An object that gives the player an extra life (or attempt) in games where the player has a limited number of chances to complete a game or level.[2]
100%
To collect all collectibles within a game, either indicated within games as a percentage counter or determined by player community consensus.[3]
1v1
An abbreviation of 1 versus 1, denoting two players battling against each other. Can be extended to any player versus player grouping, such as '2v2' to mean two teams of two battling each other, or "1v4" to refer to a team of four players against one (as seen in asymmetrical gameplay).
Graphic rendering technique of three-dimensional objects set in a two-dimensional plane of movement. Often includes games where some objects are still rendered as sprites.
A 360 no-scope usually refers to a trick shot in a first or third-person shooter video game in which one player kills another with a sniper rifle by first spinning a full circle and then quickly shooting without looking through the scope.
An aspect ratio of digital display devices such as televisions and monitors, supporting up to 3840 × 2160 pixel (roughly 4 kilopixels wide) resolutions.
A genre of strategic video games, short for "explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate". Such games are usually complicated, involving extensive diplomacy, technology trees, and win conditions.
An aspect ratio of digital display devices such as televisions and monitors, supporting up to 7680 × 4320 pixel (roughly 8 kilopixels wide) resolutions.
A high-budget game with a large development team. AAA games are usually multiplatform or are first-party, have multimillion-dollar budgets, and expect to sell millions of copies.[4][5]
A game that is forgotten about or abandoned by its developers for any number of reasons, including copyright issues.[6]
ace
Usually used within first-person shooters, where a single player manages to eliminate the entire opposing team by themselves while their teammates are alive. Can also be used to describe situations where a player manages to complete a possibly difficult section of game flawlessly. Comparable to pentakill in competitive games with teams made up of 5 players, such as MOBAs. Not to be confused with Team Ace.[7]
Meta-goals defined outside a game's parameters. May be external achievements such as those on Xbox Live or Steam, internal achievements such as those in Clash of Clans, or both.
achievement hunter
A player who attempts to collect all achievements in a game. Achievement hunters tend to be completionists.
act
Sometimes used to refer to individual levels or groups of levels that make up a larger world or storyline. Rarely refers to a downloadable game intended to be part of a larger series which functions as a single game series and gameplay-wise.
A subunit of a player's turn. For example, a game may allow an action to occur only so long as the player has sufficient 'action points' to complete the action.[8][9]
A game genre which emphasizes exploration and puzzle-solving.
AFK
Meaning "away from keyboard". Generally said through a chat function in online multiplayer games when a player intends to be temporarily unavailable.[11]
aggro
An abbreviation of 'aggravation' or 'aggression'. 'Causing aggro' or 'aggroing' in a video game means to attract hostile attention from NPCs or enemies to attack the player-character. 'Managing aggro' involves keeping aggressive NPCs from overwhelming the player or party.[12] The term may be facetiously used in reference to irritated bystanders ('wife aggro', 'mother aggro', etc). Also see hate and rushdown.
A first-person shootercheat that lets players instantly or near-instantly target other players without having to manually aim. In most cases, the aiming reticle locks on to a target within the player's line of sight and the player only has to pull the trigger. Aimbots are one of the most popular cheats in multiplayer FPS, used since 1996's Quake.[13]: 119 Compare to the feature auto-aim.
aiming down sights (ADS)
Also aim down sights.
Refers to the common alternate method of firing a gun in a first-person shooter (FPS) game, typically activated by the right mouse button. The real-life analogue is when a person raises a rifle up and places the stock just inside the shoulder area, and leans their head down so they can see in a straight line along the top of the rifle, through both of the iron sights or a scope, if equipped. In most games, this greatly increases accuracy, but can limit vision, situational awareness, mobility, and require a small amount of time to change the weapon position.
An initial, incomplete version of a game. Alpha versions are usually released early in the development process to test a game's most critical functionality and prototype design concepts. Compare with beta release.
alt
Short for 'alternate', the focus on gameplay/progression/development of other available characters (or classes) in a game after one has completed the development of a favored 'main' character.
Compare with main.
always-on DRM
A type of digital rights management (DRM) that typically requires a connection to the Internet while playing the game.
A small variation of a joystick, usually placed on a game controller to allow a player more fluent 2-dimensional input than is possible with a D-pad.[14]
animatic
A partially animated storyboard with sound effects used during early game development.[15]
animation priority
A type of gameplay mechanic in which the playable character's animations have priority over the player's input; in other words, if the player begins an action with a long animation, the animation must play out first before the player can then enter a new command, and attempting to enter a new command will have no effect. Games like the Dark Souls and Monster Hunter series are based on gameplay using animation priority.[16]
Anti-Aim
A type of cheat commonly found in first-person shooter games that makes it difficult or impossible for the user's hitboxes to be hit. This can be achieved many ways, but the most common ones are rapidly moving the user's hitboxes, flipping hitboxes (usually backwards or sideways), and sending false packets to the server.
A type of speedrun in which the player's objective is to reach the game's end goal as quickly as possible without regard to the normal intermediate steps. Compare to 100%.
A coin-operated ("coin-op") video game usually contained in an upright, tabletop (cocktail or candy cabinet) or semi-enclosed sit-down cabinet. Popular primarily during the late 1970s to 1990s in the West, and still popular in the East to the present day, arcade machines continue to be manufactured and sold worldwide.
Screenshot from FreedroidRPG showing an "area of effect", or AoE
A term used in many role-playing and strategy games to describe attacks or other effects that affect multiple targets within a specified area. For example, in the role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons, a fireball spell will deal damage to anyone within a certain radius of where it strikes. In most tactical strategy games artillery weapons have an area of effect that will damage anyone within a radius of the strike zone. Often the effect is stronger on the target than on anything else hit. See also: Splash damage
Area of effect can also refer to spells and abilities that are non-damaging. For example, a powerful healing spell may affect anyone within a certain range of the caster (often only if they are a member of the caster's party). Some games also have what are referred to as "aura" abilities that will affect anyone in the area around the person with the ability. For example, many strategy games have hero or officer units that can improve the morale and combat performance of friendly units around them. The inclusion of AoE elements in game mechanics can increase the role of strategy, especially in turn-based games. The player has to place units wisely to mitigate the possibly devastating effects of a hostile area of effect attack; however, placing units in a dense formation could result in gains that outweigh the increased AoE damage received.
