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A player is a participant in a game. Depending on the game, a player may physically participate, control "in-game" entities, or set the state of the playfield or game world.
Number of players[]
A game can call for minimum and maximum numbers of players, leading to the classifications of single-player (or solitaire, for tabletop games) and multiplayer. The rules of multiplayer games may encourage competition or cooperation between players. Simulation games that run without player input can be called zero-player games.
Some games have different modes available depending on how many are playing.
In videogames, maximum player counts have been subject to additional technological constraints in both hardware and software. Games with limited player counts may number players by the convention of controller ports, even when wireless controllers are supported: for example, P1 ("player one") may refer to a player using the first controller port, or who connected their controller first.
Color-coding[]
Some games and system menus represent each player by a unique color. Computer players may be represented by gray.
The Wii uses blue for P1, red for P2, green for P3, and yellow for P4. The Super Smash Bros. series uses a different and extended system: red for P1, blue for P2, yellow for P3, green for P4, orange for P5, cyan for P6, pink for P7, and purple for P8.
Player character[]
A player character is a fictional character controlled by a player. This is in contrast to non-player characters, which are controlled by a gamemaster, referee, or computer.
In some cases, a player character may be considered an extension of their player. To encourage this, certain games treat player characters as a blank slate or use a customizable avatar. However, games that establish and break a fourth wall may consider players to be separate entities from the player characters, even treating players as supernatural beings.
Games may have several playable characters to choose from, sometimes giving them different abilities and statistics. Many games include unlockable characters, which can only be chosen as playable characters after a player meets certain requirements.
Category[]
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