Cactus Game Design Message Boards

The short answer to your questions is - yes.

The definition of Play can be found in the REG glossary under P and answers your question more thoroughly.

Second bullet point under Play covers characters.

Open REG. Scroll to the Glossary alphabet.  Click on P. Scroll down to Play.

There are different sections to the REG. Play (Play An Enhancement) is under the effect listing, on page 59 (based off the document reader, since there are no internal page numbers). Play in the Glossary is on page 117.

The effect listing (where it sounds like you keep going) is basically a page on each effect within the game (draw, play, etc.). The Glossary has more entries on each page, with other game terms (locations, star icon, etc.). Play is in both places.

Here's the section Gabe and Jaylor are talking about:

Play
A card is considered “played” if it meets these criteria:
• You play an Enhancement when it is used by a character, unless it is being used by a character in battle because the previous character to use it has been removed from battle.
• You play a character or rainbow Site by putting it in your territory or your side of the battle.
• You play any other card type by putting it face up on the playing surface from hand, deck, Reserve, Artifact pile or discard pile due to your ability or game action, except when you discard a card from hand.

Note: Play can be an ability, but is more broadly a game action. An ability is only considered a play ability when it contains the word play, and is not referring to the Field of Play. Any other action or ability that results in a card being played is not a play ability, but is an example of a play game action. For example, “You may play an Enhancement”is a play ability, while “You may band a Hero into battle from hand”is not a play ability, since it does not contain the word play, even though the character banded from hand is considered to have been played by the player who used the ability.