Player (game)

A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games.

Normally, there are at least two players in a game, but one-player games exist and are collectively known as games (such as the Solitaire card game and many video games).

"To become a player, one must voluntarily accept the rules and constraints of a game."

In most games, one player (or team) is declared the , the player who performed the best. Some multiplayer games can have multiple winners, but in Western societies, one player (or team) is normally considered to be the "1st place", or best, among them, and tie-breaking structures are commonly used to ensure a singular "1st place". This is not true universally, however; for example, in Japan, ties are considered to be wins for both sides. Some games use multiple means of scoring or determining the conditions of victory; in these games, it may be possible for two or more players or teams to simultaneously win, which, depending on the game, may be counted as wins for both or simply a tie.

Among the players on a team, the one who plays the best in a given contest may be deemed the player or over the course of a series or season may be deemed the most valuable player for that period. They may also be identified as a player of the Match, , , player of the year, or even player of the century.

In this type of pattern the player competes against a game system. Examples of this are Solitaire and Pac-Man. To get a feeling of challenge and entertainment usually there are puzzles or play structures to create conflict such as AI enemies.

Multiple players compete against the game system, but there is no need for the players to interact with each others. An example of this is the game Bingo, in which a player do not interat with the rest, but all compete against the game. The players in Bingo do not need to compete against other players.

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Wikipedia