Un objeto que le da al jugador una vida extra (o intento) en juegos donde el jugador tiene un número limitado de posibilidades de completar un juego o nivel. [2]
100%
Recopilar todos los objetos coleccionables dentro de un juego, ya sea indicados dentro del juego como un contador de porcentaje o determinados por el consenso de la comunidad de jugadores. [3]
1 contra 1
Abreviatura de 1 contra 1, que hace referencia a dos jugadores que luchan entre sí. Puede extenderse a cualquier agrupación de jugador contra jugador, como "2 contra 2" para referirse a dos equipos de dos que luchan entre sí, o "1 contra 4" para referirse a un equipo de cuatro jugadores contra uno (como se ve en el juego asimétrico ).
Técnica de representación gráfica de objetos tridimensionales situados en un plano de movimiento bidimensional. A menudo incluye juegos en los que algunos objetos todavía se representan como sprites .
Un 360 sin mira generalmente se refiere a un disparo con truco en un videojuego de disparos en primera o tercera persona en el que un jugador mata a otro con un rifle de francotirador girando primero un círculo completo y luego disparando rápidamente sin mirar a través de la mira.
Una relación de aspecto de dispositivos de visualización digitales, como televisores y monitores, que admiten resoluciones de hasta 3840 × 2160 píxeles (aproximadamente 4 kilopíxeles de ancho).
4X
Género de videojuegos estratégicos, abreviatura de "eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate". Estos juegos suelen ser complicados e implican una amplia diplomacia, árboles de tecnología y condiciones de victoria.
Una relación de aspecto de dispositivos de visualización digitales, como televisores y monitores, que admiten resoluciones de hasta 7680 × 4320 píxeles (aproximadamente 8 kilopíxeles de ancho).
Un juego de alto presupuesto con un gran equipo de desarrollo. Los juegos AAA suelen ser multiplataforma o propios, tienen presupuestos multimillonarios y se espera que vendan millones de copias. [4] [5]
Un juego que es olvidado o abandonado por sus desarrolladores por diversas razones, incluidas cuestiones de derechos de autor. [6]
as
Generalmente se utiliza en los juegos de disparos en primera persona , donde un solo jugador consigue eliminar a todo el equipo contrario por sí solo mientras sus compañeros siguen con vida. También se puede utilizar para describir situaciones en las que un jugador consigue completar una sección del juego posiblemente difícil sin problemas. Comparable a pentakill en juegos competitivos con equipos formados por 5 jugadores, como los MOBA . No debe confundirse con Team Ace. [7]
Metaobjetivos definidos fuera de los parámetros de un juego. Pueden ser logros externos como los de Xbox Live o Steam , logros internos como los de Clash of Clans o ambos.
cazador de logros
Un jugador que intenta conseguir todos los logros de un juego. Los cazadores de logros tienden a ser completistas.
acto
A veces se utiliza para referirse a niveles individuales o grupos de niveles que conforman un mundo o una historia más grande. Rara vez se refiere a un juego descargable destinado a ser parte de una serie más grande que funciona como una serie de juegos única y en cuanto a jugabilidad.
Género de juego que pone énfasis en la coordinación mano-ojo, los reflejos, el ritmo y otras habilidades físicas. Incluye juegos de lucha, disparos y plataformas.
Punto de acción(Agencia AP)
Una subunidad del turno de un jugador. Por ejemplo, un juego puede permitir que se realice una acción solo si el jugador tiene suficientes "puntos de acción" para completarla. [8] [9]
Un término usado comúnmente en videojuegos de rol, MMORPG y beat-'em-ups , refiriéndose a los "enemigos adicionales" convocados por los jefes durante los encuentros.
Un género de juego que enfatiza la exploración y la resolución de rompecabezas.
Ausente
Significa "lejos del teclado". Generalmente se dice a través de una función de chat en juegos multijugador en línea cuando un jugador desea estar temporalmente fuera de servicio. [11]
bronca
Abreviatura de "aggro" o "aggresión". "Causar aggro" o "aggroing" en un videojuego significa atraer la atención hostil de los PNJ o enemigos para que ataquen al personaje del jugador. "Manejar el aggro" implica evitar que los PNJ agresivos abrumen al jugador o al grupo. [12] El término puede usarse en broma en referencia a los espectadores irritados ("agresión de la esposa", "agresión de la madre", etc.). Véase también odio y acometida.
Un truco para juegos de disparos en primera persona que permite a los jugadores apuntar a otros jugadores de forma instantánea o casi instantánea sin tener que apuntar manualmente. En la mayoría de los casos, la retícula de puntería se fija en un objetivo dentro de la línea de visión del jugador y el jugador solo tiene que apretar el gatillo. Los aimbots son uno de los trucos más populares en los FPS multijugador , utilizados desde Quake de 1996. [13] : 119 Compárese con la función de apuntado automático.
apuntando hacia abajo(anuncios)
También apunte hacia abajo .
Se refiere al método alternativo común de disparar un arma en un juego de disparos en primera persona (FPS), que normalmente se activa con el botón derecho del ratón. El análogo en la vida real es cuando una persona levanta un rifle y coloca la culata justo dentro del área del hombro e inclina la cabeza hacia abajo para poder ver en línea recta a lo largo de la parte superior del rifle, a través de ambas miras de hierro o una mira telescópica, si está equipada. En la mayoría de los juegos, esto aumenta enormemente la precisión, pero puede limitar la visión, la conciencia situacional, la movilidad y requerir una pequeña cantidad de tiempo para cambiar la posición del arma.
Versión inicial e incompleta de un juego. Las versiones alfa suelen publicarse al principio del proceso de desarrollo para probar las funciones más importantes del juego y los conceptos de diseño del prototipo. Compárese con la versión beta.
alt
Abreviatura de "alternativo", que se centra en la jugabilidad, el progreso y el desarrollo de otros personajes (o clases) disponibles en un juego después de que uno haya completado el desarrollo de un personaje "principal" favorito. Compárese con principal.
DRM siempre activo
Un tipo de gestión de derechos digitales (DRM) que normalmente requiere una conexión a Internet mientras se juega.
Una pequeña variación de un joystick, generalmente colocado en un controlador de juego para permitir al jugador una entrada bidimensional más fluida que la que es posible con un D-pad. [14]
animático
Un guión gráfico parcialmente animado con efectos de sonido utilizados durante el desarrollo inicial del juego. [15]
prioridad de animación
Un tipo de mecánica de juego en la que las animaciones del personaje jugable tienen prioridad sobre la entrada del jugador; en otras palabras, si el jugador comienza una acción con una animación larga, la animación debe reproducirse primero antes de que el jugador pueda ingresar un nuevo comando, y el intento de ingresar un nuevo comando no tendrá ningún efecto. Juegos como las series Dark Souls y Monster Hunter se basan en una jugabilidad que utiliza la prioridad de la animación. [16]
Anti-objetivo
Un tipo de trampa que se encuentra comúnmente en los juegos de disparos en primera persona y que hace que sea difícil o imposible golpear las zonas de impacto del usuario. Esto se puede lograr de muchas maneras, pero las más comunes son mover rápidamente las zonas de impacto del usuario, voltearlas (generalmente hacia atrás o hacia los lados) y enviar paquetes falsos al servidor.
anti-juego de rol
Un videojuego de rol que subvierte los elementos típicos de dichos juegos. [17] El término fue acuñado por el videojuego Moon: Remix RPG Adventure . [18]
Un tipo de carrera de velocidad en la que el objetivo del jugador es alcanzar la meta final del juego lo más rápido posible sin tener en cuenta los pasos intermedios normales. Compárese con 100 %.
Videojuego que funciona con monedas ("coin-op") y que suele estar en un mueble vertical, de mesa ( de cócteles o de golosinas ) o en un mueble semicerrado para sentarse. Las máquinas recreativas, que fueron populares principalmente entre finales de los años 1970 y 1990 en Occidente y siguen siendo populares en Oriente hasta el día de hoy, siguen fabricándose y vendiéndose en todo el mundo.
área
Ver nivel.
Área de efecto (AoE)
Captura de pantalla de FreedroidRPG que muestra un "área de efecto" o AoE
El área de efecto también puede referirse a hechizos y habilidades que no son dañinos. Por ejemplo, un poderoso hechizo de sanación puede afectar a cualquiera dentro de un cierto rango del lanzador (a menudo solo si es miembro del grupo del lanzador). Algunos juegos también tienen lo que se conoce como habilidades de "aura" que afectarán a cualquiera en el área alrededor de la persona con la habilidad. Por ejemplo, muchos juegos de estrategia tienen unidades de héroes u oficiales que pueden mejorar la moral y el rendimiento de combate de las unidades amigas a su alrededor. La inclusión de elementos de área de efecto en la mecánica del juego puede aumentar el papel de la estrategia, especialmente en juegos por turnos. El jugador tiene que colocar las unidades sabiamente para mitigar los efectos posiblemente devastadores de un ataque de área de efecto hostil; sin embargo, colocar unidades en una formación densa podría resultar en ganancias que superen el aumento del daño de área de efecto recibido.
El área de efecto a quemarropa (PBAoE) es un término menos utilizado para cuando la región afectada está centrada en el personaje que realiza la habilidad, en lugar de en una ubicación elegida por el jugador.
Juego de rol de acción
Ver juego de rol de acción.
modo arena
Un modo de juego secundario, que se encuentra principalmente en algunos juegos de acción y aventuras, en el que un personaje controlado por el jugador se coloca en un área cerrada y se lo desafía a derrotar enemigos usando habilidades de combate.
Arena FPS
Shooters de arena que utilizan la perspectiva en primera persona.
tirador de arena
Juegos de disparos que normalmente se basan en una jugabilidad de ritmo rápido y en un mapa o espacio de nivel limitado.
Algoritmos utilizados para generar un comportamiento de juego responsivo, adaptativo o inteligente, principalmente en personajes no jugadores. Se diferencian del concepto de "inteligencia artificial" de la ciencia informática.
modo asalto
Un modo de juego en el que un equipo intenta atacar (o capturar) áreas específicas y el otro equipo intenta defender esos puntos.
La práctica de crear un juego utilizando recursos de audio y arte "gratuitos", ya sea de un mercado en línea o del stock de recursos predeterminado incluido en muchos motores de juegos . Las reventas de activos suelen ser de muy mala calidad y están diseñadas para aprovechar un tema popular en ese momento para obtener una ganancia rápida. Imita la práctica de reventa de activos en los mercados inmobiliarios.
Juego asimétrico
Juegos multijugador cooperativos o competitivos en los que cada jugador tendrá una experiencia diferente que surge de las diferencias en la jugabilidad, los controles o las opciones de personajes del juego que son parte del juego. Esto contrasta con la jugabilidad simétrica donde cada jugador tendrá la misma experiencia, como en el juego Pong . La jugabilidad asimétrica a menudo surge en juegos competitivos donde el personaje de un jugador es muy poderoso pero superado en número por otros jugadores que compiten contra él, como en Pac-Man Vs. La jugabilidad asimétrica también puede surgir en arenas de batalla en línea multijugador (MOBA) y juegos de disparos de héroes , donde cada jugador selecciona un héroe o clase de personaje diferente con diferentes habilidades de juego de los demás. [19]
Juego asincrónico
Juegos multijugador competitivos en los que no es necesario que los jugadores participen al mismo tiempo. Estos juegos suelen ser por turnos, en los que cada jugador planifica una estrategia para el siguiente turno y, una vez que cada jugador ha enviado sus estrategias, el juego resuelve todas las acciones de ese turno.
modo de atracción
El modo de atracción del juego arcade San Francisco Rush: The Rock muestra una de las pistas de carreras disponibles para jugar en el juego.
También modo de visualización y modo de exhibición .
Una demostración pregrabada de un videojuego que se muestra cuando no se está jugando el juego. [20]
Originalmente integrado en los juegos arcade, el objetivo principal del modo de atracción es atraer a los transeúntes para que jueguen el juego. [20] Por lo general, muestra la pantalla de título del juego , la historia del juego (si tiene una), su lista de puntajes más altos , sorteos (en algunos juegos) y el mensaje " Game Over " o "Insert Coin" sobre o además de una demostración de juego controlada por computadora. En las computadoras Atari de 8 bits de finales de la década de 1970 y 1980, el término modo de atracción a veces se usaba para denotar un simple protector de pantalla que ciclaba lentamente los colores de la pantalla para evitar que se quemara el fósforo cuando no se recibía ninguna entrada durante varios minutos. [21] Los modos de atracción que demuestran el juego son comunes en los videojuegos domésticos actuales.
El modo de atracción no solo se encuentra en los videojuegos arcade, sino también en la mayoría de los juegos que funcionan con monedas, como las máquinas de pinball , las máquinas apiladoras y otros juegos. Las máquinas arcade de cócteles en las que la pantalla cambia su orientación para el turno de cada jugador en juegos de dos jugadores tradicionalmente tienen la pantalla orientada a favor del jugador 1 para el modo de atracción.
Un AUG es un apodo abreviado para un rifle de ráfaga de mira larga, especialmente en Fortnite y otros juegos de disparos. Un AUG es un arma real y la verdadera inspiración para los rifles de ráfaga del juego.
Complementar un entorno del mundo real con información perceptual generada por computadora que coincida con el mundo real, lo que puede complementar o enmascarar el entorno físico. La realidad aumentada altera la percepción de un entorno físico, mientras que la realidad virtual reemplaza el entorno físico por uno simulado.
También conocido como "ajedrez automático", un subgénero de juegos de estrategia que presenta elementos similares al ajedrez , donde los jugadores colocan personajes en un campo de batalla en forma de cuadrícula durante una fase de preparación, que luego luchan contra los personajes del equipo contrario sin ninguna otra intervención directa del jugador. Fue creado y popularizado por Dota Auto Chess a principios de 2019.
objetivo automático
También asistencia para apuntar .
Una mecánica de juego incorporada en algunos juegos para disminuir el nivel de dificultad al fijar el objetivo en un objetivo o cerca de él para apuntar más rápido. Los juegos utilizan configuraciones de puntería "duras" o "suaves" para fijar el objetivo directamente en un enemigo o ayudar al jugador a apuntar hacia el enemigo, al tiempo que le dan cierta libertad de precisión. No debe confundirse con aimbot.
ejecución automática
Un sistema de los videojuegos que hace que el personaje del jugador avance sin necesidad de intervención del usuario. El sistema se utiliza principalmente en juegos de plataformas, además de ser una función que se puede activar y desactivar en algunos juegos de mundo abierto y MMO en los que los usuarios pueden necesitar viajar largas distancias sin la ayuda de sistemas de viaje rápido.
