skydome

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(video games, computer graphics) A sphere or hemisphere with a texture on its inner face, used to simulate the sky or similar backdrop around a three-dimensional playfield.


bullet hell

en-noun

bullet hell (countable and uncountable, plural bullet hells)

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Mars Matrix is a bullet hell game that is pretty well designed.

2003, Billy Bissette, “SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!”, in rec.games.video.sega (Usenet):

A few of the game cabinets are connected to flat-screen TVs so bystanders can stop and ogle. Grimy VCRs are hooked up to bullet-hell shooting games...

2008, Brian Ashcraft, Jean Snow, Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers:

The camera is a convenient nonviolent replacement for a gun, a principle perhaps taken most literally by Shoot the Bullet (2005), a bullet hell game in which you clear bullets by photographing them.

2019 February 25, Jordan Erica Webber, “Point and shoot: what's next for photography in video games?”, in The Guardian:

(video games, chiefly attributive) A genre of two-dimensional shoot 'em up in which the playfield is almost filled with a barrage of enemy bullets.


zerg

en-verb

zerg (third-person singular simple present zergs, present participle zerging, simple past and past participle zerged)

zergs (present singular third-person)
zerging (participle present)
zerged (participle past)
zerged (past)

From the game StarCraft (1998), in which the easily mass-produced Zerg units encourage such a strategy.

You can't win with small, balanced groups. You have to zerg the mob with a high number of players. They don't have to zerg lower tier encounters just like the lowest tier guilds doesn't have to zerg orc camp 1 in EC. But, at the top end, it's still zerg tactics.

2002, Wolfie, “Re: Whoa - massive changes due in next patch”, in alt.games.everquest (Usenet):

The scale and lack of focused content doesn't facilitate this grouping as well as some other games. The good side of that is you don't get the "wonderful" experience of zerging around DF with everyone else waiting for something to spawn.

2003, George, “Finding groups to mission/hunt/other experience with”, in alt.games.starwarsgalaxies (Usenet):

No one ever did D (or just 3-4 people tried), we just zerged, and we would lose every single AV.

2008, neithskye, “AV after the last changes...”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):

(slang, video games, strategy games) To attack an opponent with a large swarm of units before they have been able to build sufficient defences.


zerg

(slang, video games) A very large group of units or players.


Basic Pokémon

A Pokémon card (in Pokémon Trading Card Game) that does not evolve from any other Pokémon card, or evolves from a Baby Pokémon card.


superkick

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Thirty minutes later this superkick landed me, when I came crashing back to earth, at the door of the Egyptian tomb.

1920, The Saturday Evening Post, Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, page 129:

"Mere you-tickle-me-I-tickle you stuff. No Urge^([sic]) about that sort of thing; no Superkick;—well Starfire, if you know what I mean!"— she said it shyly, being young enough and Anglo-Saxon enough, to dread the language.

1933, Eleanor Mercein Kelly, Arabesque, Harper & Brothers, page 231:

Lori Couto's SUPERKICK?

1980, Berkley Middle School Yearbook, Berkley Public Library, page 29:

At the end of the season, in December, they have a competitive and hilarious “superkick,’ a contest measuring accuracy, distance, and style (“style meaning how mongrelly your kicks are”), but that’s generally the extent of formal ceremony, a fact Kelly savors.

2004, Brian Doyle, Spirited Men: Story, Soul & Substance, Cowley Publications, →ISBN, page 127:

(martial arts, video games, fantasy, science fiction, rare) An extremely strong kick, performed with proficiency, which differs from the common wrestling variation.


Eeveelution

(fandom slang) Any Pokémon that is an evolution of Eevee, either official or made up by fans.


Pokémaniac

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Blend of Pokémon + maniac. Derived from "POKéMANIAC", the name of a class of opponent characters in-game. The characters are nowadays seen donning cosplay pieces resembling the Pokémon creatures (though originally wearing lab coats and portrayed as being somewhat lunatic). "POKéMANIAC" was the term used in the English translation for the aforementioned, originally called 「かいじゅうマニア」 [kaijuumania] ("monster maniac") in Japanese. Equivalent to Poké- + maniac.

A dedicated or obsessive fan of Pokémon.


eevolution

For quotations using this term, see Citations:Eevolution.


Pokédollar

From Poké- + dollar, coined by fans to describe an alternative symbol for yen that first appears on the games Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, from 1996.

(Pokémon) A unit of currency that is usually described as having characteristics of yen and/or dollar. Its symbol is .


kill screen

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The most famous kill screen from classic gaming is the 256th level of Pac-Man. At this point, due to a bug half the screen becomes garbled data, which keeps the player from collecting all of the dots and clearing the board to move on.

2010, Scott Rogers, Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design, page 48:

Kill screens—a problem largely limited to arcade games—occur when an unexpectedly far progress of a player causes an error in the game program.

2020, Michelle Herte, Forms and Functions of Endings in Narrative Digital Games, Routledge, →ISBN:

(video games) A level in a computer game that is impossible to win, usually due to programming errors.


Rocketshipper

From rocket + shipper (after the characters' team, Team Rocket, and punningly on rocketship).

Those of you who have read my fanfics will know that I am a Rocketshipper.

2000 January 13, Blue-Jackal and her box-o-Skywarp [username], “Jessie and James, an item?”, in alt.fan.team-rocket (Usenet):

All the Rocketshippers love to talk about evidence in favor of Jessie/James being in love and such.

2000 February 7, BBD127 [username], “Rocketshipping... negative evidence?”, in alt.fan.team-rocket (Usenet):

You realize, of course, that this thread would probably get us lynched by the large Rocketshipper population on the net.

2001 January 15, Bodger [username], “Re: Gay couple in Godzilla vs. Megalon”, in rec.arts.tv.mst3k.misc (Usenet):

(fandom slang) A shipper of Jessie and James, characters in the animated version of Pokémon.


gameverse

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(fandom slang) A universe depicted in one or more video games.


Pikachu

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(video games, anime, manga) A small yellow rodent-like Pokémon species that has red cheeks and a tail shaped like a lightning bolt, and has electricity-related powers.


cheesable

en-adj

cheesable (comparative more cheesable, superlative most cheesable)

more cheesable (comparative)
most cheesable (superlative)

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(video games, slang) Of a level, obstacle, opponent, etc.: able to be defeated or overcome by cheesing.


uncheesable

uncheesable (comparative more uncheesable, superlative most uncheesable)

more uncheesable (comparative)
most uncheesable (superlative)

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telly tennis

From telly + tennis, the game having a superficial resemblance to tennis.

The monitored heart-rate on a small screen, like a hesitant green version of the telly tennis he'd played in pubs or railway stations.

1976, Elaine Feinstein, The ecstasy of Dr Miriam Garner, page 101:

Hooked on telly tennis, or football? We've been carrying out some in-depth testing of (playing with) a TV games unit for you to build.

1979 October 4, New Scientist, volume 84, number 1175, page 48:

He finds them sitting at a small table holding a horizontal video tube and stands watching them play telly tennis.

1992, Mudrooroo (Colin Johnson), Long live Sandawara, page 61:

(slang, video games, UK, Australia) The game of Pong, or any TV game closely based on it.


esport

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(video games) Alternative form of e-sport


ghost piece

(video games) A representation of where a piece will land if it falls without intervention (such as moving it away or rotating it) in the video game Tetris.


hard drop

A manual downward motion of a piece in the video game Tetris that makes it land immediately (that is, within only one frame).


wall kick

(video games) A sideways movement that results from a rotation of a piece that is touching the left or right walls in certain versions of the video game Tetris.


eroge

Borrowed from Japanese エロゲー (erogē), a portmanteau of エロチックゲーム (erochikku gēmu), from English erotic game.


WRPG

role-playing game
role-playing game#English

role-playing video game
role-playing video game

(video games) Initialism of Western role-playing game, a traditional genre of role-playing video game generally understood as involving a customizable player character, open-ended and non-linear gameplay, exploration of a large game world, and an overall high level of player agency.


Nintendinitis

repetitive strain injury
repetitive strain injury

(informal, video games) A form of repetitive strain injury affecting frequent video gamers, often from excessive use of the d-pad on a game controller.


ADS

(video games) Initialism of aim down sights.


hall of mirrors

en-noun

hall of mirrors (plural halls of mirrors)

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Does anyone know about the Hall of Mirrors effect in the game of DOOM? I have recently been making my own levels of doom and in some places the hall of mirrors effect is in full effect. It happens especially in my biggest rooms that are very complex.

1994, Josh Pearson, “DOOM hall of mirrors effect”, in bit.listserv.games-l (Usenet):

Quake 1, on the other hand, wouldn't run properly. Quake 1 1.09 3dfx failed to load, and Quake 1 1.09 RAVE was just ... wierd^([sic]). Video adjustment was almost non-existent, and no matter what settings I chose (trashing Prefs and the texture cache between attempts) I either got a lock-up, or the screen wouldn't change resolution, or if I called up the Options from the main menu I would see nothing, and when the startup demo was running, it was all 'hall of mirrors' stuff. Completely unusable.

