Video Game Terminology

Goal defined outside a game's parameters awarding a player an amount of "gamerscore" in the Xbox console series

Player's representation in a game world

A system for online multiplayer games where a new player is placed in an existing game after a player has left

A video game genre blending elements of survival games with last man standing

A temporary or long-term change to a player/object to strengthen its power/stats in game

To remain in one place for an extended period of time to ambush other players

A feature of a playable map that funnels players and restricts movement, making them an easier target for the opposition

To construct in-game items such as armour, weapons or medicine from a combination of other items and/or resources

A type of strike that does more damage than usual, either due to a special attack of hitting a target's weak point

The action of a game character being able to execute two successive leaps, the second occurring in mid-air without physical contact

Organised competitions around competitive video games, often played for prize money and recognition

To consistently die to an enemy team or player, providing them with experience, currency, territory or other advantages

Common in strategy games, a "mist" covering unobservable areas of the map and hiding enemy units in that area

A feature included in time trial modes of racing games, where players can race against previously recorded performances on the track, generally appearing translucent or flashing

In first person shooters, a weapon/character which fires with no travel time between source and target

A game made by a single person or small studio with little or no financial, development, marketing or distribution support from a large publisher

A multiplayer game mode where many players face one overpowered enemy player, and where the player who gets the kill becomes the next overpowered target to eliminate

An unintentional or unexpected delay between the start and end of a process (e.g., rendering times or network connection), usually leading to detrimental effect on gameplay

A container of random items, typically cosmetic, often awarded based on a rarity system. May be awarded to players for in-game progression, but sometimes purchased via microtransactions

Slang term for a currently dominant strategy/hero/team in an online multiplayer game

A long-term change to a player/object to weaken its power/stats in game

A game where the player has much greater freedom in choosing the order that they visit areas on the map or complete quests, rather than a strictly linear narrative.

An update to an already release game to add new content, fix bugs, balance characters, etc

A genre of video game involving heavy use of jumping, climbing and other acrobatic manoeuvres to guide a player over and between suspended obstacles in the game enviroment

The gradual unbalancing of a game due to successive releases of new content, primarily due to expansions being stronger than previous content to entice players to buy it

The act of quitting a game mid-progress instead of waiting to the end, associated with leaving in frustration due to the likelihood of losing the game

A modern reincarnation of an old video game with updated graphics and sound effects, but retaining the original gameplay concepts and core story elements

The reappearance of an entity, such as character or object, afters its death or desctruction

A tactic in strategy games where the player sacrifices economic development in favour of as many low-cost weak units in the early game, to overwhelm the enemy by surprise and speed

A game that gives the player a great degree of creativity to complete tasks (e.g. by creating objects, or interacting with the world), often with no clear objective enforced by the game

A customization option for a player to change their appearance in-game, often varying in cosmetic appeal based on a rarity system

In online multiplayer games, a new account used by a veteran player matched with low ranking opponents for the purpose of easy wins

A character with abilities/stats giving them high health and damage mitigation designed to draw enemy attacks away from "squishy" teammates

When the performance of a player is affected due to being angered or grieved by another player, leading to a lack of focus on objectives and reduced ability of play

A detailed breakdown of gameplay progression for a level or entire game, intended to guide players who are unsure how or unable to complete it

A group of enemies that attacks at the same time, and must be eliminated by the player(s) before facing the next group of enemies. Common in tower defence games