Función de guardado de muchos videojuegos que guarda el progreso actual sin intervención del jugador, generalmente después de completar una misión, un nivel o ganar una partida. Estos puntos se denominan puntos de guardado.
Uso repetido del botón de salto mientras se está en movimiento, lo que aumenta el impulso del personaje en algunos juegos. Originalmente era un error en los juegos basados en Quake 1, pero una gran parte de los juegos lo han implementado como una característica y los jugadores han empezado a hacerlo.
relleno
También relleno .
Un sistema de muchos juegos multijugador competitivos en equipo que busca automáticamente un nuevo jugador en función de su nivel de habilidad en un juego ya existente en caso de que un jugador lo abandone. Por lo general, solo se ve en modos casuales para mantener la integridad competitiva en juegos clasificados.
Aspectos de un juego multijugador que lo hacen justo para todos los jugadores. Esto generalmente se refiere al equilibrio entre los personajes (o cualquier otra elección hecha antes de la batalla) y las opciones (que ocurren en la batalla). El equilibrio entre las elecciones hechas antes de la batalla generalmente significa que es probable que ningún personaje domine a otro oponente, mientras que el equilibrio entre las opciones generalmente se refiere a que cada opción tenga un contraataque viable, lo que evita que el juego degenere al uso de una única opción con pequeñas variaciones. La cuestión del equilibrio en el juego es un tema muy debatido entre la mayoría de las comunidades de jugadores de juegos.
En los juegos en línea, el acto de expulsar a un jugador del servidor y luego emplear medios para evitar que regrese. Esto se logra generalmente mediante una lista negra. En algunos juegos, se realiza en "olas de prohibición" contra los tramposos para ocultar cómo se los reconoció como tramposos en el juego.
Lo que los jugadores suelen llamar la mecánica gacha en un juego. Según el juego, puede permanecer indefinidamente o tener un límite de tiempo. Este último tipo suele aumentar la probabilidad de obtener personajes o elementos específicos. [22]
Un tipo de monetización dentro del juego que proporciona contenido adicional para un juego a través de un sistema escalonado, recompensando al jugador con elementos del juego al jugar y completar desafíos específicos.
Género de videojuego que combina elementos de los juegos de supervivencia con una mecánica de juego en la que el jugador es el último en sobrevivir. Los jugadores buscan equipamiento mientras eliminan a sus contrincantes en una zona segura que se va reduciendo. Normalmente hay muchos más jugadores involucrados que en otros tipos de juegos multijugador.
mejor en su categoría
Cualquier objeto o habilidad que pueda considerarse la mejor opción posible en un espacio determinado. Esto puede variar entre jugadores y estilos de juego, pero, por lo general, es probable que cualquier estilo de juego específico tenga un solo objeto o un pequeño conjunto de objetos considerados los mejores. Esto puede deberse a efectos favorables, buenos enfrentamientos contra la mayoría de los oponentes o estadísticas altas. Normalmente se abrevia como BiS.
Lanzamiento anticipado de un videojuego, después de su lanzamiento en fase alfa, en el que el desarrollador del juego busca la opinión de los jugadores y los evaluadores para eliminar errores antes del lanzamiento comercial del producto. Los juegos suelen estar casi terminados en la fase beta. [23] Véase también beta cerrada y beta abierta.
lista negra
En los juegos en línea, una lista de información de jugadores (como el ID del jugador o la dirección IP) que el servidor verifica al admitir a un jugador. De manera predeterminada, se permite la entrada a los jugadores, pero si coinciden con la información de la lista negra, se les prohíbe la entrada. Lo opuesto es una lista blanca, donde el servidor prohíbe a los jugadores de manera predeterminada, pero permite a los jugadores que coinciden con la lista blanca. Las listas negras y blancas se pueden usar en conjunto, bloqueando incluso a los jugadores incluidos en la lista blanca si intentan iniciar sesión a través de una dirección IP incluida en la lista negra, por ejemplo.
BM
"Malos modales": conducta que no se considera "hacer trampa", pero que puede ser vista como antideportiva o irrespetuosa. [24] Algunos juegos pueden optar por castigar a los jugadores que se portan mal mediante sanciones, impidiéndoles temporalmente volver a jugar o desterrándolos a un entorno de juego poblado únicamente por otros jugadores que se portan mal. Lo que constituye malos modales es subjetivo y puede ser difícil llegar a un consenso al respecto.
Una selección aleatoria de cartas en juegos de cartas coleccionables digitales que los jugadores pueden comprar o ganar para añadir a su mazo. Véase también caja de botín.
Impulsando
En los juegos multijugador en línea que incluyen juego competitivo clasificado, el impulso es cuando un jugador con un nivel de rango bajo hace que un jugador más hábil use su cuenta para mejorar el personaje de rango bajo a niveles más altos u otras mejoras y beneficios para su cuenta. [25] [26]
Un nivel especial en el que el jugador tiene la oportunidad de ganar puntos extra o mejoras, a menudo en forma de minijuego. Compárese con el nivel secreto.
ventana de pantalla completa sin bordes
Una opción que aparece en muchos juegos de PC modernos y que se puede modificar para incluir otros en los que el juego aparece en pantalla completa pero en realidad se ejecuta en una ventana maximizada. Dado que el juego no toma el control total del dispositivo de salida, ofrece ventajas como un cambio de tareas sin problemas y una sincronización vertical automática .
jefe
Un personaje no jugador oponente en un videojuego que normalmente es mucho más difícil de derrotar en comparación con los enemigos normales, a menudo al final de un nivel o un juego.
bot
Abreviatura de robot. Un personaje no jugable que está controlado por una inteligencia artificial (IA). El jugador puede competir contra un robot o trabajar con él para completar objetivos. También es un término despectivo que implica que un jugador es menos efectivo que un personaje computarizado.
pozo sin fondo
Un peligro común en los juegos de plataformas y acción, que consiste en un agujero o vacío profundo sin fondo visible, que presumiblemente conduce a una caída fatal. El personaje del jugador que cae en este vacío generalmente resulta en una muerte instantánea (y la pérdida de una vida) para el jugador, independientemente de cuánta salud tenga el personaje; aunque algunos juegos pueden, en cambio, quitarle un porcentaje de la salud al personaje antes de que reaparezca cerca. Los pozos sin fondo también pueden servir como obstáculos que se pueden superar usando habilidades o encontrando rutas alternativas.
1. Un efecto que se aplica a un personaje de un videojuego y que aumenta de forma beneficiosa una o más de sus estadísticas o características durante un período temporal. Compárese con desventaja.
2. Un cambio destinado a fortalecer un objeto, una táctica, una habilidad o un personaje en particular, aparentemente con fines de equilibrio. Compárese con nerf.
Construcción artesanal
La capacidad de los juegos de definir las habilidades de los personajes jugadores mediante la selección de equipo, equipamiento y accesorios adecuados para optimizar y maximizar el rendimiento del personaje en el juego. Los resultados finales, conocidos como creaciones, se comparten con frecuencia con otros jugadores a través de diversos medios.
Un tipo de juego de disparos en el que el jugador generalmente debe esquivar una cantidad abrumadoramente grande de enemigos y sus proyectiles.
esponja de bala
Cualquier enemigo que parezca requerir más potencia de fuego de la que se consideraría realista o razonable para derrotarlo. Esto es una alusión a cómo el enemigo puede absorber balas de manera muy similar a como una esponja absorbe líquidos. Por ejemplo, un soldado enemigo en un juego de disparos en primera persona que requiere varios cargadores llenos de munición para derrotarlo, en comparación con otros tipos de soldados que son derrotados en un puñado de disparos, sería una esponja de balas.
1. Pulsar varias combinaciones de botones en rápida sucesión para realizar o intentar realizar movimientos especiales, normalmente sin ningún orden ni motivo. Esta técnica se encuentra con mayor frecuencia en los juegos de lucha , especialmente entre los jugadores más débiles. [28]
2. La pulsación rápida de un solo botón para realizar una tarea, especialmente en minijuegos. A veces, esto requiere la pulsación rápida de dos botones simultáneamente o la pulsación rápida de cualquier botón.
incumplimiento
nombre común para el valor que determina cuánto aturdimiento produce un arma.
do
modo campaña
También modo historia y campaña .
Una serie de niveles de juego destinados a contar una historia lineal; algunas campañas presentan múltiples "caminos", y las acciones del jugador deciden qué camino seguirá la historia y afectan qué opciones están disponibles para el jugador en un momento posterior.
1. Cuando un jugador se queda en un lugar (normalmente una zona fortificada y muy transitada) durante un periodo de tiempo prolongado y espera para emboscar a otros jugadores. Muchos jugadores consideran que acampar es una forma de hacer trampa o, en el mejor de los casos, de hacer duelo. [29] Es más común en los juegos de disparos en primera persona, [30] pero también es frecuente en los juegos de lucha con personajes que lanzan muchos proyectiles.
2. El acto de esperar cerca de un monstruo poco común o del punto de aparición de un jugador , generalmente en los MMO. Esto puede conocerse como acampar en el punto de aparición o atrapar al jugador en el punto de aparición.
Un modo de juego común en los videojuegos multijugador, donde el objetivo es capturar y recuperar una bandera del territorio del lado opuesto mientras se defiende la bandera en el propio territorio.
llevar
En los videojuegos por equipos, cuando un jugador contribuye desproporcionadamente al éxito de su equipo. Por ejemplo, si el único jugador restante del Equipo A derrota al resto del Equipo B, salvando así al Equipo A de una derrota por poco, se consideraría que lleva una carta, al igual que si un jugador del Equipo A tiene la mayor cantidad de muertes entre el resto de su equipo. El término suele interpretarse, aunque no siempre, como una calumnia indirecta hacia el resto del equipo, aunque también puede usarse de forma general. Llevar una carta también puede ser un método que utilizan los jugadores experimentados para ganar rondas cuando el resto de su equipo tiene menos experiencia o es menos eficiente a la hora de completar tareas; esto puede implicar enfrentarse a combatientes enemigos en solitario o utilizar a compañeros de equipo como distracción mientras se completan los objetivos de la ronda.
Inclinación del cartucho
Inducir deliberadamente fallos y otros comportamientos extraños en juegos basados en cartuchos inclinando ligeramente el cartucho en su ranura en la consola, lo suficiente para que la conexión se altere pero no se corte por completo. La inclinación del cartucho crea efectos similares a los del uso de un corruptor y puede incluir fallos como modelos de personajes distorsionados, ruidos extremadamente fuertes y, en casos particularmente graves, tanto el juego como la consola pueden bloquearse.
Jugar videojuegos de forma espontánea y poco frecuente sin un compromiso a largo plazo. Los videojuegos casuales se distinguen por una curva de aprendizaje baja y un acceso fácil, a menudo basados en la web para teléfonos móviles o computadoras personales. La mayoría de los juegos casuales tienen controles simplificados, con uno o dos botones que dominan el juego. Los juegos casuales normalmente se pueden jugar en pequeños períodos de tiempo y es posible que no tengan una función de guardado. [31]
modo desafío
Un modo de juego que se ofrece más allá del modo de juego normal y que obliga a los jugadores a repetir partes del juego o niveles especiales en condiciones específicas que normalmente no están presentes o no son necesarias en el juego principal, como terminar un nivel en un tiempo específico o usar solo un tipo de arma. Si un juego no cuenta con un "modo desafío", los jugadores suelen crear desafíos autoimpuestos al prohibir o restringir el uso de ciertas mecánicas de juego.
Un trabajo o profesión que viene con un conjunto de habilidades, así como atributos positivos y negativos. [32] Más común en los juegos de rol, la clase de un personaje ayuda a definir su estilo de juego, así como el papel que desempeña el personaje en un juego basado en equipos. A menudo, a medida que los jugadores ganan experiencia con una clase, aprenden nuevas habilidades relacionadas con su profesión elegida y algunos juegos permiten a los jugadores cambiar la clase de su personaje o volverse competentes en múltiples clases. Algunos ejemplos de clases de personajes arquetípicos incluyen guerrero (fuerza y defensa), ladrón (velocidad y sigilo), mago (magia e inteligencia) y sacerdote o sanador (cura y potencia a los aliados). [33] [34] Un ejemplo popular de un sistema de cambio de clase es el Sistema de trabajo en la serie Final Fantasy .
Un método dentro del juego para personalizar un personaje según la apariencia y las habilidades preferidas del jugador antes de comenzar el juego, más comúnmente utilizado en juegos de rol.
Pantalla de selección de personaje
También selección de personaje .
Un concepto en juegos con múltiples personajes, una pantalla con nombres y/o imágenes de todos los personajes jugables (y secretos) con la posibilidad de listados de estadísticas.
disparo de carga
Un disparo que se puede cargar para realizar un ataque más fuerte, pero que requiere más tiempo. Generalmente se realiza manteniendo presionado el botón de disparo.
Código de juego que permite al jugador superar el juego o adquirir beneficios sin ganarlos. Los diseñadores utilizan trucos para probar el juego durante el desarrollo y, a menudo, se dejan en la versión de lanzamiento. [15] Véase modo dios, aimbot, trucos de ESP, modo noclip, wallhack y Código Konami.
Jugar el juego injustamente; dar una ventaja injusta a través de medios ilegítimos.
control
Un área en un nivel desde la que el jugador comenzará el nivel la próxima vez que muera, en lugar de tener que comenzar el nivel nuevamente. Los puntos de control generalmente permanecen en su lugar hasta que el jugador completa el nivel o obtiene un Game Over.
queso (o quesear)
Cheese(ing) se refiere a una táctica en un videojuego que puede considerarse barata, injusta o demasiado fácil, que no requiere habilidad por parte de otros jugadores para completar una tarea difícil. Lo que puede considerarse cheese depende del tipo de juego. Su origen se remonta a los jugadores de Street Fighter II que usaban con frecuencia el mismo movimiento combinado una y otra vez para derrotar a su oponente. En juegos multijugador como MOBA o hero shooters , ciertas composiciones de equipo de héroes se consideran composiciones cheese por la facilidad con la que pueden derrotar a la mayoría de las otras composiciones de equipo. En otros juegos, cheese puede referirse a explotar fallas y otros errores para hacer que las secciones de juego difíciles sean fáciles. [35]
Música compuesta para el hardware de audio basado en microchip de las primeras computadoras domésticas y consolas de juegos. Debido a las limitaciones técnicas del hardware de los videojuegos anteriores, el chiptune llegó a definir un estilo propio, conocido por sus "melodías altísimas similares a flautas, bajos vibrantes de onda cuadrada, arpegios rápidos y percusión ruidosa". [36]
ahogo
1. Cuando un jugador o equipo que está ganando o se espera que gane un partido tiene un rendimiento inesperadamente bajo. [24]
2. Una característica de un mapa jugable que canaliza a los jugadores y puede restringir mecánicas como el movimiento (punto de estrangulamiento).