2000, Brains, “3dfx 1.0.1 + Voodoo3/2k + Quake 1 = blergh”, in comp.sys.mac.games.action (Usenet):

(video games, uncountable) A glitch in some three-dimensional games where a missing texture prevents part of the scene from being rendered correctly, causing a trail of previously rendered frames to appear instead.


mainer

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(video games) One who mainly plays as a specific character or on a specific side.


turtler

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arcader

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The arcaders have it easy. All they need to do is drop a quarter into a machine to find out how good the latest shoot 'em up game really is. But for the home computer owner, it's another story.

1983 August, Popular Mechanics, volume 160, number 2, page 88:

Bruce Lee Lives will take even advanced arcaders hours to complete. Software Toolworks' Troy Heere offers some hints not found in the manual to help you get through the game a little faster.

Jerry Jewell was on the scene with Sirius' two most awesome arcaders. On-Line would arrive tomorrow. After the presentation, Jewell bragged to one of the competitors that one of his men might well be the world's best videogamer.


backseater

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(Internet, video games) Synonym of back-seat gamer


pikachurin

Named after Pikachu, a Pokémon character, + -in.

(biochemistry) A dystroglycan-interacting polysaccharide which has an essential role in the precise interactions between the photoreceptor ribbon synapse and the bipolar dendrites.


video gamer

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quylthulg

Everything was going fine until I found a long long hallway with two titans trapped behind a quylthulg.

1999, rocher, “YACD, my rogue again. Advice wanted/needed (LONG)”, in rec.games.roguelike.angband (Usenet):

- some monster descriptions corrected, and a few other changes: quylthulgs are no longer evil, as befits an entirely brainless creature which knows nothing except that it must bring help to protect itself.

2000, Jonathan Ellis, “New version of vanilla-290 "edits" patch released!”, in rec.games.roguelike.angband (Usenet):

Find something worth a lot that you can handle, and clone it. Young dragons if you have a SD weapon, various high-level undead (wights, wraiths, lichs, vampires) if you have speed, rotting quylthulgs as a source for those high-level undead, iridescent beetles if you have free action […]

2002, Eli the Bearded, “Random questions on mid level play”, in rec.games.roguelike.moria (Usenet):

(video games) In some roguelike games, a type of fictional invisible monster that summons other monsters.


kinetic novel

From KineticNovel, a brand of the Japanese software publishing company Visual Arts.

(video games) A visual novel in which the player does not interact with the story.


visual novel

Calque of Japanese ビジュアルノベル (bijuaru noberu), from English visual + novel

cal

(video games) An interactive fiction video game of a style originated in Japan, consisting primarily of narration illustrated by anime-style images.


crossplay

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(video games) Cross-platform multiplayer functionality.


multitap

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(video games) A peripheral for video game consoles that increases the number of controller ports, allowing more players to participate.


murderbot

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aftergame

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(video games) Bonus features, dialogue, etc. accessed when a previously-beaten video game is revisited.


romset

I am looking for a rom dump of a Swedish or Finnish C64. They seem to have an alternate romset than the ones used elsewhere (probably because of the characters used in those countries).

2000, Ben Castricum, “Searching for a Swedish/Finnish C64 romset”, in comp.sys.cbm (Usenet):

You are right re the romsets, MAME uses different sets for a lot of games, you can't intermix Neorage and MAME sets.

2001, Paul Irvine, “NeoGeo”, in uk.games.video.misc (Usenet):

(video games) A group of related ROM images required to emulate a particular game.


time attack

time + attack. Time-trial sense is a calque of Japanese タイムアタック (taimu atakku), itself from English.

clq

Coordinate term: score attack

Starting off in Japan, Time Attack, Super Lap and Tuner Battles were organised by the media as a proving ground to see the difference between street tuned cars, produced by the tuning industries most respected tuners.

2006, “Time Attack FAQ's”, in Time Attack - Official Website, archived from the original on 2007-09-12:

There are only eight levels but the varied game modes (including time attacks, survivals, team deathmatches, hunts, and sieges) in both single and multi-player keeps things interesting.

(motor racing, video games) Synonym of time trial


heal up

en-verb

heal up (third-person singular simple present heals up, present participle healing up, simple past and past participle healed up)

heals up (present singular third-person)
healing up (participle present)
healed up (participle past)
healed up (past)

Find a safe place where you can heal up before returning to the scene of combat.

(intransitive, video games) To heal one's character.


Pokémon

en-noun

Pokémon (plural Pokémon or (nonstandard) Pokémons)

Pokémon (plural)
Pokémons (nonstandard plural)

From Japanese ポケモン (Pokemon), a contraction of ポケットモンスター (Poketto Monsutā), itself from English pocket monster.

contraction

Pokémons are the latest and adamantly conformist craze among middle-childhood boys. The theme of the video games that started the craze is, as usual, the triumph of good over evil. The hero is a child, twelve-year-old Ash. His goal is to capture all 150-plus nonhuman creatures called Pokémons, train them to be good, and use them to capture the remaining wicked Pokémons that so far have escaped. In the games, Ash is not your ally: he is you. Each of the Pokémons has its own sort of power which, after conversion, accrues to Ash’s (your) favor.

2001, Sara Stein, “Games They Play”, in Noah’s Children: Restoring the Ecology of Childhood, New York, N.Y.: North Point Press, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 248:

Game strategy (and tactics) are full of such learning about real life, like the rules, the strategy in games needs to be lifelike for the games to make sense, even if the characters, such as Pokémons, are purely imaginary.

2005, Marc Prensky, “Computer Games and Learning: Digital Game-Based Learning”, in Joost Raessens, Jeffrey Goldstein, editors, Handbook of Computer Game Studies, Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, →ISBN, part II (Design), page 106, column 2:

He had been delighted when his mother said, Just leave everything as it is. Not even his bed was made. He could see that little kid’s mess, his clothes, his Pokémons, his old Winnie Dubdoub, his Spiderman poster; and the truck, alone in the empty house for days now, nearly two weeks.

2005, Eva Sallis, The Marsh Birds, Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, →ISBN, page 15:

A pocket monster; a fictional creature from the universe of the Pokémon franchise.


SMG

Initialism of Standard Modern Greek (the contemporary language, taught in Greek schools since 1982).

Standard Modern Greek

(video games) Initialism of Super Mario Galaxy.


exergame

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(video games) A video game that also provides the player with physical exercise.


SNES

The graphics are kind of cutesy, and the music is annoying, but the game is incredibly fun and the Super Multitap is worth owning so you can play the five-player SNES games coming out in the near future. Check it out!

1994, J. Douglas Arnold, Awesome Super Nintendo Secrets 3:

Emulate the SNES on the Dreamcast

2004, Simon Carless, Gaming hacks, page 64:

In fact the GBA was more powerful than the SNES, and could manipulate the pixels in ways the original SNES could never do. The cartridges also had a greater capacity than the SNES, allowing for richer and more extensive play.

2006, NFGMan, Character Design for Mobile Devices:

Super Nintendo Entertainment System
w:Super Nintendo Entertainment System

(video games) Initialism of Super Nintendo Entertainment System.


OHKO

(video games) An instance of defeating an opponent with a single attack; a one-hit knockout.


OHKO

en-verb

OHKO (third-person singular simple present OHKOs, present participle OHKOing, simple past and past participle OHKOed)

OHKOs (present singular third-person)
OHKOing (participle present)
OHKOed (participle past)
OHKOed (past)

(transitive, video games) To defeat with a single attack.


Xboxer

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Xboxers can stop whining about being left out of the most amoral and hyper-violent game of all time.

2003 November, Popular Science, volume 263, number 5, page 26:

(informal) An owner of a Xbox video game console.


pop-in

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(computer graphics, video games) A performance issue in three-dimensional graphics, causing objects or textures to "pop" suddenly into view as they are loaded, rather than smoothly moving into view.


joystick waggler

en-noun

joystick waggler (plural joystick wagglers)

Popeye 3 is an out-and-out joystick waggler. While Zeppelin's Tag Team Wrestling used the old 'press fire with a direction' control method, to beat your opponent in Popeye 3, you have two stages of frenetic wrist-mangling.

1992, Jon Pillar, Popeye III (game review) in Your Sinclair 83, November 1992

It's not an exact simulation and it's not a joystick waggler. It is basically CM2 for cricket.

1998, Mike Fairweather, “International cricket captain, opinions wanted”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.sports (Usenet):

Could be wrong but I'm sure T&F and several of the other give-the-controls-a-good-twatting games were actually button bashers rather than joystick wagglers. Bit picky I know.....

2003, Nomenluni, “What Speccy game should have been in the arcade?”, in comp.sys.sinclair (Usenet):

(video games, informal) A video game, usually based on a sport, where the player must build up and maintain speed or energy by rapidly moving the joystick back and forth.


TPS

TPS (countable and uncountable, plural TPS's or TPSes)

third-person shooter
third-person shooter#English


wall jump

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The player can gain altitude by chaining wall jumps which allows them to “climb walls” by wall jumping between two opposite facing surfaces.

