Second-person game

A game, graphical or text-based, in which the player-character has no particular characteristics in the game world. As in the most well-known game of this type, Myst, the player can act as though he or she has just fallen into the a name world. The player can thus fully identify with the player-character. Unlike the first-person game and third-person game, either gender, any age, and any race is accommodated as being player-character.

The first text-adventure games, such as Colossal Cave and Acheton, were second-person. Later developments gave the player-character some particulars, making them more nearly first-person games.

Graphical games that are second-person ones merely show what the player would see were he or she in the game world. This is disparaged by those who do not like adventure games as a mere "slide show." The games either do not show any arms at the bottom of the screen, or only in short animations when the player-character uses an object. Myst-clones, of course, are second-person games. This is the most common type of graphical adventure game.

Compare with first-person game and third-person game.