Un método avanzado de movimiento en muchos juegos de disparos en primera persona (FPS) en el que el usuario utiliza tanto joysticks (consola) como controles de teclado y ratón (PC) para mantener un movimiento circular constante alrededor de un enemigo, mientras mantiene una puntería relativamente estable en ese objetivo. Esta práctica minimiza el fuego entrante de los compañeros de equipo del objetivo, ya que cualquier falla puede alcanzar y dañar a su compañero de equipo.
aplaudió
Cuando aplaudes a un jugador, le causas suficiente daño para eliminarlo sin que te golpee ni te dispare ni una sola vez.
clase
Ver clase de personaje.
identidad de clase
La percepción de la distinción de una clase de personaje con respecto a otras. Por ejemplo, la identidad de clase de un "paladín" incluiría capacidades defensivas y de combate cuerpo a cuerpo, en comparación con una clase de combate a distancia como un "arquero".
Un tipo de juego en el que hacer clic (o tocar) repetidamente la pantalla es la única mecánica de juego. Véase también juego inactivo.
recorte
1. Programación utilizada para garantizar que el jugador permanezca dentro de los límites físicos del mundo del juego. [13] : 119 Véase también noclip, un truco donde el recorte está deshabilitado.
2. Proceso de gráficos en 3D que determina si un objeto es visible y "recorta" las partes ocultas antes de dibujarlo. Véase también recorte (gráficos por computadora) .
reloj/cronometrado
Para lograr una puntuación tan alta, el contador de puntuación del juego se reinicia a 0, algo que se suele usar en los juegos arcade más antiguos. Hoy en día, se usa más comúnmente para expresar el 100 % (absoluto) de finalización de un juego. Véase también "tirar la puntuación".
clon
Un juego que tiene un diseño similar a otro juego de su género (por ejemplo, un clon de Doom o de Grand Theft Auto ). A veces se usa de manera despectiva para referirse a una copia inferior de un título más exitoso.
Un servidor de juegos en la nube ejecuta el juego, recibe acciones de entrada del controlador y transmite audio y video al cliente ligero del jugador.
guardar en la nube
La partida guardada del jugador se almacena en un servidor remoto. Esto puede proporcionar una copia de seguridad o permitir el acceso desde un sistema de juego diferente. Véase también cross-save.
embrague
También agarrando el juego y entrando en momentos decisivos .
Ser capaz de desempeñarse excepcionalmente bien en una situación de alto riesgo, o hacer que ciertos eventos ocurran en el momento adecuado en un momento muy importante o crítico, en particular de una manera que cambie el resultado del juego; anotar una victoria para su equipo cuando estaba al borde de la derrota. [37]
CMS
Véase también simulación de construcción y gestión.
Una serie de ataques encadenados en rápida sucesión, normalmente mientras un oponente está en su animación de "recibir un golpe" del ataque anterior y no puede hacer nada para defenderse. Los combos son un elemento básico de los juegos de lucha , introducidos en beat-'em-ups como Renegade y Double Dragon , y se vuelven más dinámicos en Final Fight y Street Fighter II . [38]
juegos competitivos
Ver deportes electronicos.
completista
Un tipo particular de jugador de videojuegos que se centra en completar el 100 % de los juegos que juega.
Un ciclo de elementos de juego diseñado para mantener al jugador interesado en el juego, generalmente a través de un sistema de retroalimentación que incluye recompensas dentro del juego que abren más oportunidades de juego.
Unidad de hardware de videojuegos que normalmente se conecta a una pantalla de video y a los controladores, junto con otro hardware. A diferencia de las computadoras personales, una consola normalmente tiene una configuración de hardware fija definida por su fabricante y no se puede personalizar. A veces incluye consolas portátiles, para diferenciarlas de las computadoras, las máquinas recreativas y los teléfonos celulares.
Generaciones de consolas
Conjunto de consolas de videojuegos que compiten directamente por la cuota de mercado en una época determinada. El conjunto, como generación, queda obsoleto con la introducción de la "próxima generación" o "next gen". [39] [40]
guerras de consolas
Se refiere a la competencia por el dominio del mercado de las consolas de videojuegos y, en específico, a la rivalidad entre Sega y Nintendo durante la mayor parte de los años 1980 y 1990. La analogía también se extiende a la competencia en generaciones de consolas posteriores, particularmente las marcas PlayStation y Xbox . [41]
Género de videojuegos que implica la planificación y gestión de una población de ciudadanos en pueblos, ciudades u otros centros de población. En estos juegos, el jugador rara vez tiene control directo de los ciudadanos controlados por la computadora y solo puede influir en ellos mediante la planificación.
Clasificación de los videojuegos según factores relacionados con su idoneidad, como el contenido violento o sexual que contienen. Algunos países utilizan modelos de autorregulación de la industria para lograrlo, mientras que otros cuentan con juntas de clasificación gubernamentales. Ciertas clasificaciones de contenido dan lugar a que se prohíba legal o de facto la venta de productos, como la clasificación AO (solo para adultos) en los Estados Unidos. Si bien son legales, los minoristas no venden estos títulos y los principales fabricantes de consolas, como Sony y Microsoft, no los certifican para su lanzamiento.
continuar
A7Xpg le da al jugador la oportunidad de seguir jugando después de perder su última vida.
Término común en los videojuegos para referirse a la opción de continuar el juego después de que se hayan perdido todas las vidas del jugador, en lugar de terminar el juego y reiniciarlo desde el principio. Puede haber o no una penalización por hacer esto, como perder una cierta cantidad de puntos o no poder acceder a las etapas de bonificación.
En los juegos arcade, cuando un jugador pierde o falla en un objetivo, generalmente se le mostrará una pantalla de "cuenta regresiva para continuar", en la que el jugador tiene una cantidad limitada de tiempo (generalmente 10, 15 o 20 segundos) para insertar monedas adicionales para continuar el juego desde el punto donde terminó; si decide no continuar, se mostrará una pantalla de fin de juego. [42]
La función de continuar se agregó a los juegos de arcade a mediados de la década de 1980 debido a que los propietarios de arcade querían ganar más dinero de los jugadores que jugaban durante períodos de tiempo más largos. [42] El primer juego de arcade en tener una función de continuar fue Fantasy , [42] y el primer cartucho de consola doméstica en tener esta función fue la versión Atari 2600 de Vanguard . [43] : 26 Como resultado de la función de continuar, los juegos comenzaron a tener historias y finales definidos; sin embargo, esos juegos fueron diseñados para que fuera casi imposible llegar al final del juego sin continuar. [42] Salen y Zimmerman argumentan que la función de continuar en juegos como Gauntlet era una salida para el consumo conspicuo . [44]
En tiempos más modernos, los continues también se han utilizado en varios juegos gratuitos , especialmente juegos para dispositivos móviles , donde se ofrece al jugador la oportunidad de pagar una cierta cantidad de moneda premium para continuar después de fallar o perder. Un ejemplo es Temple Run 2 , donde el precio de un continues se duplica después de cada falla, con una compra en la aplicación sobre la marcha de la moneda premium del juego si es necesario.
panel de control
Ver D-pad.
punto de control (CP)
Un modo de juego en el que el equipo debe capturar cada "punto de captura" requerido para ganar la ronda o el nivel.
Un medio para controlar la consola o la computadora en la que se juega el juego. Los controladores de juegos especializados incluyen el joystick, la pistola de luz, la paleta y la bola de seguimiento.
El tiempo mínimo que el jugador debe esperar después de usar una habilidad antes de poder usarla nuevamente. Esto se hace comúnmente para equilibrar el juego, de modo que las habilidades menos poderosas sigan siendo relevantes. [45]
Juego multijugador en el que los jugadores trabajan juntos en el mismo equipo contra oponentes o desafíos controlados por computadora. [15]
corruptor
Programa informático utilizado como emulador o en combinación con él para corromper determinados datos de una ROM o ISO en una cantidad deseada por el usuario, lo que provoca diversos efectos, tanto visuales como audibles, en un videojuego y sus datos, normalmente como una diversión humorística o con el fin de buscar y documentar ejemplos interesantes, en adelante denominados corrupciones. Los efectos de una corrupción pueden incluir: píxeles desplazados o mal dirigidos en un mapa de sprites; niveles interminables; cambios extraños o inesperados en la paleta de colores de los personajes y niveles; artefactos; sprites, polígonos, texturas o modelos de personajes distorsionados o totalmente incorrectos; animaciones espasmódicas y extravagantes; árboles de texto o diálogo incorrectos; gráficos o luces parpadeantes; audio incorrecto o distorsionado; paredes invisibles incómodas; falta de detección de colisiones; y otros fallos forzados. Las corrupciones a menudo hacen que el juego se vuelva imposible de ganar, y también pueden provocar fallos inusuales y bloqueos suaves. Véase también corruptor en tiempo real y piratería de ROM .
Mecánica de juego que permite al jugador utilizar paredes u otras características del entorno del juego para cubrirse de ataques a distancia, como disparos en los juegos de disparos en primera persona. Muchos sistemas de cobertura también permiten al personaje utilizar ataques a distancia a cambio mientras está cubierto, aunque con una penalización de precisión. [46]
tiempo de coyotes
Mecánica de juego que otorga a los jugadores la capacidad de saltar durante un breve período de tiempo (normalmente unos pocos fotogramas o fracciones de segundo) después de dejar tierra firme. Utilizada predominantemente en juegos de plataformas, la mecánica está diseñada para dar a los jugadores la impresión de haber saltado en el último momento posible y como un método para perdonar a los jugadores que de otro modo se habrían perdido el salto. La mecánica deriva su nombre del personaje de Looney Tunes, Wile E. Coyote, que, al dejar tierra firme (por ejemplo, al correr por un acantilado), se queda brevemente suspendido en el aire antes de caer en picado al suelo. [47] [48]
3. Un personaje no jugador controlado por el software del juego mediante inteligencia artificial, que generalmente actúa como oponente del jugador o los jugadores.
CPU contra CPU
Ver juego de cero jugadores.
agrietado
1. Software al que se le han quitado las protecciones antipiratería antes de distribuirlo ilegalmente. Véase: Cracking de software
2. Ser extremadamente bueno en algo.
Elaboración
Mecánica de juego que permite al personaje del jugador construir elementos del juego, como armaduras, armas o medicinas a partir de combinaciones de otros elementos. La mayoría de los MMOG cuentan con un sistema de creación.
Comúnmente usado en Fortnite , cranking 90s se refiere a una forma de construir en el juego. "90s" se refiere al giro de 90 grados que uno debe hacer cuando hace un 90, [49] y "cranking" se refiere a cómo uno debe realizar esto repetidamente. "Cranking" 90s generalmente da como resultado la creación de una torre.
alimentación a crédito
Completar un juego arcade utilizando tantos continues como sea posible. Es algo habitual en los juegos de acción o de disparos en los que el jugador revive en el momento exacto en el que su personaje murió durante su crédito anterior. Algunas conversiones caseras (como las versiones AES de los juegos de Neo Geo ) tienden a limitar la cantidad de créditos que cada jugador puede utilizar en una partida como una forma de preservar el desafío, mientras que otras conversiones (como los ports de la serie Namco Museum ) no imponen tales límites para reproducir la versión original lo más fielmente posible. Compárese con 1CC.
Un tipo de golpe que causa más daño de lo habitual. Normalmente, ocurre con poca frecuencia y puede indicar un ataque especial o un golpe en el punto débil del objetivo.
compra cruzada
Propiedad de un juego en múltiples plataformas otorgada a través de una única compra.
Se pueden jugar juntas versiones multiplataforma de los mismos juegos en línea.
progresión cruzada
Similar al guardado cruzado, cuando los juegos multiplataforma pueden compartir los detalles de la cuenta actual del jugador, incluidos los artículos ganados y comprados, a través de un servidor.
guardado cruzado
Los juegos multiplataforma pueden compartir el estado actual del jugador a través de un servidor.
Una técnica utilizada principalmente en juegos multijugador masivos en línea para limitar o controlar cuántos enemigos son hostiles a los jugadores para que puedan ser eliminados más fácilmente. [50] Véase también aggro .
Juego de rol de computadora
Abreviatura de juego de rol por ordenador. Tiene la connotación de referirse a juegos “clásicos”. [51]
Una práctica laboral controvertida pero común en la industria de los videojuegos es que los desarrolladores de juegos tienen que trabajar horas extras obligatorias , a menudo sin compensación, para cumplir con los plazos. [52]
Concurso de Confrontación
Ver capturar la bandera.
cortar en
Una fase dentro del súper movimiento de un personaje en la que el juego pausa brevemente el ataque del personaje y muestra su rostro (o cuerpo completo) antes de proceder a completar el ataque. En los juegos de lucha, este movimiento se puede bloquear.
Segmento de juego que existe únicamente para brindar detalles y exposición de la historia. Se utilizan ampliamente en juegos de rol y multijugador masivos en línea para hacer avanzar la trama. Es más probable que las escenas cinemáticas sean generadas por el motor del juego, mientras que las cinemáticas están pregrabadas. [15]
Un botón basculante de 4 direcciones que permite al jugador dirigir la acción del juego en ocho direcciones diferentes: arriba, abajo, izquierda, derecha y sus diagonales. Inventado por Gunpei Yokoi para la serie de consolas portátiles Game & Watch , Nintendo utilizó el "pad direccional" (o "tecla cruzada" en Japón) para su controlador de Nintendo Entertainment System y se ha utilizado en casi todos los controladores de consola desde entonces. [14]
daño a lo largo del tiempo (DoT)
Un efecto, como veneno o incendiarse, que reduce la salud de un jugador con el paso del tiempo o de los turnos.
daño por minuto(Director General)
Se utiliza como métrica en algunos juegos para permitir al jugador determinar su poder ofensivo.
daño por segundo(Dirección de Policía)
1. Se utiliza como métrica en algunos juegos para permitir al jugador determinar su poder ofensivo, particularmente en juegos donde los ataques del jugador se realizan automáticamente cuando un objetivo está dentro del alcance.
2. Un arquetipo de personaje en los juegos de rol y en los MMO, específicamente un personaje o clase que está diseñado exclusivamente para causar el mayor daño posible a los enemigos, a diferencia de un tanque o un sanador, que tienen otras funciones principales. Los personajes o clases específicos pueden considerarse "subtipos" de DPS, como un "DPS mágico" en lugar de un "DPS cuerpo a cuerpo".
Día uno
También el día cero .