2010, Scott Rogers, Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design, page 102:

(video games) A move in which a character jumps into a wall or similar barrier and executes a further jump by pushing away from it in the opposite direction.


free-to-play

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(video games) That can be played without payment.


free-to-play

HGM’s writers have spent time in the grindiest of grindy Korean and Japanese free-to-plays, but Free Realms is something new and different and better.

2009 June, Lynxara [pseudonym; Alicia Ashby], Vivek Varadarajan, “Free Realms”, in Hardcore Gamer Magazine, volume 5, number 1, [Redmond, Wash.]: DoubleJump Publishing, →ISSN, page 12:

Hit the Flash games, the demos, and the free-to-plays until you start to get your head wrapped around why people like them.

2013 March, Jason VandenBerghe, “Design of the Times”, in Game Developer Magazine, volume 20, number 03, San Francisco, Calif.: UBM LLC, →ISSN, page 081, column 2:

She was often up late, playing her futile Free-to-Plays.

2017, Gregory Scott Katsoulis, “Influent™: $19.99”, in All Rights Reserved, Don Mills, Ont.: Harlequin TEEN, →ISBN, page 150:


MCC

(video games, informal) Abbreviation of MC Championship.


teleportitis

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Teleportitis is gained by eating a leprechaun or quantum mechanic or nymph.

1990, Aaron Sher, “Teleportation”, in rec.games.hack (Usenet):

That ring stayed on his finger until resists became more an issue than damage output, and stayed off when I got teleportitis in the Slime pits and had to rely on teleport control.

2006, Rorschach, “YAVP: Argos the Merry Minotaur”, in rec.games.roguelike.misc (Usenet):

(video games, informal) In some roguelike games, an intrinsic ability that causes the player's character to teleport from place to place without warning.


overpull

en-verb

overpull (third-person singular simple present overpulls, present participle overpulling, simple past and past participle overpulled)

overpulls (present singular third-person)
overpulling (participle present)
overpulled (participle past)
overpulled (past)

/ˈəʊvə(ɹ)ˌpʊl/

/ˌəʊvə(ɹ)ˈpʊl/

A big mistake I see a lot of warlocks do is overpulling with whatever demon they're using. VW's good for two (maybe three), but the succubus is only good for one at a time. But young warlocks don't know this, so they send their demon into a pack of mobs, start up with their DOT's and suddenly find themselves in the middle of melee because the demon can't hold aggro.

2008, Jobbles, “Dead server economy?”, in alt.games.warcraft (Usenet):

(video games) To lure away more monsters than one can handle in combat.


sequence breaking

(video games, speedrunning) The performing of actions or obtaining of items out of the linear order intended by the game's designers, either as a challenge or in order to skip certain sections of the game.


subquest

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If each of five paths through the game has an entirely independent set of locations, monsters, spells, characters, subquests, and game objectives, the designer is essentially faced with creating five wholly different games.

2001, Neal Hallford, Jana Hallford, Swords and circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games, page 195:

This is an example of a subquest that must be completed before the main one can be finished. Or the subquest could be finding a key that unlocks the room holding the princess since the room has been magically sealed against all entry without the key.

2009, Jim Perry, RPG programming using XNA game studio 3.0, page 232:

The quest is broken down into a number of episodes that progress in a linear sequence, each with its own subquest and major challenge at the end.

2010, Ernest Adams, Fundamentals of game design, page 458:

(video games) A secondary quest that forms part of a larger quest.


despawn

despawn (third-person singular simple present despawns, present participle despawning, simple past and past participle despawned)

despawns (present singular third-person)
despawning (participle present)
despawned (participle past)
despawned (past)

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A mob will immediately despawn if ever there is no player within 128 blocks of it.

The helicopter despawned shortly after take-off, leaving the player in an unexpected free fall.

The game despawns the enemies after you kill them 15 times or so.

(video games, ergative, of an entity in a game world) To be instantaneously destroyed or removed.


Nintendocore

From Nintendo (“Japanese multinational video game company”) + -core (suffix denoting a music genre, especially one influenced by hardcore music), with reference to the simplistic sound effects of early video game consoles. The word was coined by the American musician Nathan Winneke, the frontman of the metalcore band Horse the Band, as a joke; the band posted the word on the Internet and also printed it on a label on the compact disc of their first demo I Am a Small Wooden Statue on a Patch of Crabgrass Next to a Dried Up Riverbed (2001).

coinage

Did you ever wonder what it would be like to mix the theme song from the original Mario Bros. games with chugging guitars and the vocal stylings of someone who wasn't hugged enough as a child? You're not alone. In fact, there's an entire genre of music devoted to this sound – it's called nintendocore. Growing out of metalcore – a fusion of heavy metal and punk – nintendocore derives its distinctive sound from the use of synths reminiscent of mid-eighties video games.

2009 November 2, Amy Plachta, “You Never Knew You Loved … Nintendocore a Unique Sound Worth Exploring”, in Interrobang: Fanshawe College’s Student Voice, volume 42, number 11, London, Ont.: Fanshawe College Student Union, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-03-31:

In the ever-changing landscape of music, that's given way to such genres as emo, screamo, nu metal and Nintendocore, one question remains! Does anyone play rock music anymore?

2010 May, Jake Brown, Alice in Chains: In the Studio, Nashville, Tenn.: Rock ’N’ Roll Books, →ISBN:

At the time of writing, Spotify currently lists over 4,000 online categories and sub-categories of music ranging from Nintendocore – a genre delineated solely by the overlay of bludgeoning, bowel-stewing grunge riffs on old-school videogame soundtracks – to Pornogrind, a maximum security subgenre of Grindcore (a convulsing fusion of rawboned, buzz-sawing death metal and tightly coiled hardcore punk).

2020, Kevin Dutton, Black and White Thinking: The Burden of a Binary Brain in a Complex World, London: Bantam Press, →ISBN:

In the US, a well-known Brooklyn music venue hosted a Minecraft concert featuring much loved bands[…]. The sprawling nightclub was painstakingly recreated and featured performances from the popular emo act American Football, "Nintendocore" videogame musicians Anamanaguchi and electronic artist Baths[…].

2020, Larissa Hjorth, Ingrid Richardson, Hugh Davies, William Balmford, “Playing during and post COVID-19 Pandemic”, in Exploring Minecraft: Ethnographies of Play and Creativity (Palgrave Games in Context), Cham, Zug, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, →ISBN, page 171:

(music, video games) An aggressive genre of modern rock music influenced by chiptunes (“music that samples or emulates the audio capabilities of older sound chips”) and video game music.

Nintendocore

aggressive genre of modern rock music influenced by chiptunes and video game music


special stage

(video games) A bonus level taking place between the main levels of a game.


boss key

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When the directors came out of their meeting, I hit the boss key to replace my game with a fake spreadsheet screen.

To obtain the boss key in Leisure Suit Larry games, press <Ctrl><B>. This is also displayed in the “Special” menu. However, use the boss key with caution. First of all, your boss must be really naive if he believes that this display is part of your normal work and secondly, you must be prepared to lose your current score after you press the boss key.

1990, Michael Mueller, Martin Schuchardt, The Leisure Suit Larry Story, Abacus, →ISBN, page 19:

For one, the original Tetris game I remember came with a "boss key," a special command built into the game's menu. When the player presses the boss key, the game pauses and draws a noninteractive spreadsheet program onto the screen.

2006, Ian Bogost, Unit Operations: An Approach to Videogame Criticism, MIT Press, →ISBN:

You can use screen savers to create a Super Boss Key—a key combination, such as Alt+F10, that you can press to make the PC immediately switch over to running the screen saver.

2009, Woody Leonhard, Windows 7 All-in-One For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 240:

(chiefly video games) A key which, when pressed, hides a program from view by a superior in the workplace.


art game

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(video games) A video game designed to convey an aesthetic and provoke a reaction, rather than to provide a traditional diversion with set goals.


energy bar

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(video games) A bar indicating the proportion of a character's energy that still remains.

energiapalkki

a bar indicating the proportion of a character's energy that still remains


comp stomp

(slang, video games) A competitive game against one or more computer-controlled players.


tech up

en-verb

tech up (third-person singular simple present techs up, present participle teching up, simple past and past participle teched up)

techs up (present singular third-person)
teching up (participle present)
teched up (participle past)
teched up (past)

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(video games) To upgrade to a higher technology level.


imba

en-adj

imba (comparative more imba, superlative most imba)

more imba (comparative)
most imba (superlative)

For quotations using this term, see Citations:imba.

(video games, slang) Clipping of imbalanced.


wall humping

We LPBs are truly bored with wall humping High Ping Whiners. I would like nothing more than to have someone who can kill me.

1998 March 17, Craig Fletcher, “Get a job.”, in alt.games.quake (Usenet):

Doom has three running speeds (not counting wall humping): running, strafe-running, and strafe-drawing. Strafe-drawing is a little faster than strafe-running, but harder to control for distance.

