Are you ready to level up your online gaming knowledge and dominate the virtual world?
Awesome!
This guide has 61 common video gaming words for mastering gamer lingo and impressing fellow players.
(In 2023, of course.)
Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, this information will help boost your gaming street cred and take your skills to the next level.
So let's dive in and get started on this epic gaming journey!
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AAA games have high production values and large budgets, typically developed by well-established studios with a track record of successful titles. These games often feature cutting-edge graphics, complex mechanics, and extensive marketing campaigns to generate hype and anticipation for their release.
Some examples of AAA games include Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, and many others. These games often receive critical acclaim for their technical achievements and engaging gameplay experiences.
An opponent in a video game that is controlled by the computer rather than another player is known as Computer Controlled Enemy.
CCEs can range from simple enemies that follow basic patterns to complex AI opponents that adapt to player behavior.
Frames per second refer to the number of frames a gaming console or computer can render in one second.
A game running at 60 FPS will look smoother than a game running at 30 FPS.
Massively multiplayer online games are video games that allow multiple players to participate simultaneously in a virtual world.
World of Warcraft is one of the most popular MMOs ever made.
A gathering of gamers who bring their computers or consoles together to play multiplayer games over a local area network (LAN).
One quick example is that your friends are having a LAN party this weekend to play classic PC games together.
(Sounds familiar?)
Downloadable content refers to extra content released for a game after its initial release, often available for purchase separately from the main game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has several DLC packs that add new areas, quests, and items to the game.
Artificial intelligence refers to computer-controlled characters or entities within a game that functions autonomously and interacts with human-controlled characters in various ways.
The enemies in Halo have advanced AI that makes them difficult opponents for players to face off against.
Heads-up display refers to the graphical interface elements displayed on-screen during gameplay that provide important information such as health bars, ammo counts, maps, and objectives.
The HUD in Call of Duty shows your current weapon, ammo count, and other important information while you’re playing.
A location where players’ avatars appear when they first enter a game, or after they die or respawn.
In Fortnite Battle Royale, you parachute onto an island from a spawn point at the beginning of each match.
Save Point refers to a location within a game where progress can be saved so players can resume their progress later.
In Resident Evil 4, typewriters serve as save points where players can record their progress.
Modifying or altering an existing video game’s code or assets (such as textures or models) to create new content or change aspects of gameplay is known as modding.
The modding community for Bethesda’s Fallout series has created countless mods that add new weapons, armor sets, quests, and even entire locations to explore within the games.
A software program that allows a computer or other device to mimic the behavior of another system, such as a gaming console. This allows users to play games designed for the other system on their own hardware.
PCSX2 is an emulator that allows users to play PlayStation 2 games on their PC.
Players’ input device to interact with a game typically consists of buttons, joysticks, or thumbsticks, and triggers are known as Controller.
The Xbox One controller is considered one of the best game controllers ever.
Lag is the delay between a player’s input and the corresponding action on screen and is often caused by network latency or insufficient hardware resources.
If you’re experiencing lag while repeatedly playing online multiplayer games, it can seriously impact your ability to compete effectively.
A powerful enemy is encountered at the end of a level or section of a game, often requiring special strategies or tactics to defeat. This is known as Boss.
The final boss in Dark Souls III is considered one of the most challenging bosses in recent gaming history.
Hidden content or features within a video game that is not immediately apparent to players simply playing through the game are normally referred to as Easter Egg.
Grand Theft Auto V has an easter egg that allows players to discover and explore an underwater UFO.
The process by which defeated enemies reappear in their original location after a certain amount of time has passed, allowing players to fight them again.
In many first-person shooters, enemies will keep respawning until certain objectives have been completed.
A non-interactive cinematic sequence within a video game that advances its story or provides context for gameplay events.
The opening cutscene in Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots runs for nearly half an hour, setting up much of the game’s story and themes.
A gameplay mechanic where players must press specific buttons or perform timed actions in response to prompts that appear on-screen during cutscenes or other scripted sequences.