Point-blank area of effect (PBAoE) is a less-used term for when the affected region is centered on the character performing the ability, rather than at a location of the player's choosing.
A side game mode, mostly found in some action-adventure games, in which a player-controlled character is placed in a closed area and challenged to defeat enemies using combat abilities.
arena FPS
Arena shooters that use the first-person perspective.
arena shooter
Shooting games that are typically based on fast-paced gameplay and in a limited map or level space.
Algorithms used to generate responsive, adaptive or intelligent game behavior, primarily in non-player characters. Distinct from the computing science concept of 'artificial intelligence'.
assault mode
A game mode in which one team tries to attack (or capture) specific areas and the other team tries to defend those points.
The practice of creating a game using 'free' art and audio assets, either from an online marketplace or the default stock of assets included with many game engines. Asset-flips are often of very poor quality designed to catch onto a currently popular theme to turn a quick profit. It mimics the practice of flipping in real estate markets.
asymmetric gameplay
Cooperative or competitive multiplayer games in which each player will have a different experience arising from differences in gameplay, controls, or in-game character options that are part of the game. This is in contrast to symmetric gameplay where each player will have the same experience, such as in the game Pong. Asymmetric gameplay often arises in competitive games where one player's character is far overpowered but outnumbered by other players that are all competing against them, such as in Pac-Man Vs. Asymmetric gameplay can also arise in multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs) and hero shooters, where each player selects a different hero or character class with different gameplay abilities from others.[19]
asynchronous gameplay
Competitive multiplayer games where the players do not have to be participating at the same time. Such games are usually turn-based, with each player planning a strategy for the upcoming turn, and then having the game resolve all actions of that turn once each player has submitted their strategies.
attract mode
The attract mode for the arcade game San Francisco Rush: The Rock showcasing one of the racetracks available to play in the game
Also display mode and show mode.
A pre-recorded demonstration of a video game that is displayed when the game is not being played.[20]
Originally built into arcade games, the main purpose of the attract mode is to entice passers-by to play the game.[20] It usually displays the game's title screen, the game's story (if it has one), its high score list, sweepstakes (on some games) and the message "Game Over" or "Insert Coin" over or in addition to a computer-controlled demonstration of gameplay. In the Atari 8-bit home computers of the 1970s and 1980s, the term attract mode was sometimes used to denote a simple screensaver that slowly cycled the display colors to prevent phosphor burn-in when no input had been received for several minutes.[21] Attract modes demonstrating gameplay are common in current home video games.
Attract mode is not only found in arcade video games, but in most coin-operated games like pinball machines, stacker machines and other games. Cocktail arcade machines on which the screen flips its orientation for each player's turn in two-player games traditionally have the screen's orientation in player 1's favour for the attract mode.
An AUG is an abbreviated nickname for a long-scoped Burst Rifle, especially in Fortnite, as well as other shooter games. An AUG is a real gun, and the real inspiration for in-game Burst Rifles.
Supplementing a real-world environment with computer-generated perceptual information with matching alignment to the real world, which may add to or mask the physical environment. Augmented reality alters the perception of a physical environment, whereas virtual reality replaces the physical environment with a simulated one.
Also known as "auto chess", a subgenre of strategy games that feature chess-like elements where players place characters on a grid-shaped battlefield during a preparation phase, who then fight the opposing team's characters without any further direct input from the player. It was created and popularized by Dota Auto Chess in early 2019.
auto-aim
Also aim-assist.
A game mechanic built into some games to decrease the level of difficulty by locking onto or near targets for faster aiming. Games utilize "hard" or "soft" aim settings to respectively either lock directly onto an enemy or assist the player's aim towards the enemy while giving some freedom of precision. Not to be confused with aimbot.
auto-run
A system in video games that causes the player-character to move forward without input from the user. The system is predominantly used in platform games, as well as being a toggleable feature in some open world and MMO games where users may need to travel long distances without the assistance of fast travel systems.
A saving function in many video games that saves the current progress without the player's input, often after completing a mission, level, or winning a match. These points are called save points.
Repeated use of the jump button while moving, which increases the character's momentum in some games. Originally a glitch in early GoldSrc games, a large portion of games have implemented it as a feature and gamers have taken into doing this.
backfill
Also backfilling.
A system of many competitive team-based multiplayer games that automatically finds a new player based on their skill level in an already existing game in case of one player leaving it. Usually only seen in casual modes to keep competitive integrity in ranked games.
Aspects of a multi-player game that keep it fair for all players. This usually refers to balance between characters (or any other choices made before battle) and options (which occur in battle). Balance between choices made before battle usually means that no character is likely to dominate another opponent, while balance between options usually refers to every option having a viable counter, preventing gameplay from degenerating to using a single option with minor variations. The issue of balanced gameplay is a heavily debated matter among most games' player communities.
In online games, the act of kicking a player from the server, and then employing means of preventing them from returning. This is usually accomplished using a blacklist.
In some games, done in "ban waves" against cheaters to obfuscate how they were recognized as cheating in the game.
What players usually call the gacha mechanic in a game. Depending on the game, it can stick around indefinitely or have a time limit. The latter kind most often increases the probability of getting specific characters or items.[22]
A type of in-game monetization that provides additional content for a game through a tiered system, rewarding the player with in-game items by playing the game and completing specific challenges.
A video game genre that blends elements of survival games with last-man-standing gameplay. Players search for equipment while eliminating competitors in a shrinking safe zone. Usually there are many more players involved than in other kinds of multi-player games.
best-in-slot
Any item or ability that can be considered the best possible option in a given slot. This can vary between players and playstyles, but commonly, any specific playstyle is likely to have either a single or a small set of items considered to be the best. This may be due to favorable effects, good match-ups against most opponents, or high stats. Typically abbreviated as BiS.