1998 April 21, Chris Dale, “How do you use the mouse?!”, in rec.games.computer.doom.playing (Usenet):

Indiana Jones was so-so. The walk through bush reminded me of tree humping (grrr). Didn't figure out the snake pit(due to lack of wall humping I hear), though it was obvious that was the point to work on.

2001 April 6, Tarf, “CL: April quest critique (was Re: CL: April's Fool question)”, in comp.sys.mac.games.adventure (Usenet):

Didnt the PF have to hump the path for a^([sic]) hours too? I really wanna know what kind of crack the PF GM is on. What kind of fucking moron would find wall humping for hours fun (besides mystics)? Maybe its time to go hump all the trees in SF again to see if the mirror will open because something was added after the last chaos storm with no warning or clues.

2001 November 19, Michael, “CL: Jack-ass area design”, in comp.sys.mac.games.adventure (Usenet):

Instead, you made it wall humping and pure luck. That is jackassitude.

2002 January 24, Kojiro, “CL: Shift of dynamics [was: thoughts on party size etc.]”, in comp.sys.mac.games.adventure (Usenet):

I don't think this is a statement that players are stupid. Not at all. They know what's good. This is a statement that engaging in quests, exploration and wall humping is an activity with a similar motivation to rattling the bars of your jail cell: You ain't got nuthin better to do.

2003 August 21, Ian Ollmann, “CL: Movable Portals”, in comp.sys.mac.games.adventure (Usenet):

(video games) (The act of a character) moving repeatedly against a wall, as if humping it, either intentionally (e.g. trying to find secret doors) or due to a glitch.


teamkill

en-verb

teamkill (third-person singular simple present teamkills, present participle teamkilling, simple past and past participle teamkilled)

teamkills (present singular third-person)
teamkilling (participle present)
teamkilled (participle past)
teamkilled (past)

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Wait, I was killed by... a facility guard throwing the ball?! So, wait, I got teamkilled by SCP-018, which is good 'cause that's on my list of ways to die, but it was by a teammate?! I mean, that works, but I didn't think that was possible - OK!

2022 May 19, Simarded, 3:08 from the start, in Experiencing Death In Every Way In SCP Secret Laboratory - Part 2, archived from the original on 2023-02-11:

(video games, transitive) To kill another player on one's own team.


teamkill

Albeit, at the time, the Type 93 would go on to be the central star of the most spectacular teamkill of the war, when the cruiser Mogami fired a salvo of six Type 93s at the cruiser USS Houston, missed, but, with their long range, the torpedoes quite happily motored on and blew up four friendly transports and a minesweeper. Yeah, not such a good day.

2021 January 20, Drachinifel, 22:02 from the start, in Type 93 Long Lance Torpedo - Long Range Hole Poking Device, archived from the original on 2022-11-01:

(chiefly video games) The killing of another player on one's own team.


bk

(video games, slang) Initialism of bad kid, an inexperienced player or noob.


ult

In addition to his healing and teleportion powers, Bard also has a unique ultimate ability, or ult. Ults are the most powerful moves each champion has—the one that takes the longest to unlock in a game, and is activated by pressing "R."

2015 March 13, Yannick LeJacq, “Why Bard Is Such An Exciting League Of Legends Champion”, in Kotaku, archived from the original on 2021-12-09:

To me, Lucio is the pinnacle of what a support character should be, he's fast, he's fun, he's useful, he can get eliminations and his ult can change the course of a game.

2016 June 2, Paul Tassi, “'Overwatch' Needs Not One, But Two New Support Heroes As Soon As Possible”, in Forbes, New York, N.Y.: Forbes Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2021-01-17:

On the other hand, notable nerfs have been applied to Raze and Brimstone. The cost for both agents' ultimate abilities, Showstopper and Orbital Strike, respectively, have been increased to seven ult points.

2020 July 22, Puah Ziwei, “'Valorant' patch 1.04 buffs Viper, nerfs Raze and Brimstone”, in NME, archived from the original on 2021-04-20:

Those creators (Somjuu, Violet, and Flats) remixed how every hero in Overwatch plays, sometimes dramatically (Lucio's ult can now kill enemies and Sigma's Experimental Barrier is just ... gone) and sometimes superficially (Orisa now wears a Christmas hat).

2021 December 1, Michael McWhertor, “Overwatch gets weird with some over-the-top balance changes designed by players”, in Polygon, archived from the original on 2023-03-27:

League of Legends game designer Azubuike "AzuBK" Ndefo-Dahl revealed that K'Sante's ult All Out was heavily inspired by the hugely popular scene from Naruto where Rock Lee drops his leg weight and shocks the audience.

2022 October 19, Sayantan "BibÖzil" Chowdhury, “"That Naruto moment was really key": League of Legends developers reveal the story behind K'Sante's ultimate”, in Sportskeeda, archived from the original on 2022-10-19:

To improve her team repositioning Ultimate and put in more in line with the power of Valkyrie's Ultimate, Wraith's Interdimensional Portal can now cross twice the distance it could before. What's more, Wraith herself will speed up as she moves during her Ult.

2023 February 8, Ollie Toms, “All the Legend and weapon changes coming to Apex Legends Season 16”, in Rock Paper Shotgun, archived from the original on 2023-02-10:

(video games, slang) An ultimate; the most powerful ability available to a character.


quicksave

quicksave (third-person singular simple present quicksaves, present participle quicksaving, simple past and past participle quicksaved)

quicksaves (present singular third-person)
quicksaving (participle present)
quicksaved (participle past)
quicksaved (past)

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From quick + save. Attested at least since 1992, as a feature in the game Wolfenstein 3D (in the form "Quick Save").

Press F5 to quicksave before trying something risky.

Games can be quicksaved at any time, so you won't be forced to start every mission from scratch after making a bad tactical decision.

2000, Computer Gaming World, volumes 191-194:

I think most gamers would be surprised by how much time they waste reloading and quicksaving for every minute imperfection and harmless mistake they make.

2004, Opticreep, “[POLL]: Save Gave Habits”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (Usenet):

6.00: the user “quicksaves” the game: the first time this happened

2009, Zach Waggoner, My avatar, my self: identity in video role-playing games, page 180:

(video games) To save progress in one's game with a rapid keystroke, without needing to, e.g., reach a checkpoint.


quicksave

(video games) A save created by quicksaving.


crowd control

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(video games) The concept or collective of action-impairing debuffs.


crowd control

crowd control (third-person singular simple present crowd controls, present participle crowd controlling, simple past and past participle crowd controlled)

crowd controls (present singular third-person)
crowd controlling (participle present)
crowd controlled (participle past)
crowd controlled (past)


bunnyhopping

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first-person shooter
first-person shooter

(video games) The act of jumping repeatedly to avoid enemy fire, especially in first-person shooters. In some games, the jumping animation or air speed is faster than the walking animation or speed, making hopping a more efficient mode of movement.


heroinware

Luckily, Jaffe found refuge and eventual salvation with On-Line Gamers Anonymous, one of several online self-help groups that have sprung up to deal with the fallout from electronic entertainment they call heroinware. Its forums are swollen with refugees of various online worlds, all with harrowing stories of runaway gaming habits, lives ruined, friends lost, marriages broken.

2003 April 3, David McCandless, “Just one more go…”, in The Guardian:

(video games, slang) An addictive computer game, especially one played to the extent it interferes with the everyday life of the player.


killographic

en-adj

killographic (comparative more killographic, superlative most killographic)

more killographic (comparative)
most killographic (superlative)

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From kill + -o- + -graphic, on the pattern of pornographic. Coined by the National Institute on Media and the Family in 2003.

There's something of the chicken-and-egg debate about killographic video games. Do they produce real-world aggression, or are the games merely mirroring actual violence in our society?

2005 December 23, Chris Noon, “Good News For Probst's EA As Judge Blocks Game Law”, in Forbes:

(of a video game) Featuring graphic depictions of violence, especially of an intensity or form considered excessive and socially harmful.


troid

Games I look forward to next year:
[...]
Metroid Prime 4 (I’ve never played one of the 3D troids but I wanna)

2018 April 15, Andrew! (@Drewiker_), Twitter:

It kinda ruined parts of Metroid 2 and it's definitely one of the weaker 2D troids, but it has solid moment to moment gameplay and Samus "feels" great to control.

2020 May 3, D3 (@Professor_D3), Twitter:

really hope MercurySteam gets to keep cranking out some more 2D troids

2021 October 27, Brandon Classic Movies (@Thatoneguy64), Twitter:

(fandom slang) Any of the video games in the Metroid franchise.


lowbie

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Chickening offers a much deeper prospect in grief management — no more raiding lowbie zones on a drunken Saturday morning just for kicks!

2008 November, Caleb Chew, “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning”, in GameAxis Unwired:

(online gaming, informal) A low-level character in an MMORPG.


dead zone

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(video games) A region within the player's viewpoint that is less sensitive to small movements, aiding accurate firing of weapons etc.


god game

Mana often grows in exponential proportion to population size, so as the population increases the player acquires vastly greater powers—a progression that god games share with spellcaster characters in role-playing games.