El día del lanzamiento de un videojuego, que suele ir acompañado de un "parche del día uno" para reparar los problemas que no se pudieron solucionar a tiempo para la distribución del juego, o "DLC del día uno", en el que el desarrollador ofrece contenido por un precio. El "DLC del día uno" suele estar asociado con el DLC en disco, en el que el contenido ya forma parte de los datos del juego, pero el jugador debe pagar para acceder a él.
día cero
También el primer día .
Antes El día del lanzamiento de un videojuego; a menudo acompañado de un 'dlc de día cero' para permitir un tiempo de juego anticipado que los usuarios pagaron por el juego antes del lanzamiento, o tal vez cosméticos adicionales. o el comprador obtiene cosas como el 'DLC del día uno' el día del lanzamiento, o alguna moneda del juego, donde el desarrollador ofrece contenido incluido para comprar el juego "antes del lanzamiento". El 'DLC del día uno' a menudo se asocia con el DLC en disco, donde el contenido ya es parte de los datos del juego, pero el jugador debe pagar para acceder a él.
zona muerta
1. Región de la pantalla de los videojuegos en la que la cámara se controla mediante la vista libre, donde se puede posicionar el cursor del mouse para bloquear la cámara en su lugar. Se puede ajustar en algunos juegos. [ cita requerida ]
2. Una configuración de zona muerta para el joystick analógico que permite a los jugadores configurar qué tan sensibles quieren que sean sus joysticks analógicos, popular en los juegos FPS de consola y en los juegos de carreras donde aparece como Zona muerta de dirección .
Un modo de juego en muchos juegos de disparos y de estrategia en tiempo real en el que el objetivo es matar a tantos personajes como sea posible hasta que se alcance un límite de tiempo o de muertes. Compárese con el último hombre en pie.
Modo de depuración
Una característica que se deja en un juego y que el equipo de desarrollo usaría para probar el juego y buscar errores. Hay muchas formas en las que se podrían haber implementado, como un menú con opciones seleccionables, combinaciones de botones o una sala con cosas útiles para probar. Los modos de depuración tenderán a tener muchas características útiles para probar, como poder hacer que el jugador sea invulnerable al daño, darle al probador todas las armas disponibles, poder teletransportarse a cualquier parte del juego según sea necesario, poder derrotar a cualquier enemigo de un solo golpe, etc. También puede existir la capacidad de modificar la ubicación de la cámara, como con el propósito de tomar capturas de pantalla para usar con fines publicitarios. Por lo general, se eliminarán u ocultarán antes de que el juego se lance al público. Algunos juegos pueden dejarlos disponibles para el jugador, como al convertirlos en una opción desbloqueable o al requerir un código para desbloquearlo. En otros casos, pueden no estar disponibles en absoluto durante el juego normal y se requerirían fallas o piratería externa para acceder a ellos. Esto también puede denominarse menú de depuración o sala de depuración.
La cantidad de vectores de movimiento del personaje-jugador sobre los que el jugador tiene control, que a menudo son un criterio asociado con el género del juego.
Los juegos de desplazamiento lateral suelen tener 2 grados de libertad: izquierda/derecha (correr a lo largo del eje X) y arriba/abajo (saltar/caer a lo largo del eje Y).
Los juegos basados en gráficos de arriba hacia abajo, isométricos y 3D pueden tener 3 DoF o 4 DoF: apuntar a la izquierda/derecha (rotar alrededor del eje Z), moverse a la izquierda/derecha (desplazarse a lo largo del eje X), moverse hacia adelante/atrás (correr a lo largo del eje Y) y moverse hacia arriba/abajo (saltar/caer/agacharse a lo largo del eje Z).
Los juegos de vuelo en 3D pueden tener hasta 6 grados de libertad : movimiento a lo largo de los ejes X, Y o Z como izquierda/derecha (a lo largo del eje X), adelante/atrás (a lo largo del eje Y) y arriba/abajo (a lo largo del eje Z), y rotación alrededor de los ejes X, Y o Z como inclinación (alrededor del eje X), balanceo (alrededor del eje Y) y guiñada (alrededor del eje Z).
Además, las características especiales de los juegos pueden manipular otras dimensiones no asociadas con los ejes X, Y y Z del espacio 3D como DoF, como el tiempo, el estado del jugador, la macroubicación (viaje rápido), el estado del mapa, la visibilidad de los NPC u otros parámetros del juego.
1. Lo opuesto de un beneficio, un efecto que se aplica a un personaje y que afecta negativamente sus estadísticas y características. Compárese con un nerf.
2. Efectos que anulan o cancelan los efectos de los beneficios.
Un "período de espera" no oficial e indefinido durante el cual un proyecto queda efectivamente estancado y no puede continuar. Los proyectos que entran en el infierno del desarrollo suelen retrasarse varios años, pero el editor no suele considerarlos cancelados formalmente.
Se encuentra principalmente en los juegos de aventuras y es un medio para proporcionar un menú de opciones de diálogo al jugador cuando interactúa con un personaje no jugador para aprender más de ese personaje, influir en sus acciones y, de otro modo, avanzar en la historia del juego. La naturaleza de árbol proviene de tener, por lo general, múltiples niveles de ramificación de preguntas y respuestas que se pueden explorar.
El nivel de dificultad al que un jugador desea enfrentarse mientras juega un juego. En niveles de dificultad más altos, el jugador suele enfrentarse a personajes no jugadores más fuertes, recursos limitados o límites de tiempo más estrictos.
Software tools for copyright protection. Often criticized, particularly if the DRM tool is overly restrictive or badly-designed.
directional pad
See D-pad.
display mode
See attract mode.
DLC
See downloadable content.
dolphin
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.
Doom clone
An early term for first-person shooters, based on gameplay that mimicked that from Doom.
double jump
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?]
Additional content for a video game that is acquired through a digital delivery system.
DPM
See damage per minute.
DPS
See damage per second.
draft
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.
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.
DRM
See digital rights management.
drop rate
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.
dungeon
See also level
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.
Also software testing and Software release life cycle.
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]
enemy
A non-player character that tries to harm the player.
energy
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.
engine
See game engine.
environmental storytelling
Story that is conveyed via the physical design or set dressing of a game's world, rather than cutscenes or dialogue.[57]
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]
FOV
See field of view.
FPS
1. An abbreviation for first-person shooter.
2. An abbreviation for frames per second. See frame rate.
frag
To kill or achieve a kill in a game against a player or non-player opponent.[65]See also gib.
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.
game save
See saved game.
Game sense
Situational and environmental awareness in a game, and the decision-making based on this awareness.[70][71]
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.
gamer rage
See rage quit.
gamethrowing
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.
A cheat that makes player-characters invulnerable.[13]: 119 Occasionally adds invincibility, where the player can hurt enemies by touching them (e.g., the Super Mario Super Star).[79]: 357 The effect may be temporary.[80]See flashing invulnerability.
god roll
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.
graphic content filter
A setting that controls whether the game displays graphic violence.[82]
A player in a multiplayer video game who deliberately irritates and harasses other players within the game, such as camping spawn points.[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.
A portable gaming console; i.e. one that is not connected to a TV or other peripheral device. Nintendo's Game Boy is the most-recognizable example.
hate
A mechanism by which non-player characters prioritize which player(s) to attack.[12]See aggro.
head bob
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
An attack that strikes the head of its target, causing extra (often fatal) damage. See critical hit.
head swap
An animation technique in which a new head is put on an existing character model, to save memory or animation effort.
heal over time (HoT)
An effect that restores health over a period of time; antonym of DoT.
An attribute showing how much damage a character can sustain before being incapacitated. Getting hurt lowers this meter and if it reaches zero that character can no longer continue. Depending on the game this can mean many different things (i.e. death, serious injury, knockout, or exhaustion).
In video games, an overhead representation of a game level showing, through background game data collection, a statistic such as where player characters died or which route players took the most. Brighter spots or highly concentrated areas show where these events occurred the most. Such maps may be used by developers to help refine map design.
The highest logged score in a video game. See also leaderboard.
hit marker
Also damage ring.
A visual effect that occurs every time the player-character lands a hit on the opponent; commonly seen in first-person shooter games like Call of Duty.
1. (especially in fighting games) The area or areas that can inflict damage or other effects to a character (usually not the one which created the hitbox)
2. (used when not distinguishing between hitbox and hurtbox) The virtual envelope describing precisely where the game will register any hits on a game target. See hurtbox
hitscan
Commonly seen in first-person shooters, hitscan is used to determine hits along a path with no travel time. Some games use this technique to detect hits with firearms in contrast to physics-based projectiles which have noticeable travel time.
HOPA
Acronym for Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure. See See hidden object game.
Loosely defined as a game made by a single person or a small studio without any financial, development, marketing, or distribution support from a large publisher, though there are exceptions.
infinite health
See god mode.
infinite life
See god mode.
infinite runner
See endless runner.
influencer
A video game player or social media personality that is used as part of a game's promotion. Typically the influencer will be given a pre-release copy of a game to play and review to those people that follow them on social media or streaming sites, with the intent that those subscribers will be influenced to buy the game.
item level
A number attached to a game item – e.g.: weapon, armor, or clothing – which roughly indicates the item's power, commonly seen in MMORPGs. A character who does not meet the required level of the item would be unable to equip it.
Graphic elements that communicate information to the player and aid interaction with the game, such as health bars, ammo meters, and maps.[15]
inventory
A menu or area of the screen where items collected by the player-character during the game can be selected.[15] This interface allows the player to retrieve single-use items for an instant effect or to equip the player-character with the item.
inventory management
Preparations a player makes with their character's inventory, such as storing or retrieving items, repairing weapons, etc. Failure to manage an inventory properly may result in losing rare items or being less powerful in combat. Common in hardcore games with limited resources like RPGs and survival horror, while uncommon in more casual titles, which may have an infinite inventory or manage it automatically.
invincibility
See god mode.
invincibility frames
A brief period of time where a player can't take damage from attacks. Invincibility frames are most commonly triggered by a player action (such as dodging or rolling), by taking damage or as a short period of safety after respawning. See also flashing invulnerability.
An obstruction in a video game that halts movement in a specific direction, even though terrain and features can be seen beyond the boundary.
invulnerability
See god mode.
J
joke character
A character included in a game for humorous reasons, such as having weak stats or an atypical appearance or personality. They may also function as an additional challenge or handicap for skilled players.
An input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Modern gaming joysticks have several buttons and may include a thumb-operated analog stick on top.
JRPG
Japanese role-playing video game, typically referring to a subgenre of RPGs that originate from Japan.
juggernaut
Refers to a game mode where many players face one overpowered enemy (called the Juggernaut) and try to defeat it. The player who kills it often becomes the next Juggernaut.[84][85]
jump
A basic move where the player jumps vertically.[79]: 100–101
K
kick
In online games, the ability of the server or the host of a game to remove a player from the server, thereby ‘kicking’ them out of the game. This can be to prevent undesirable player behavior such as griefing (where it is usually a precursory measure to banning); to reduce issues like lag, where one player's lag problems may affect other players’ enjoyment of the game; or to prevent server crashes when communication errors occur between the server and client.
kill-death ratio (K/D ratio or KDR)
A statistic typically found in player-versus-player video games, gauging the ratio between the number of opponents the player defeated and the number of deaths the player suffered at the hands of opponents. More skilled players typically have higher kill-death ratios.
KDA
Abbreviation of Kills Deaths Assists, a ratio used by MOBA players to evaluate their in-game performance. Used in a similar manner to the kill-death ratio.
kill farming
When players are stationed near their opponent's spawn point and kill them the moment they respawn.
kill feed
In multiplayer games, a portion of the game's user interface that shows the last few events (generally, when other players are killed) from the last few seconds, like a news feed.
kill screen
Level 256 in Pac-Man is unbeatable due to a bug associated with an integer overflow in the game's code.A stage or level in a video game (often an arcade game) that stops the player's progress due to a software bug.[86] Not to be mistaken for a game over screen, kill screens can result in unpredictable gameplay and bizarre glitches.[87]
Defeating an enemy that someone else was about to defeat, usually to receive the reward or credit without doing most of the work. Considered 'bad form' in many online communities.
A game mode where opposing teams try to occupy a single point on the map for a certain amount of time, or for as long as possible until the end of the match.[88][89]
kit
The set of skills and abilities given to a pre-defined playable character in games featuring many such characters to choose from, such as many MOBAs or hero shooters.
kiting
1. A maneuver in which a player-character gets an enemy NPC to chase after them so as to lead them somewhere else (like a kite on a string). This can be used to separate groups of enemies to prevent the player from becoming overwhelmed or in team-based or cooperative games to allow the player's teammates to attack the opponent, or to lure the opponent into a trap.
knock-back
A game mechanic in a fighting game or platform game where a character is thrown backwards from the force of an attack. During knock-back, the character is unable to change their direction until a short recovery animation is finished.[90] Knock-back sometimes results in falling down pits if the character is standing close to the edge when hit with a knock-back attack.
The Konami CodeA fixed series of controller button presses used across numerous Konami games to unlock special cheats (such as gaining a large number of lives in Contra), and subsequently used by other developers to enable cheats or added functions in these games. The term applies to variations on this sequence but nearly all begin with "up up down down left right left right".
L
lag
In video games, an unintentional or unexpected delay between the start and end of a process, usually to a detrimental effect on gameplay. Lag can occur in any of the many different processes in a video game, to vastly differing effects depending on the source:
Frame lag: A direct delay in the rate at which a frame is processed. This is usually the result of having too many objects active at once - the physics, rendering and other processes of which must each be calculated on every frame. In turn, this results in choppy movement, and depending on how the code is handled, either slowed gameplay compared to real-time (when the lag is not accounted for) or a loss of player control precision (when it is accounted for). In multiplayer games, this is often called client-side lag, as opposed to server-side lag.
Rendering lag: A delay in the rate at which an otherwise-processed frame is rendered, usually due to a very large number of polygons or visual effects on screen at once. This can have similar visual effects as frame lag, but can alternatively result in frames being rendered incompletely - missing visual details, textures, particle effects or occasionally entire objects. Occasionally, a similar effect can be seen with layered audio cues.
Server-side lag: A delay appearing only in online multiplayer games, between the client (the player's device) or the server sending information across the internet, and the counterpart receiving said information. This rarely looks like frame lag or rendering lag, and can instead cause a variety of effects such as dropped player inputs, desynchronisation between the player and server's versions of events, rubber-banding (where entities appear to ‘snap’ between different positions), or in worst-case scenarios, the player being removed from the server entirely, or kicked.
laner
A player role in MOBA games that focuses on one of the typically three lanes on the map.