An early release of a video game, following its alpha release, where the game developer seeks feedback from players and testers to remove bugs prior to the product's commercial release. Games are usually almost finished at the beta stage.[23]See also closed beta and open beta.
blacklist
In online games, a list of player information (such as player ID or IP address) that the server checks for when admitting a player. By default, players are allowed to enter, but if they match information on the blacklist, they are barred from entry. The opposite is a whitelist, where the server bars players by default but allows players matching the whitelist. Blacklists and whitelists can be used in tandem, barring even whitelisted players if they try to log in via a blacklisted IP address, for example.
BM
"Bad Manners"; conduct that is not considered 'cheating' but may be seen as unsportsmanlike or disrespectful.[24] Some games may elect to punish badly behaved players by assessing game penalties, temporarily blocking them from re-entering play, or banishing them to a playing environment populated solely by other badly behaved players. What constitutes bad manners is subjective and may be hard to gather a consensus on.
In online multiplayer games that include ranked competitive play, boosting is where a player with a low-ranked level has a more-skilled player use their account to improve the low-ranked character to higher levels, or other improvements and benefits for their account.[25][26]
A special level in which the player has a chance to earn extra points or power-ups, often in the form of a mini-game. Compare with secret level.
borderless fullscreen windowed
An option featured in many modern PC games and moddable into others in which a game appears fullscreen but is actually running in a maximized window. Since the game does not take full control of the output device, it confers benefits such as seamless task switching and automatic vertical synchronization.
An opponent non-player character in a video game that is typically much more difficult to defeat compared to normal enemies, often at the end of a level or a game.
bot
Short for robot. A non-playable character which is controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI). The player may compete against or work with a bot to complete objectives. Is also a derogatory term that implies a player is less effective than a computerized character.
bottomless pit
A hazard common in platform and action games, which consists of a deep hole or void with no visible bottom, presumably leading to a fatal drop. The player-character falling into this void typically results in an instant death (and the loss of a life) for the player, regardless of how much health the character had; although some games may instead take away a percentage of the character's health before respawning them nearby. Bottomless pits can also serve as obstacles that can be overcome by using abilities or finding alternate routes.
1. An effect placed on a video game character that beneficially increases one or more of their statistics or characteristics for a temporary period. Compare to debuff.
2. A change intended to strengthen a particular item, tactic, ability, or character, ostensibly for balancing purposes. Compare to nerf.
A type of shoot 'em up where the player must generally dodge an overwhelmingly large number of enemies and their projectiles.
bullet sponge
Any enemy that appears to require more firepower than would be considered realistic or reasonable to defeat. This is an allusion to how the enemy can absorb bullets much like a sponge absorbs liquids. For example, an enemy soldier in a first-person shooter that requires several full magazines of ammunition to defeat, in comparison to other soldier types that are defeated in a handful of shots, would be a bullet sponge.
bullshot
A portmanteau of bullshit and screenshot, referring to the misrepresentation of a final product's technical or artistic quality by artificially enhancing promotional images or video footage.[27]
button mashing
1. The pressing of different button combinations in rapid succession to perform or attempt to perform special moves, typically with little rhyme or reason. This technique is most often encountered in fighting games, especially among weaker players.[28]
2. The rapid pressing of a single button to accomplish a task, especially in minigames. Sometimes, this requires the rapid pressing of two buttons simultaneously, or rapidly pressing any button.
breach
common name for the value that dictates how much stun a weapon deals.
C
campaign mode
Also story mode and campaign.
A series of game levels intended to tell a linear story; some campaigns feature multiple 'paths', with the player's actions deciding which path the story will follow and affecting which choices are available to the player at a later point.
1. Where a player stays in one place – typically a fortified high-traffic location – for an extended period of time and waits to ambush other players. Many players consider camping a form of cheating.[29] It is most common in first-person shooter games,[30] but is also frequent in fighting games with projectile-heavy characters.
2. The act of waiting around a rare mob or player's spawn point, usually in MMOs. This may be known as spawn-camping or spawn-trapping.
A common game mode in multiplayer video games, where the goal is to capture and retrieve a flag from the opposing side's territory while defending the flag in one's own territory.
In team-based video games, when a player disproportionately contributes to the success of their team. For example, Team A's sole remaining player defeating the rest of Team B, thus saving Team A from a close defeat, would be considered carrying, as would one player on Team A having the most kills among the rest of their team. The term is usually but not always interpreted as indirect slander towards the rest of the team, though the term may also be used generally. Carrying may also be a method experienced players use to win rounds when the rest of their team are less experienced or less efficient at completing tasks; this may entail taking on enemy combatants alone, or using teammates as a distraction while completing objectives for the round.
cartridge tilting
Deliberately inducing glitches and other strange behaviour in cartridge-based games by tilting the cartridge slightly in its slot in the console, enough for the connection to be altered but not completely severed. Cartridge tilting creates similar effects to using a corruptor, and may include such glitches as character models becoming distorted, extremely loud noises and in particularly severe cases, both the game and the console itself may crash.
Playing video games on an infrequent and spontaneous basis without a long-term commitment. Casual video games are distinguished by a low learning curve and ease of access, often web-based for mobile phones or personal computers. Most casual games have simplified controls, with one or two buttons dominating play. Casual games can normally be played in small periods of time, and may not have a save feature.[31]
challenge mode
A game mode offered beyond the game's normal play mode that tasks the player(s) to replay parts of the game or special levels under specific conditions that are not normally present or required in the main game, such as finishing a level within a specific time, or using only one type of weapon. If a game doesn't feature a 'challenge mode', players will often create self-imposed challenges by forbidding or restricting the use of certain game mechanics.
A job or profession that comes with a set of abilities as well as positive and negative attributes.[32] Most common in role-playing games, a character's class helps to define their playstyle as well as the role the character plays in a team based game. Often as players gain experience with a class they learn new abilities related to their chosen profession and some games allow players to change their character's class or become proficient in multiple classes. Some examples of archetypal character classes include warrior (strength and defense), thief (speed and stealth), wizard (magic and intelligence), and priest or healer (healing and buffing allies).[33][34] A popular example of a class-changing system is the Job System in the Final Fantasy series.