2010, Ernest Adams, Fundamentals of Game Design, page 580:

(video games) A style of game in which the player observes and controls a large-scale environment, such as a city.


rolling demo

Trantor (US Gold)! Ocean Conqueror (Hewson)! Moron (Atlantis)! Master Brain (Powertape)! North and South - rolling demo (Infogrames)! And another selection of game busting pokes in Pokemania!

1991 February, “Contents”, in Crash, number 85:

The game's rolling demo flickered in front of her and she felt herself being drawn into the ghosts that it held in that LCD screen.

2007, Simon Logan, Pretty Little Things to Fill Up the Void, page 141:

As we said, Grim Fandango is of exceptionally high quality — easily good enough that you could just sit through a rolling demo of the entire game, with every puzzle solved for you, and enjoy it as perfectly well as an animated movie.

2009, Andrew Rollings, Dave Morris, Game architecture and design:

(video games) A demonstration version that can be watched but is not interactive.


pather

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non-player character
non-player character

(computer games) A non-player character that walks a repeating path.


maphack

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(video games) A patch enabling a player to cheat by viewing more of the game map than is actually visible to him or her.


RSG

(speedrunning, Minecraft) Initialism of random seed glitchless.


necro

en-verb

necro (third-person singular simple present necroes or necros, present participle necroing, simple past and past participle necroed)

necroes (present singular third-person)
necros (present singular third-person)
necroing (participle present)
necroed (participle past)
necroed (past)

“I killed and necroed a couple guards practically every time I went out. My boys have the south gate manned, and they'll be stepping aside any minute now.”

2018, Xavier P. Hunter, House Rules: a LitRPG novel, Magical Scrivener Press, →ISBN:

(Internet, video games and card games slang) To practice necromancy; to bring back from the dead.


splash damage

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(video games) Damage caused by a nearby explosion, affecting creatures within a certain radius.


graphics whore

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for weeks all you were going on about is that VF3tb isn't arcade perfect, the graphics weren't 100% this, or that.. now you are saying graphics aren't everything. And trust me Marty, you are not talking to some "graphics whore" I've been involved in gaming since the late 70's, and follow it with a passion.

1999 January 30, David Wooten, “Re: Dreamcast is not going to make it. Sonic has dismal sales”, in rec.games.video.sega (Usenet):

I tried to find this sort of information in some of the reviews of DC SR2, but /every/ one I've read (fansites and professional) was written from the graphics-whore-viewpoint, and didn't talk much about such "nonessential" things as gameplay or car selection and handling.

1999 March 21, Raymond McKeithen II, “Re: Super GT is NOT coming to DC...”, in rec.games.video.sega (Usenet):

1999 July 21, Charles E. Taylor IV, “Re: Dreamcast or Playstation?”, rec.games.video.sony, rec.games.video.sega, Usenet
Observe the marks of a true graphics whore. The first love is what the games look like. You probably bought a 3DO day of release too.

anf final fantasy 8 sucks ass... if you like it you're a worthless graphics whore that never played real rpgs like the first 3 final fantasies on the nes.

1999 October 26, Mihn Lynn Pau, “revolted with tokyo”, in alt.games.video.sega-dreamcast (Usenet):

I submit that if the presence of technology ruins a game for you, you're just as bad as a "graphics whore" who complains about the presence of 2-D...

1999 November 1, John Ford, “Re: After a month of trying to get into FF8 I give up...”, in alt.games.final-fantasy (Usenet):

Simply put, the reviewer is another misplaced, PSX graphics whore. Just the headline of the review was a clue: His Dreamcast turned into a Super Nintendo? At what point could a SNES handle 1/10 of the sprites that are in Giga Wing?

1999 November 16, Dan Riley, “Re: There's a Giga Wing review at IGN”, in alt.games.video.shooters (Usenet):

The visuals are great...everything from the characters to the backgrounds to the cutscenes, absolutely amazing. I don't want to sound like a total graphics whore, but the visuals will keep me going even if the gameplay isn't the best.

2000 February 12, L Fernandez, “U9 isn't so bad..”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg (Usenet):

If you are what the kids these days call a "graphics whore", that is, someone whose sole motivation for buying games is how they look, then ignore the rest of this review...

2008, Gran Turismo 5 (game review) in GameAxis Unwired magazine (issue 56, page 42)

(video games, derogatory, slang, vulgar) A fan of computer graphics who favours good graphics over gameplay.


clanny

Once Assamite clannies can dissect the new cards, we'll know the true state of the clan.

2007 August 17, Jeff Kuta, “Re: another thought on 'fixing' the Assamites”, in rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad (Usenet):

Join a clan to flaunt your victories and be a good sport by donating support troops to fellow clannies.

2014 January, Alexis Capitini, “Five Apps You Should Be Playing”, in Living Out, page 28:

The festival has given me the chance to meet long term friends and clannies that I've known playing RuneScape.

2018 October, Rich Eddy, “Casting the Runes”, in MCV/Develop, published 2019, page 65:

(video games, collectible card games, sometimes derogatory) A player who habitually plays the same clan or with the other players on the same team.


highbie

[…] and since everyone knows what they did, the players give them all the respect *they* believe a 'botter deserves. (I.e. they aren't a "real" highbie in the eyes of their peers.)

1998 June 9, Arlie Stephens, “Re: Botting and Autoplaying”, in rec.games.mud.admin (Usenet):

A lowbie always has access to highbie stuff simply by leveling up, but highbies are purposely restricted from this content.

2001 September 5, Silverlock [username], “Re: Why trivial loot code sucks mister Harmon.”, in alt.games.everquest (Usenet):

The score was "the great equalizer," and Imani knew that as a "highbie" she was poised to benefit at the highest level.

2011, Lauren McLaughlin, Scored, Random House Children's Books, →ISBN, page 3:

(online gaming) A high-level character in an MMORPG.


ragequitter

All these quits are based on real encounters we've had with ragequitters.

2010 September 26, TheWarpZone, “The rage quitter”, in YouTube:


boss rush

For quotations using this term, see Citations:boss rush.

(video games) A situation (sometimes an extra stage) in which the player faces all of the bosses of the game, one after another.


shit on

shit on (third-person singular simple present shits on, present participle shitting on, simple past shit on or shitted on or shat on, past participle shit on)

shits on (present singular third-person)
shitting on (participle present)
shit on (past)
shitted on (past)
shat on (past)
shit on (participle past)

Faker’s Tristana pounced on Yassuo’s Syndra, outleveling the streamer four to three. Yassuo’s failure to stun Faker into a wall made his victory look bleak. A well-timed Flash and Ignite, however, baited Faker under the tower to meet his doom. "Get shit on, Faker," Yassuo said. "Thank God I fucking solo-killed Faker. We’re chilling, we’re good, we’re good."

2019 October 11, Andreas Stavropoulos, “Yassuo solo kills Faker with Syndra in League of Legends”, in Dot Esports:

In response to someone in his chat saying that the Vantage rightfully destroyed him, he responds irately, "I didn't get shit on. [She] has the bullet size of fucking Antarctica."

2022 October 12, Emily Morrow, “Apex Legends pro Mande says Vantage's bullets are 'the size of f*****g Antarctica'”, in Dot Esports:

"We really underestimated C9, and they definitely shat on us," Jojopyun stated in am interview with Travis Gafford, and reiterated that no matter how well they played, there were always areas they needed to work on.

2022 October 9, Ethan Shin, “EG Jojopyun: 'With the amount of improvements so far, I think we can qualify for the Knockout Stage'”, in ONE Esports:

(video games) To beat utterly and easily; to trounce; to waffle-stomp.


carebear

From care + bear, referring to the Care Bears, a brand of cheerful bear figures on greeting cards.

Role-players, carebears and casual gamers belong here. They advance at their own pace, oblivious to the race going on around them.

2001, John Peat, “Losing XP - is it the fairest system”, in alt.games.anarchy-online (Usenet):

If a guy turns out to be a griefer, he won't last... […] Personally, i'd^([sic]) be more than happy if the carebear fucks stayed the hell out of Neocron.

2002, Ron Jeremy, “I'm done with AC2.. Moving to Neocron on 13th!”, in microsoft.public.games.zone.asherons_call (Usenet):

There are always going to be carebears who will scream at the slightest notion that they can't take their leisurely stroll through the game where nothing bad ever happens, but piss on 'em. :-)

2002, foamy, “Sar^([sic]) Wars MMOG: No appeal for me”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg (Usenet):

(slang, derogatory, video games) A player who is against griefers; one who dislikes, or tries to prevent, trouble (often PvP related) in the game world.


no-scope

(video games, slang) A kill with a sniper rifle performed without scoping in.


no-scope

no-scope (third-person singular simple present no-scopes, present participle no-scoping, simple past and past participle no-scoped)

no-scopes (present singular third-person)
no-scoping (participle present)
no-scoped (participle past)
no-scoped (past)

(video games, slang) To shoot without scoping in; especially with a high-precision, long-range gun, such as a sniper rifle.