A gathering of people who play multiplayer games together over a local network, often bringing their own computers or game systems with them. LAN is an acronym for Local Area Network.
last hitting
The action of getting the killing blow on an NPC, receiving gold and experience points that would have been reduced or awarded to someone else. MOBA games, such as League of Legends and Dota 2 use this term and most other games use "kill stealing".
A multiplayer deathmatch mode in which the objective is not to achieve the most kills but to survive the longest, or alternatively to have the fewest character deaths in a given period of time.
launch game
A game released simultaneously with its respective platform, or during its near-term launch window.
leaderboard
A list or table logging the highest scores achieved in a particular game. See also high score.
A type of video game walkthrough done by players, through screenshots or video, where the player provides commentary about the game as they work through it.[91]
level
1. A location in a game. Also area, map, stage, dungeon. Several levels may be grouped into a world. Some games include special bonus stages or secret levels.
2. A character's experience level in a role-playing game, which increases through playing the game to train a character's abilities. It serves as a rough indicator of that character's overall proficiency.
3. A round or wave in a single-location game with increasing difficulty.
See also difficulty level, item level, wanted level.
A program, either provided within the game software or as separate software product, that allows players to place objects or create new levels for a video game.
level scaling
A game mechanic in games where the player advances in level, which alters the attributes of a player character or opponents so that there is a similar challenge in combat. If the player character is several levels higher, either the enemy would be buffed or the player's abilities nerfed so that the challenge would be similar. The player would still gain added benefits with higher levels, such as additional abilities, better equipment with unique properties, and access to higher-level quests or areas. Examples of games with level scaling include World of Warcraft and Destiny.[92]
LFG
Abbreviation of Looking For Group. Used by players looking to team up with others, the acronym is usually accompanied by a set of criteria or a player's specs.
LFM
Abbreviation of Looking For More. Used by players who have an incomplete team and are looking for players to fill the remaining spots, the acronym is usually accompanied by a set of criteria (such as a level or class requirement).
life
One of multiple chances that a player has to retry a task after failing. Losing all of one's lives is usually a loss condition and may force the player to start over. It is common in action games for the player-character to have multiple lives and chances to earn more during the game. This way, a player can recover from making a disastrous mistake. Role-playing games and adventure games usually give the player only one life, but allow them to reload a saved game if they fail.[93][94] A life may similarly be defined as the period between the start and end of play for any character, from creation to destruction.[95]
lifesteal (or "life steal")
The ability of a character in game to steal the HP of an opponent, typically by attacking.
A specialized type of game controller that the player points at their television screen or monitor to interact with the game.
live service games
See Games as a service.
loadout
A specific set of in-game equipment, abilities, power-ups, and other items that a player sets for their character prior to the start of a game's match, round, or mission. Games that feature such loadouts typically allow players to store, recall, and adjust two or more loadouts so they can switch between them quickly.
During publishing, the process of editing a game for audiences in another region or country, primarily by translating the text and dialog of a video game. Localization can also involve changing content of the game to reflect different cultural values and censoring material that is against local law, or in some cases self-censoring in an effort to obtain a more commercially favorable content rating.
A recorded playthrough of a game from the beginning to the end without any interruptions or commentary, often made as video walkthrough guides in case players get stuck on some parts of the game. Compare with Let's Play.
Loot boxes (and other name variants, such as booster packs for online collectible card games) are awarded to players for completing a match, gaining an experience level, or other in-game achievement. The box contains random items, typically cosmetic-only but may include gameplay-impacting items, often awarded based on a rarity system. In many cases, additional loot boxes can be obtained through microtransactions.[96]
Methods used in multiplayer games to distribute treasure among cooperating players for finishing a quest. While early MMOs distributed loot on a 'first come, first served' basis, it was quickly discovered that such a system was easily abused, and later games instead used a 'need-or-greed' system, in which the participating players roll virtual dice, and the loot is distributed according to the results.
low%
Finishing or completing the end objectives of the game while having the lowest possible score/using the least number of items.[97]
1. The handling of larger scale decisions, primarily in real-time strategy games. See also micro.
2. An usermade algorithm made-up of series of different actions such as spells or abilities made in order to save the player time and gain an advantage in PvP or just quickly shout certain cliché phrases, especially popular in MMORPGs.
Any of a variety of game mechanics to render fantastical or otherwise unnatural effects, though accessories (scrolls, potions, artifacts) or a pool of resources inherent to the character (mana, magic points, etc).
main
To focus on playing a certain character in a game, sometimes exclusively.
main quest
A chain of quests that compose a game's storyline which must be completed to finish the game. In comparison, side quests offer rewards but don't advance the main quest.
map
See level.
mana
Also magic points.
A pool of resources inherent to a character that determines the amount of magical abilities they are able to use.
An MMO that incorporates traditional role-playing game mechanics. Games such as EverQuest and Dark Age of Camelot were progenitors of the genre. The most popular and most well-known game of this type is World of Warcraft.
match-3 game
A popular subgenre of the tile-matching video game genre, where the number of tiles matches a player must make is three. Well-known match-3 games include Bejeweled and Candy Crush Saga.
A game system that automatically sorts players with similar playing styles, desires, objectives, or skill levels into a team or a group. In competitive games or modes, a matchmaking rating (MMR) is a number assigned to each player based on skill and is the basis for matching players. This rating goes up or down based on individual or team performance.
maxed out
1. Reaching the maximum level that a character (or in some cases, a weapon or other game item) can have.
2. Raising a character's statistics to the maximum value.
3. In real-time strategy games, recruiting units until the maximum number is reached.
meta
A common slang term for metagame or dominant strategy. Acronym for Most Efficient Tactic Available.See also metagame.See also cheese.
metagame
1. In games that encourage repeated playthroughs and match-based multiplayer games, the gameplay elements that are typically not part of the main game but can be invoked by the player to alter future playthroughs of the main game.
2. A dominant strategy or set of strategies, often in the context of a competitive game.
metastory
The sum total of all known or implied stories of every character in the game, every branching storyline, and all potential outcomes and backstory.[15]
A genre of exploration-focused games, usually featuring a large, interconnected world. Access to certain areas and defeating certain enemies requires items found elsewhere, necessitating exploration and defeating enemies to obtain them. These games are usually side-scrolling platformers or viewed from the top-down, although they can be found in 3D as well. Many borrow features from Roguelike games, such as permanent death. Named for two pioneers of the genre, the Metroid and Castlevania series.
A business model used in games where players can purchase virtual goods via micropayments. Usually disliked by players, especially when the purchasable goods give players an advantage over players who did not purchase the goods. See also in-app purchase.
minimap
A smaller version of the play area, typically displayed in the corner of a players screen used for navigating the game world. May also display locations of friendly and/or enemy players. See also Radar.
min-maxing
1. The practice of playing a role-playing game, wargame or video game with the intent of creating the "best" character by means of minimizing undesired or unimportant traits and maximizing desired ones.[101] This is usually accomplished by improving one specific trait or ability (or a set of traits/abilities) by sacrificing ability in all other fields. This is easier to accomplish in games where attributes are generated from a certain number of points rather than in ones where they are randomly generated.[102]
2. Playing the meta, at possible detriment to the story and/or enjoyment of the game. Colloquialism.
A 'game-within-a-game', often provided as a diversion from the game's plot. Minigames are usually one-screen affairs with limited replay value, though some games have provided an entire commercial release as a 'mini-game' within the primary game-world. See also bonus stage, secret level and game mode.
mission
See level and quest.
MMO
See massively multiplayer online game.
MMORPG
See massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
MMR
See matchmaking.
mob
An in-game enemy that roams a specific area. Abbreviation of "mobile", it was first used in text-based online games in reference to non-player characters.
MOBA
See multiplayer online battle arena.
mod
A third-party addition or alteration to a game. Mods may take the form of new character skins, altered game mechanics or the creation of a new story or an entirely new game-world. Some games (such as Fallout 4 and Skyrim) provide tools to create game mods, while other games that don't officially support game modifications can be altered or extended with the use of third-party tools.
mode
1. Technical or non-play modes for the hardware or software of a video game, such as a diagnostic or configuration mode, video or sound test, or the attract mode of arcade games.
2. Gameplay modes which affect the game mechanics. See game mode.
A post-processing effect that emphasizes movement and speed.
motion control
A game system that requires physical movement by the player to control player character actions. Popularized by the Wii, motion control is available on most recent console and handheld systems.[23]
mouselook
See free look.
moveset
The set of moves or actions that a character can perform
MP
1. Abbreviation of magic points.
2. Abbreviation of multiplayer.
MUD
Also multi-user domain, multi-user dungeon.
A multiplayer real-time virtual world, usually text-based.
mudflation
An online game virtual economy phenomenon in which endgame players become rich in currency and drive down the cost of rare items.[103]
multi-load games
Games, typically from the 1980s, that would only load one portion of the game into memory at a time. This technique let developers make each in-memory portion of the game more complex.[104][page needed][105][self-published source?]
A genre of video game popularized by Defense of the Ancients that pits teams of players to defend their home base from enemy onslaughts.
multiple character control
A feature of role-playing video games where the player controls multiple characters in real-time. The PlayStation 2 was first with this feature in the Summoner and Dynasty Warriors series.
multiple endings
When a game's story has multiple final outcomes, as compared to a linear story which typically ends with the defeat of the game's final boss. Players may have to meet certain requirements in order to view each ending.
multiplier
1. In games with a scoring system, a gameplay element that increases the value of the points earned by the given multiplier value while the multiplier is active. A common feature of most pinball tables.
2. Refers to the specific factor which changes a playable character or enemy's attributes, either inherently or due to a temporary buff or debuff.
N
nerf
A change, usually a patch, intended to weaken a particular item, tactic, ability, or character, ostensibly for balancing purposes. Contrast with buff.[106]
An option to play through an already-completed game's story again, carrying over characters, attributes, or equipment from a prior playthrough.
newbie (newb)
Someone new to the game, generally used as a pejorative, although often light-heartedly. Not as pejorative as noob.
noclip mode
A cheat that allows players to pass through normally impenetrable objects – walls, ceilings, and floors – by disabling clipping.[13]: 119
no johns
A term meaning "no excuses", generally used when a player proclaims false or exaggerated reasons for not playing well. Originates from the competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee community.
Abbreviation of non-player character or non-playable character, is a computer-controlled character or any character that is not under a player's direct control.
noob
A pejorative used to insult a player who is making mistakes that an experienced player would be expected to avoid. Sometimes spelled as n00b. See newbie.
no-scope
When a player uses a sniper rifle to achieve a kill without using its scope. Considered skillful, especially at range, as hipfired weapons usually have poor accuracy. Similar to quickscoping.
A visual element of most rhythm games that show the notes the player must match as they scroll along the screen. This is more commonly considered a "highway" when the notes scroll down the screen on a perspective-based grid, making it appear as a road highway.[citation needed]
nt
Meaning "Nice try". Generally said through a chat function in online multiplayer games to boost the morale of players. Can be directed towards both the friendly and enemy teams. Used when teammates or opponents fail after trying something new, or put in large amounts of effort towards the objective to no avail.[107] "Nice try" could also be used in a condescending manner to mock opponents.
nuke
A spell or skill that is capable of dealing a large amount of damage to its target. Also in the context of video games, "nuking" may also describe the act of using a nuclear weapon while playing the game, such as the atomic bomb in Call of Duty games.
In an MMORPG, nuking may differ in meaning between different communities.[108] For example, to some individuals, to "nuke" is to deal the most possible damage to the most enemies possible (almost exclusively by means of an area of effect skill), whereas other individuals use the term by referring to the highest possible damage to a single target in the shortest amount of time, also known as a spike. Some individuals believe that the player, or players, nuking must do so by means of ranged combat (that is, out of melee range); others make no such distinction. It can also mean to critical hit often or just to deal high standard damage.
In a real-time or turn-based strategy game, the term "nuke" has one distinct use. It can describe the tactic of attacking an opponent's specific (often high-priority) units with high-damage spells in order to kill them or force (or strongly encourage) the opposing player to remove them from battle. Such usage is common in Warcraft III, in which "Heroes" are frequently the targets and attackers due to their relative high priority and common faculty for high-damaging spells.
O
oddball
A game mode in the Halo-series and a few other first-person shooters, where players on opposing teams attempt to capture and then hold on to a ball for as long as possible, while the opposing team tries to eliminate the player holding the ball in an attempt to get it back.[109]
old-school gaming
See retrogaming.
on-disc DLC
Content that is on the physical media (usually a disc) of a game, but cannot be accessed without buying the content separately. Usually day-one DLC is assumed to be this, but not always. This term also includes data which is downloaded with a downloadable game but not accessible without payment. Not used for free-to-play or freemium games.
on rails
A term that refers to gameplay in which the player can only progress in one direction with limited exploration or branching, similar to a dark ride at theme parks. While this is expected in certain genres, like rail shooters, it may be criticized in genres that normally allow for more exploration.
one-shot
1. To eliminate within a very short time frame, usually with only one shot or ability.
2. When an enemy is low on health and one shot away from elimination.
one-trick
When a player continually chooses to play as a specific character in a wide roster and often refuses to switch.[110]
The opposite of a closed beta; the test players are not bound by non-disclosure agreements and are free to show the game to others. See also early access.
A game world where the player has much greater freedom in choosing the order that they visit areas within the world, rather than being restricted to a pre-defined or heavily constricted order of visiting areas. While 'open world' and 'sandbox' are sometimes used interchangeably, the terms refer to different concepts and are not synonymous.
OTP
Abbreviation of one-trick pony, often used pejoratively, but can also be used boastfully if the person can consistently carry their team.
When a player or group of players are moving or moved far into the map where it could be the enemy's territory where they will be most likely outnumbered and destroyed.
In turn-based tactics games, a character ends their turn and fires upon any enemies who enter their line of sight, providing covering fire for other characters.[111]
A game controller that primarily included a large dial that could be turned either clockwise or counter-clockwise to generate movement in one dimension within a game.
palette swap
Video game characters which are graphically similar except for a hue-shifted palette. Typically done to preserve resources or data space that would otherwise be used up by different designs for the same character, especially for games with sprite-based graphics, though other reasons may exist for palette swaps, such as differentiating similar-looking characters with different properties (e.g. the Green and Red Koopa Troopas from the Super Mario series having different behaviors), or accommodating for the presence of more than one instance of the same unique character to avoid confusion or paradoxes (e.g. Super Smash Bros. characters having multiple palette swaps to avoid confusion in matches where multiple players pick the same character).
party
1. In a cooperative multiplayer game, a team of players working together to complete the same mission or quest. See Role-playing game § Game mechanics.