An ingame method to customize a character to the player's preferred appearance and abilities before starting the game, most commonly used in role-playing games.
character select screen
Also character select.
A concept in games with multiple characters, a screen with names and/or pictures of all playable (and secret) characters with the possibility of stat listings.
charge shot
A shot that can be charged up so that a stronger attack can be dealt, but requiring more time. Usually performed by holding the shot button.
A game code that allows the player to beat the game or acquire benefits without earning them. Cheats are used by designers to test the game during development and are often left in the release version.[15]See god mode, aimbot, ESP cheats, noclip mode, wallhack, and Konami Code.
To play the game unfairly; giving an unfair advantage via illegitimate means.
checkpoint
An area in a level from which the player will start the level from next time they die, rather than having to start the level over. Checkpoints typically remain in place until the player completes the level or gets a Game Over.
cheese (or cheesing)
Cheese(ing) refers to a tactic in a video game that may be considered cheap, unfair, or overly easy, requiring no skill by others as to otherwise complete a difficult task. What may account as cheese depends on the type of game. Its origin traces back to players of Street Fighter II who would frequently use the same combo move over and over against to defeat their opponent. In multiplayer games like MOBAs or hero shooters, certain team compositions of heroes are considered cheese compositions for how easily they can defeat most other team compositions. In other games, cheese can refer to exploiting glitches and other bugs to make difficult gameplay sections easy.[35]
Music composed for the microchip-based audio hardware of early home computers and gaming consoles. Due to the technical limitations of earlier video game hardware, chiptune came to define a style of its own, known for its "soaring flutelike melodies, buzzing square wave bass, rapid arpeggios, and noisy gated percussion".[36]
choke
1. When a player/team that is currently winning or expected to win a match performs unexpectedly poorly.[24]
2. A feature of a playable map that funnels players and might restrict mechanics like movement (chokepoint).
An advanced method of movement in many first-person shooter (FPS) games where the user utilizes both thumb sticks (console) or mouse and keyboard controls (PC) to maintain a constant circular motion around an enemy, while maintaining a relatively steady aim on that target. This practice minimizes incoming fire from the target's teammates, as any misses are likely to hit and harm their teammate.
clapped
When you clap a player, you deal enough damage to eliminate them, without them hitting you or shooting you once.
The perception of a character class's distinctness from others. For example, the class identity of a "paladin" would include defensive and melee capabilities as compared to a ranged class like an "archer".
A type of game where clicking (or tapping) the screen repeatedly is the only gameplay mechanic. See also idle game.
clipping
1. Programming used to ensure that the player stays within the physical boundaries of the game world.[13]: 119 Also see noclip, a cheat where clipping is disabled.
2. A 3D graphics process which determines if an object is visible and "clips" any obscured parts before drawing it. See also clipping (computer graphics).
clock/clocked
To achieve a score so high it resets the in-game score counter back to 0, often used in older arcade games. More commonly used nowadays to express the (absolute) 100% completion of a game. Also see rolling the score.
A game that is similar in design to another game in its genre (e.g., a Doom clone or a Grand Theft Auto clone). Sometimes used in a derogatory fashion to refer to an inferior 'ripoff' of a more successful title.
A cloud gaming server runs the game, receiving controller input actions from and streaming audio and video to the player's thin client.
cloud save
The player's saved game is stored at a remote server. This may provide a backup, or enable access from a different game system. See also cross-save.
clutch
Also clutching the game and coming in clutch.
Being able to perform exceptionally well in a high-stakes situation, or have certain events occur at the right time in a very important or critical moment, in particular in a way that changes the outcome of the game; scoring a victory for your team when it was on the verge of defeat.[37]
A series of attacks strung together in quick succession, typically while an opponent is in their "getting hit" animation from the previous attack and is helpless to defend themselves. Combos are a staple of fighting games, introduced in beat-'em-ups such as Renegade and Double Dragon, and becoming more dynamic in Final Fight and Street Fighter II.[38]
A cycle of gameplay elements designed to keep the player invested in the game, typically though a feedback system involving in-game rewards that open up more gameplay opportunities.
A video game hardware unit that typically connects to a video screen and controllers, along with other hardware. Unlike personal computers, a console typically has a fixed hardware configuration defined by its manufacturer and cannot be customized. Sometimes includes handheld consoles, to differentiate them from computers, arcade machines, and cell phones.
A set of video game consoles in direct competition for market share in a given era. The set, as a generation, is obsoleted at the introduction of the "next generation" or "next gen".[39][40]
Refers to competition for video game console market dominance and, in specific, to the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s. The analogy also extends to competition in later console generations, particularly the PlayStation and Xbox brands.[41]
A video game genre that involves planning and managing a population of citizens in towns, cities, or other population centers. In such games, the player rarely has direct control of the computer-controlled citizens and can only influence them through planning.
Classifying video games according to suitability-related factors such as violent or sexual content contained within a game. Some countries use industry self-regulation models to accomplish this, while others have government rating boards. Certain content ratings result in products being legally or de facto banned from sale, such as the AO (adults only) rating in the United States. While legal, such titles are not stocked by retailers and will not be certified for release by major console makers such as Sony and Microsoft.
continue
A7Xpg gives the player the opportunity to continue playing after losing their last life.
A common term in video games for the option to continue the game after all of the player's lives have been lost, rather than ending the game and restarting from the very beginning. There may or may not be a penalty for doing this, such as losing a certain number of points or being unable to access bonus stages.
