คำว่า "Point-blank area of effect" (PBAoE) เป็นคำที่ใช้ไม่บ่อยนัก หมายถึงพื้นที่ที่ได้รับผลกระทบอยู่ตรงกลางตัวละครที่ใช้สกิลนั้น ไม่ใช่ตำแหน่งที่ผู้เล่นเลือกเอง
จุดตรวจสอบ (Checkpoint) คือพื้นที่ในด่านที่ผู้เล่นจะใช้เริ่มด่านใหม่ในครั้งต่อไปที่ตาย แทนที่จะต้องเริ่มด่านใหม่ตั้งแต่ต้น โดยปกติแล้วจุดตรวจสอบจะคงอยู่จนกว่าผู้เล่นจะผ่านด่านหรือแพ้ ( Game Over )
คำย่อของ "flavor of the month" หมายถึงเมตาใหม่ที่เกิดขึ้นหลังจากการอัปเดต ทำให้คลาสหรือบิลด์บางอย่างเป็นที่ต้องการมากขึ้น ซึ่งจะคงอยู่เพียงช่วงเวลาสั้นๆ วลีนี้มีต้นกำเนิดมาจาก ชุมชน World of Warcraftแต่ก็มีการใช้ในเกม MOBA ด้วยเช่นกัน[ 75 ]
รูปแบบธุรกิจที่เกมถูกซื้อขายเพียงครั้งเดียวในฐานะผลิตภัณฑ์สำเร็จรูป ซึ่งจะได้รับการอัปเดตเนื้อหาเพิ่มเติมเพียงเล็กน้อยหรือไม่ได้รับการอัปเดตเลย ต่างจากเกมในรูปแบบบริการ (Games as a Service)ที่เกมจะได้รับการอัปเดตเนื้อหาอย่างต่อเนื่องในระยะยาวด้วยรูปแบบรายได้ที่สม่ำเสมอ
Game of The Yearเป็นคำย่อของ Game Of The Year ซึ่งเป็นรางวัลเกมที่มอบให้เป็นประจำทุกปีโดยงานอีเวนต์และสื่อต่างๆ แก่เกมที่พวกเขาพิจารณาว่าดีที่สุดในปีนั้นๆ รางวัล Game of the Year มักแบ่งออกเป็นหมวดหมู่ย่อยและมีผู้ชนะโดยรวม
โหมดเทพ
สูตรโกงที่ทำให้ตัวละครของผู้เล่นไม่สามารถถูกโจมตีได้[ 15 ] : 119 บางครั้งจะเพิ่มความสามารถในการต้านทาน ซึ่งผู้เล่นสามารถทำร้ายศัตรูได้โดยการสัมผัส (เช่นSuper Mario Super Star ) [ 95 ] : 357 ผลกระทบอาจเป็นเพียงชั่วคราว[ 96 ]
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 "".
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 title
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.
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.[107]
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.
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.[108]
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).
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.[109][110] A life may similarly be defined as the period between the start and end of play for any character, from creation to destruction.[111]
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
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.
lobby
An in-game area or menu in which players connect, congregate and/or plan before entering the game proper, for instance before beginning a match or embarking on a raid.
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.
Abbreviation for "level of detail". Refers to a graphical trick where more distant objects are rendered in a lower fidelity (e.g. lower poly, lower resolution textures) than closer objects in order to improve performance. When a change in LOD is noticeable, it is called pop-in.
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.
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.[112]
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.[113]
A graphical style defined by a small number of polygons used for each model. In the early days of 3D graphics, this style was used by necessity, as the hardware games ran on could not handle a high polygon count without a significant drop in performance. Nowadays, the style is used by many indie games who use it either to evoke the style of early 3D games or as a way to create a unique style at a low development cost.
LTE
Abbreviation for Limited Time Event. An event that requires players to complete a set of goals within a deadline to obtain a reward. Prizes often range from exclusive characters and skins, to items and currencies. Some games allow for goals to be skipped using premium currency. LTEs are most commonly found in gacha games.
1. The handling of larger scale decisions, primarily in real-time strategy games.
2. A 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.
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.
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. Clipping of metagame. .
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.[17]
Metroidbrainia
A genre of games, where progress is limited by the player's current comprehension of the game world, rather than in-game ability.[117] Where revisiting previous areas re-contextualizes perceived physical barriers into puzzles and riddles to be solved.
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.
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 or enemy players. .
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.[118] 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.[119]
2. Playing the meta, at possible detriment to the story 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.
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.
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.
modpack
A collection of mods devised to work together to achieve an enhanced or redefined gameplay experience. Modpacks can come in varying dedicated categories depending on the game they're based on, with more universal examples being modpacks tailored towards general content addition or performance enhancement.
A post-processing effect that emphasizes movement and speed by adding a blur effect to the game camera.
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.[25]
mount
Any creature or vehicle the player can use to traverse or use in combat. The arcade game Joust was the first to feature mounts, specifically of an ostrich and a stork.
mouselook
moveset
The set of moves or actions that a character can perform
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.[120]
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.[121][122]
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.
A change, usually a patch, intended to weaken a particular item, tactic, ability, or character, ostensibly for balancing purposes. Contrast with buff.[123]
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.[15]: 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.
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.[124] "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.[125] 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.[126]
old-school gaming
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 of a weapon or use of an ability.
2. When a character is 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.[127]
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.[128]
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, especially in multiplayer games where multiple players pick the same character.
paper doll
A visual representation of the player character's currently used equipment, in which the items are displayed on top of an image of the character.
party
1. In a cooperative multiplayer game, a team of players working together to complete the same mission or quest.
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 and action video games performed by precisely timing a defensive maneuver or block. Parries usually fully negate damage from the attack, and may reflect the attack or put the opponent at a momentary disadvantage. In return for these potential advantages, parries often present a risk-reward dynamic in which missing the precise timing leaves the user open to more damage than they would have suffered using a normal block.
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. .
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 through a menu, such as adjusting options, saving the current game 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
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 the player or someone in the current lobby they 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 five opposing players in rapid succession, resulting in a team elimination. Comparable to ace.
How well a game runs in terms of frame rate. Generally, a game that is considered performant has a frame rate that is both high and consistent in all areas of the game.
peripheral
An optional hardware component for a video game system.[129]
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.
1. In online games, the network latency between the client and server. 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 (as a part of a ping system).)
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.[134]
A graphical style where images are constructed primarily with pixels. Typically, this style includes a low pixel count and a restricted color palette so that individual pixels are easily distinguishable. Early video games used pixel art as a limitation of their hardware, but the style is still used in many games, primarily indie games, either as a cost-effective way of creating a unique style or as a way of evoking a retro aesthetic.
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.[135] The text-adventure version of this problem is called "guess-the-verb" or "syntax puzzle".
pixel-perfect
Used to describe an in-game action that must be performed while 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.
PK
Short for "player kill" or "player killing", it is an act in an online game where a player kills another player's character. While PvP is a broad term encompassing any game mode where players fight each other, PK often refers to a more specific, and sometimes negative, aspect of PvP, particularly when players target others who are not actively engaged in PvP combat.
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.[17]
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.
play
When the performance of a player is decisive, skillful, or otherwise noteworthy, the events or actions of the player as a whole are referred to as a "play" (e.g. "Nice play dude").
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.
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 is not communicated clearly, and which gameplay elements are 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 are being supported. The term pocket refers either to the supporting player, or the supported player.
pog/poggers
From PogChamp, a slang term meaning great or awesome, to describe something in a video game.
point of no return
A point in a game from which the player cannot return to previous areas.
pop-in
A noticeable change in an in-game graphical element's LOD.
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.
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.
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.[136] 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.[137]
A programming technique used by video game developers to automate the creation of video game levels and the game world, as opposed to the manual creation of levels and the game world, by hand. Programmers create algorithms which use computer-generated randomness to artificially create elements in a video game.
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.[138]
professional gaming
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.[17]
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
PvP
pwn
To dominate an opponent, usually another player.[139]
Q
QA
QQ
An emoji that looks like a pair of teary eyes. Used as a taunt that means "cry more".[140] 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.[141] The phrase blew up so much, it made its way out of the Warcraft community and eventually evolved into "cry more".
QTE
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 fundamental aspects of the game's presentation, narrative, or gameplay.[142][143][144]
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.[145]
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.
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 or enemy players.
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 game
A genre designed to cause anger and frustration in the player, using unintuitive controls, unforeseeable obstacles, unfair challenges 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
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.[147]
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.
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.[148]
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 significant changes to characters, settings, gameplay, or the overall story, while still keeping identifiable elements of the original games. A reboot may also tie into or follow on from the original games directly whilst still intended to be a "starting point" for the series in question, this is sometimes referred to as a soft reboot.[149]
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.[150][149]
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.[150][149]
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 or as a form of harassment to damage a games standing.
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. When players can perform this on themselves, this is sometimes known as a self-rez.
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.[151]
1. 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. 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.
2. Games using procedurally-generated levels and permanent death that employ a wide variety of mechanics and visual styles not used by traditional, tile-based roguelikes. The term "Roguelite" is sometimes used to describe these types of games to differentiate them from traditional roguelikes.
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 player takes on the role of a character or party of characters. These games focus on their advancement (such as increasing their level or gaining new abilities) and often use them to tell a detailed story.
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.[152]Text adventuregame worlds usually consist of interconnected rooms navigated by compass directions with variations such as up, down, enter and exit.[153] In text-and-graphic adventure games, illustrations accompany the rooms' text descriptions.[154]Point-and-click adventure games feature illustrated rooms which the player can interact with using the pointer.[155]
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.
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.
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. 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.[156] 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.
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.
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.
A genre of video game that involves using ranged weapons.[99]
shoto
In fighting games, a character who has a projectile, an anti-air attack, and an attack that moves them forward. The term originates from the Street Fighter series, where Ryu and Ken were the first characters to use this moveset.
A poor quality, low-budget video game, often developed quickly alongside a large quantity of other shovelware. These often have a licensed property associated with them to increase their chances of being bought by an unsuspecting customer.
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
side-scrolling video game
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.[157]
simcade
A term for a simulator that combines its serious elements with the fun factor of an arcade video game.[158] Often used as a derogatory term by opponents of certain videogames.
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 issue
A derogatory term that implies an opponent player is unskilled. Can be used to dismiss complaints about a game or to trash-talk an opponent. [159]
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.[160] 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.[160] Some games allow for respecing while with others the changes are permanent. The action roleplaying game Diablo II, released in 2000, is often cited as the true innovator of in-depth skill trees.[160]
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.[161]
SMP
See
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.[162][163]
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.[164][165]
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. Sierra was well-known to purposely implement softlock situations into their games.[166]
sound test
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.
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
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.
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.[167]
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.[168] 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 2D image used as a part of a larger graphical scene. Typically, sprites define all objects and entities within games that use 2D graphics, but they are sometimes also used in earlier 2.5D and 3D games.
squeaker
A usually derogatory term that refers to young tween and preteen gamers that use voice chat, the word referring to their high-pitched voice as a result of them not having hit puberty yet.
stage
stamina
1. A resource that allows the player to use certain types of physically exerting actions, such as running and attacking, that typically replenishes over time.
2. A type of stat that governs a character's ability to take damage, either raising their health or increasing their defense.
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.[170]
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 World of Warcraft is notable for having several stat squishes.[171]
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 or 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
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
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.[172]
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.[173]
A character with high health and abilities or equipment that mitigate damage, draw aggro from opponents, and/or receive 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
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.[174]
team 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.[175]
A branching series of technologies that can be researched in strategy games, to customize the player's faction. .
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. .
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 hierarchical organization of various gameplay elements, such as characters, classes, weapons, or abilities, organized into "tiers" based on their perceived usefulness. An element placing in the top or bottom tiers of this list can be called top-tier or bottom-tier, respectively, with similar terminology describing elements as high-tier, mid-tier, or low-tier.
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.[26]
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.[176][177]
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.[178]
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.[179]
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.[180]
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.
Changing the appearance of gear, such as weapons and armor, typically to that of functionally equivalent gear.[181][182]
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.[183]
triple A
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.
tryhard
An insult that means a gamer is ruining the fun of the game due to an inordinate obsession with winning.[184] Also known as playing sweaty.
True Last Boss (TLB)
Can be similar to a . Primarily in s, A boss in a game that is exceptionally difficult, and has specific requirements outside of a normal game clear that must be met in order to reach the boss.
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.[123]
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.
unfinished
Used to describe games that release in a very buggy state, or with missing/poor-quality content, such that it gives the impression of having been fully released before development was properly completed (whether or not this is the case). Compare beta release.
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.[185]
ultimate
Ultimate attacks or abilities (or ults) that a character may possess, often those that are the strongest or that deal the most damage. Ults often require an energy bar, charge meter, or other similar resource which must be filled before the ult can be used.[186]
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.[187] Players who have gotten a VAC ban are sometimes referred to as going on a "permanent VACation".[188][189]
A term used to describe the economy in a video game, for example, gold and the 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.[17]
wall bang
In first or third person shooters, the act of shooting someone through a wall or object with bullets or other projectiles that have the ability to penetrate an obstacle. 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 the player to repeatedly jump on a single wall. As a special jump, it is sometimes an acquired skill instead of available from the game's start.[95]: 102
A cheat that makes walls translucent.[15]: 119 Some wallhacks let players shoot weapons or physically pass through walls.[15]: 120
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.
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 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.
weekly
An in-game objective in live service games that offers optional rewards and can be completed every week.
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[190][191] or leviathans. Borrowed from gambling jargon; a 'whale', in that context, is a person who makes extravagant wagers or places reckless bets.
2. An event intentionally resetting all game progress or deleting the save file - i.e., after major updates in early access 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 principle for structuring a game world or portraying its map that allows a player to move in a straight line and get back to the point where they started moving, reaching it from the opposite direction, similar to walking along the circumference of a sphere in a straight line. 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 Pac-Man, 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.
X
ximmer
A term used to refer to console players who use an Xbox Input Machine (XIM) to use mouse-and-keyboard controls or other control units for games that do not officially support them. "Ximmer" is generally considered derogatory as this method is typically associated with cheating in multiplayer games, with such players having finer control over a game compared to a typical controller; however, this method also has valid uses to aid video game accessibility.[192][193]
Tactic in strategy games in which the player uses overwhelming numbers of inexpensive, disposable units rather than skill or strategy.[17] The term comes from the Zerg, a race in StarCraft that uses numerical advantage to overwhelm opponents.
zero-day patch
A software security patch that fixes a Zero-day vulnerability. See: Zero-day and 0-day warez.
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.
A fighting game strategy that involves continuously using long range attacks and projectiles. Characters who specialize in this type of play are called zoners.
