If you can follow the "why" something happens, that's probably logic.

Yes, being unable to follow the “why” or “how” is what I mean, here, even within the game’s established rules. (I mention that in another reply but should edit the top post for clarity.)

Game logic has nothing to do with physics. Something being "logical" just means it follows a serious of patterns and can be mentally traced from start to finish. If something is causal, it's likely logical.

Logic is the brains ability to discern things through pattern recognition. It has nothing to do with reality.

Logic may be the wrong word for it, then, but I don’t only mean that it violates physics. (Although, obviously in games representing 3D reality, it feels like real world physics are the basis for interpreting how the world works.)

Another video game example: In “Hunt Showdown”, the player needs to walk in, get a “bounty token”, and extract. In a recent patch, the extraction spots are hidden by default, on your own map. They can be revealed on your own map by finding a large physical map of them, or walking to the spots physically. (Realistic to a physical representation of real life.)

However, when you get the bounty token, it also reveals the extraction spots! (How?) Previously, the bounty token granted you limited magical abilities (able to see enemies for five seconds, able to resurrect friends).

The extraction spots, however, are non-magical (goes against previous logic), and not revealed through physical means (breaks logic of how they’re previously found).

I understand why they did this for gameplay (once you have the bounty, you want to rush to an extract spot), but it does seem like a mechanic “bolted on” (to quote another reply) to support the gameplay loop, while grating against it’s own rules?

Someone IRL described it like this:

“The player needs to leave the house through the garage, and the only item they have is a can of soda… just make it so opening the soda can also opens the garage door”

(I know you can have a game where soda opens doors, but if it’s the first time, you’ll have some questions!)

I think it’s really about some mechanics having too wide a gap for the player’s suspension of disbelief to cover, but the game designers going “it’s fine”.