In arcade games, when a player loses or fails an objective, they will generally be shown a "continue countdown" screen, in which the player has a limited amount of time (usually 10, 15, or 20 seconds) to insert additional coins in order to continue the game from the point where it had ended; deciding not to continue will result in the displaying of a game over screen.[42]
The continue feature was added to arcade games in the mid-1980s due to arcade owners wanting to earn more money from players who played for longer periods of time.[42] The first arcade game to have a continue feature was Fantasy,[42] and the first home console cartridge to have this feature was the Atari 2600 version of Vanguard.[43]: 26 As a result of the continue feature, games started to have stories and definite endings; however, those games were designed so that it would be nearly impossible to get to the end of the game without continuing.[42] Salen and Zimmerman argue that the continue feature in games such as Gauntlet was an outlet for conspicuous consumption.[44]
In more modern times, continues have also been used in a number of free-to-play games, especially mobile games, where the player is offered a chance to pay a certain amount of premium currency to continue after failing or losing. One example is Temple Run 2, where the price of a continue doubles after each failure, with an on-the-fly in-app purchase of the game's premium currency if required.
A means of control over the console or computer on which the game is played. Specialized game controllers include the joystick, light gun, paddle, and trackball.
The minimum length of time that the player needs to wait after using an ability before they can use it again. This is commonly done for game balance so less powerful abilities remain relevant.[45]
Multiplayer gameplay where the players work together on the same team against computer-controlled opponents or challenges.[15]
corruptor
A computer program used either as or in conjunction with an emulator to corrupt certain data within a ROM or ISO by a user-desired amount, causing varied effects, both visually and audibly, to a video game and its data, usually as a humorous diversion or for the sake of seeking out and documenting interesting examples, hereafter referred to as corruptions. The effects of a corruption may include: displaced or misdirected pixels in a spritemap; never-ending levels; bizarre or unexpected changes to the colour palette of characters and levels; artifacts; distorted or entirely incorrect sprites, polygons, textures, or character models; spastic and outlandish animations; incorrect text or dialogue trees; flickering graphics or lights; incorrect or distorted audio; inconvenient invisible walls; lack of collision detection; and other forced glitches. Corruptions often result in the game becoming unwinnable, and may also result in unusual crashes and softlocks. See also real-time corruptor and ROM hacking.
A game mechanic which allows the player to use walls or other features of the game's environment to take cover from oncoming ranged attacks, such as gunfire in first-person shooters. Many cover systems also allow the character to use ranged attacks in return while in cover although with an accuracy penalty.[46]
coyote time
A game mechanic that grants players the ability to jump for a brief period of time (typically just a few frames or fractions of a second) after leaving solid ground. Used predominantly in platform games, the mechanic is designed to give players the impression of having jumped at the last possible moment, and as a method of forgiving players that would have otherwise missed the jump. The mechanic derives its name from the Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote who, upon leaving solid ground (e.g. by running off a cliff), briefly hangs in mid-air before plummeting to the earth below.[47][48]
CPU
1. Central processing unit; the part of the computer or video game which executes the games' program.
1. Software that has had its anti-piracy protections removed prior to being illegally distributed. See: Software cracking
2. Being extremely good at something.
crafting
A game mechanic that allows the player-character to construct game items, such as armor, weapons or medicine from combinations of other items. Most MMOGs feature a crafting system.
Commonly used in Fortnite, cranking 90s refers of a way to build in the game. "90s" refers to the 90-degree turn one must make when they make a 90,[49] and "cranking" refers to how one must perform this repeatedly. "Cranking" 90s usually results in a tower being created.
credit-feeding
To complete an arcade game by using as many continues as possible. Prevalent in action games or shooters where the player is revived at the exact moment their character died during their previous credit. Some home conversions (such as AES versions of Neo Geo games) tend to limit the number of credits each player is allowed to use in a playthrough as a way of preserving the challenge, while other conversions (such as the ports in the Namco Museum series) impose no such limits in order to reproduce the original version as faithfully as possible. Compare with 1CC.
A technique used primarily in massively multiplayer online games to limit or control how many enemies are hostile to the players so they can be picked off more easily.[50]Also see aggro.
CRPG
Abbreviation of computer role-playing game. It has the connotation of referring to "classic" games.[51]
A controversial but common labor practice in the video game industry where game developers have to work compulsory overtime, often uncompensated, in order to meet deadlines.[52]
A phase within a character's super move where the game briefly pauses the character's attack and shows their face (or full body) before proceeding to complete the attack. In fighting games, this move can be blocked.
A game segment that exists solely to provide detail and exposition to the story. They are used extensively in MMOs and RPGs in order to progress the plot. Cut-scenes are more likely to be generated by the in-game engine while cinematics are pre-recorded.[15]
A 4-directional rocker button that allows the player to direct game action in eight different directions: up, down, left, right, and their diagonals. Invented by Gunpei Yokoi for the Game & Watch series of handheld consoles, Nintendo used the "directional pad" (or "cross-key" in Japan) for their Nintendo Entertainment System controller and it has been used on nearly every console controller since.[14]
damage over time (DoT)
An effect, such as poison or catching on fire, that reduces a player's health over the course of time or turns.
damage per second (DPS)
1. Used as a metric in some games to allow the player to determine their offensive power, particularly in games where the player's attacks are performed automatically when a target is in range.
2. A character archetype in MMOs and RPGs, specifically a character or class that is designed purely to deal as much damage as possible to enemies, as opposed to a tank or healer, who have other primary duties. Specific characters or classes may be considered "sub-types" of DPS, such as a "magic-DPS" as opposed to a "melee-DPS".
day one
Also release date.
The day of release for a video game; often accompanied by a 'day-one patch' to repair issues that could not be addressed in time for the game's distribution, or 'day-one DLC', where the developer offers content for a price. 'Day-one DLC' is often associated with on-disc DLC, where the content is already a part of the game's data, but the player must pay to access it.
dead zone
1. A region of the screen in video games in which the camera is controlled via free look where the mouse cursor can be positioned to lock the camera in place. Can be adjusted in some games.[citation needed]
2. A deadzone setting for the analog stick that lets players configure how sensitive they want their analog sticks to be, popular in console FPS games, and in racing games where it appears as Steering Deadzone.
A game mode in many shooter and real-time strategy games in which the objective is to kill as many other characters as possible until a time limit or kill limit is reached. Compare to last man standing.