(video games, slang) To kill by means of a no-scope.


teamkiller

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hat switch

(video games) A control on some joysticks, used to manipulate the point of view.


rubberbanding

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From rubber band + -ing, referring to the fact that when two objects are connected by an elastic band then the movement of one is constrained by the other.

(video games, racing games) The speeding up of computer-controlled cars far behind the player, often as a method to increase the level of challenge provided to the player.

(video games) A form of lag (delay) where the player's position is updated on their local client but is delayed reaching the server, so that they seem to "jump" to the new location when the client and server eventually synchronize.


rail shooter

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(video games) A shoot 'em up game in which the player character travels automatically between scenes, the player's input being limited to aiming and firing a gun.


loadout

en-noun

loadout (countable and uncountable, plural loadouts)

I've got my custom loadout, a holographic scoped assault rifle and a stock of claymore mines to use to cover my back as I look out over the wreckage of the downed transport plane for insurgents.

2015, Alan F. Meades, Understanding Counterplay in Video Games:

(by extension, video games) A set of items and abilities chosen by the player before embarking on an in-game mission.


puzzlefest

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(video games, informal) A game, especially a text adventure, that mainly requires the player to solve puzzles.


CODBLOPS

CODBLOPS is a very system intensive game, so before even firing it up, make sure it has as many resources available as you can throw at it.

2010 November 23, Richard Cobbett, “How to make Call of Duty: Black Ops run faster on your PC”, in PC Gamer:

After I prestige on CODBLOPS I'll be up for a bit of variety and this will do nicely.

2010 November 23, Dr Zoidberg, uk.games.video.misc (Usenet), message-ID <icgdc2$nkb$1@news.eternal-september.org>:

A new free to play game will allow you to compete online in games like CODBlops without feeling like a noob.

2010 December 20, Greg Tito, “FPS Trainer Aims at Making You Kill Better Online”, in The Escapist, archived from the original on 2011-01-15:

Wait, there's CoDblops on iPhone? Now we're doomed.

2011 April 21, BrunoN Bluthgeld, comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (Usenet), message-ID <4db0562b$0$2492$65785112@news.neostrada.pl>:

Just think, you can now actually enjoy CODBLOPS II The Way Its Meant To Be Played, while sitting on the toilet.

2013 January 8, John Gillooly, “Why the PC has won the first round of the next-gen console wars”, in PC & Tech Authority:

Call of Duty: Black Ops
w:Call of Duty: Black Ops

(video games, slang) Abbreviation of Call of Duty: Black Ops.


PKer

How could you prove beyond any doubt that the person is a die-hard KSer or PKer?

2000 February 17, K. Laisathit, “Re: Verant planning a Star Wars MMORPG?”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg (Usenet), message-ID <88hndr$q8e$1@nntp6.u.washington.edu>:

(video games) Abbreviation of player killer.


KSer

If a player saves your butt from a MEAN monster because HE thought you couldn't make it alone, don't call him a KSer

1999 October 4, Sylvain Laquiche, “Respect”, in alt.games.everquest (Usenet), message-ID <7ta3d1$he3$1@jaydee.iway.fr>:

I have recently switched over to a wizard and have yet to lose a kill to a KSer.

2000 May 31, Patrick Grinsell, “Re: Kill Stealing”, in rec.games.computer.everquest (Usenet), message-ID <FXiZ4.52$tP1.68808@news.pacbell.net>:

(online gaming, derogatory) Abbreviation of kill stealer.


kill stealer

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The intent of this rule is to discourage and make note of habitual kill stealers, not to punish those who honestly try to work together or those who make an honest mistake.

2001 October 1, Juanita Jones, Everquest Player's Guide, Prima Guides, →ISBN, →OL, page 7:

It won't get you any experience to argue with someone who is being a jerk, and struggling to grab viable targets with an aggressive kill stealer in the area is not worth the time and annoyance.

2006 April 18, Auto Assault Official Strategy Guide, Brady Games, →ISBN, →OL:

Alec and Keiichi then noticed a group of players walking by who were complaining about kill stealers:
"Those jerks totally stole our kill back there."

2009 June 15, Sophia Hughlette, Shinigami Boy, iUniverse, →ISBN, →OL, page 114:

(online gaming, derogatory) One who kill steals.


kill steal

en-verb

kill steal (third-person singular simple present kill steals, present participle kill stealing, simple past kill stole, past participle kill stolen)

kill steals (present singular third-person)
kill stealing (participle present)
kill stole (past)
kill stolen (participle past)

They shoot their own teammates, they kill steal, they fill the chat window with the word ‘LOL’, they camp, and they smash people’s stuff.

2013 January 4, “A history of griefing: meet the gamers who, if you’re lucky, only want to ruin your day for kicks”, in Edge, →ISSN:

(online gaming, derogatory) In a multiplayer online game, to deal a finishing blow on an enemy that other player(s) had almost killed, without their consent, so that one gets the credit or rewards instead of them.


kill steal

(online gaming, derogatory) A finishing blow of this kind.


triforce

From Japanese トライフォース (toraifōsu), from English tri- + force. First used in the Legend of Zelda video game franchise for a magical artefact in that fictional universe.

A shape composed of three equilateral triangles arranged in such a manner that a fourth triangle of identical size, but pointing the opposite direction, could fit between them.

三角之力

Shape composed of three triangles in a specific alignment


fog of war

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Calque of German Nebel des Krieges, an expression coined by Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz.

The game starts with an overhead view of a map with the “fog of war” covering all areas not within sight of the player's units.

2014, Tony Hey, Gyuri Pápay, The Computing Universe: A Journey through a Revolution, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 185:

(video games) The shrouded concealment of enemy activity outside of areas observable by a player's forces.


teamplay

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(video games) A competitive gameplay mode in which players are grouped into teams.


rail-based

en-adj

rail-based (comparative more rail-based, superlative most rail-based)

more rail-based (comparative)
most rail-based (superlative)

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From rail + based, likening the experience to moving along a rail.

The design of the boss characters is interesting, and the multiplayer mode is a nice touch, but the graphics are far too drab for a rail-based shooter.

2002, Andy Slaven, Video-game Bible, 1985-2002, →ISBN:

The game is apparently sort of a rail-based shooter, and you use your finger to aim and tap the screen to shoot.

2009 February 20, David Carnoy, “CNET News Crave New details on 'Metal Gear Solid 4' for iPhone”, in c|net, retrieved 2013-01-31:

The brainchild of Reisuke Ishida, the creator of Taito's cult hit Space Invaders: Infinity Gene, Groove Coaster is a rail-based rhythm game set to dozens of tracks from Taito video games.

2011 September 16, Scott Stein, “30 best iPad games”, in CBS News:

The Far Cry series is known for offering up an open-world alternative to the rail-based experiences of most mainline FPS titles,[…]

2012 June 15, “EGM DoubleTake: Far Cry 3”, in Electronic Gaming Monthly, archived from the original on 2013-02-11:

It is a rail-based game, so the only movements you really have to control is jumping in the short action sequences that break up the "shooting zones," if you will.

2012 July 16, Matt, “Major Mayhem: Save hostages, create combos, and even blast some chickens!”, in iPad Game Ratings, archived from the original on 2012-08-24:

(video games) Of a game wherein a player character automatically moves along a preset path.


freelook

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The mouse's right-side button switches between freelook and locked-on-an-individual modes.

I blundered across an insurgent camp because I was using the freelook camera to admire the gorgeous forestry.

2009, PC Gamer, volume 16, numbers 7-9, page xcix:


QTE

quick time event
quick time event#English

(video games) Initialism of quick time event.


Famiclone

You may also see very unauthorized Famiclones — third-party, unlicensed NES joysticks, sometimes with an attached light gun and not as many games as the packaging says.

2005, Simon Carless, Gaming Hacks, page 34:

Like keyboard-based Famiclones today, these early home computers were also commonly connected to a TV display[…]

2009, James Derek Lomas, The social movement laboratory:

(informal, video games) Any electronic hardware designed to replicate the Family Computer/Nintendo Entertainment System video game console.


polyself

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(video games, roguelikes) The transformation of one's own character into another type of creature.


polyself

en-verb

polyself (third-person singular simple present polyselfs, present participle polyselfing, simple past and past participle polyselfed)

polyselfs (present singular third-person)
polyselfing (participle present)
polyselfed (participle past)
polyselfed (past)

(video games, roguelikes, intransitive) To transform one's own character into another type of creature.


the cake is a lie

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From the 2007 video game Portal, in which a self-aware computer, GLaDOS, lures the player into participating in dangerous experiments with the promise of cake. As the game progresses, the player discovers graffiti left by Doug Rattman, the only known scientist alive since GLaDOS killed all the others with neurotoxin, with the graffiti including the warning "the cake is a lie".

The jokes are cake, and the cake is a lie — fan-service tricking nerds into watching a show designed for adults who vote Republican (Middle America!).

2011 December 15, Nick Martin, “A Hit Sitcom In Just Five Easy Steps!”, in Buzz Weekly, page 6:

The assumption that a degree will vastly improve future earnings is increasingly misleading. By their very nature high paid jobs are exclusive and limited in number. "The cake is a lie."

