Game Groups > Gameplay feature: Recordable replays

Games in which the player can record gameplay actions (by saving to a file) and later view them (non-interactively). Often done in replay editor mode, which enables changing camera views, playback control etc. Other games require to be run with command-line switches to allow recording/playback.

Replays are sometimes called demos, confusingly (as this term has many other meanings).

History of use

While generally superseded today by video capture, before the required advances of video compression and improvements in computers' performance it was the only way to record the player's gameplay (without a camera).

Such recordings can be used to document speedruns, as any user with the same version of the game can play it back. New game version may cause things to play out-of-sync (or fail to play at all, usually the case with older versions). Synchronization errors may also occur in the case of recording multiplayer events.

Saved replays (also gameplay recorded via video capture) are used to create machinima (usually after being edited using other software). Similar technique may be applied (coupled with scripting) to produce game-engine based cutscenes.

Limitations

• Games which only offer short non-recordable after-action instant replays (usually sport/racing games) do not qualify.
• Games which allow the player to chase a ghost of oneself (usually racing games) do not qualify.
• While some recorded replays allow the player to re-enter the action, replay recordings should not be confused with savegames.
• Not to be confused with so-called demo mode (attract mode), when computer plays the game by itself (AI vs. AI).

See also:

• Machinima (Wikipedia article)
• Speedrun (Wikipedia article)