Debug mode
A feature left in a game that the development team would use to test the game and check for bugs. There are many ways that they could have been implemented, such as a menu with selectable options, button combinations or a room with stuff useful for testing. Debug modes will tend to have many useful features for testing, such as being able to make the player invulnerable to damage, giving the tester every single weapon available, being able to warp to any part of the game as needed, being able to defeat any enemy in a single hit, and so on. There may also be the ability to modify the camera placement, such as for the purpose of taking screenshots to use for advertising purposes. Typically, these will be removed or hidden before the game is released to the public. Some games may leave them available to the player still, such as by making them be an unlockable option, or requiring a code to unlock it. In other cases, they may be entirely unavailable through normal gameplay and glitches or external hacking would be required to access them. This can also be referred to as a debug menu or a debug room.
The number of vectors of player-character movement that the player has control over, which are often a criterion associated with the game's genre.
Side-scrollers typically have 2-DoF: left/right (run along X-axis), and up/down (jump/fall along Y-axis).
Top-down, isometric graphics-based, and 3D graphics-based games may have 3-DoF or 4-DoF: aim left/right (rotate around Z-axis), move left/right (strafe along X-axis) & move forward/backward (run along Y-axis), and move up/down (jump/fall/crouch along Z-axis).
3D flying games may have up to 6-DoF: movement along the X, Y, or Z axes as left/right (along X-axis), forward/backward (along Y-axis), and up/down (along Z-axis), and rotation around X, Y, or Z axes as pitch (around X-axis), roll (around Y-axis), and yaw (around Z-axis)
In addition, special features of games may manipulate other dimensions not associated with the X, Y, & Z axes of 3D space as DoF, such as time, player state, macro-location (fast travel), map state, NPC visibility or other game parameters.
An unofficial, indefinite "waiting period" during which a project is effectively stalled and unable to proceed. Projects that enter development hell are often delayed by several years, but are not usually considered to be formally cancelled by the publisher.
devolution
The act of running games and applications from storage media not originally supported for this use. For example, external hard disk drives or USB flash drives can be used on consoles that only officially support running games and applications from CD or DVD disks. Usually can only be done in modded game consoles.
Found primarily in adventure games, a means of providing a menu of dialog choices to the player when interacting with a non-player character so as to learn more from that character, influence the character's actions, and otherwise progress the game's story. The tree nature comes from typically having multiple branching levels of questions and replies that can be explored.
The level of difficulty that a player wishes to face while playing a game. At higher difficulty levels, the player usually faces stronger NPCs, limited resources, or tighter time-limits.
In free-to-play games, a user who occasionally spends real-world money on in-game items or spends a modest amount, but not enough to be considered a whale.
The action, when game mechanics allow, of a game character being able to execute two successive jumps, the second jump occurring in mid-air without coming into contact with anything. The player must then typically touch the ground before being able to jump again.[53]
down-but-not-out (DBNO)
A term for near-death state, typically found in team battle royale games, in which a player becomes incapacitated instead of dying after losing health points. Players in this state can be revived by teammates as long as they still have health.[54][relevant?]
A game mode associated with collectible card games including digital variants. A draft mode enables a player to create a deck of cards in such games by selecting one card of a number of randomly selected cards at a time. The player then uses the completed deck to play in matches against other players or computer opponents until they meet a certain win or loss record. Draft games contrast with constructed deck games, where players draw on their personal collections of cards.
drift
A typical malfunction that affects the analog stick(s) of a gamepad, in which its neutral position is set somewhere on its fringe, instead of the central position that it default maintains when the analog stick is unmoved. This can cause undesired gameplay effects, such as causing a character to constantly move or the game camera to constantly be locked to one skewed angle while the analog stick(s) is/are unmoved, depending on which stick is affected or the game's controls.
The probability of obtaining a particular item from a loot box or booster pack in certain video games, particularly in games with microtransactions.
drop-in, drop-out
A type of competitive or cooperative multiplayer game that enables a player to join the game at any time without waiting and leave without any penalty, and without affecting the game for other players.
Dummied out
Refers to content that existed in a game during development and is in the code, but is not actually present in typical gameplay. Lots of aspects in a game can be this, such as cutscenes, weapons, characters (playable or not), items, missions or levels. There are many reasons why content may be subject to this, like if it was too buggy, if it was too unbalanced, if it was never intended to be released (like a weapon that's overpowered on purpose so the developers can get through the story easily), copyright issues (such as if a license to use a copyrighted character expired), if programming it couldn't be finished in time (such as to meet a release date), or any other reason.
In an open world game such as an RPG, an enclosed area filled with hostile NPCs where the player is likely to come under attack. In this sense, it can be used to refer to literal "dungeons" or include any number of other places, such as caves, ships, forests, sewers or buildings. Dungeons may be maze-like and/or contain puzzles that the player must solve and often hide valuable items within to encourage player exploration.
A genre of video game that is based on exploring dungeons or similar setting, defeating monsters and collecting loot.
duping
Derived from the word "duplicating", the practice of using a bug to illegitimately create duplicates of unique items or currency in a persistent online game, such as an MMOG. Duping can vastly destabilize a virtual economy or even the gameplay itself.
The automatic change in parameters, scenarios, and behaviors in a video game in real-time, based on the player's ability, with the aim of avoiding player boredom or frustration.
A development model where players are able to purchase and play a game as it currently stands, be it early in development or close to a full release. On the developer's end, early access allows them to gather player feedback and further the game's development with the money made from these sales. See also open beta.
The phenomenon of being stuck at a lower rank in comparison to the player's true skill level in competitive video games that utilizes the Elo rating system that may occur for various reasons, often due to unbalanced matchmaking (where the player may happen to have teammate/s of inferior skill).
Gameplay that develops as a result of player creativity, rather than the game's programmed structure.[15]EVE Online is well-known for its emergent gameplay, which allows player-formed alliances to fight extended 'wars' over valuable territory and resources, or simply become 'space pirates' and prey on other player-operated vessels.
A software program that is designed to replicate the software and hardware of a video game console on more modern computers and other devices. Emulators typically include the ability to load software images of cartridges and other similar hardware-based game distribution methods from the earlier hardware generations, in addition to more-traditional software images.
end game
The gameplay of a given title at the climax of its storyline or campaign, and is followed by the postgame.
end game loop
The gameplay available in a massively multiplayer online game for characters that have completed all of the currently-available content. Repeatable content after the climax of the storyline or campaign.
endless mode
A game mode in which players are challenged to last as long as possible against a continuing threat with limited resources or player-character lives, with their performance ranked on how long they survive before succumbing to the threat (such as the death of the player-character) or on score. This mode is typically offered in games that otherwise have normal endings that can be reached, providing an additional challenge to the players once the main game is completed.
A subgenre of platform game in which the player character runs for an infinite amount of time while avoiding obstacles. The player's objective is to reach a high score by surviving for as long as possible.[56]
1. A game mechanic using a character resource-pool which governs how often the character is allowed to use a special ability.
2. How often a player is allowed to play a particular free-to-play game; energy can be replenished instantly with an in-app purchase, or replenished slowly by waiting and not playing the game.
3. (Usually in futuristic games) The player's health.
A package of multiple cheats. e.g., "distance ESP" shows the distance between the enemy and the player, "player ESP" makes enemies highly visible, and "weapon ESP" shows enemy weapons.[13]: 120
In games that feature the ability for the player-character to gain levels, such as role-playing video games, experience points are used to denote progress towards the next character level.
A usually circular button on the right side of a traditional gamepad that is pressed very frequently in normal gameplay. Modern gamepads usually have four arranged in a diamond formation.
A video game made by fans, based on one or more established video games. Retrogamers may clone early video games to take advantage of more advanced hardware and game engines.
farming
Repeating a battle, quest, or other part of a game in order to receive more or duplicates of specific reward items that can be gained through that battle or quest, such as experience points, game money, or specific reward items. Gold farming is a type of farming done for in-game currency. See grinding.
Common in role-playing games, a means by which to have the player-character(s) teleport between already-discovered portions of the game's world without having to actually interactively move that distance.[59]
A term used around ongoing games with rotating content, the "fear of missing out" is an expression related to the psychological and social anxiety effect for players concerned about missing the opportunity to obtain limited-time items while they are available and thus devote more time and resources into the game as to obtain those items. This can include additional expenditures for microtransactions for free-to-play or freemium games.[60]
feed
In MOBAs, to consistently die to an enemy team or player (either intentionally or due to inexperience), providing them with experience, gold, map pressure, or other advantages.
A measurement reflecting how much of the game world is visible in a first-person perspective on the display screen, typically represented as an angle. May also refer to the general amount of the game world that is visible on the screen, typically in games where being able to see a lot at once is important, such as strategy games and platformers.
A developer that is either owned directly by a console maker or has special arrangements with the console maker; such developers have greater access to internal details about a console compared to traditional developers. A developer that isn't owned by a console maker but have special arrangements with them may be referred to as a second-party developer, instead. Games developed by a first-party developer are often referred to as 'first-party games.'
A genre of video game where the player experiences the game from the first-person perspective, where the primary mechanic is the use of guns and other ranged weapons to defeat enemies.
flashing invulnerability
Also invincibility frames, invulnerability period, mercy invincibility.
An invincibility or immunity to damage that occurs after the player takes damage for a short time, indicated by the player-character blinking or buffering.[citation needed]
flip-screen
A game environment divided into single-screen portions, similar to individual tiles in a maze. Players see only one such screen at a time, and they transfer between screens by moving the player-character to the current screen's edge. The picture then abruptly "flips" to the next screen, hence the technique's name.[61][62] UK magazines also refer to this as flick-screen.[63]
The player cannot see enemy activity beneath the greyed-out fog of war.
Common in strategy games, a 'fog' covers unobservable areas of the map and hides any enemy units in that area.
Acronym for "Flavor of the Month", referring to a new meta that emerges after an update making certain classes or builds more desirable, that will only last a short amount of time. The phrase originated in the World of Warcraft community, but is also used in MOBA's.[64]
1. To be able to look around the map freely, usually limited by typical mechanics of the game such as the boundaries of the game world. This is usually an ability that is disabled to common users, but left in the game coding as a developer's tool and is unlockable if the proper code is known. May also be allowed by a non-player in a multiplayer game to allow seeing every player's progress, especially in e-sports. Typically eliminates fog of war in relevant games.
2. Also called mouselook, a method of control where the player uses the computer mouse to indicate the direction they desire the player-character to look.
A pricing strategy by which a product or service (typically a digital offering or an application such as software, media, games or web services) is provided free of charge, but money (premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical (offline) goods.
Games that do not require purchase from a retailer, either physical or digital, to play. Highly prevalent on smartphones, free-to-play games may also provide additional gameplay-enhancing purchases via an in-app purchase. Games that require in-app purchases in order to remain competitive, or gamers who engage in said purchases, are known as pay to win (P2W). Compared to the P2W players, F2P players are often looked down upon. (Compare 'freemium', a free-to-play game that follows such a model.)
full combo (FC)
Also full perfect combo (FPC).
A term used most commonly in rhythm games, when the player hits every note in a song with no mistakes, therefore never breaking a combo.[66] Often results in the highest possible score on said song.
A genre of video game that implements the gacha (toy vending machine) mechanic. Similar to loot boxes, gacha games induce players to spend in-game currency to receive random in-game items or characters. The gacha mechanic is considered integral to the gameplay or player progression of gacha games, whereas loot boxes would not change the gameplay of the games they're attached to in a significant way if they were removed or replaced with a different reward system.
The codebase on which a game runs. There are different subsets of engines, such as specialized ones for physics and graphics.[15] Often the game engine is only middleware which game specific behaviours are built upon, though end-users do not tend to make this distinction.