2012, James Margeson, "The quiet assault on public education", The Sphinx (University of Liverpool), March 2012, page 9

“One shitty leader doesn't mean the cake is a lie. One man's decisions don't invalidate everything else—the ideals, the history, the words etched in marble and the sacrifices of all the people who make the United States a just and safe place to live.”

2012 November 12, J. L. Hilton, Stellarnet Prince, Carina Press, →ISBN, page 320:

(Internet slang) The end being pursued is unattainable or misguided; the reward promised is false.


quickplay

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(video games) A mode in which the player can begin and play a game quickly, without time-consuming configuration or layered objectives.


my body is ready

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From an impromptu comment made by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime while volunteering to try the Wii Balance Board during a demonstration of Wii Fit at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2007.

I noticed many innuendos that the general children’s audience may not pick up; “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” with Nala and Simba? I sure did, especially when she gave Simba the “my body is ready” face towards the end of the song.

2011, Phaedra Brady, "Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful flick", The Eye (Palm Harbor University High School), 3 October 2011

My grand idea is to slip the handsome James Dean look-alike in my History class a note that says "My body is ready, do me."

2012, Tanya Paz, "February Goes Down The Shitter", The Union Weekly (California State University, Long Beach), Volume 70, Issue 4, 13 February 2012, page 4

Then I found Trent University. Having heard rumours that it was "the gayest school in Canada", I burned with a newfound resolve – the conviction that this was the time and place where I would finally grow to be more than a straight young white guy. Finally I would go beyond the existence of a one-dimensional character in a pre-1960's middle class novel about the racial majority.
Introductory Seminar Week: my body is ready. This is it. This is when everyone lets loose. I can't let this opportunity slip away… […]

2013, Flavius S. Mercurius, "Coming Out of the Closet: A Story", Arthur (Trent University), Volume 47, Issue 13 (satire edition), 7 January 2013

(chiefly Internet slang) Used to express preparation for and excitement over something, especially sex.

Electronic Entertainment Expo
Wii Balance Board


debug mode

en-noun

debug mode (countable and uncountable, plural debug modes)

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The debug mode enables full flight around every level, plus you can add a whole mess of objects to the stage at the press of a button.

2017, Jeff Ramos, How to access and use Sonic Mania’s debug mode, Polygon:

A "debug mode" is a broad term used to describe a feature or series of features included in a game by the development team to allow quick testing of the game's various features.

2017, Help:Contents/Terminology/Debug Mode, The Cutting Room Floor:

(video games) A (usually hidden) tool or set of tools in a video game used in its development and testing, the use of which typically enables players to cheat, modify the game's behaviour, or perform diagnostics.


*band

*band (usually uncountable, plural *bands)

Angband
Angband (video game)
J. R. R. Tolkien
Silmarillion

From * (“wildcard”) + band, after the roguelike Angband, after the fictional fortress of Angband in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Silmarillion.


consolitis

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(slang, humorous, video games) A notional condition affecting video games released for game consoles, making them inferior to computer versions.


guildie

2010, Mike Langlois, Reset: Video Games & Psychotherapy or "The Face Behind the Screen"
Throughout all of this Luke was able to stay connected and supported by his friends and other members of his guild. He attributes his ability to move on and be ready for the next phase of his life through the enjoyment of WoW and his guildies.


demake

(video games) A remake of a modern game for an older platform.


demake

en-verb

demake (third-person singular simple present demakes, present participle demaking, simple past and past participle demade)

demakes (present singular third-person)
demaking (participle present)
demade (participle past)
demade (past)

(transitive, video games) To remake (a modern game) for an older platform.


Doomer

Alternative form: DOOMer

Doomers, ranging from children to senior citizens, are up all night hunting specters, imps, and other hellspawn, battling each other in so-called Deathmatch tournaments, and checking out the latest Doom lore by conversing with the game’s developers over computer chat lines. […] What’s ahead for Doomers? Id has authorized a company called Austin Virtual Gaming to license an eight-screen Doom arcade setup around the country.

I am not a female Doomer, but I did "catch" my fiance playing Doom the other day. It led us to a discussion of why ID didn't put the option in to choose a female character.

1994 April 30, Ricardo Lopez, “Are there any *female* doomers out there?”, in alt.games.doom (Usenet):

The sense of reality is so seamless that on the Internet, where many Doomers gather, there is a FAQ (frequently asked questions) document that talks about Doom-induced motion sickness. […] At one point, Carnegie Mellon University’s 25,000-user network had so many student Doomers playing that the system nearly ground to a halt.

1994 September 23, Robert S. Cauthorn, “‘Doom’s Day’: Oct. 10 is release date for sequel to wildly popular game”, in The Arizona Daily Star, volume 153, number 264, Tucson, Ariz., section E, page twelve:

#doom This channel is a cousin of #vidgames […] And some players use it to find others who have the Internet Head-to-Head Daemon (IHHD) software, which lets folks play Doom over the Net. (Note: Some “Doomers” may want to try finding the #modemdoom channel if #doom is not active for some reason.)

1995, Donald Rose, Internet Chat Quick Tour: Real-time Conversations & Communications Online, Ventana Press, →ISBN, page 119:

On the downside, they’ve created such indelible demons and Death match tournaments that Doomers of all ages have reported actual perception changes.

1996, Faith Popcorn, Lys Marigold, Clicking: 16 Trends to Future Fit Your Life, Your Work, and Your Business, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 86:

By intentionally leaving cracks in his source code, [John] Carmack encouraged Doomers to hack the game and create their own elaborate levels — new battlegrounds upon which the carnage took place.

1999, The New York Times Biographical Service, page 786:

“Doom is a great stress-reliever,” said Lewis. “Its^([sic]) a great way to blow off stress after a bad day.” This defense is rather common among “Doomers,” as Doom enthusiasts have come to call themselves.

a. 2003, Mathew Webb, “Is it doom for Doom?”, in Cougar Chronicle, Austin, Tex.: Hill Country Middle School; quoted in Homer L. Hall, “Those Opinionated Columns”, in Junior High Journalism, New York, N.Y.: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2003, →ISBN, page 189:

(video games, informal) A player of the video game Doom.


inventory Tetris

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In reference to the shape-fitting puzzle game Tetris.

(video games) A system of inventory management where acquired items must be arranged according to the space that they consume.


rothe

Unfortunately, he turned the corner in a rather inefficient manner, cutting off his retreat and bumped into a rothe. Gadzooks, he thought, one hit from this boy and I'll likely go to my ill named great reward. The only recourse was to quaff his one as of yet unidentified potion and hope it was extra healing.

1993, Robert Leduc, “Nethack Imitates Life”, in rec.games.hack (Usenet):

(fantasy) A kind of fictional cattle in various role-playing games and roguelike video games.


jump scare

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They'd do something horrible, maybe kill off a few protagonists, and then make people sit around waiting for the next terrible thing to come along. They called it “setting up a jump scare.”

2011, Mira Grant, Deadline, Orbit, published 2011, →ISBN:

Drag Me to Hell capitalizes on the jump scare, scattering it liberally throughout the film to the point where it becomes almost numbing.

2011, John Rosenberg, The Healthy Edit: Creative Techniques for Perfecting Your Movie, Focal Press, →ISBN, pages 80–81:

This quiet is broken suddenly with an initial jump scare of the puppet's iconic laughter.

2013, Jeffrey Bullins, “Hearing the Game: Sound Design”, in James Aston, editor, To See the Saw Movies: Essays on Torture Porn and Post-9/11 Horror, McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 188:

(narratology) The technique, typically used in horror films and video games, of having something occur suddenly and without warning to frighten the audience.

säikäytys

a technique to suddenly scare the audience


jump scare

jump scare (third-person singular simple present jump scares, present participle jump scaring, simple past and past participle jump scared)

jump scares (present singular third-person)
jump scaring (participle present)
jump scared (participle past)
jump scared (past)

(transitive) To frighten (a film audience or video game player, etc.) by means of something that happens suddenly without warning.


ROTT

(video games) Initialism of Rise of the Triad.


pushwall

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With either Wolf (the full-blown 60 level version) or Spear of Destiny, Many times the pushwalls move too far, and block the goodies. For example, Episode six, floor two - the first pushwall moves too far, and blocks *all* the other pushwalls, and *all* of the treasure.

1993, No parking EXCEPT FOR BOB, “Wolf-3D & Spear: a bug in common?”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (Usenet):

Useful any time you've got 99% of the points and you don't want to hunt all over the place for that one little piece of gold you missed, or for when you don't want to mess with a dozen pushwalls to finish the level after you've whacked everybody.

1994, Bob Fishell, “Re: Any Blake Stone cheat codes?”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (Usenet):

In the shareware-version, first room, there is a small secret room on the same side you startet^([sic]). Inside is another pushwall and then a door. How can I open this door ? It always tells me that this door is locked. I've got the same problem with some other pushwalls, but this one in the first level is my biggest problem so far.

