A
player character or
playable character (PC) is a fictional
character in a
role-playing or
video game whose actions are directly controlled by a player of the game rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not controlled by a player are called
non-player characters (NPCs). The actions of non-player characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games, or according to rules followed by a
gamemaster refereeing
tabletop role-playing games. The player character functions as a fictional, alternate body for the player controlling it.