Heavy Rain extensively uses QTEs during its tense action sequences and dramatic moments.
A gameplay mechanic where characters who die cannot be revived or continue playing from where they left off, forcing players to start over from the beginning of a good game, is called Permadeath.
In roguelike games like Spelunky and FTL: Faster Than Light, permadeath is a key feature that adds tension and challenge to each playthrough.
A glitch is a fault or error in a game’s programming that can cause unintended behavior, often resulting in humorous or frustrating consequences for players.
The “Missingno” glitch in Pokemon Red and Blue allowed players to duplicate items by exploiting an oversight in the game’s code.
Sandbox is an open-world game where players are free to explore and interact with the game world as they see fit, often without a linear story or set objectives.
Minecraft is perhaps the most well-known sandbox game, allowing players to build and explore vast procedurally generated worlds.
A gameplay mechanic where players must avoid detection by enemies or other hazards by moving quietly or staying out of sight.
The Metal Gear Solid series is known for its emphasis on stealth gameplay, requiring players to carefully plan their movements and take down enemies silently.
Downloadable content refers to extra content released for a game after its initial release, often available for purchase separately from the main game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has several DLC packs that add new areas, quests, and items to the game.
A type of video game-level design where the player can roam freely through a virtual world without being confined to specific paths or objectives.
Grand Theft Auto V features a massive open world that includes multiple cities, towns, and wilderness areas for players to explore at their leisure.
Multiplayer is a mode of play where two or more people can play together locally (split screen) or online.
Call of Duty is famous for its fast-paced multiplayer modes that pit teams against each other in various objective-based challenges.
A genre of video games characterized by jumping between platforms and avoiding obstacles while navigating through levels.
Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog, and Donkey Kong Country are all classic examples of platformer games.
Secret codes entered into a video game unlocks special abilities or features not normally available during regular gameplay. This is Cheat Code.
The Konami Code (up down down left right left right B A start) is one of the most well-known cheat codes in gaming history.
RPG is a video game genre where players assume the role of a character and make decisions that affect the story and world around them.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a popular RPG that allows players to explore a vast open world, complete quests, and customize their character’s abilities.
A video game genre where the player views the world through their character’s eyes and typically uses firearms to defeat enemies.
Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo are popular examples of FPS games.
A genre of video game where players must manage resources, build structures, and control armies in real-time strategy games.
Starcraft II is one of the most well-known RTS games, featuring three distinct factions with unique units and abilities.
A subgenre of strategy games where two teams battle each other in large arenas while controlling individual hero units with unique abilities.
League of Legends and Dota 2 are two of the most popular MOBA games currently played worldwide.
A subgenre of role-playing games characterized by random level generation, permadeath, turn-based gameplay, and often set in dungeon-like environments.
Spelunky and The Binding of Isaac are popular roguelike games known for their high difficulty level.
VR is a type of technology that immerses users in a simulated environment using specialized hardware such as headsets or motion controllers.
The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are two popular VR headsets for gaming.
Additional content released after a game’s initial release date can be downloaded online for an additional cost or sometimes free is DLC.
The Blood & Wine expansion pack for The Witcher III adds new areas to explore, characters to meet, weapons to use, monsters to fight against, etc., providing more content beyond what was included in the original base game.
Small purchases made within a game allow players to buy virtual goods or services with real-world money.
Fortnite is known for its microtransactions system, which allows players to purchase skins, emotes or other items using real money.
A cinematic sequence in a video game that advances the story or shows important events.
The opening sequence of The Last of Us features a cutscene that sets up the game’s post-apocalyptic world and introduces the two main characters.
A gameplay sequence where the player fights against a powerful enemy, often with unique abilities and attacks.
The final battle against Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is one of gaming history’s most memorable boss battles.
An area within a game where players can save their progress and return to it later.
In Resident Evil, typewriters serve as save points where players can record their progress onto ink ribbons.
