Introduction

Abstract

This chapter introduces the field of procedural content generation (PCG), as well as the book. We start by defining key terms, such as game content and procedural generation. We then give examples of games that use PCG, outline desirable properties, and provide a taxonomy of different types of PCG. Applications of and approaches to PCG can be described in many different ways, and another section is devoted to seeing PCG through the lens of design metaphors. The chapter finishes by providing an overview of the rest of the book.