An event where participants try to develop a game from scratch in a very short amount of time, often with a theme determined by the organiser of the jam.[69]
game launcher
An application program for personal computers use to launch one or more games, rather than launching the game directly. Launchers typically include additional services from the software developer to provide middleware such as friends and matchmaking services, content updating, digital-rights management, and cloud saving. A game launcher may also provide features of a digital storefront to purchase and download games. Launchers include those designed by publishers specifically for their games, such as Battle.net or Ubisoft Connect, or may be a general platform to support first- and third-party games like Steam and Epic Games Store.
An overarching term that describes how a particular game functions and what is possible within the game's environment; the rules of the game. Typical game mechanics include points, turns and/or lives. An unanticipated and novel use of game mechanics may lead to emergent gameplay.
A distinct configuration that varies game mechanics and affects gameplay, such as a single-player mode vs a multiplayer mode, campaign mode, endless mode, or god mode.
When a game is ported from one platform to another. Cross-platform ports are often criticized for their quality, particularly if platform-specific design elements (such as input methods) are not updated for the target platform.
A type of business model where games are bought and sold once as a finished product that receives few to no further content updates, as opposed to games as a service where games receive content updates in the long-term on a continuing revenue model.
Games as a Service (GaaS)
Also Live Service Games.
A type of business model where games receive content updates in the long-term on a continuing revenue model, as opposed to games as a product, where a game is bought and sold once as a finished product that receives few to no further content updates.
A field of social sciences that attempts to quantify or predict human behavior in various game-based scenarios, often where there is a reward or risk in taking certain actions.
game world
The location in which a game's action takes place. May refer specifically to the game's environmental components, i.e., its constituent rooms, levels, worlds, and overworld,[72] or more broadly also encompass the game's mechanics and setting.[73]
A player's interaction with a video game, defined through game rules, player-game interface, challenges, plot, and the player's connection with the game.
Losing a game on purpose, or losing a game badly. Mostly used in competitive, team-based games.[24]
gank
To use the element of surprise to flank and attack an enemy. More common in multiplayer games, where 'ganking' usually indicates an unwelcome attack on an unwilling or unsuspecting participant.[74]
gating
Part of a game's design that regulates how new gameplay elements, levels, weapons, abilities, or the like are introduced to the player.[75]
GG
Abbreviation meaning "good game". Used as parting words exchanged at the end of a competitive game or match as a gesture of good sportsmanship. "GGWP" (good game, well played) is also used. "GF", a similar term to GG is also used it means "Good Fight". Due to this abbreviation being synonymous with a game's end, it is often used by spectators to indicate a situation, action or a move where a win of a particular player is obvious (e.g. "This attack just wiped all the blue player's forces, that's a GG"). It can also be used to taunt players while a game is still in progress as an implication that their win is assured. Insulting variations, such as "GGEZ" (good game, easy) can similarly be used to imply the opposing player is unskilled.
ghost
A feature included in time attack or time trial modes in video games allowing the player to review their previous rounds. In racing games, for example, a "ghost car" may follow the last or fastest path a player took around the track. In fighting games, the ghost is an opponent that the computer AI player can train against outside of normal player versus player or story mode.[clarification needed] Ghost cars in racing games generally appear as translucent or flashing versions of the player's vehicle. Based on previously recorded lap times, they serve only to represent the fastest lap time and do not interact dynamically with other competitors. A skilled player will use the ghost to improve their time, matching the ghost's racing line as it travels the course. Many racing games, including Gran Turismo, F-Zero, and Mario Kart offer a ghost function. Some also have ghosts set by staff members and developers, often showing perfect routes and lap times.
A variation of the feature, dubbed by Firemonkeys Studios as "Time-Shifted Multiplayer", was implemented in the mobile racing game Real Racing 3.[76] It works by recording the lap times of players in each race, and uses statistics from other players to recreate their lap times for the player to beat. These ghost cars can collide with the player and other vehicles, and are fully visible to the player.
In some rhythm games, such as the Elite Beat Agents and Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2, saved replay data can be used in one of the player slots in a multiplayer game.
1. A character, character class, or character ability that is sufficiently underpowered to making using the gimp a severe handicap in the context of the game.
2. A design choice that has this effect.
3. In multiplayer games, killing a character much earlier than would be expected, such as by relentlessly pursuing them until they die in the early game.
Git gud
Slang rendering of "get good", often used to dismiss complaints about difficulty, especially within the soulslike genre, by implying the addressee has not yet learned the game's mechanics. While it can be used in a positive and encouraging manner, it has been accused of fostering elitism and hostility towards non-gamers when used to insult struggling players.[77]
GLHF
Abbreviation meaning "good luck, have fun". Used as words exchanged at the beginning of a competitive game or match as a gesture of good sportsmanship.[78]
GOAT
Also goated.
Acronym for Greatest Of All Time.
GOTY
Acronym for Game Of The Year, a game award given out annually by events and media publications to the games that they consider the best of that particular year. Game of the Year-awards are often divided in subcategories and an overall winner.
In games that generate randomized loot, the "god roll" is loot that has the subjectively best selection of possible random attributes such as perks and bonuses that could be generated for that particular piece of equipment.
The point in the software-development cycle where the software is considered final and ready to be shipped. The term traditionally related to the production of games on CD-ROM, where the final version of the game, the master copy, would be written to a gold film-based writable CD and sent to be replicated for retail.
A player in a multiplayer video game who deliberately irritates and harasses other players within the game.[23][83] Griefers typically use actions permitted in-game; griefers who do not use intended or permitted actions are usually cheating or hacking. Many online multiplayer games enforce rules that forbid griefing.
Performing a repetitive and time-consuming action in a video game before being able to advance. Prevalent in online games, where it is alternately considered an annoying waste of time or an enjoyable necessity, depending on the player's attitude. Many online games have taken steps to reduce the 'grind', including doing away with traditional 'leveling' systems or allowing the player to temporarily 'boost' themselves to match the difficulty of NPCs in a given area.
H
Hack vs Hack
Hack vs Hack (HvH) refers to using cheats to compete against other players using cheats.
In first-person view games, the up-and-down (and sometimes left-and-right) motion of the player's camera to simulate the bobbing of the player-character's head when walking or running. It is often an option that can be disabled as it may induce motion sickness in players.
headshot
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