When enemies or items reappear in a game after being defeated or collected, often on a timer or after certain conditions are met.
In Borderlands, enemies respawn after a set amount of time has passed, allowing players to farm them for loot and experience points.
A gameplay feature where once the player’s character dies, they cannot continue playing with that character but must start over from scratch.
In modern games, like XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Darkest Dungeon, permadeath is used as an added challenge for players who want to test their skills.
The area within which an object in-game can be hit or interacted with by another object.
In fighting games like Street Fighter V, hitboxes determine whether an attack will land on an opponent based on their position and timing.
The extent of what is visible in front of the player character at any given moment within the game world.
Adjusting FOV can affect how much detail is shown on-screen and how much peripheral vision the player has while playing.
The on-screen display shows the player’s health, ammo count, and other important information.
The HUD in Call of Duty displays the player’s current weapon, ammo count, mini-map, and score.
A system used in games to determine random outcomes such as loot drops or critical hits.
In Hearthstone, RNG determines which cards are drawn from a player’s deck each turn.
A gameplay mechanic where players must avoid detection by enemies or complete objectives without being seen.
The Metal Gear Solid series is known for its emphasis on stealth gameplay, requiring players to sneak past guards and complete missions undetected.
A period of time during which a player engages in playing one or more video games.
A gaming session can range from a few minutes to several hours or longer, depending on the player’s preferences and available free time.
In multiplayer mode, two or more players work together to complete objectives or defeat enemies.
Games like Left 4 Dead and Borderlands offer co-op modes where players can team up online to take on hordes of zombies or bandits.
A multiplayer mode in the game mechanic in which two or more players compete against each other directly.
Games like Fortnite and Overwatch offer PVP modes where players can battle in arenas using different characters and weapons.
An expression used by gamers when they want to find other players to join them in a game.
Players might say “LFG” in chat rooms or forums when they’re looking for teammates for a particular game mode or mission.
The repetitive process of completing small tasks repeatedly to level up characters, earn rewards, or progress through the game.
Many RPGs require players to grind through low-level enemies to gain enough experience points to tackle tougher challenges later on.
A character class in video games is designed to absorb damage and draw enemy fire away from other team members.
Tanks are typically heavily armored and have high health pools, making them ideal for holding the front line and protecting more vulnerable allies.
The amount of threat or attention generated by a player’s character towards enemies in a game.
Tanks are responsible for generating aggro by using taunts or other abilities to direct enemy attacks toward themselves instead of their teammates.
A viewpoint in video games where the player sees the game world through their character’s eyes.
In the first-person perspective, players only see what their character would see if they were actually present in the game world as nonplayer characters.
A graphical element that indicates where a player is aiming their weapon or interacting with objects in the game world.
The crosshair helps players aim more accurately and interact with objects more precisely while in first-person perspective.
A character in a video game is directly controlled by the player.
In most games, players control one or more characters as they navigate the game world and interact with other game elements.
A genre of video games that attempts to simulate real-world activities or systems.
Simulation games can range from realistic simulations of vehicles, cities, and businesses to more abstract simulations of social interactions or ecosystems.
READ | Unlocking the World of Video Game Genres: An Essential Guide
A subgenre of simulation games that simulate daily life activities such as relationships, careers, and personal growth.
Life sims often involve character customization, social interactions, and goal-setting. Examples include The Sims and Animal Crossing.
A subgenre of simulation game that simulates the operation of various types of vehicles.
Vehicle sims can include flight simulators like Microsoft Flight Simulator and driving simulators like Gran Turismo or Euro Truck Simulator 2.
A subgenre of simulation game that simulates sports competitions or events.
Sports sims can range from realistic simulations like FIFA or NBA 2K to more arcade-style simulations like Rocket League.
A subgenre of simulation game where the player takes on the role of a deity overseeing a simulated world.
God games typically involve manipulating the environment and its inhabitants to achieve specific goals or objectives. Examples include Black & White and Populous.
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