2. In a single player game, a group of characters traveling together on a quest that the player may control or have the most direct access to. The characters themselves are typically referred to as "party members".
parry
A block in fighting video games that does not have a downside to the player using it, usually performed by precisely timing a defensive maneuver or block. Parries may fully negate damage from the attack or even reflect the attack.
party game
A multiplayer game, usually consisting of a series of short minigames, that can be easily played in a social setting.
The process by which a developer of a video game creates an update to an already released game with the intention of possibly adding new content, fixing any bugs in the current game, balancing character issues (especially prevalent in online multiplayer games with competitive focuses), or updating the game to be compatible with DLC releases. See also zero day patch.
pause
The option to temporarily suspend play of a video game, allowing the player to take a break or attend to an urgent matter outside of the game, or to perform other actions, such as adjusting options, saving the current game and/or ending the current game session. In multiplayer online or networked games, pausing may not be available as a feature, as such games require continuous activity from all participating players in order to properly function.
A monetization method that requires players to spend money to access gameplay features.
pay to win
Also P2W or PTW.
Elements of a game that can only be unlocked by making premium digital purchases and provide the player with an advantage. The purchase packages can include game currency, resources, special characters, unique items, summoning tickets, character skins that give buffs to their stats, or VIP points if the game has a built-in VIP system. This monetization scheme can result in an unbalanced experience between players.
peak
Commonly used when you or someone in the current lobby you are in does something that is above their current skill level.
pentakill
Usually used within MOBAs, a pentakill occurs when a single player gets the killing blow on 5 opposing players in rapid succession, resulting in a team elimination. Comparable to ace.
peripheral
An optional hardware component for a video game system.[112]
Generally refers to when a player must restart the game from the beginning when their character dies, instead of from a saved game or save point. This may also refer to the case of a player having to restart the game due to failing to meet a certain objective. The term may also apply to squad-based games such as tactical role-playing games, if the death of the character eliminates that character from the game completely but the game may continue on with other characters.
A subgenre of puzzle video game where the player has to use the game's physics and environment to complete each puzzle. Notable examples include Portal, World of Goo and Cut the Rope, and projectile collision games such as Angry Birds and Peggle.
ping
1. In online games, the network latency between the client and server. See also lag. Can also be used like lagging, if there is a high network latency.
2. A means of highlighting a feature on a game's map that is seen on the user interface of allied players.
ping system
In co-operative multiplayer games, gameplay feature that allows players on the same team to visibly highlight, or "ping", other features on the map (such as waypoints, enemies, or treasure) to their allied players. While ping systems existed in various genres such as MOBAs before, Apex Legends in the late 2010s was cited with popularizing the system for first-person shooters that enabled effective communication between players without the need for voice chat.[117]
A mechanic in certain gacha games where a player will eventually be guaranteed a high-quality item after too many unsuccessful pulls.
pixel hunting
A game element that involves searching an entire scene for a single (often pixel-sized) point of interactivity. Common in adventure games, most players consider 'hunt-the-pixel' puzzles to be a tedious chore, borne of inadequate game design.[118] The text-adventure version of this problem is called 'guess-the-verb' or 'syntax puzzle'.
pixel-perfect
An action that must be performed whilst being positioned within a pixel-wide gap for perfect execution. A pixel in this case may refer to a screen pixel or an in-game pixel, such as in video games that utilize pixel art.
plant
"Plants" are often found in games that feature a variety of microtransactions. They are "players" who collude with game developers to promote unhealthy competition. These "plants" are discretely given free and powerful items by game developers. This is typically done to artificially create competition for the legitimate paying players so that the already paying players feel the need to spend more money to compete against this new "player."
1. A buzzword for operating system, a video game is released for Windows or Android and so forth, not for PC, console or mobile. A corporation that controls a platform is referred to as a "platform holder".
2. A resting piece of ground, frequently floating, in a platform game (see below).
Any video game, or genre which involves heavy use of jumping, climbing, and other acrobatic maneuvers to guide the player-character between suspended platforms and over obstacles in the game environment.[15]
platting
A term exclusive to PlayStation users that refers to obtaining all achievements of a game. The word "plat" refers to the platinum trophy, which is usually the most difficult achievement to obtain and often the last one to be unlocked. It is sometimes denoted as "platinum" when used as a verb.
The character controlled and played by the human player in a video game. Often the game's main protagonist. Tidus from Final Fantasy X and Doomguy from the Doom series are all "player-characters" developed by their game studios. Compare with NPC.
A process in which game developers observe players (called playtesters) testing their game and what the user experience is like in real-time, in order to see where players get stuck, what information is and isn't communicated clearly, and which gameplay elements are found enjoyable or frustrating.
pocket (pocketing)
Pocketing refers in multiplayer games to when a player (usually playing the part of a healer support) supports exclusively a single teammate (usually a tank), either at an extended period of time but with several teammates or during the entire match with a single teammate. This is done with the intent of assuring the supported player's survival during the time they're being supported. The term pocket refers either to the supporting player, or the supported player.
pog/poggers
From PogChamp, a term meaning great or awesome, often a play in a game.
point of no return
A point in a game from which the player cannot return to previous areas.
port
See game port.
postgame
Gameplay which takes place after completion of a game's storyline; the postgame may unlock new means to play the game, such as New Game Plus, additional minigames or sidegames, or even an additional, second storyline for the player to play through.
popping off
Used mostly in the context of esports competitions or video game streaming, a gamer is said to "pop off" when they unexpectedly perform exceptionally well in a video game for a short period of time.
An object that temporarily gives extra abilities or buffs to the game character. Persistent power-ups are called perks.
power creep
The gradual unbalancing of a game due to successive releases of new content.[119] The phenomenon may be caused by a number of different factors and, in extreme cases, can be damaging to the longevity of the game in which it takes place. Game expansions are usually stronger than previously existing content, giving consumers an incentive to buy it for competitions against other players or as new challenges for the single-player experience. While the average power level within the game rises, older content falls out of balance and becomes regressively outdated or relatively underpowered, effectively rendering it useless from a competitive or challenge-seeking viewpoint.
Very occasionally may refer to the result of repeatedly balancing a game primarily through buffs and nerfs, thus making every character substantially more powerful than they were at release. See also: planned obsolescence.
power spike
The moment in which a character sees a rise in relative strength from leveling up larger than that of a normal milestone. This is usually due to an item becoming available or certain abilities being unlocked.
p-rank
Often awarded in games for completing a level or challenge 'perfectly,' such as in the fastest time possible or by defeating an enemy without taking damage.
pro
Shortened version of the word "professional". Someone with experience, skill, and especially know-how in a certain game.
proc
The activation, trigger or occurrence of a conditional, often random, event. Particularly common for massively multiplayer online games, they are conditional events where special equipment provide the user with temporary extra powers, or when the opposing enemy suddenly becomes more powerful in some way. The term's origin is uncertain, possibly from programmed random occurrence, process, or procedure.[120]
When the game algorithmically combines randomly generated elements, particularly in game world creation. See also Roguelike.
pro gamer move
A strategic and tactical move that shows that the player is familiar with or skilled in a game and its gameplay mechanics. Sometimes used outside of video games, and occasionally used in an ironic manner to describe a poorly-planned move or failure.[121]
professional gaming
See electronic sports.
progression system
The game mechanics that determine how a player improves their player-character over the course of a game or several games, such as gaining experience points to level up characters, performing tasks to gain new abilities, or part of a metagame improvement.
PT
refers to 1) combat points (i.e., melee, range, etc.) and 2) skill points (i.e., beginner, expert, elite, master); often used as reference to meet requirements; to be able to equip armors, weapons, as well as for crafting weapons, ammunition and armors for specialists, and to unlock next tier skills (i.e., 30 beginner skill PT to unlock expert skills).
pub
1. Short for public lobby, as opposed to a private lobby.
2. Players who play in public lobbies ("pubbies").
public lobby
A multiplayer lobby composed of random players found using in-game matchmaking tools.
The company that (in whole or in part) finances, distributes and markets the game. This is distinct from the developer, though the publisher may own the developer.[15]
pick-up group (PUG)
A group of players formed on the fly, usually to carry out a mutually beneficial task. PUGs will disband after the common objective has been achieved. Commonly used in MMORPGs.
pulling
1. RPG terminology that refers to engaging in combat from a distance, with the intent of luring a hostile NPC (or a group) to the player's location to fight them there.
2. Gacha terminology that refers to spinning the wheel in hopes of obtaining a rare or high-quality item or character.
A broad genre of video games involving puzzle solving, often with abstract shapes.
PvE
See player versus environment.
PvP
See player versus player.
pwned
Dominated by an opponent, usually another player. A deliberate misspelling of the word "owned".
Q
QA
See quality assurance.
QQ
An emoji that looks like a pair of teary eyes. Used as a taunt that means "cry more".[122] Originally referred to the shortcut Alt+Q+Q from Warcraft 2, used as an insult telling players to activate the shortcut which would quit the game.[123] The phrase blew up so much, it made its way out of the Warcraft community and eventually evolved into "cry more".
QTE
See quick time event.
quality assurance
Quality Assurance teams for games will play through a title multiple times in an attempt to find and track down bugs, glitches and crashes in the game before it goes live. This process can start early in development and can last until after post-production. Not to be mistaken with playtesting.
quality of life (QoL)
Features or improvements designed to make games easier, smoother to play, or more accessible, without changing fundament aspects of the game's presentation, narrative, or gameplay.[124][125][126]
Any objective-based activity created in-game for the purpose of either story (story quest) or character-level advancement (side quest). Quests follow many common types, such as defeating a number of specific monsters, gathering a number of specific items, or safely escorting a non-player character. Some quests involve more-detailed information and mechanics and are either greatly enjoyed by players as a break from the common monotony or are reviled as uselessly more-complicated than necessary.
An event within a game that typically requires the player to press an indicated controller button or move a controller's analog controls within a short time window to succeed in the event and progress forward, while failure to do so may harm the player-character or lead to a game-over situation. Such controls are generally non-standard for the game, and the action performed in a quick time event is usually not possible to execute in regular gameplay.[127]
quicksave
1. A mechanism in a video game where progress to or from a saved game can be done by pressing a single controller button or keystroke, instead of opening a file dialog to locate the save file. Typically, there is only one quickload location and quicksaving will overwrite any previously saved state.
2. An option to use a one-time save which takes the player out of the game, allowing them to continue from where they last were and in the state they last were, thereby allowing the player to turn off the console or do something else with it without losing progress, but without gaining anything beyond that compared with not quicksaving. More common in handheld games, where an emphasis on short gameplay sessions encourages developers to give the player a way to play for shorter periods.
quickscoping
A technique in first-person shooter video games used to attack a target by quickly aiming down sights on a weapon and immediately shooting.
R
rack
See level.
radar
A smaller version of the play area, typically displayed in the corner of a players screen used for navigating the game world. May also display locations of friendly and/or enemy players. See also Minimap.
A type of procedural animation used by physics engines where static death animations have been replaced by a body going limp and collapsing in on itself, with the only animation acting on the body and its connected limbs being from the game's physics engine. This often gives the impression that a character is flailing or being flung around, like a rag doll.
rage
A genre designed to cause anger and frustration in the player, using unintuitive controls, unforeseeable obstacles, unfair challenges and/or taunting the player, often with the express stated purpose of causing the player to rage quit. Completing a rage game is commonly seen as a measure of determination and resolve as much as skill.
rage quit
Also gamer rage.[128]
The act of quitting a game mid-progress instead of waiting for the game to end. Typically, this is associated with leaving in frustration, such as unpleasant communication with other players, being annoyed, or losing the game. However, the reasons can vary beyond frustration, such as being unable to play due to the way the game has progressed, bad sportsmanship, or manipulating game statistics. Apparent rage quits may occur due to a player's game crashing, or the player experiencing network connection problems. There are also social implications of rage quitting, such as making other players rage quit. Certain games can penalize the player for leaving early. Sometimes the player may damage or even destroy the device, console, or controller the game is being played on.[129]Contrast with drop-in, drop-out.
raid
A type of mission in a game where a number of people attempt to defeat either: (a) another number of people at player-vs-player (PVP), (b) a series of computer-controlled enemies (non-player characters; NPCs) in a player-vs-environment (PVE) battlefield, or (c) a very powerful boss (superboss).
A gameplay feature most commonly used in older Japanese role-playing games whereby combat encounters with non-player character (NPC) enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random without the enemy being physically seen beforehand.
RDM
Acronym for Random Death Match. See deathmatch.
reactivity
Refers to the manner in which a game world reacts to and is changed by the player's choices. Examples include branching dialogue trees in an RPG, or detailed interacting systems in a simulation or strategy game. A reactive game world offers a greater number of possible outcomes to a given action, but increases the complexity and cost of development.[130]
real-time corruptor
A type of ROM/ISO corruptor program which incrementally and gradually corrupts video game data in real time as the game is being played for the purpose of finding amusing or interesting results. The rate at which the data is corrupted, and its severity can be changed by the user at will, enabling the game to be played in a corrupted state or to suddenly increase the intensity of the resultant glitches.
A genre of video game where the player controls one or more units in real-time combat with human or computer opponents.
reboot
A "restart" of a video game series, usually applying big changes to characters, settings, gameplay, or the overall story, while still keeping identifiable elements of the original games.[131]See also remaster and remake.
A revamped version of an older game. Sharing many similarities to a remaster, a remake may take more liberties with the changes made to the gameplay, graphics, and story.[132][131]See also remaster and reboot, contrast with demake.
A modernized version of an older video game intended to run on modern hardware, often with upgraded graphics and gameplay, but retaining the fundamental gameplay concepts and core story elements of the original game.[132][131]See also reboot and remaster.
The ability to play a game again after its completion with reasonable enjoyment.
respawn
The reappearance of an entity, such as a character or object, after its death or destruction.
respecing
In games where a player-character gains skills along a skill tree by spending points, the act of respecing ("re-specialization") allows the player to remove all skills and then respend those points on a different set of skills. This usually requires an expenditure of in-game money or other earned gameplay element.
Actions taken by players to leave negative reviews of a game or other form of media on a digital storefront or user-contributed as a form of protest due to actions typically unrelated to the game or media quality itself.
revive
The act of restoring a defeated character or entity to life that is not removed from play after their health is gone; this is different from respawning, which only occurs typically without outside intervention and when a character is removed from play after their health has been depleted. Another common synonym is "rez".
rez
A character's ability that allows them to perform a revive, or a command to use the same. Abbreviation for resurrect.
A genre of video game requiring the player to perform actions in time to the game's music.
RNG
Initialism of random number generation, which refers to computational methods that produce random (or, more accurately in most cases, pseudo-random) variability. In video games, this refers to gameplay elements that have unpredictable outcomes determined by such methods. Examples of such elements include random encounters, loot drops, and NPC behavior.
rngesus
Personification of RNG, in a similar fashion to traditional personifications of Lady Luck, often addressed in humor to plead for more favourable RNG. Portmanteau of RNG and Jesus; also called RNGsus, RNJesus, RNGod, or Random Number God.
A tactic used in certain games that include physics simulation and rocket launchers or explosives. The player aims their weapon at or near their player-character's feet, or stand their character where there will be an explosion, and use the force of the blast to propel the character beyond normal jumping ability.[133]
A sub-genre of games primarily featuring procedurally-generated levels, tile-based movement, turn-based action, complex maps to explore, resource management, and permanent death. Games that lack some of those elements are usually better termed dungeon crawlers, but can be referred to as "Roguelites"; in particular, permadeath alone does not make a game Roguelike. Roguelikes are typically set in dungeons, but may contain an overworld or other settings. Roguelike games are usually designed to be more challenging than typical games, with luck and memory playing a larger role. Named after the 1980 game Rogue.
Games that have some, but not all, features of Roguelike games. Typically they involve a different style of gameplay from the tile-based movement, but retain procedurally-generated levels, resource maps, and permanent death. While games may self-identify as Roguelites, it can also be used as a derogatory term. Often used instead of "Roguelike" by mistake, but the two are different.
A broad set of behaviours within video games where players change their behaviour to assume a role. Not exclusive to role-playing video games.
Roleplaying may be as simple as a player acting to fit a medieval setting; as detailed as a player detailing their character's backstory, personal life, and mannerisms; or as complex as a MilSim game's clans having scheduled trainings, realistically long mission times, and military-like ranks and organization.
A game in which the human player takes on the role of a specific character "class" and advances the skills and abilities of that character within the game environment. RPG characters generally have a wide variety of skills and abilities available to them, and much theorycrafting is involved in creating the best possible form of each of these character classes.
This is different from games such as first-person shooters (FPS), where the player-character in those games are all standardized forms and the physical skills of the player involved are the determining factor in their success or failure within the game. In an RPG, a human player can be the best player in the world at the game, but if they are using a character build that is substandard, they can be significantly outplayed by a lesser player running a more-optimal character build.
rolling the score
The act of achieving such a high score that the game's ability to display the score restarts, displays a negative number, or is otherwise unable to accurately display the score. Originates from early games that had limitations on the number that could be displayed as a score, such as pinball with a limited number of analog or digital number places, or video game systems with limited numbers of bytes. If a player's score exceeded that limit, it would cause an integer overflow, causing the display to 'roll over' and start again at the minimum possible score, or sometimes a negative number in 8-bit video games.
The process of modifying a ROM image of a video game to alter the game's graphics, dialogue, levels, gameplay, or other elements. This is usually done by technically inclined video-game fans to make an old game more fresh, as a creative outlet, or to create entirely new experiences using the old game as a base "engine".
room
1. A small, open area in a map, typically self-contained, surrounded by walls and connected to adjacent rooms by doors. In many cases, specific types of entities such as enemies cannot travel between rooms, while the player can. Rooms are often used to reduce lag by only loading the entities in the player's current room, ‘pausing’ all other rooms.
2. In adventure games, any discrete exterior or interior area in a map connected to other areas by exits.[134]Text adventure game worlds usually consist of interconnected rooms navigated by compass directions with variations such as up, down, enter and exit.[135] In text-and-graphic adventure games, illustrations accompany the rooms' text descriptions.[136]Point-and-click adventure games feature illustrated rooms which the player can interact with using the pointer.[137]
room-over-room
The placement of a room directly above another room. This was impossible to achieve with the Doom engine which did mapping in 2D, with height variance done via numbers. In true 3D game engines to follow, such as those using the Quake engine, room-over-room became an easy effect to accomplish.
1. A game mechanic resulting from dynamic game difficulty balancing that alters the rules of the game to keep the game competitive and fun. Most notable in racing games, where human players may easily outdistance computer opponents; when this happens, the computer opponents are often given the ability to go faster than normal or to avoid certain obstacles as to allow them to catch up and outpace the player. The effect is likened to stretching and releasing a rubber band between the player and the computer opponent. This effect may also apply to human players as well, with the game providing (often unstated) handicaps for losing players to stay competitive.[citation needed]
2. The result of network latency during a multiplayer game; when the player's location is updated client-side, but the server does not immediately register the change, a player's character may 'bounce' to the appropriate location when the client and server finally synchronize. See lag.
rush
A tactic in strategy games where the player sacrifices economic development in favor of using many low-cost fast/weak units to rush and overwhelm an enemy by attrition or sheer numbers.[citation needed] Can also be used to refer to a quick "rush" onto an objective or point, with the intention to overwhelm by surprise or speed.
S
S Rank
An achievement awarded to a player in a single level, song, round, or stage by finishing them without "Miss" or any mistakes, or taking damage, or for getting the highest scores or percentage cleared (usually above 90% or 98%).
The term can mean a high rating level or a rarity of an item or character within the confines of the game (as valuated by the developer), but it is also used by players in tier lists to refer to the top of the video game meta.
A game with a gameplay element that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks towards a goal within the game, if such a goal exists. Some games exist as pure sandbox games with no objectives; these are also known as non-games or software toys. Very common examples of sandbox games are ones where the player has the ability to create, modify, or destroy their environment, i.e., a game that includes some form of a game creation system. The term alludes to a child's sandbox where the child can create and destroy with no given objective. While 'open world' and 'sandbox' are sometimes used interchangeably (or with only the implication of 'sandbox' being smaller), the terms refer to different concepts and are not synonymous.
save point
A place in the game world of a video game where the player's progress in the game can be saved. Often, when the player dies or receives a Game Over, their progress will be reset back to the last Save Point that they used. Some games do not have specific save points, allowing the player to save at any point.
The manipulation of game save states to gain an advantage during play or achieve a particular outcome from unpredictable events.[138] It is used, for example, in Roguelike games that automatically delete any save files when the player-character dies or in games that use an RNG system to calculate bonuses or item drops in order to achieve an optimal outcome.
A file or similar data storage method that stores the state of the game in non-volatile memory, enabling the player to shut down the gaming system and then later restart the device and load the saved game state to continue playing from where they saved. Saved games may also be used to store the game's state before a difficult area that, should the player-character die, the player can try again without penalty.
screen cheat
The act of looking at other players' areas of the screen when playing split-screen multiplayer, giving the screen cheater an unfair advantage. The 2014 game Screencheat derives both its name and core gameplay from this act.
A mode of gameplay that challenges the player to earn the highest score possible in a game level or through the whole game.
scuffed
Poor quality.
season
1. The full set of downloadable content that is planned to be added to a video game, which can be entirely purchased with a season pass
2. A finite period of time in a massively multiplayer online game in which new content, such as themes, rules, modes, et cetera, becomes available, sometimes replacing prior time-limited content. Notable games that use this system include Star Wars: Battlefront II and Fortnite Battle Royale.
A purchase made in addition to the cost of the base game that generally enables the purchaser access to all downloadable content that is planned for that title without further cost.
second-party developer
A developer which, despite not being owned by a console maker nonetheless produces games solely for that maker's consoles. Often they have a special arrangement involved. Due to the ambiguity from the player's perspective, these developers are often referred to as first-party developers. Games developed by second-party developers are often called 'second-party games.'
A player character that is only available to the player after meeting some sort of requirement; such as beating the game, completing optional challenges, entering cheat codes or even hacking the game (as some secret characters may be intended to not be in the game, but are still present in the game's code). Secret characters may initially appear as NPCs.[citation needed]
A game level that is only accessible to the player by completing specific tasks within the game; these tasks are rarely described in detail to the player, if at all, and are often only found through exploration and trial and error, or even by hacking, if the level was not intended to be in the game, but is still present in the game's code. Compare with bonus stage.
Manipulating a game to carry out events out of their intended order. Sequence breaking can be used to speedrun a game, obtain desirable items earlier in a game's story than intended, unlock content faster, or induce other glitches that may be utilised for advantageous means.
shoot 'em up (SHMUP)
A sub-genre of the shooter genre, where a single, usually mobile character has to shoot at enemies while all of the enemies attacking or moving toward it. The player character will typically have no allies, is extremely fragile, has little non-hazardous terrain to deal with, lacks any reload time for their basic weapon, and will gain power-ups to improve their abilities. Strongly associated with spaceships, but other player characters may be used. Sometimes conflated with shooters in general. Contains the bullet hell sub-genre
A larger button usually placed on the rear or top of a gamepad that is usually pressed or held down with the index or middle finger. It can also be used as a modifier for certain actions performed with analog stick movement or face button presses.
show mode
See attract mode.
side-scrolling video game
Also side-scroller.
A game in which the action is viewed from a side-view camera angle and the screen follows the player as they move.
A game genre that simulates some aspect of reality and is usually open-ended with no intrinsic goal. Inclusive definitions allow for any video game that models reality, such as sports games, while exclusive definitions generally focus on city-building games, vehicle simulation games, or both.[139]
simcade
A term for a simulator that combines its serious elements with the fun factor of an arcade video game.[140] Often used as a derogatory term by opponents of certain videogames.
A game that can only have one player at a time. Compare with multiplayer.
sistering
The act of two or more guilds banding together to become stronger. This is done to make certain tasks easier with frequent cooperation between guilds, and more.
skill tree
A simplified example of a skill tree structure, in this case for the usage of firearms
A character-development gaming mechanic typically seen in role-playing games. A skill tree consists of a series of skills (sometimes known as perks) which can be earned as the player levels up or otherwise progresses their player-character. These skills grant gameplay benefits; for example, giving the character the ability to perform a new action, or giving a boost to one of the character's stats.[141]A skill tree is called a "tree" because it uses a tiered system and typically branches out into multiple paths. A tiered skill tree will require a player to achieve certain skills before the next tier of skills become available. The player may be required to achieve all skills in one tier before moving on to the next, or may only be required to complete prerequisites for individual branches. Skill trees are a common tool used for in-game balancing by game designers. Skill trees also offer a "game within a game" in which players are not only playing a video game, but their decisions on how they allocate points into their skill trees will affect their overall gaming experience.[141]The action roleplaying game Diablo II, released in 2000, is often cited as the true innovator of in-depth skill trees.[141]
skin
A customization option for a player's in-game avatar or equipment that changes its appearance. Skins are featured as part of metagame loot drops, with most games rewarding them based on scarcity or by awarding skins for completing certain objectives or placing high in competitive modes. This enables players to display rare achievements or high skill level.
Skins can also be obtained through in-app purchases or from game currency, depending on the game and the developer's monetization methodology. In gacha games, for instance, skins of some characters may require the purchase of a bundle, while others are more easily accessible through spending diamonds acquired in the game instead of the player's cash.
Skins may be only decorative, or they can also provide the character with stat boosts.
skirmish mode
A game mode in which players can fight immediate battles without having to go through the linear, story-based campaign mode. It is popular in real-time strategy games.[142]
SMP
See survival multiplayer.
smurf
In online multiplayer games that use matchmaking, a new or much lower-ranked account used by an experienced player in order to be matched with a new and inexperienced opponent who can be easily defeated. The concept is similar to hustling and sandbagging that can be found in gambling and board games.[143][144]See also twinking.
snowballing
A situation where a player or faction is able to leverage a small advantage into a larger and larger advantage. An example of a snowball effect.[145][146]
A situation where further progress in a game becomes impossible, but the game itself does not crash (or hard lock). An example of a no-win situation, softlocks can occur as the result of glitches in gameplay, the use of corruptors, sequence breaking, or as a result of poor game design.
A page or option in which the game makes noise to confirm that the player's audio equipment is working and at a good volume. Usually known for containing the soundtrack and sound effects of a video game, with the ability to freely listen to them being a secondary function.
A game genre based on gameplay from the Dark Souls series, typically where character death due to the high level of difficulty is a core mechanic.
spamming
Repeated use of the same item or action (e.g. chat message, combo, weapon). Often used generally to describe such repeated uses, but sometimes used pejoratively when the item or action is considered overpowered or annoying, such as an overreliance on rocket launchers in shooter games.
The place where a character or item is placed in the game world. Also see respawn.
spawn camping
See camping.
spawn killing
In PvP games, the act of killing other players in their spawn, often immediately after they have spawned. Usually looked down upon as unfair for not giving opposing players a chance, though some gamers defend it as a legitimate strategy. Many games have features to prevent spawn killing, such as temporary invincibility or barriers preventing enemies from entering or attacking in spawns. A component of, but not entirely the same as, spawn camping.
spectator mode
1. A game mode that allows a player to view the world without restrictions, but without being able to interact with the game world in any way.
2. A game mode that allows a player to view the world from another player's perspective.
specialization
A means of selecting certain options—such as a character, weapon, vehicle, or other in-game item—during the course of a game for a specific function, as opposed to selecting a specific character class at the start of the game. Such specialization allows that entity to have access to unique skills or options for that type while denying them access to other options. Some games allow players to re-specialize past choices for some in-game cost and pursue a different specialization. See also theorycraft.
specs
Short for specifications, used to describe the details of a player's stats, gear, or build.
An attempt to complete a game as fast as possible. Depending on the rules for the speedrun, players may exploit glitches or bugs in the game to speed their progress.[147]
splash damage
Although only the blue player in the center takes a direct hit, everyone within the circle takes splash damage. The damage may decrease further from the point of impact; this is known as damage falloff.
Attacks with an explosive or other area-of-effect component deal splash damage, affecting the area around the attack's impact. Splash damage is particularly useful against game targets that dodge well. However, splash damage weapons are also dangerous since they can damage the shooter and are not preferred in close-quarters combat. Such weapons are typically aimed at an opponent's feet; this ensures that the impact point is near enough for splash damage to cover the opponent in the event that the shot misses.[148] Usually splash damage is separate from the damage of a direct hit with an attack, and the two may or may not both affect the target. Often there is damage falloff, meaning the further away from the center of the attack a target is, the lower the splash damage.
A game that presents two or more views seen by different players in a multiplayer game on the same display unit.
spray and pray
The act of blindly firing an automatic weapon with the intent of potentially hitting the target; tends to be ineffective.[149]
squeaker
A usually derogatory term that refers to young gamers that use voice chat, the word referring to their high-pitched voice as a result of them not having hit puberty yet.
stage
See level.
stat point
A discrete number of points for the player to distribute among their character's attributes, e.g., to choose their player's trade-offs between strength, charisma, and stamina.[150][self-published source?]
stat squish
A practice of scaling down numbers, commonly score or health points, damage or healing values, or item levels, in the aftermath of a stat inflation as numbers get exponentially large and more difficult for the player to conceptualize. The practice is most common in MMORPGs, and the World of Warcraft is notable for having several stat squishes.[151]
An overarching term that covers both buffs and debuffs. Essentially, any effect to a character that is outside of the normal baseline is a status effect. Common negative status effects are poisoning (damage over time), petrification/paralysis (inability to move), or armor/damage reduction (lowering of defensive/offensive abilities). Common positive status effects include a heal-over-time (a small, pulsing heal that triggers multiple times over a set period), armor/damage increases, or speed increases.
Printed or online manuals that are written to guide players through a game, typically offering maps, lists of equipment, moves, abilities, enemies, and secrets, and providing tips and hints for effective play strategies.
A game genre which emphasizes consideration and planning to achieve victory. Subgenres include real-time strategy, turn-based strategy and wargames.
stream-sniping
When a player watches another (usually professional) player livestream a game to locate their position and/or their plans and gain the upper hand on them. This practice most commonly occurs in online multiplayer games and is generally frowned upon.
Video and audio that is continuously fed from a server to a client and presented to the end user. In gaming, this may be used to watch a live or recorded Let's Play demonstration of a game, or to play a game through cloud gaming.
stun lock
A situation whereby the player character cannot act for a long period of time due to being periodically stunned. Often caused by being staggered by repeated attacks from multiple enemies.
subgame
See minigame.
superboss
An optional super powerful boss, typically more powerful and harder to beat than the game's main final boss.
A type of game mode in co-operative multiplayer games. Players work together to defend one or more objectives or simply to have at least one man standing as they fight through discrete waves of enemies, with each subsequent wave featuring more numerous and powerful enemies. Such modes often include elements of tower defense games where players can deploy defensive tools such as turrets or traps to injure or slow enemies. The game may offer short periods between waves where players can spend in-game currency or similar points to improve their defenses, their equipment, or similar boosts. Horde modes can be based on a fixed number of waves or in an endless mode where players attempt to last as long as possible.
survival multiplayer
A multiplayer game mode where players start out with no items, a health bar, and are able to die (as opposed to creative mode, where players are immortal). Commonly used to refer to Minecraft servers, but can otherwise be used to refer to any similar game mode in any game. A well-known example is the Dream SMP.
sweat
Also sweaty, sweatlord.
A derogatory term used to refer to players with a highly competitive attitude, typically in situations where such an attitude is uncalled for or unnecessary. Synonymous with tryhard.[152]
A positioning of a character model in a video game with the character standing upright and arms up to the side. Typically used as a default position for 3D character models, this is often seen in games as a glitch or result of software bugs.[153]
tank
Also meat shield.
A character with abilities or equipment to have high health and damage mitigation that draws aggro from opponents and receives enemy attacks so that teammates can concentrate on their attacks or objectives. Common in MMORPGs.
A character movement control system in which up and down directional inputs move the player character forward or backward, while sideways directional inputs rotates the character, similar to how a tank's movement is controlled.
targeting
Also tunneling.
A strategy used in online games where the player continuously kills or attacks the same opponent, ignoring the others surrounding them. It is often seen as unsportsmanlike behaviour in gaming.
taunt
A tactic and an effect used during turn-based fights in which a character (usually with high defense or hit points (HP) – see Tank) tricks opponents into attacking him/herself instead of the rest of the team.
2. A move in a fighting game where one player presses a specific input or inputs to make their character play an animation which usually deals no damage and serves merely to mock their opponent.
teabagging
A type of action used in multiplayer games where a victorious player-character repeatedly crouches down and stands back up (functions that are a common part of standard gameplay) over the head of knocked down or dead opponent, simulating the sexual act of the same name. The act is usually considered disrespectful and provocative, intended to irritate their opponents and make them act irrationally. While the act of teabagging is generally associated with first or third-person shooters, similar actions in other game genres have become synomous with teabagging.[154]
Team Ace
A term exclusive to Valorant where each individual member of one team killed one individual member of the opposing team.[7]
team deathmatch
See deathmatch.
teamkill
The killing of teammates through destruction or damage done to allies, such as through deliberate shooting of teammates. Teamkilling is often identified as unsportsmanlike behavior.[155]
A branching series of technologies that can be researched in strategy games, to customize the player's faction. See also skill tree.
telefrag
A frag or kill which occurs when a player uses a teleporter to get to a location occupied by another character. This character is killed and the player-character landing on them is granted credit for the kill.
1. Animations or similar visual and audible indicators that indicate to a player what actions an opponent will take. Often used as part of computer-controlled artificial intelligence to help the player avoid or block attacks or make counter-attacks.
2. In multiplayer games, the actions a player does, revealing to their opponent or opponents what attack they may do next. Usually considered a sign of predictability, but for some characters it may be necessary.
test room
A secret level that is used by developers to test the movements, actions and control of a game's player character(s). They are usually removed or hidden from regular access before the game is released.
The analysis of a video game to mathematically determine the most-optimal approach to winning the game, typically in games that feature a number of player-character attributes that are enumerated. One common type of theorycraft is determining how to best maximize damage per second through selection of equipment and skills. See also min-maxing.
third party
When two teams or players are in a fight and a third team or player attempts to kill one or both of the teams. The term was likely popularized in battle royale games such as Fortnite but is also used in first-person shooters.
A type of puzzle video game where the player manipulates tiles in order to make them disappear according to a matching criterion. If this number is three, the game is called a match-3 game.
tilt
When a player gets angry at someone or something, often resulting in reduced quality of play.[24]
A game mode that challenges player(s) to complete a level or the game within a fixed amount of game time or in the fastest time possible. Often, the best times are recorded for other players to see.
timed exclusive
When a game releases exclusively for one platform but may release for other platforms when the exclusivity period expires.[156][157]
time to kill
The average amount of time it takes to kill an opponent. Commonly used in first-person shooters, especially tactical shooters, where it is typically representative of how much damage or shots a character can take before dying, and thus also the game's realism.[158]
The initial screen of a computer, video, or arcade game after the credits and logos of the game developer and publisher are displayed. Early title screens often included all the game options available (single player, multiplayer, configuration of controls, etc.) while modern games have opted for the title screen to serve as a splash screen. This can be attributed to the use of the title screen as a loading screen, in which to cache all the graphical elements of the main menu. Older computer and video games had relatively simple menu screens that often featured pre-rendered artwork.
In arcade games, the title screen is shown as part of the attract mode loop, usually after a game demonstration is played. The title screen and high score list urge potential players to insert coins. In console games, especially if the screen is not merged with the main menu, it urges the player to press start. Similarly, in computer games, the message "Hit any key" is often displayed. Controls that lack an actual "Start" button use a different prompt; the Wii, for example, usually prompts the player to press both letter buttons on the Wii Remote simultaneously, as in Super Mario Galaxy 2 or Mario Party 9. Fan-made games often parody the style of the title that inspired them.
A form of user input that relies on physical touch, rather than a mouse, keyboard or other control method.
toxicity
Slang for the actions of a rude and unwelcoming gamer or gaming community that detriments the experience for other players or developers. Almost universally viewed negatively across gaming, some game developers take measures to stymie toxicity in their games.[159]
tower dive
Commonly used in MOBAs to define the act of going into range of the opponent's tower, a defensive structure that damages its opponents, to kill low-health targets.[160]
A form of a video game controller, most often found on arcade game cabinets, in which the player uses a freely-rotating ball to interact with the game.
transmogrification or transmog
Changing the appearance of gear, such as weapons and armor, typically to that of functionally equivalent gear.[161][162]
trash
1. A term meaning bad or poor, often used to insult a player(s) in online PvP games, but also used for items, spells, etc.
2. Commonly used in MMORPGs to refer to groups of non-boss enemies. Particularly in dungeons/ areas leading up to boss fights.
trickjump
Any type of unusual jump that demonstrates skill and expertise, often considered an exploit that was unforeseen by the game's creators.[163]
triple A
See AAA.
triple jump
Being able to jump twice in mid-air after leaving the ground, and must then typically touch the ground before being able to mid-air jump again. See also double jump.
tryhard
A type of gamer who tries very hard and being extremely serious at all times while gaming. Also known as playing sweaty.
A gameplay strategy that emphasizes heavy defense, with little or no offense. A player who turtles minimizes risk to themselves while baiting opponents to take risks in trying to overcome the defenses.
A practice in MMORPGs of equipping a low-level character with items or resources not normally available to new characters, by transfer from high-level characters.[106]
A character, item, tactic, or ability considered to be too weak to be a balanced element of gameplay.
underworld
A collection of isolated dungeon-, cave-, or hell-like levels which are connected by an open overworld.
unlockable
A piece of content that is obtained in-game by fulfilling certain conditions. These are sometimes represented in-game or represented through a platform-wide system of achievements. Such content can be purely cosmetic, a game mechanic, tool, character, a separate video game, and more. They are sometimes hidden Easter eggs.[164]
ultimate
Ultimate attacks or abilities (or ults) that a character may possess, often those that are the strongest or that deal the most damage.[165]
upgrade
A game mechanic to make a given item, character, etc. more powerful. Equipment is commonly upgraded through crafting while a character upgrade may be an alternative to advancing a character level.
V
VAC
An abbreviation of Valve Anti-Cheat, Valve Corporation's cheat detection software. Players who are caught using cheats on a VAC-secured server will be issued a VAC ban, banning them from VAC-secured servers for that particular game in the future and putting a mark on their Steam profile that can't be hidden from public view. VAC bans are permanent, non-negotiable, and cannot be removed by Steam Support.[166] Players who have gotten a VAC ban are sometimes referred to as going on a "permanent VACation".[167][168]
A term used to describe the economy in a video game, for example such as gold and auction house in Old School RuneScape money can be used to buy in game gear,all the way to in game cosmetics.
An interactive computer-generated experience taking place within a simulated environment. Used in video gaming primarily to describe a VR-based video game or a VR option for an otherwise non-VR video game.
A genre of video games with interactive stories. These games typically use static imagery, anime-styled character art (thanks in part to the popularity of the genre in Japan), and detailed backgrounds, with character dialogue presented in text boxes. Players may alter the path of the story by choosing from dialog trees or a small list of actions.
W
waggle
A pejorative term when one must shake a controller to do an action, regardless of how the controller is shaken. Usually implies that the controller needs to be shaken wildly. Sometimes extended to motion controls in general, ignoring any precision required.
A term sometimes used to classify exploration games, which generally involve exploring an environment for story and narrative but with few, if any, puzzles or gameplay elements. May be considered derogatory but is often used as a neutral term.
walkthrough
A description of the gameplay experience for a level or playthrough, intended to guide players who are unsure how to complete it.[15]See also strategy guide.
wall bang
Also wall banging.
In first or third person shooters, the act of shooting someone through a wall or object with bullets or other projectiles that have penetration. Made a popular term by games such as Counter-Strike and Call of Duty.
wall climb
The ability for a video game character to rapidly scale a vertical wall or similar surface, typically as part of the character's passive abilities, but may be aided with a tool such as a grappling hook. This often appears in platform games alongside abilities like wall jumping and double jumping.
wall jump
A jump performed off of a vertical surface to propel the player higher in the opposite direction. Wall jumps can be done between two tight walls in quick succession to climb vertically in some games, though some games such as Mega Man X and Transformice allow you to continuously jump on a single wall. As a special jump, it is sometimes an acquired skill instead of available from the game's start.[79]: 102
A cheat that makes walls translucent.[13]: 119 Some wallhacks let players shoot weapons or physically pass through walls.[13]: 120 See noclip.
wall run
The ability for a video game character to appear to run along a vertical wall for a short distance without falling off. Common in games featuring parkour-type movement.
A game mechanic popularized by the Grand Theft Auto series and used in many Grand Theft Auto clone games. A player's actions in an open-world game may cause non-player characters, often representing law enforcement, to chase the player, with the response becoming more significant at higher wanted levels. The wanted level persists unless the player can elude these opponents, or if the character dies, eliminating the wanted level. Compare to aggro.
A common control-mechanism using a typical QWERTY keyboard, with the W, A, S, and D keys bound to movement controls. This allows arrow key-like control with the left hand.
wave
In game genres or modes where player(s) are to defend a point or stay alive as long as possible, enemies are commonly grouped into "waves" (sometimes referred to as levels). When one wave of enemies is defeated, player(s) are typically given a short period to prepare for the next wave.
whale
In free-to-play games, a user who spends a considerable amount of real-world money for in-game items, rather than acquiring said items through grinding or playing the game normally. These players are typically seen as the largest segment for revenue production for free-to-play titles. Exceptionally high spenders may be called white whales[169][170] or leviathans. Borrowed from gambling jargon; a 'whale', in that context, is a person who makes extravagant wagers or places reckless bets.
wipe
An attack from the boss in which the said boss completely knocks out the entire party. Mostly in massively multiplayer online role-playing games.
world
A series of levels that share a similar environment or theme. A boss fight will typically happen once all or most of these levels are completed rather than after each individual level.
world compression
The representation of a world on a much smaller scale than is realistic. For example, in many role-playing games, it is possible for the player character to walk across a continent in sometimes under a minute, and the player character may appear to be several kilometers tall given the relative scale. This is not the same as the player being much larger than the icon for a town or other settlement, but rather that a distance which is given as hundreds of kilometers appears to be much smaller. In some cases, such as in Final Fantasy VIII, trains will run between towns despite the visibly short distance. For voxel games such as Minecraft, the in-game narrative may refer to a distance as being tens of kilometers away, while the actual distance may be accurately measured by counting only a few hundred blocks understood to each be one meter across.
A technique that allows a player to move in a straight line and get back to where they started.[clarification needed] This was often used in older games to make it seem that the player is moving up or down an extremely high hill; memory can be saved by using wrapping instead of creating a larger area filled with impassable walls. Wrapping is also used to make a 2D game world round; for example, in PacMan exiting the game screen to the right wraps the player to the same position on the left side of the screen. Similarly, in Final Fantasy VII, exiting the game map to the right wraps the player to the same position on the left side of the map, and exiting the map to the top wraps the player to the bottom of the map.
Tactic in strategy games in which the player uses overwhelming numbers of inexpensive, disposable units rather than skill or strategy.[15] The term comes from the Zerg, a race in StarCraft that uses numerical advantage to overwhelm opponents. See also rush.
zero-day patch
A software security patch that fixes a Zero-day vulnerability. See: Zero-day and 0-day warez.
A game that has no sentient players and only has CPUs.[171]
zone
1. A section of a MUD or MMO's shared environment within which communications may be limited or game mechanics altered to encourage certain types of gameplay.
2. A synonym for world, most popularly used within the Sonic the Hedgehog series.
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