design that allows for hours and hours of game play.

—Heather Quinlan

Examples of gameplay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These are add-ons to your board game that give you more content, new obstacles or power-ups that switch up the overall gameplay. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025

The only microtransactions in this game are different outfits and effects that don’t affect gameplay. —Bartosz Skwarczek, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025

However, there's no hero better suited for the type of gameplay that VR games provide. —Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 15 June 2025

The chess engine always has a precise understanding of the gameplay while the LLM works out problems statistically based on training data – the exact opposite to the engine. —David Szondy june 15, New Atlas, 15 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for gameplay

• aaa
• adonais
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway