Glossaryofvideogameterms

FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Thisglossaryofvideogametermsliststhegeneralvideogameindustrytermsascommonlyusedin
Wikipediaarticles.
Contents
09ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

09
1up
Ingameswhereplayershaveanumberof"lives"tocompleteagameorlevel,anobjectortheact
ofgaininganextralife.Theterm"1UP"alsocommonlyreferredtoPlayernumber1.Twoplayer
gamesscoresweredisplayedas"1UP"and"2UP".
1v1
Abbreviationof1versus1,whichmeanstwoplayersbattlingagainsteachother.
8bit
Adescriptorforhardwareorsoftwarethataroseduringthethirdgenerationofvideogame
consoles,targeting8bitcomputerarchitecture.
16bit
Adescriptorforhardwareorsoftwarethataroseduringthefourthgenerationofvideogame
consoles,targeting16bitcomputerarchitecture.
2Dgraphics
Thegamefeatures2dimensionalobjects.
2.5Dgraphics
Agameconsistingof3Dgraphicssetina2Dplaneofmovement,whereobjectsoutsideofthis
2Dplanecanhaveaneffectonthegameplay.
32bit
Adescriptorforhardwareorsoftwarethataroseduringthefifthgenerationofvideogame
consoles,targeting32bitcomputerarchitecture.
3Dgraphics
3Dgraphics.Thegamefeatures3dimensionalobjects.
4X
Agenreofstrategicvideogames,shortfor"explore,expand,exploit,andexterminate".
64bit
Adescriptorforhardwareorsoftwarethataroseduringthefifthgenerationofvideogame
consoles,targeting64bitcomputerarchitecture.

A
AAA
Ahighbudgetgamewithalargedevelopmentteam,orgamestudiosthatmakethem.AAAgames
areusuallymultiplatform,havemultimilliondollarmarketingbudgets,andplantoselloverone
millioncopies.[1]
Abandonware
Theideaofagamebeingforgottenabout,orabandonedbythedevelopersformultipledifferent
reasons,onebeingcopyrightissues.[2]
Act
SeeLevel

Actionpoint(AP)
Asubunitofaplayer'sturn.Forexample,duringeachturn,aplayercantakeasetnumberof
actions,eachcostingapoint.[3][4]
Actionroleplayinggame(ARPG)
Agenreofroleplayingvideogameswherebattleactionsareperformedinrealtimeinsteadofa
turnbasedmechanic.
Actionsperminute(APM)
Thetotalnumberofactionstheplayercanperforminaminute.
ADS
AimingDownSights,or,AimDownSights.
ReferstothecommonalternatemethodoffiringaguninanFPS(shooter)game,typically
activatedbyclickingtherightmousebutton.Thereallifeanalogueiswhenapersonraisesarifle
upandplacesthestockjustinsidetheshoulderarea,andleanstheirheaddownsotheycanseein
astraightlinealongthetopoftherifle,throughbothoftheironsights,orascope,ifequipped.
Firingtheweaponthiswaygreatlyincreasesaccuracy,butcanlimitvision,situationalawareness
andmobility,anditalsotakesavariableamountoftimetochangetheweaponposition,depending
onthegame.
AFK
AbbreviationofAwayFromKeyboard.Generallysaidthroughachatfunctioninonline
multiplayergameswhenaplayeristemporarilyunavailableanddoingsomethingelse.
Aggro
SeeHate.Causingaggroistheactofperforming(usually)aggressiveactionsinavideogamein
ordertoattractattentionofNPCstodefeattheplayercharacter.Oftenusedingamingtogrind.
Aimbot(autoaim)
Afirstpersonshootercheatthatletsplayersshoototherplayercharacterswithoutaiming.Inmost
cases,thereticlelocksontoatargetwithintheplayer'slineofsightandtheplayeronlyhastopull
thetrigger.AimbotsareoneofthemostpopularcheatsinmultiplayerFPS,usedsince1996's
Quake.[5]
Alpharelease
Thealphaversionofagame.Thestageofdevelopmentbeforebeta.
AlwaysonDRM
Atypeofdigitalrightsmanagementthattypicallyrequirestheplayertobealwaysconnectedto
theInternettoplaythegame.
Analogstick
Asmallvariationofajoystick,usuallyplacedonagamecontrollertoallowaplayermorefluent
2dimensionalinputthanispossiblewithaDpad.[6]
AoE
AbbreviationofAgeofEmpires
AbbreviationofAreaofeffect
Arcadegame
Acoinoperatedgamemachine.
Area
SeeLevel
Areaofeffect(AoE)
Atermusedinmanyroleplayingandstrategygamestodescribeattacksorothereffectsthat
affectmultipletargetswithinaspecifiedarea.Forexample,intheroleplayinggameDungeons&
Dragons,afireballspellwilldealdamagetoanyonewithinacertainradiusofwhereitstrikes.
Thistermisnotlimitedtojustroleplayinggames,howeverinmosttacticalstrategygames
artilleryweaponshaveanareaofeffectthatwilldamageanyonewithinaradiusofthestrikezone.
Areaofeffectcanalsorefertospellsandabilitiesthatarenondamagingandnonexplosive.For
example,apowerfulhealingspellmayaffectanyonewithinacertainrangeofthecaster(often
onlyiftheyareamemberofthecaster'sparty).Manygamesalsohavewhataresometimes
referredtoas"aura"abilitiesthatwillaffectanyoneintheareaaroundthepersonwiththeability.

Forexample,manystrategygameshaveheroorofficerunitsthatcan
improvethemoraleandcombatperformanceoffriendlyunitsaround
them.TheinclusionofAoEelementsingamemechanicscanincrease
theroleofstrategy,especiallyinturnbasedstrategygames.The
playerhastoplaceunitswiselytomitigatethepossiblydevastating
effectsofahostileareaofeffectattackhowever,placingunitsina
denseformationcouldresultingainsthatoutweightheincreasedAoE
damagereceived.
Screenshotfrom
Pointblankareaofeffect(abbreviatedPBAoE)isasubsetofAoEin
FreedroidRPGshowing
whichtheaffectedregioniscenteredonthecharacterthatis
AreaofEffect.
performingtheability,ratherthanalocationoftheplayer'schoosing.
Thistermisusedless.
ARPG
AbbreviationofActionroleplayinggame.
Asynchronousgameplay
Competitivemultiplayergameswheretheplayersdonothavetobeparticipatingatthesametime.
Suchgamesareusuallyturnbased,witheachplayerplanningastrategyfortheupcomingturn,
andthenhavingthegameresolveallactionsofthatturnonceeachplayerhassubmittedtheir
strategies.
Asymmetricgameplay
Cooperativeorcompetitivemultiplayergamesinwhicheachplayerwillhaveadifferent
experiencearisingfromdifferencesingameplay,controls,oringamecharacteroptionsthatare
partofthegamethisisincontrasttosymmetricgameplaywhereeachplayerwillhavethesame
experiencesuchasinthegamePong.Asymmetricgameplayoftenarisesincompetitivegames
whereoneplayer'scharacterisfaroverpoweredbutoutnumberedfromotherplayersthatareall
competingagainstthem,suchasinPacManVs..[7]
Attractmode
Alsoknownasdisplaymodeorshowmode,attractmodeisapre
recordeddemonstrationofavideogamethatisdisplayedwhenthe
gameisnotbeingplayed.[8]Originallybuiltintoarcadegames,the
mainpurposeoftheattractmodeistoenticepassersbytoplaythe
game.[8]Itusuallydisplaysthegame'stitlescreen,thegame'sstory(if
ithasone),itshighscorelist,sweepstakes(onsomegames)andthe
message"GameOver"or"InsertCoin"overorinadditiontoa
computercontrolleddemonstrationofgameplay.InAtarihomevideo
gamesofthe1970sand1980s,thetermattractmodewassometimes
usedtodenoteasimplescreensaverthatslowlycycledthedisplay
colorstopreventphosphorburninwhilethegamewasnotbeing
played.Attractmodesdemonstratinggameplayarecommonin
Theattractmodeforthe
currenthomevideogames.
arcadegameSan
Attractmodeisnotonlyfoundinarcadegames,butinmostcoin
FranciscoRush:The
operatedgameslikepinballmachines,stackermachinesandlotsof
Rockshowcasingoneof
othergames.Cocktailarcademachinesonwhichthescreenflipsits
theracetracksavailable
orientationforeachplayer'sturnintwoplayergamestraditionally
havethescreen'sorientationinplayer1'sfavourfortheattractmode.
toplayinthegame.
Autoaim
Alsoknownasaimassistisagameplaymechanicbuiltintomany
gamestodecreasethelevelofdifficulty.Thegameitselfhastheabilitytolockontoorneartargets
forfasteraiming.GamessuchasthenewerGrandTheftAutotitlesutilize"hard"or"soft"aim
settingstorespectivelyeitherlockdirectlyontoanenemyorassisttheplayer'saimtowardsthe
enemywhilegivingsomefreedomofprecisionforheadshots.Itisnottobeconfusedwith
aimbots.

B
Balance
Aspectsofamultiplayergamethatkeepitfairforallplayers.
Betarelease
Anearlyreleaseofavideogame,followingitsalpharelease,wheretypicallythegamedeveloper
seekstoremovebugspriortothereleasedproductthroughfeedbackfromplayersandtesters.
Board
SeeLevel
Bonusstage
Alevelthatisusuallyunlockedandnotnormallyonthelevelchoosescreenuntilunlocked.
Boss
Anopponentnonplayercharacterinavideogamethatistypicallymuchmoredifficulttodefeat
comparedtonormalenemies,oftenrepresentingtheendofaleveloragame.
Buff
Aneffectplayedonavideogamecharacterthatbeneficiallyincreasesoneormoreoftheir
statistics/characteristicsforatemporaryperiod.
Alternatively,achangeintendedtostrengthenaparticularitem,tactic,ability,orcharacter,
ostensiblyforbalancingpurposes.(seeNerf)
Bullethell
Atypeofshoot'emupwheregenerallytheplayermustdodgeanoverwhelminglargenumberof
enemiesandtheirprojectiles.

C
Campaignmode
Acampaignmode,storymode,orsimplycampaignreferstooneofseveralpossibleoperating
modesofagameinwhichlevelsarespecificallyencounteredinalinearorbranchingfashion,
oftenwithmorestoryelementspresentcomparedtoothermodes(suchasaskirmishmodeor
soundtest).
Camping
Acontroversialstrategyinwhichaplayerstaysinoneplacepreferablyafortified,hightraffic
locationforanextendedperiodoftimeandwaitstoambushotherplayers.[9]Itismostcommon
infirstpersonshootergames.[10]Spawncamping,orspawnkilling,isarelatedstrategyinwhich
playerscampataspawnpoint.
Challengemode
Amodeofgameplayofferedbeyondthegame'snormalplaymodethattaskstheplayer(s)to
replaypartsofthegameorspeciallevelsunderspecificconditionsthatarenotnormallypresentor
requiredinthemaingame,suchasfinishingalevelwithinaspecifictime,orusingonlyonetype
ofweapon.
Characterclass
Acharactertypewithdistinctabilitiesandattributesbothpositiveandnegative,[11]suchasa
warrior,thief,wizard,orpriest.[12][13]
Cheating
Toplaythegameunfairlygivinganunfairadvantageviaillegitimatemeans.
Checkpoint
SeeSavedgame
Chiptune
Musiccomposedforthemicrochipbasedaudiohardwareofearlyhomecomputersandgaming
consoles.Duetothetechnicallimitationsofearliervideogamehardware,chiptunecametodefine
astyleofitsown,knownforits"soaringflutelikemelodies,buzzingsquarewavebass,rapid
arpeggios,andnoisygatedpercussion."[14]

Class
SeeCharacterclass
Cinematic
SeeCutscene
Circlestrafing
AnadvancedmethodofmovementinmanyFirstPersonShooter(FPS)gameswheretheuser
utilizedboththumbsticks(console)ormouseandkeyboardcontrols(PC)tomaintainaconstant
circularmotionaroundanenemy,whilemaintainingarelativelysteadyaimonthattargetinthe
centerofyourcircularmovement.Thisskillminimizesincomingexternalfiretoyourcharacter
fromyourtarget'steammates,asanymissesarelikelytohitandharmtheirteammateinsideyour
circle.
Clipping
Agametechnologythatturnsobjects(e.g.,walls)intosolid,impenetrablebarriers.Alsosee
noclip,acheatwhereclippingisdisabled.[5]
Closedbeta
Abetaperiodwhereonlyspecificpeoplehaveaccesstothegame
CMS
AbbreviationofConstructionandmanagementsimulation
Coinop
SeeArcadegame
Combo
Combinationsofattacksinafightinggame,duringwhichanopponentishelplesstodefend
themselves.IntroducedinbeatemupsasDoubleDragonandRenagade,andbecomingmore
dynamicinCapcom'sfightinggamesFinalFightandStreetFighterII,tocorrectlyexecutea
combo,aplayerneedstolearncomplexseriesofjoystickandbuttoncombinations.[15]
Competitivegaming
SeeElectronicsports
Console
Avideogamehardwareunitthattypicallyoffersconnectstoavideoscreenandcontrollers,along
withotherhardware.Unlikepersonalcomputers,aconsoletypicallyhasafixedhardware
configurationdefinedbyitsmanufacturerandcannotbecustomized.
Constructionandmanagementsimulation(CMS)
Avideogamegenrethatinvolvesplanningoutandmanagingapopulationofcitizensintowns,
cities,orotherpopulationcentersinsuchgamestheplayerrarelyhasdirectcontrolofthe
computercontrolledcitizensandcanonlyinfluencethemthroughplanning.
Continue
Acommonterminvideogamesfortheoptiontocontinuethegame
afteralloftheplayer'sliveshavebeenlost,ratherthanendingthe
gameandrestartingfromtheverybeginning.Theremayormaynot
beapenaltyfordoingthis,suchaslosingacertainnumberofpoints
orbeingunabletoaccessbonusstages.Inarcadegames,whena
playerlosesorfailsanobjective,theywillgenerallybeshowna
"continuecountdown"screen,inwhichtheplayerhasacertain
A7Xpggivestheplayer
limitedamountoftime(usually10,15or20seconds)toinsert
theopportunityto
additionalcoinsinordertocontinuethegamefromthepointwhereit
continueplayingafter
hadendedbypressingthestartbuttondecidingnottocontinuewill
losinghisorherlastlife.
resultinthedisplayingofaGameoverscreen.[16]Thecontinue
featurewasaddedtoarcadegamesinthemid1980sduetoarcade
ownerswantingtoearnmoremoneyfromplayerswhoplayedforlongerperiodsoftime.[16]The
firstarcadegametohaveacontinuefeaturewasFantasy,[16]andthefirsthomeconsolecartridge
tohavethisfeaturewastheAtari2600versionofVanguard.[17]:26Asaresultofthecontinue
feature,gamesstartedtohavestoriesanddefiniteendingshowever,thosegamesweredesigned

sothatitwouldbenearlyimpossibletogettotheendofthegamewithoutcontinuing.[16]Salen
andZimmermanarguethatthecontinuefeatureingamessuchasGauntletwasanoutletfor
conspicuousconsumption.[18]
Controller
AmeansofcontrolovertheconsoleorPCyouareplayingthegameon.
Controlpad
SeeDpad
Controlpoint
Agamemodewhichinvolvestheteamcapturingeachrequired"capturepoint"inordertowinthe
roundorlevel.
AlsoknownasCP.
Controlstick
SeeAnalogstick
Conversationtree
SeeDialogtree
Cooldown
Theminimumlengthoftimethattheplayerneedstowaitafterusinganabilitybeforetheycanuse
itagain.ThisconceptwasfirstintroducedbythetextMUDAvalon:TheLegendLives.Similarto
thereloadtimeandfiringrateofweapons.Forexample,amachinegunhasveryfastfiringrate,so
ithasaverylowcooldownbetweenshots.Comparatively,ashotgunhasalongreload/cooldown
timebetweeneachshots.Cooldownalsocanbeusedto'balance'aweaponsuchasaturret
mountedmachinegunhavinginfiniteammunition,sinceitcanonlysustaincontinuousfireuntil
reachingathresholdatwhichtheweaponwouldhavetocooldown(hencetheterm)beforeit
couldbefiredagain.
Indesignterms,cooldowncanalsobethoughtofasaninverted'castingtime'whereinsteadof
requiringawaittimebeforeusinganability,cooldownmayreplacecastingtimeandputthewait
aftertheabilityisactivated.Thiscreatesanewdimensiontothebalancingactofcastingspeed
versuspower:"lowercooldown,fastercast,butweakerstrength"versus"highercooldown,slower
cast,butgreaterstrength."ThissortofmechanicisintegraltosuchgamesasWorldofWarcraft,
wherecooldownmanagementiskeytohigherlevelplayandvariousabilitiesdealwithcooldown
(forexample,cooldownreductionorimmediatelyfinishingcooldownoncertainabilities).From
thetechnicalpointofview,cooldowncanalsobeusedtoassertcontroloverfrequencyofcast(for
spamming)inordertomaintainafluidframerateandping.Forexample,inthegameDiabloII,
cooldownwasaddedintheformofapatchtoseveralgraphicallyandCPUintensivespells
(blizzard,frozenorb,hydra,etc.)tosolvetheproblemofextremelagcausedbyplayersspamming
thesespellsinmultiplayer.
Movesandattacksinfightinggames(likethosefromtheStreetFighterseries)havetheamountof
timeeachofthemtaketoexecutemeasuredin"frames"(1/60thofasecondperframe).Each
movehasacertainamountofframesinwhichitisconsideredtobe"recovering"beforeanother
movecanbeexecuted,whichissimilartocooldownsinconcept.However,unliketheconceptof
thecooldown,whereamove,spellorabilityisconsideredtobecoolingdownbeforeitcanbe
usedagainbutcontroloverone'scharacter/unitisstillavailable,therecoveryframesofamovein
afightinggamedonotallowtheplayertoperformanyotherattacksormovementuntilthemove
hasfullyrecovered.Becauseofthismechanic,strategicuseofskillsisnecessarytomakesurethe
opponentcannotimmediatelycountertheplayerduringtherecoveryphaseofanattack,sinceit
leavestheplayerwideopen.
Corruptor
Acomputerprogramusedeitherasorinconjunctionwithanemulatortocorruptcertaindata
withinaROMorISObyauserdesiredamount,causingvariedeffects,bothvisuallyandaudibly,
toavideogameanditsdata,includingbutnotlimitedtodisplacedormisdirectedpixelsina
spritemap,neverendinglevels,artifacts,distortedorentirelyincorrectsprites,polygons,textures,
orcharactermodels,spasticanimations,incorrecttextordialoguetrees,flickeringgraphicsor
lights,incorrectordistortedaudio,inconvenientinvisiblewalls,lackofcollisiondetection,and
otherforcedglitches,usuallymeanttobedoneforhumorouseffect.Mostoften,theendresultis

unwinnable,ifthegamedoesn'tendupfreezinginsomewayorentirelycrashingthecorruptor
andassociatedprogramsasawhole.
Coversystem
Agameplaymechanicswhichallowstheplayertousewallsorotherfeaturesofthegame's
environmenttotakecoverfromoncomingrangedattacks,typicallygunfireinfirstperson
shooters.Manycoversystemsalsoallowthecharactertouserangeattacksinreturnwhileincover
althoughwithanaccuracypenalty.[19]
CPUvs.CPU
SeeZeroplayergame
Crafting
Tocraftanitemingame.PracticallyeverymodernMassiveMultiplayerOnline(MMO)gameand
many"worldbuilders"(Minecraft,Terraria)utilizethismechanic.Theabilitytocreateyourown
geartakessomeofthe"grind"outofproperlygearingyourcharacters.
Criticalhit
AtypeofHitthatwilldomoredamagethanusual.NormallyarareoccurrencewithoutUpgrades
Crossplatform
SeeMultiplatform
Crowdcontrol
Anability,usuallywithanareaofeffect,thatisusedprimarilyinMassiveMultiplayerOnline
(MMO)gamestoincapacitateorhinderenemycreaturessothattheycanbehandledinanordered
orcontrolledfashion.Inearlyraids(aformoflargegroup,endgamecontentofextreme
difficulty)inWorldofWarcraft,properuseofcrowdcontrolwasvitaltobeabletosuccessfully
completemanyoftheobjectivesoftheraidanddefeattheraidbosses.
CRPG
Abbreviationofcomputer/consoleroleplayinggame
CTF
Abbreviationofcapturetheflag,acommongamemodeinmultiplayervideogames.
Cutscene
A(usually)shortvideowhichprovidesdetailandexpositiontothestory.Thesevideos,usuallyin
muchhighergraphicalresolutionanddetailthanthebasicgame,areusedextensivelyinMMOs
andRPGstomovethestoryforward.
Cybersport
SeeElectronicsports

D
Dpad
A4directionalrockerbuttonthatallowstheplayertodirectgameactionineightdifferent
directions:up,down,left,right,andthediagonalsinvolvingthese.InventedbyGunpeiYokoifor
theGame&Watchseriesofhandheldconsoles,Nintendousedthe"directionalpad"(or"cross
key"inJapan)fortheirNintendoEntertainmentSystemcontrollerandithasbeenusedonnearly
everyconsolecontrollersince.[6]
Damageovertime(DoT)
Aneffect,suchaspoisonorcatchingonfire,thatreducesaplayer'shealthoverthecourseoftime
orturns.
Damagepersecond(DPS)
Usedasametricinsomegamestoallowtheplayertodeterminetheiroffensivepower.
Dayone(releasedate)
Thedayofreleaseforavideogame.
Debuff
Theoppositeofabuff,aneffectplacedonacharacterthatnegativelyimpactstheirstatisticsand
characteristics.Canalsorefertoeffectsthatnullifyorcanceltheeffectsofbuffs.Alsoknownasa
nerf.

Design
SeeVideogamedesign
Development
Thedevelopmentperiodofagame.
Dialogtree
Foundprimarilyinadventuregames,ameansofprovidingamenuofdialogchoicestotheplayer
wheninteractingwithanonplayercharacterastolearnmorefromthatcharacter,influencethe
character'sactions,andotherwiseprogressthegame'sstory.Thetreenaturecomesfromtypically
havingmultiplebranchinglevelsofquestionsandrepliesthatcanbeexplored.
Difficulty
Howhard(ordifficult)thelevelis.
Digitalrightsmanagement(DRM)
Softwaretoolsforcopyrightprotection
Directionalpad
SeeDpad
Displaymode
SeeAttractmode
Doomclone
Anearlytermtodescribefirstpersonshooters,basedongameplaythatmimicedthatfromDoom.
DLC
Abbreviationfordownloadablecontent.
Doublejump
Anadditionaljumpthatfollowsthefirstinquicksuccession[20]
Downloadablecontent(DLC)
Additionalcontentforavideogamethatisacquiredthroughdigitaldownloadandoftenrequiring
additionalpurchase.
DPM
Abbreviationof"damageperminute",usedasametricinsomegamestoallowtheplayerto
determinetheiroffensivepower.
DPS
AbbreviationofDamagepersecond
DRM
AbbreviationofDigitalrightsmanagement
Dropin,Dropout
Atypeofcompetitiveorcooperativemultiplayergamethatenablesaplayertojointhegameat
anytimewithoutwaitingandleavewithoutanypenalty,andwithoutaffectingthegameforother
players.
Dungeon
SeeLevel
Dungeoncrawl
Atypeofvideogamethatisbasedaroundexploringadungeonorsimilarsetting,defeating
monstersandcollectingloot.
Dynamicgamedifficultybalancing
Theautomaticchangeinparameters,scenarios,andbehaviorsinavideogameinrealtime,based
ontheplayer'sability,inordertoavoidthembecomingboredorfrustrated.

E
Emulator
Asoftwareprogramthatisdesignedtoreplicatethesoftwareandhardwareofavideogame
consoleonmoremoderncomputersandotherdevices.Emulatorstypicallyincludetheabilityto
loadinsoftwareimagesofcartridgesandothersimilarhardwarebasedgamedistributionmethods
fromtheearlierhardwaregenerations,inadditiontomoretraditionalsoftwareimages.

Episode
Electronicsports(esports)
Organizedcompetitionsaroundvideogames,typicallyusinggamesfromthefirstpersonshooter
andmultiplayeronlinebattlearenagenres,andoftenplayedforprizesandrecognition.
EndgameorEndgame
Thegameplayavailableinamassivelymultiplayeronlineroleplayinggameforcharactersthat
havecompletedtheirlevelprogression
Endlessmode
Amodeofgameplayinwhichplayersarechallengedtolastaslongaspossibleagainsta
continuingthreatwithlimitedresourcesorplayercharacterlives,withtheirperformanceranked
basedonhowlongtheylastbeforesuccumbingtothethreat(suchasthedeathoftheplayer
character),orscorebased.Thismodeistypicallyofferedingamesthatotherwisehavenormal
endingsthatcanbereached,providinganadditionalchallengetotheplayersoncethemaingame
iscompleted.
Emergentgameplay
Strategiesofplaythatusethegameenvironmentinwaysunintendedbythegamedeveloper,e.g.,
scalingawallbyplacingproximityminesinDeusEx.[5]
ESPcheats(extrasensoryperceptioncheats)
Apackageofmultiplecheats.E.g.,"distanceESP"showsthedistancebetweentheenemyandthe
player,"playerESP"makesenemieshighlyvisible,and"weaponESP"showsenemyweapons.[21]
eSports
SeeElectronicsports
Experiencepoint
Ingamesthatfeaturetheabilityfortheplayercharacter(s)togainlevelssuchasCRPGsand
JRPGs,experiencepointsareusedtodenoteprogresstowardsthenextlevel.

F
Farming
Repeatingabattle,questorasimilarpartofthegameinordertoreceiveeitherexperiencepoints,
money,orspecificitemsthatcanbegainedthroughthatbattleorquestseeGrinding
Fasttravel
Commoninroleplayinggames,ameansbywhichtohavetheplayercharacter(s)travelbetween
alreadydiscoveredportionsofthegame'sworldwithouthavingtoactuallyinteractivelymovethat
distance.[22]
Feed
Inmultiplayergames,toconsistentlydietoanenemyteamorplayer(eitherintentionallyordueto
inexperience),providingthemwithexperience,gold,mappressure,orotheradvantages.
Fieldofview(FOV)
Ameasurementreflectinghowmuchofthegameworldisvisibletotheplayeronthedisplay
screen.
Finalboss
SeeBoss
Firstpartydeveloper
Adeveloperthatiseitherowneddirectlybyaconsolemaker,orhasspecialarrangementswiththe
consolemakerthatprovidesgreateraccesstointernaldetailsaboutaconsolecomparedto
traditionaldevelopers.
Firstpersonshooter(FPS)
Agenreofvideogameswheretheplayerexperiencesthegamefromthefirstpersonperspective,
andwheretheprimarymechanicistheuseofgunsandotherrangedweaponstodefeatenemies.
FOV
SeeFieldofview
FPS

AnabbreviationforeitherFirstpersonshooterorFramespersecond(seeFramerate)
Flashinginvulnerability
(Sometimescalled"invincibilityframes","invulnerabilityperiod",etc.)Aninvincibilityor
immunitytodamagethatoccursaftertheplayertakesdamageforashorttime,indicatedbythe
player'scharacterblinkingor"buffering",topreventtheplayerfromtakinganyimmediate
additionaldamageagainuntilitwearsoff.
Fogofwar
Ameansbywhichaportionofagamemapmayremain
hiddenorwithoutvisibilityofunitsoccupyingthatregion,
typicallyduetolackofvisibility(afunctionofthe
gameplaymechanics)orhavingbeenunexplored.
Commoninstrategicortacticalgamegenres.
Frag
SeeKill
Framerate
Ameasureoftherenderingspeedofavideogame,
typicallyinframespersecond(FPS).
Theplayercannotseeenemyactivity
FreetoPlay(F2P,FTP)
beneaththegreyedoutfogofwar.
Gamesthatdonotrequirepurchasefromaretailer,either
physicalordigital,toplay.Wildlyprevalentamongst
smartphoneapps,many"FreeToPlay"gamesare"free",buttoachieveanyrealsuccessinthem
requiresingamepurchasesofmaterialsorabilities.
Freelook
Tobeabletolookaroundthemapfreely.Thisisusuallyanabilitythatisdisabledtocommon
users,butleftinthegamecodingasadeveloper'stoolandisunlockableifthepropercodeis
known.

G
Gamedesign
Seevideogamedesign
Gamelocalization
SeeLocalization
Gamemechanics
Thisisanoverarchingtermtodescribethespecificingameinteractionsofanyspecificgameor
familyofgames.Mechanicsarerulesormethodsdesignedforinteractionwiththegamestate,
thusprovidinggameplay.Examplesofgamemechanicsincludepoints,turns,aswellasagame's
directreactionontheplayer'sinput.
Gamemode
Amodeisadistinctconfigurationthatvariesgameplayandaffectshowothergamemechanics
behave,suchasasingleplayermodevsamultiplayermode.
Gameover
Theendofthegame(failurescreen).
Gameplay
Thespecificwayinwhichplayersinteractwithagame
Gameport
Whenagameisportedfromoneplatformtoanother
Gamesave
SeeSavedgame
Gamestudies
Anareaofsocialsciencesthatattempttoquantifyorpredicthumanbehaviorinvariousgame
basedscenarios,oftenwherethereisarewardorriskintakingcertainactions.

Gank
Tousetheelementofsurprisetoflankandattackanenemywithanintentiontokill
GG/GGWP(acronym)
"GoodGame"or"GoodGame,WellPlayed"partingwordsexchangedattheendofagameor
matchasagestureofgoodsportsmanship
Ghost
Afeatureincludedintimeattackortimetrialmodesinvideogamesallowingtheplayertoreview
theirpreviousrounds.Inracinggames,forexample,a"ghostcar"mayfollowthelastorfastest
pathaplayertookaroundthetrack.Infightinggames,theghostisanopponentthatthecomputer
AIplayercantrainagainstoutsideofnormalplayerversusplayerorstorymode.
Ghostcarsinracinggamesgenerallyappearastranslucentorflashingversionsoftheplayer's
vehicle.Basedonpreviouslyrecordedlaptimes,theyserveonlytorepresentthefastestlaptime
anddonotinteractdynamicallywithothercompetitors.Askilledplayerwillusetheghostto
improvehistime,matchingtheghost'sracinglineasittravelsthecourse.Manyracinggames,
includingGranTurismo,FZero,andMarioKart,offeraghostfunction.Somealsoshowghosts
setbystaffmembersanddevelopers,oftenshowingperfectroutesandlaptimes.Avariationof
thefeature,dubbedbyFiremonkeysStudiosas"TimeShiftedMultiplayer",wasimplementedin
themobileracinggameRealRacing3.[23]Itworksbyrecordingthelaptimesofpeopleineach
race,andusingstatisticsfromotherplayersforthegame'sartificialintelligencetorecreatetheir
laptimesfortheplayertobeat.Theghostcarscancollidewiththeplayerandothervehicles,and
arefullyvisibletotheplayer.
Insomerhythmgames,suchastheEliteBeatAgentsandOsu!Tatakae!Ouendan!games
multiplayermode,youcanchoosetouseyoursavedreplaydataasoneoftheplayersinsteadof
playingthegameyourself.
Gib
To"gib"one'sopponentsistohitthemwithsuchforce(oftenwithexplosives)thattheyrupture.
Gimp
Acharacter,characterclassorcharacterabilitythatisunderpoweredinthecontextofthegame
Godmode(infinitehealth/life,invincibility,invulnerability)
Acheatthatmakesplayercharactersinvulnerable.[5]Occasionallyaddsinvincibility,wherethe
playercanhurtenemiesbytouchingthem(e.g.,theSuperMarioSuperStar).[24]Theeffectcan
alsobetemporary.[25]
Goldfarming
SeeFarming
Gonegold
Thepointinthesoftwaredevelopmentcyclewherethesoftwareisconsideredfinalandreadyto
beshipped.ThetermtraditionallyrelatedtotheproductionofgamesonCDROM,wherethefinal
versionofthegame,themastercopy,wouldbewrittentoagoldfilmbasedwritableCDandsent
tobereplicatedforretail.
GrandTheftAutoclone
AgenreofgameinspiredbytheGrandTheftAutoseries,typicallyinvolvingtheplayerengaging
incriminalorunethicalactivitiesinanopenworldsettingwithavarietyofweaponsandvehicles,
withthegame'sstorybrokenupthroughnumerousstoryandsidemissions.
Graphiccontentfilter
Asettingthatcontrolswhetherthegamedisplaysgraphicviolence[26]
Griefer
Aplayerinamultiplayervideogamewhodeliberatelyirritatesandharassesotherplayerswithin
thegame,usingaspectsofthegameinunintendedways.
Grinding
Completingrepetitivetasks,especiallyinanRPG,whichisgenerallyagreedtobeundesirable
becauseitdoesnotadvancetheplot.Grindingmaybenecessarytobegindefeatingharder
enemiesinanRPGwhennormalplaylacksenoughcontenttoleveltheplayer.Itisusually
necessaryinordertoreachthehighestlevel.Althoughnormallyanegativelychargedterm,some

playersenjoygrindingforthesakeofitanddonotfindtherequirementtogrindtobeaflawin
gamemechanicssomeevenconsideritacharmofthegenre.GrindinginaRPGisoftento
achievehigherlevelsoritems.
GTAClone
SeeGrandTheftAutoclone

H
Handheldconsole
Aportablegamingconsole
Hatsimulator
Aderisivetermusedtodescribeagamewhosecoregameplayoftencomessecondtocollecting
anddisplayingcosmeticitems.OriginallyusedasatongueincheekreferencetoValve
Corporation'sTeamFortress2freetoplaymodel,whereplayerscancollecthats(amongother
items)thatdoprovidenoticeablestatincreasesincharacters,butaremostlyconsideredcosmetic.
Hate
Amechanismbywhichnonplayercharactersprioritizewhichplayerstoattack.
Headbob
Infirstpersonviewgames,theupanddown(andsometimesleftandright)motionoftheplayer's
cameratosimulatethebobbingofone'sheadwhenwalkingorrunning.Itisoftenanoptionthat
canbedisabledasitmayinducemotionsicknessinplayers.
Headshot
SeeCriticalhit
Health
Theremainingamountofmetereddamagethatacharacterorplayercantakebeforedyingor
losingalife.
Hitbox
Thephysicalenvelopedescribingpreciselywherethegamewillregisteranyhitsonaplayer.
Hitpoints
SeeHealth

I
Inapppurchase(IAP)
Apurchase(microtransaction)madewithinamobilegameorapp,usuallyforvirtualgoodsin
lowcostgames[27]
Indiegame(independentvideogame)
Looselydefinedasagamemadebyapersonorstudiowithoutanyfinancial,development,
marketing,ordistributionsupportfromalargepublisher,thoughthereareindiegamesthatare
exceptionstothisdefinition.
Infinitehealth/life
Seegodmode
Inventory
Amenuorareaofthescreenwhereitemscollectedbytheplayerduringthegamearestored.This
interfaceallowstheplayertoretrieveanyitemtouseitasaninstanteffect,ortoequiptheplayer
characterwiththeitem.
Invincibility
Seegodmode
Invisiblewall
Aphysicalimpedimentinavideogamethathaltsprogressinaspecificdirection,eventhough
terrainandfeaturescanbeseenbeyondtheboundary.
Invulnerability

Seegodmode

J
Joystick
Note:Donotconfusethiswith"anAnalogstick"
Aninputdeviceconsistingofastickthatpivotsonabaseandreportsitsangleordirectiontothe
deviceitiscontrolling,suchasaplane.
JRPG
AbbreviationofJapaneseroleplayinggame,typicallyreferringtoasubgenreofRPGsthat
originatedfromJapan
Jump
Abasicmovewheretheplayerjumpsverticallyuponpressingtheactionbutton[28]

K
Killscreen
Astageorlevelinavideogame(oftenanarcadegame)thatstopsthe
player'sprogressduetoasoftwarebug.[29]Killscreenscanresultin
unpredictablegameplayandbizarreglitches.[30]
Notablearcadekillscreensinclude:
InthecoinoperatedversionofDigDug,thegameendson
round256(round0),wheretheplayercannotmoveand
ultimatelydies.[31]
PacManhasakillscreenonlevel256basedonaninteger
overflow.[32][33]ArsTechnicacallsthis"oneofthemostwell
Level256inPacMan,
knownaccidentalendingsingaming".[31]BillyMitchellwas
thefirstpersontoperformaperfectplayofPacMan,stopped
consideredtobe
[34]
unplayableundernormal
onlybythekillscreen. ThegamesMs.PacManandJr.
[31]
circumstancesduetoan
PacManalsohavekillscreens. PacMan'skillscreenwas
integeroverflowinthe
playable,butrenderedinsuchawaythatitwasnotpossibleto
game'scode.
gathersufficientpointstoadvance.
DonkeyKonghasakillscreencausedbyanoverflow
condition,wherethegametimerkillstheplayerbeforeitis
possibletobeatthelevel.[31]ArsTechnicacallsitthe"secondmostfamouskillscreenofall
ofgaming"[31]andWireddescribeditas"mythic".[35][36]Thiswaspopularizedinthe
documentaryTheKingofKong.[31]
DuckHuntalsohasakillscreenafterlevel99inwhichtheducksbecomeinvincibleandfly
atahighspeed.[31]
Galaga'skillscreenoccursonlevel256(level0),whenanintegeroverflowoccursandthe
gameturnsintoablankscreenthatJoshuahBearmandescribedas"anexistentialvoid".[37]
Killstealing
Thepracticeofarrangingtogetcreditforkillinganenemy,whenitshouldhaveclearlybeen
anotherplayer'skill.
Kiting
Amaneuverforavideogameplayercharactertouserangedattackstocontinuallyattackan
opponent,oftenluringtheopponentintofollowingtheplayer.Thiscanbeusedinteambasedor
cooperativegamestoallowtheplayer'steammatestoattacktheopponent,ortoprepareatrapfor
theopponenttofallintowhenluredintoaspecificarea.

Knockback
Whenacharacterinafightinggameorplatformgamegetshitbyanattack,itmightexperience
beingknockedback.Duringknockback,thecharacterisunabletochangeitsdirectionuntila
shortanimationisfinished.[38]Knockbackcommonlyresultsinfallingdownpitsastheplayer
losescontroloftheircharacter.
KonamiCode
Afixedseriesofcontrollerbuttonpressesusedacross
numerousKonamigamestounlockspecialcheats(suchas
TheKonamiCode
gainingalargenumberoflivesinContra),and
subsequentlyhasbeenusedbyotherdeveloperstoenable
cheatsoraddedfunctionsinthesegames.Thetermappliestovariationsonthisbuttonsequence
butallnearlybeginwiththe"upupdowndownleftrightleftright"controls.

L
Lag
Thetimebetweenthestimulationandresponseoftendiscussedasnetworkcauseddelaybetween
playercontrolactionsandonscreeneffectsduringonlinegameplay.
Let'sPlay
Atypeofvideogamerunthroughdonebyplayers,throughscreenshotsorvideo,wheretheplayer
providescommentaryaboutthegameastheyworkthroughit.
Level
Astageinagame.Levelmayalsorepresent
experiencelevelsordifficultylevels,
dependingoncontext.
Leveleditor
Aprogram,eitherprovidedwithinthegame
softwareorasanadditionalprogram,that
allowsplayerstocreatenewlevelsforvideo
Thisisabird'seyeviewofatypicalMOBAlevel
games.
Life
inthemobilegameVainglory.
Invideogames,ifaplayercharacterlosesall
ofitshealthpoints,itlosesalife.Losingallof
one'slivesisusuallyalossconditionandmayforcetheplayertostartover.Itiscommoninaction
gamesfortheplayercharactertohavemultiplelivesandchancestoearnmoreduringthegame.
Thisway,aplayercanrecoverfrommakingadisastrousmistake.roleplayinggamesand
adventuregamesusuallygivetheplayeronlyonelife,butallowthemtoreloadasaved
game.[39][40]Alifemaysimilarlybedefinedastheperiodbetweenthestartandendofplayfor
anycharacter,fromcreationtodestruction.[41]
Lightgun
Aspecializedgamecontrollerwhichtheplayerpointsattheirtelevisionscreenormonitorto
interactwiththegame.Thecontrollerhasmeanstodeterminewheretheplayerisaimingonthe
screenastohavethegamerespondappropriatetoafiringaction.
Localization
Duringpublishing,theprocessofeditingagameforaudiencesinanotherregionorcountry,
primarilybytranslatingthetextanddialogofavideogame.Localizationcanalsoinvolve
changingcontentofthegametoreflectdifferentculturalvaluesandcensoringunlawfulcontent.
Lootsystem
Methodsusedinmultiplayergamestodistributetreasureamongcooperatingplayersforfinishing
aquest.

M
Magic
Anyofavarietyofsystemsingamestorenderfantasticalorotherwiseunnaturaleffectsutilizinga
gamemechanic,eitheraccessories(scrolls,potions,artifacts)orapoolofresourcesinherenttothe
character("mana",magicpoints,etc).
Maining
Atermmeaningto"Main"orfocusonplayingacertaincharacter.
Map
SeeLevel
Massivelymultiplayeronlinegame(MMO)
Agamethatinvolvesalargecommunityofonlineplayerscoexistingandcooperating(and
sometimescombattingoneanother).
Massivelymultiplayeronlineroleplayinggame(MMORPG)
AnMMOthatutilizestraditionalroleplayinggamegamemechanicsintoitsgameplay.Classic
gamessuchasEverQuestandDarkAgeofCamelotwereprogenitorsofthegenre.Themost
popularandmostwellknowngameofthistypeisBlizzardEntertainment'sWorldofWarcraft.
Matchmaking
Agametypethatinvolvesplayerspecifyingthetypeofgameplaytheywanttotakepartin
(CapturetheFlag,Slayer,etc)andsometimeswhichspecificmaporleveltheywanttouse.The
gameserverthengathersplayerstogetherwhohavematchinggameplayrequestsintoasingle
gameandlaunchesthegame.Onlineshooter/FPSgamessuchasCallofDutyandHaloare
famousforthesemechanics.
MaxedoutorMaxingout
Reachingthemaximumlevelthatacharacter(orinsomecases,aweapon)canhave,orraisingallthe
characterstatisticstothemaximumvalue.
Meta
Atermusedtodescribethecurrentnormorstandardclassingames.
Metagame
Ingamesthatencouragerepeatedplaythroughs,includingmatchbasedmultiplayergames,the
metagamereferstogameplayelementsthataretypicallynotpartofthemaingamebutcanbe
invokedbytheplayertoalterfutureplaythroughsofthemaingame.Forexample,insome
roguelikegames,themetagameisusedtounlocktheabilitytohavenewitemsappearinthe
randomizedlevels,whileforacollectablecardbasedgamesuchasHearthstone:Heroesof
Warcraft,theoverallcardanddeckconstructionisconsideredpartofthemetagame.
Microtransactions
Theuseofrealmoneyiningamestores.
Miniboss
SeeBoss
Minigame
Agamethatisnotpartofthemaingame,hencethename"mini".
MinMaxing
Thepracticeofplayingaroleplayinggame,wargameorvideogamewiththeintentofcreating
the"best"characterbymeansofminimizingundesiredorunimportanttraitsandmaximizing
desiredones.[42]Thisisusuallyaccomplishedbyimprovingonespecifictraitorabilityby
sacrificingabilityinallotherfields.Thisiseasiertoaccomplishingameswhereattributesare
generatedfromacertainnumberofpointsratherthaninoneswheretheyarerandomly
generated.[43]
Mission
SeeLeveland/orQuest
MMO

AbbreviationofMassivelymultiplayeronlinegame
MMORPG
AbbreviationofMassivelymultiplayeronlineroleplayinggame
Mob
Mobisatermforaningameenemywhoroamsaspecificarea.Itisanabbreviationof"mobile",
andcameintoprevalencewiththeexplosionofMMOsandthegreatercomputingpoweravailable
tothesegames.Inoldergames,enemiesyouencounteredwerestationary,onlyoccupyinga
specificlocationwithinthegameandwerethereforenot"mobs".
MOBA
AbbreviationofMultiplayeronlinebattlearena
Mod
Anadditiontoagamethatisnotofficiallyinthegame.
Mode
SeeGamemode
Mouselook
SeeFreelook
MP
SeeMagic
MUD
Multiplatform
Alsocrossplatform
Multiplayer
Agamethatallowsmultipleplayerstoplayatonce.
Multiplayeronlinebattlearena(MOBA)
AgenreofrealtimestrategygamespopularizedbyDefenseoftheAncientsthatpitsteamsof
playerstodefendtheirhomebasefromenemyonslaughts.
Multiplecharactercontrol
Anemergingfeatureofroleplayingvideogameswheretheplayercontrolsmultiplecharactersin
realtime.ThePlayStation2wasthefirstconsoletopickupthisfeaturewiththeSummonerseries
andDynastyWarriorsseries.Fourcomputergameshaveimplementedthisfeature,allfree
massivelymultiplayeronlineroleplayinggames(MMORPGs):2029,EudemonsOnline,
GranadoEspadaandKingdomHeroes.BothGranadoEspadaandKingdomHeroeshave
Automaticcharactertraining/AFKLeveling,andthusrequirehighcomputerspecifications.
Multiplier
Ingameswithascoringsystem,agameplayelementthatincreasesthevalueofthepointsearned
bythegivenmultipliervaluewhilethemultiplierisactive.

N
Nerf
Achangeintendedtoweakenaparticularitem,tactic,ability,orcharacter,ostensiblyfor
balancingpurposes.
NewGamePlus
Amodetypicallyofferedingameswithcampaignmodesthatallowstheplayertoreplaythe
campaignbutbeingabletocarryovercharacters,attributes,equipment,orotherimprovements
previouslyobtainedfromapriorrunthrough.
Newbie
Someonenewtothegame,generallyusedasapejorative,althoughusuallylightheartedly.See
also,"Noob"(below).
Noclipmode
Acheatthatletsplayerspassthroughnormallyimpenetrableobjects,walls,ceilings,andfloors
(bydisablingclipping).Itletsplayersreachinaccessibleareas.[5]
Noob

Apejorativeusedtoinsultaplayerwhoismakingrookiemistakesormistakesaplayernewtoor
unfamiliarwiththegamewouldmake.Generallythemostcommontermforflamingfoundinand
aroundthegamingcommunity.
SeeNewbie.
Nonplayercharacter(NPC)
Acomputercontrolledcharacter.
Noscope
SimilartoQuickscoping,thisisatermwherethegamertechnically,doesn'tusethescopetoshoot
hisopponents.
Notehighway
Avisualelementofmostrhythmgamesthatshowthenotestheplayermustmatchastheyscroll
alongthescreen.Thisismorecommonlyconsidereda"highway"whenthenotesscrolldownthe
screenonaperspectivebasedgrid,makingitappearasaroadhighway.
NPC
AbbreviationofNonplayercharacter

O
Oldschoolgaming
SeeRetrogaming
Onlinegame
AMultiplayergamethatsupportsgameplayovertheinternet.
OP
AbbreviationofOverpowered
Openbeta
Thegameisopentothepublicwhilstinbeta.
Openworld
Oftenusedasanothertermforasandboxgame,itmightalsosimpledenoteagamewithavast,
explorableuniverse.BethesdaSoftworksTheElderScrollsseriesofgamesarenominally
sandbox/openworldgames,withintheirdefinedphysicalboundaries.However,theSoulsseries
canstillfeaturesanopenworldtogetherwithamorerestrictiveprogressionofthequests.When
thegamestartsandthemandatoryopeningsequencesareplayedthrough,thegameiswideopen.
Youcanfollowthemainstoryline,youcanwanderaboutrightingwrongsanddoinggooddeeds,
oryoucanruthlesslymurdereveryoneyoufindandpillagewholevillages.Thereareno
restrictionsonyourtravelorinteractionswithinthescopeoftheentiregameworld(minusany
speciallocationsthatareonlyunlocked/accessiblefororduringcertainquestsorevents).
Overpowered(OP)
Anitem,abilityorothereffectthatistoopowerful,thusmakingthegameunbalanced.
Overworld
SeeLevel

P
Paddle
Agamecontrollerthatprimarilyincludedalargedialthatcouldbeturnedeitherclockwiseor
counterclockwiseastogeneratemovementinonedirectionwithinagame.
Parry
Theactionofblockinganattack.
Perks
Specialbonusesthatvideogameplayerscanaddtotheircharacterstogivespecialabilities.
SimilartoPowerups,butpermanentratherthantemporary.
Permanentdeath(permadeath,PD)
Agameormodewherewhentheplayer'scharacterhasdiedorlostthegame,theymustrestartthe

gamecompletelyinsteadoffromasaveorcheckpoint.
Persistentworld
Acommonfeatureofopenworldmultiplayergamesthatarerunonaserver,inwhichthegame's
worldremainsopenwhileplayersmayloginorout,withallaffectsthatplayershavestaying
persistentintheworld.
Physicalrelease
Aversionofavideogamereleasedonanopticaldiscorotherstoragedevice,asopposedtoa
digitaldownload.
Pixelhunting
AlsoknownasHuntthepixel,referstoacommontropeinoldadventuregameswhenplayers
hadtofindverysmallitemshiddeninpixellatedgraphics.Itisatermusedtodescribesome
computergameinterfacesinvolvingpointandclickwithamouse.Thetermisusuallyappliedto
adventuregamesinwhichtheprimarydifficultywithsomeportionofthegameliesinfindingan
objectonthescreen.Insomecases,therequiredobjectisquitesmall,andmaybeonlyafew
pixelsinsize.Theplayermaynothaveanyideawhattolookfor,butoftenthegamecannot
progresswithoutfindingit.Playersoftenapplythetermtoanygameinwhichthegameplayis
hinderedbythefrustratingtaskofdeterminingpreciselywhereonthescreentoclick.
AnexampleofpixelhuntingappearsfromTheXFiles:TheGame,whereavitalclueisabullet
exactly2x2pixelsinsize.OtherexamplescanbefoundinDarkSeed,wheretheplayermust
locateasmallbobbypinlyingonthefloorofalibrary,orinBeneathaSteelSky,wheretheplayer
mustidentifyanduse(withoutprompting)suchtinyitemsasa2x2pixellumpofputty,athumb
sizedmetalplateinapoorlylitclub,andabarelydistinguishablelightsocketinanabandoned
metrotunnel.PixelhuntingisalsocrucialinFutureWars,whereitemsarenotonlyhardtofind
andrequiredrelativelylateinrespecttotheiroriginallocationbutalso,tosuccessfullyfindan
item,theplayercharacterhastostandclosetoitslocationonthescreen.Dreamwebactually
incorporatesa"magnifyingglass"effectwithasightingreticleintoitsinterfacetoassisttheplayer
inlocatingthemanyinfinitesimalhotspotsscatteredthicklythroughitsrooms.Theproblemwas
endemicinthecontroversialadventureLimbooftheLost,whichfeaturedminuscule,crucial
objectsindeepshadow,sometimesofftheedgeofthescreenorobscuredbythegame'sstatusbar.
Missedobjectswillnotalwaysleadtoanunwinnablesituation,butsometimeswillofferjust
betteralternativeapproachestofuturepuzzles,beingthussomethinglikeEastereggs.Some
gamesmadebySierraOnLine,includingGabrielKnight:SinsoftheFathersandportionsofthe
SpaceQuestandKing'sQuestseries,featuredinterfacesthatattimesrequiredahuntthepixel
approach.OnesituationinLucasArts'sIndianaJonesandtheLastCrusade:TheGraphic
Adventure,whichrequiredtheplayertolocateaparticularbookamongseveralscreensfullof
bookstacks.However,LucasArtsgameshavetheadvantageofastatuslineindicatingtheobject
thecursoriscurrentlyover.Anotherremedywastomakeessentialobjectsflash,orsomeother
methodtomaketheelementmorevisibleagainstthebenignbackground,asisdoneforexampleat
thebeginningofKing'sQuestVIwithAlexander'stwinklinginsigniaringonthebeach.In
LucasArt'sSamandMaxHittheRoadthecursorwillhavearedborderwhenaboveaclickable
location.TheSimontheSorcererseriesavoidedpixelhuntingalltogether,byallowingtheplayer
topressF10atanytimetohighlightallthehotspotsonthecurrentscreen.
Pixelhuntingisextremelycommoningamesoftheescapetheroomgenre.Playersmustnotonly
findandclickonverysmallitems,butsometimesmustalsofindverysmallarbitrary,andinvisible
hotspotsinordertotriggerachangeinpointofview.ManyauthorsofonlineFlashpointand
clickadventuregameshavedisabledthetabkeytopreventplayersfromeasilycyclingthroughall
thehotspots.DigitalSpyargueshaving"acursorthatchangesshapewhenoveranitemof
interest"makesthisproblem"nonexistent".[44]
Platform
Referstothespecificcombinationofelectroniccomponentsorcomputerhardwarewhich,in
conjunctionwithsoftware,allowsavideogametooperate.
Platformgame(platformer)
Playercharacter
APlayerCharacter,orPC,isthemainprotagonistcontrolledandplayedbythehumanplayerina

videogame.TidusfromFinalFantasyX,DoomguyfromtheDoomseries,andCommander
ShepardfromtheMassEffectseriesareall"playercharacters"developedbytheirgamestudios.
YourcharactersyoucreateinMMOsandMMORPGsarealso"playercharacters".
Playerversusenvironment(PvE)
Referstofightingcomputercontrolledenemies(nonplayingcharacters),asopposedtoPvP
(playerversusplayer).
Playerversusplayer(PvP)
Referstocompetingagainstotherplayers,asopposedtoPvE(playerversusenvironment).
Playthrough
Theactofplayingagamefromstarttofinish,inoneorseveralsessions.
Port
SeeGamePort.
Powerup
Objectsthatinstantlybenefitoraddextraabilitiestothegamecharacter,usuallyasatemporary
effect.Persistentpowerupsarecalledperks.
Powercreep
Thegradualunbalancingofagameduetosuccessivereleasesofnewcontent.[45]The
phenomenonmaybecausedbyanumberofdifferentfactorsand,inextremecases,canbe
damagingtothelongevityofthegameinwhichittakesplace.Asnewexpansionsorupdatesare
released,newgamemechanics,units,equipmentand/oreffectsareintroduced,usuallystronger
thanpreviouslyexistingcontent.Gamedevelopersusethisprimarilytopushthenewcontent,asit
givesanincentivetobuyitforcompetitionsagainstotherplayersorasnewchallengesforthe
singleplayerexperience.Asnewcontentwithmorepowerisintroduced,theaveragepowerlevel
withinthegamerises,makingitincreasinglydifficultforoldercontenttoremaininbalance
withoutchanges.Thismeansoldercontentbecomesregressivelyoutdatedorrelatively
underpowered,effectivelyrenderingituselessfromacompetitiveorchallengeseekingviewpoint.
Inextremecaseswholepartsofthegamewillbeavoidedbytheplayers,astheyare
overshadowedbynewercontent.
Powerspike
Themomentinwhichacharacterinmanyskillbasedgamesseesariseinrelativestrengthfrom
levelinguplargerthanthatofanormalmilestone,usuallyduetoanitembecomingavailableor
certainabilitiesbeingunlocked.
Proceduralgeneration
Whenthegamealgorithmicallycombinesrandomlygeneratedelementsforthingslikemapor
levelcreation.
Professionalgaming
SeeeSports
Publisher
Thecompanythat(inwholeorinpart)finances,manufactures,andmarketsthegame.
PvE
AbbreviationofPlayerversusEnvironment
PvP
AbbreviationofPlayerversusPlayer

Q
QTE
AbbreviationofQuicktimeevent
Quest
A"quest"isanyobjectivebasedactivitycreatedingameforthepurposeofeitherstoryor
characterleveladvancement.Questsfollowmanycommontypes,suchas"KillXnumberofY
monster","GatherXnumberofYitem",or"EscortthispersonfrompointAtopointBandkeep
themsafe".Somequestsinvolvemoredetailedinformationandmechanicsandareeithergreatly

enjoyedbyplayersasabreakfromtheabovecommonmonotony,orarereviledasuselesslymore
complicatedthannecessarytothegame.
Quicktimeevent(QTE)
Aneventwithinagamethattypicallyrequirestheplayertopressanindicatedcontrollerbuttonor
moveacontroller'sanalogcontrolswithinashorttimewindowtosucceedintheeventand
progressforward,whilefailuretodosomayharmtheplayercharacterorleadtoagameover
situation.Suchcontrolsaregenerallynonstandardforthegame,andtheactionperformedina
quicktimeeventisusuallynotpossibletoexecuteinregulargameplay.[46]
Quicksave/Quickload
Amechanisminavideogamewhereprogresstoorfromasavedgamecanbedonebypressinga
singlecontrollerbuttonorkeystroke,insteadofopeningafiledialogtolocatethesavefile.
Typically,quicksavingwilloverwriteanyprevioussavedstate.
Quickscoping
Atechniqueinfirstpersonshootervideogamesusedtokillanopponentbyquicklyaimingdown
thesniperriflescopeandfiringimmediatelyafter.

R
Rack
Seelevel
RageGame
Avideogamewhichisdesignedtobeextremelydifficultandfrustrating,withelementsthat
intentionallytryto'cheat'insomewayorform,withtheintentofcausingaplayertobecome
extremelyangryandragequit.
RageQuit
Quittingagameinanactofanger.
Raid
Atypeofmissioninavideogameinwhichaverylargenumberofpeople(largerthanthenormal
teamsizesetbythegame)attempttodefeatabossmonster.CommoninMMORPGs.
Realtimecorruptor
AtypeofROM/ISOcorruptionprogramwhichincrementallyandgraduallycorruptsvideogame
datainrealtimeasthegameisbeingplayed.Agamecouldlookfineatstartup,butastimegoes
by,thegamedatabecomesmoreandmoredistorted,andthegamewilleventuallybecome
unplayableand/orcrash.
Realtimestrategy(RTS)
Agenreofvideogameswheretheplayercontrolsoneormoreunitsinrealtimecombatwith
humanorcomputeropponents.
Remorting
Restartingagamewithanewcharacterfromlevel1afterhavingmaxedoutapreviouscharacter.
Respecing
Ingameswhereaplayercharactergainsskillsalongaskilltreebyspendingpoints,theactof
respecing("respecialization")allowstheplayertoremoveallskillsandthenrespendthosepoints
toadifferentsetofskills.Thisusuallyrequiresanexpenditureofingamemoneyorsimilar
earnedgameplayelement.
Retrogaming
Rhythmgame
Agenreofvideogamesrequiringtheplayertoperformactionsintimetothegame'smusic.
Roguelike
Agenreofvideogamesfeaturingprocedurallygeneratedlevelgenerationandpermanentdeath.
Roleplayingvideogame(RPG)
AnRPGisagamewhereinthehumanplayertakesontheroleofaspecificcharacter"class"and

advancestheskillsandabilitiesofthatcharacterwithinthegameenvironment.RPGcharacters
generallyhaveawidevarietyofskillsandabilitiesavailabletothem,andmuchtheorycrafting
(theartofdevelopingaspecificcharactertypetoitshighestingamepotential)isinvolvedin
creatingthebestpossibleformofeachofthesecharacterclasses.
ThisisdifferentfromgamessuchasFirstPersonShooters(FPS),whereinthe"playercharacter"
inthosegamesareallstandardizedformsandthephysicalskillsoftheplayerinvolvedarethe
determiningfactorintheirsuccessorfailurewithinthegame.InanRPG,ahumanplayercanbe
thebestplayerintheworldatthegame,butiftheyareusingacharacterbuildthatissubstandard,
theycanbesignificantlyoutplayedbyalesserplayerrunningamoreoptimalcharacterbuild.
ROMhacking
Roomoverroom
Invideogameenvironments,roomoverroomistheplacementofaroomdirectlyaboveanother
room.ThiswasimpossibletoachieveinidSoftware'sDoomseries,sincetheDoomenginedidall
ofthemappingin2D,whileheightvariancewasdonevianumbers.Intrue3Dgameenginesto
follow,suchasthoseusingtheQuakeengine,roomoverroombecameaneasyeffecttopulloff.
RPG
AbbreviationofRoleplayingvideogame
Round
SeeLevel
RTS
AbbreviationofRealtimestrategygames.
Rubberbanding
Agamemechanicresultingfromdynamicgamebalancingthatalterstherulesofthegametokeep
thegamebothcompetitiveandfun.Itismostnotableinracinggames,wherehumanplayersmay
easilyoutdistancecomputeropponentsinthesegamesthecomputeropponentsareoftengiventhe
abilitytogofasterthannormaloravoidcertainobstaclesastoallowthemtocatchupandoutpace
theplayer,theeffectactingasastretchingandreleasingarubberbandbetweentheplayerandthe
computeropponent.Thiseffectmayalsoapplytohumanplayersaswell,withthegameproviding
unstatedhandicapsforlosingplayerstostaycompetitive.[47]

S
Sandboxgame
Agamewhereintheplayerhasbeenfreedfromthetraditionalstructureanddirectiontypically
foundinvideogames,andisinsteadgiventheabilitytochoosewhat,when,andhowtheywantto
approachtheavailablechoicesincontent.Thetermisinreferencetoachild'ssandboxinwhich
norulesarepresentandplayisderivedfromopenendedchoice.Whilesomesandboxgamesmay
havebuildingandcreationaspectstotheirgameplay,thoseactivitiesarenotrequired.Sandbox
gamesusuallytakeplaceinanopenworldsettingastofacilitatethefreedomofchoiceaplayeris
given.
Savedgame(gamesave,savegame,savefile)
Afileorsimilardatastoragemethodthatstoresthestateofthegameinnontemporarymemory,
enablingtheplayertoshutdownthegamingsystemandthenlaterrestartthesystemandloadthe
gamestatefromthegamefiletocontinuingplayingwheretheyleftoff.Savedgamesmayalsobe
usedtostorethegame'sstatebeforeadifficultareathat,shouldtheplayercharacterdie,theplayer
canrestartfromthatsavepoint.
Savepoint
Aplaceinthegameworldofavideogamewhereagamesavecanbemade.Somegamesdonot
havespecificsavepoints,insteadallowingtheplayertosaveatanypoint.
Savescumming
Themanipulationofgamesavestatestogainanadvantageduringplayorachieveaparticular
outcomeoutofunpredictableevents.[48]Itisused,forexample,inRoguelikegamesthat

automaticallydeleteanysavefileswhenyourcharacterdies.
Scoreattack
Amodeofgameplaythatchallengestheplayertoearnthehighestscorepossibleinagamelevel
orthroughthewholegame.
Seasonpass
Apurchasemadeinadditiontothecostofthebasegamethatgenerallyenablesthepurchaser
accesstoalldownloadablecontentthatisplannedforthattitlewithoutfurthercost.
Secretlevel
Agamelevelwhichisonlyaccessibletotheplayerbycompletingspecifictaskswithinthegame
thesetasksarerarelydescribedindetailtotheplayer,ifatall,andareoftenonlyfoundthrough
explorationandtrialanderror.
Shovelware
Atypeofoftenlicensedvideogamereleasedinlargeamountsandwithlittleattentiontoquality
control.
Showmode
SeeAttractmode
Simulationgame(Sim)
Avideogamethatsimulatessomeaspectofreality,thoughthedegreeofrealismmayvary.They
areusuallyopenendedandhavenointrinsicgoalstobemet.Inclusivedefinitionsallowforany
videogamethatmodelsreality,suchassportsgames,whileexclusivedefinitionsgenerallyfocus
oncitybuildinggames,vehiclesimulationgames,orboth.[49]
Singleplayer
Agamethatcanonlyhaveoneplayeratatime.Contrastedwithmultiplayer.
Skilltree
Acharacterdevelopmentgamingmechanictypicallyseeninrole
playinggames.Askilltreeconsistsofaseriesofskills(sometimes
knownasperksorbyothernames)whichcanbeearnedbytheplayer
asheorshelevelsuporotherwiseprogresseshisorherplayer
character.Theseskillsgrantgameplaybenefitstotheplayerfor
example,givingthecharactertheabilitytoperformanewaction,or
givingaboosttooneofthecharacter'sstats.[50]
Askilltreeiscalleda"tree"becauseitusesatieredsystemand
typicallybranchesoutintomultiplepaths.Atieredskilltreewill
requireaplayertoachievecertainskillsbeforethenexttierofskills
becomeavailable.Theplayermayberequiredtoachieveallskillsin
onetierbeforemovingontothenexttier,ormayonlyberequiredto
Asimplifiedexampleof
completeprerequisitesforindividualbranches.Skilltreesarea
askilltreestructure,in
commontoolusedforingamebalancingbygamedesigners.Skill
treesalsooffera"gamewithinagame"inwhichplayersarenotonly
thiscasefortheusageof
playingavideogame,buttheirdecisionsonhowtheyallocatepoints
firearms.
intotheirskilltreeswillaffecttheiroverallgamingexperienceasthey
playon.[50]
TheactionroleplayinggameDiabloII,releasedin2000,isoftencitedasthetrueinnovatorofin
depthskilltrees.[50]
Skirmishmode
Agameplaymodeinwhichplayerscanfightimmediatebattleswithouthavingtogothroughthe
linear,storybasedcampaignmode.Itispopularinrealtimestrategygames.[51]
Smurfing
Whenanexperiencedplayerusesanewaccounttoappearinexperienced[52]
Soundtest
Apageoroptioninwhichthegamemakesnoisetoconfirmthattheplayer'saudioequipmentis
workingandatagoodvolume.

Spawncamping
Seecamping
Speedrun
Anattempttocompleteagameasfastaspossible.Playersmayexploitgraphicalglitchesorbugs
inthegametospeeduptheirgameplay.[53]
Splitscreenmultiplayer
Agamethatpresents2ormoreviewsseenbydifferentplayersinamultiplayergameonthesame
displayunit.
Stage
SeeLevel
Statuseffect
Thisisanoverarchingtermthatcoversboth"buffs"and"debuffs".Essentially,anyeffecttoa
characterthatisoutsideofthenormalbaselineisa"statuseffect".Commonnegativestatuseffects
arepoisoning(damageovertime),petrification/paralysis(inabilitytomove),orarmor/damage
reduction(loweringofdefensive/offensiveabilities).Commonpositivestatuseffectsincludea
healovertime(asmall,pulsinghealthattriggersmultipletimesoverasetperiod),armor/damage
increases,orspeedincreases.
Strafing
Tomovesidewaystododgeincomingattacks.
Strategyguide
Printedoronlinemanualsthatarewrittentoguideplayersthroughagame,typicallyoffering
maps,listsofequipment,moves,abilities,enemies,andsecrets,andprovidingtipsandhintsfor
mosteffectiveplaystrategies.
Survivalmode
SeeSurvivalmode
Subgame
SeeMinigame
Superboss
SeeBoss

T
Technologytree(techtree)
Abranchingseriesoftechnologiesthatcanberesearchedinstrategygames,tocustomisethe
player'sfaction.SeeSkilltree.
Telefrag
Afragorkillwhichoccurswhenaplayerusesateleportertogettoanotherpartofthemapwhile
apreviousplayerhasnotlefttheexitpoint.Theplayerwhoisstillattheexitpointiskilledand
thepartylandingonthemisgrantedcreditforthekill.
Theory
SeeGamestudies
Theorycraft
Theanalysisofavideogametomathematicallydeterminethemostoptimalapproachtowinning
thevideogame,typicallyingamesthatfeatureanumberofplayercharacterattributesthatare
enumeratedonecommontypeoftheorycraftisfiguringouthowtobestmaximizeone'sdamage
persecondbytherightselectionofequipmentinaactionroleplayinggame.
Thumbstick
SeeAnalogstick
Timeattack
Amodeofgameplaythatchallengestheplayer(s)tocompletealevelorthegamewithinafixed
amountofgametimeorinthefastesttimepossible.
Titlescreen

Theinitialscreenofacomputer,video,orarcadegameafterthe
creditsandlogosofthegamedeveloperandthepublisherare
displayed.Earliertitlescreensoftenincludedallthegameoptions
available(singleplayer,multiplayer,configurationofcontrols,etc.)
whilemoderngameshaveoptedforthetitlescreentoserveasa
splashscreen.Thiscanbeattributedtotheuseofthetitlescreenasa
loadingscreen,inwhichtocacheallthegraphicalelementsofthe
mainmenu.Oldercomputerandvideogameshadrelativelysimple
OpenArenatitlescreen.
menuscreens,thatoftenfeaturedprerenderedartwork.
Inarcadegames,thetitlescreenisshownaspartoftheattractmode
loop,usuallyafteragamedemonstrationisplayed.Thetitlescreen,aswellasthehighscorelist,
urgespotentialplayerstoinsertcoins.Inconsolegames,especiallyifthescreenisnotmerged
withthemainmenu,iturgestheplayertopressstart.Similarly,incomputergames,themessage
"Hitanykey"isoftendisplayed.Controlsthatlackanactual"Start"buttonuseadifferentprompt
intheNintendoWii,forexample,usuallypromptstopressthe"A"buttonandthe"B"trigger
simultaneously,asinSuperMarioGalaxy2orMarioParty9.Fanmadegamesoftenparodythe
styleofbasisofthecreation.
TripleA
SeeAAA
Triplejump
Anadditionaljumpthatfollowsthesecondinquicksuccession[20]
Touchscreen
Whenthescreenoftheconsolecanbetouchedandgetaresponse.
Trackball
Aformofavideogamecontroller,mostoftenfoundonvideogamearcadecabinets,whichthe
playerusesafreelyrotatingballtointeractwithagame.
Turnbasedgame
Whenagameconsistsofmultipleturns.Whenoneplayer'sturnisup,theymustwaituntil
everyoneelsehasfinishedtheirturn.

U
Underpowered
Acharacter,item,tactic,orabilityconsideredtobetooweaktobebalanced.
Upgrade
Awaytomakethegivenitem,character,etc.morepowerful.
Seealso:Upgrade.

V
Vaporware
Videogameswhichareannouncedandappearinactivedevelopmentforsometimebutthen
subsequentlyareneverreleasednorofficiallycancelled.
Replayvalue
Theabilitytoplaythegameagainandgetthesameenjoymentasecond(+)time.
Videogamedesign
Fornonvideogamedesign,seegamedesign

W
Walkingsimulator
Atermsometimesusedtoclassifyexplorationgamesinaderogatorymanner,asthesegenerally

involveexploringanenvironmentforstoryandnarrativebutwithfew,ifany,puzzlesorgameplay
elements.
Walkthrough
Itmaybeusedwithtwomeanings:
astrategyguide
aplaythrough
Wallhack
Acheatthatmakeswallstranslucent.[5]Somewallhacksalsoletplayersshootweaponsor
physicallypassthroughwalls(noclip).[21]
Walljump
Ajumpperformedoffofawalltopropeltheplayerintheoppositedirection.Walljumpsbetween
twotightwallscanbedoneinquicksuccessiontoclimbvertically.Asaspecialjump,itis
sometimesanacquiredskillinsteadofavailablefromthegame'sstart.[20]
Wantedlevel
AgameplaymechanicpopularizedbytheGrandTheftAutoseries.Aplayer'sactionsinanopen
worldstylegamemaycausecomputercontrollercharacters,oftenrepresentinglawenforcement,
tochasedowntheplayer,withtheresponsebecomingmoresignificantathigherwantedlevels.
Thewantedlevelpersistsunlesstheplayercaneludetheseopponents,orifthecharacterdies,
eliminatingthewantedlevel.
Warpzone
Anareainavideogamewhereplayerscangofromoneplaceorleveltoanother.
WASDkeys
AcommoncontrolmechanismusingatypicalQWERTYkeyboard,withthekeys"W","A","S",
and"D"boundtomovementcontrols.
Wave
Ingamegenresormodeswhereplayer(s)aretodefendapointorstayaliveaslongaspossible
(suchastowerdefensegames),enemiesarecommonlygroupedinto"waves"(sometimesreferred
toaslevels).Whenallfoesinawaveiscompleted,player(s)aretypicallygivenashortbitoftime
toprepareforthenextsuchwave.
Winquote
Aphrasespokenbyafightinggamecharacterafterdefeatinganopponent.Inoldergamessuchas
FatalFuryandtraditionallyin2DfightinggamessuchasCapcomvs.SNK,itisnotanactual
voicesample,buttextsuperimposedonanimageofthewinningcharacter,occasionallydepicted
alongsidethevisiblyinjureddefeatedcharacter(StreetFighterIIforexample).Winquotesare
rarelyparticularlyprofound,andareoftenlittlemorethantrashtalk,buttheyhelpplayersto
understandandidentifywiththecharacters.
Inmostgames,charactershaveoneormorewinquotesthattheyuseindiscriminately,but
sometimesspecialwinquotesareusedinspecialcircumstances.Forexample,inTheKingof
Fighters'94,eachcharacterhasspecialwinquotesagainsteachofthe8teamsinStreetFighter
Alpha,playerscanchooseoneoffourwinquotesbyholdingcertainbuttoncombinationsafter
winningabattleinStreetFighterIII:GiantAttack,characterssometimeusespecialwinquotesif
theyfinishthebattlewithacertainmoveandinSNKvs.Capcom:MatchoftheMillennium,
playerscaninputtheirownwinquotesineditmode.
Somewinquoteshavecharactersbreakthefourthwall,suchasChunLi'sMarvelSuperHeroes
vs.StreetFighterwinquoteinwhichshesuspectsthegameissetontheeasiestdifficultysetting
orareinjokesreferringtoothervideogames,likeSakura'sStreetFighterAlpha3winquotein
whichshesayssheprefers"streetfightingtosparringinrivalschools."
Wrapping

Camerawrappingisatechniqueoftenusedinvideogames,whichallowsaplayertomoveina
straightlineandgetbacktowheretheystarted.Thiswasmoreoftenusedinoldergamestomake
itseemthattheplayerismovingupordownanextremelyhighhillmemorycanbesavedby
usingwrappinginsteadofcreatingalargerareafilledwithunpassablewalls.Wrappingisalso
usedtomakea2Dgameworldroundforexample,inPacManexitingthegamescreentothe
rightwrapstheplayertothesamepositionontheleftsideofthescreen.Similarly,inFinal
FantasyVII,exitingthegamemaptotherightwrapstheplayertothesamepositionontheleft
sideofthemap,andexitingthemaptothetopwrapstheplayertothebottomofthemap.
World
SeeLevel

X
XP
AbbreviationofExperiencePoint

Y
YouTubeBait
GamesthataremadeforanaudiencegamescreatedwithYouTubersand/orTwitchstreamersin
mind.

Z
Zerodaypatch
Asoftwarepatchthatissettobereleasedonthedayofthegame'sofficialrelease("the0thday"),
reflectingupdatesandfixesthatwereaddedafterthefinalreleasecandidatewasprepared.
Zeroplayergame
Agamethathasnosentientplayers.Invideogames,thetermreferstoprogramsthatuseartificial
intelligenceratherthanhumanplayers.[54]
Zone
SeeLevel

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