1995, Henning W. Rauth, “ROTT - help needed”, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (Usenet):

(video games) A wall that moves or triggers some other action when the player character pushes against it.


let's play

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Originates from the titles of forum threads on the website Something Awful.

(Internet, video games) A video recording or comparable broadcast in which a person plays a video game while commenting on the gameplay.

Let's Play (video gaming)
Something Awful


gh

(online gaming slang) Initialism of good half.


Minecrafty

en-adj

Minecrafty (comparative more Minecrafty or Minecraftier, superlative most Minecrafty or Minecraftiest)

more Minecrafty (comparative)
Minecraftier (comparative)
most Minecrafty (superlative)
Minecraftiest (superlative)

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Stranded 2 - a fun little game, now available for free. A bit minecrafty.

2011 May 16, John Dow, “Re: Premiership, West Ham, Balls, European”, in uk.games.video.misc (Usenet):

If you've been living in a massively multiplayer cave for the last few months, it's the pretty Minecrafty prologue to the ambitious Everquest Next, which will let you build and decorate and even alter the terrain of the world/s as you see fit.

2013 December 7, Tom Sykes, “Everquest Next Landmark trailer asks the pertinent question 'What is Everquest Next Landmark?'”, in PC Gamer:

If you've been busy mining, farming, and doing all the other Minecrafty things that get you established, […]

2014, Stephen O'Brien, The Ultimate Player's Guide to Minecraft, Que Publishing, →ISBN, page 137:

(video games, informal) Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Minecraft.


Minecrafter

If the game is on easy mode, the zombies will just pound on the doors and create a really nice scare and, as any Minecrafter knows, they won’t even spawn on peaceful mode.

2012 February 27, Meg Iserloth, “Mojang: Where are They Now?”, in University Chronicle, volume 88, number 33, St. Cloud, Minn.: St. Cloud State University, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9, column 3:

Furthermore, you can sync with other Minecrafters on a local area network in order to invite and play with friends in your own little world.

2013, Darren Murph, “The Best Not-exactly-productive Apps”, in iPhone Secrets: Do What You Never Thought Possible with Your iPhone, Indianapolis, Ind.: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, part III (Diving into Software), page 185:

He and others in the community had begun discussing the opportunity for a gathering of Minecrafters, similar to anime and sci-fi conventions.

2013 November 4, David Langlois, “Minecon 2013 – Creepin’ around the Corner”, in The Bay Window, volume 14, number 3, Muskegon, Mich.: Muskegon Community College, →OCLC, page 5, column 2:

(video games) A person who plays the game Minecraft.


killboard

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The killboard system also offered an indicator of the expertise and trust hierarchy. A member who was active in the combat team would keep statistics of combat he or she was involved with on the killboard […]

2014, Harald Warmelink, Online Gaming and Playful Organization, page 108:

(video games) A table that ranks players by number of kills.


-mance

I very much look forward to this on my Dorianmance playthrough.

My Andersmance was taken at a more leisurely pace, so I really got into the depth and grief over his character and his romance.

My own Galemance run will go full swing once my Astarionmance one wraps up, so more to come soon ☺

2023 September 19, Irma 'Aimo (@aimostudio), Twitter:

(fandom slang, video games) A suffix attached to a noun or character's name to create a word for an in-game romance subplot or mechanic.


superplay

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(video games) A playthrough of a computer or video game in which the whole game or a select part of it, such as a single level, is played as skilfully as possible, optionally with certain prerequisites.


minimap

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From mini- + map; (simple map of landmarks): introduced by Siegel and White (1975).

(video games) A small on-screen map to aid players in orienting themselves within the game.


Donkey Kong

Named after the Nintendo video game character Donkey Kong.

Let's get one thing straight, donkey kongs--I SERVE *NO ONE* BUT MYSELF, AT *ALL* TIMES, […]

1995 August 8, Zoogz Rift [username], “I'm not on this planet to serve YOU, ASSHOLES”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet):

HEY DONKEY KONGS!
IF YOU RACIST SAY THAT THE "TAMILS CURSE IS HAUNTING SL CRICKET" […]

1996 January 26, P. DE SILVA, “Re: IS TAMILS CURSE HAUNTING SL CRICKET TEAM?!”, in soc.culture.sri-lanka (Usenet):

Well, if the retarded islamic DONKEY KONGS without any question, believe that HEAVEN awaits these dog shit heads after committing atrocity against humanity - both islamic and non-islamic, karmic reality is a better alternative.

1998 November 3, PAKI BASH [username], “Re: Too hot for Hindu Hoodlums?”, in soc.culture.indian (Usenet):

(slang, derogatory) An uncivilized or ill-mannered person; a boor.


on like Donkey Kong

From the Nintendo video game gorilla-like character Donkey Kong, which is used in the phrase because of the character’s stereotypical strength and for the near-rhyme between on and Kong; likely influenced by the earlier construction in like Flynn.

It's on like Donkey Kong / You wanted that fast buck / Now I gotta light that ass up

1992 November 17, “Now I Gotta Wet ’Cha”, in The Predator, performed by Ice Cube:

If those four white police don't get hung, it's on again. It's on like Donkey Kong!

1993 February 16, John Wilder, “Gangs put L.A. on edge”, in USA Today:

Got it going on like Donkey Kong, and whoo-wee, shut my mouth, slap your grandma, there oughta be a law.

2005 October 3, Dallas Davidson, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson (lyrics and music), “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”, in Songs About Me, performed by Trace Adkins:

It's going to be "on like Donkey Kong" when Food Network Star and local restaurant owner Guy Fieri comes to the 2007 California State Fair!

2007 August 1, “Food Network Star Guy Fieri to visit the 2007 State Fair!: Kids can vie for the chance to cook with Guy!”, in Business Wire, archived from the original on 2016-09-01:

I will politically haunt you for the biggest fumble in the history of San Francisco politics. It's on like Donkey Kong.

2011 January 4, Chris Daly, San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting

(chiefly US) An intensifier used in the same contexts as it's on, go on, and other expressions using the word on, but to express greater emphasis.


tower defense

(video games) A style of real-time strategy video game in which the player attempts to stop enemies from crossing a map by building traps to slow them down and towers or turrets which shoot at them as they pass within range.


polypile

en-verb

polypile (third-person singular simple present polypiles, present participle polypiling, simple past and past participle polypiled)

polypiles (present singular third-person)
polypiling (participle present)
polypiled (participle past)
polypiled (past)

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(video games, roguelikes) To stack (items) so as to polymorph them into different items in a single turn.


fragfest

What better time is there than the holidays to revel in the profound joys of video gaming? Time off from work or school can be put to prime use: blasting a loved one in a "SOCOM II" multiplayer frag-fest, dropping a mad rhyme with "Karaoke Revolution," slashing your way across Middle Earth in "Lord of the Rings".

2003 December 11, Scott Taves, “Games to suit any player await easy-chair heroes in various formats”, in Seattle Post-Intelligencer, retrieved 2014-06-07:

Unreal is a total fragfest that is all about over-the-top, arcade-style action.

2006 September 10, Seth Schiesel, “Video Games: War, Whimsy, Wrestling and the New Zelda”, in New York Times, retrieved 2014-06-07:

Spec Ops: The Line is a cover-based shooter in the mould of Gears Of War, although comparing its gameplay to Epic's testosterone-juiced fragfest is doing the latter something of a disservice.

2012 June 26, Nick Cowen, "Spec Ops: The Line" (game review), The Guardian (UK) (retrieved 7 June 2014)

(video games) Video gameplay, especially for multiple players, involving extreme action, deadly combat, explosions, etc.


smart bomb

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On your side, you've got three lives, with each life having three smart bombs. These wipe out all the enemy on the screen when used, as smart bombs should.

1988, Flying Shark (game review) in Your Sinclair issue 27, page 67

(video games) A weapon that damages or kills all enemies within a large area.


savescummer

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(video games, roguelikes) A player who savescums.


startscum

startscum (third-person singular simple present startscums, present participle startscumming, simple past and past participle startscummed)

startscums (present singular third-person)
startscumming (participle present)
startscummed (participle past)
startscummed (past)

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(intransitive, video games, roguelikes, derogatory) To start and quit the game repeatedly in order to obtain a favourable starting situation (this being generated at random for each game).


savescum

savescum (third-person singular simple present savescums, present participle savescumming, simple past and past participle savescummed)

savescums (present singular third-person)
savescumming (participle present)
savescummed (participle past)
savescummed (past)

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(intransitive, video games, often derogatory) To reload the last saved game whenever the player character dies or an unfavorable outcome has been encountered.


achievement whore

en-noun

achievement whore (plural achievement whores)

(video games, slang) A person who plays video games for the primary purpose of unlocking achievements.


hitbox

Veronica Ripley, 32, often speaks to friends about the role that video games played in her trans awakening: “I would try to explain it away, saying that I was playing the girl character because she had a smaller hitbox or quicker kill animations,” she said, referring to in-game advantages.

2023 December 27, Zachary Small, “Video Games Let Them Choose a Role. Their Transgender Identities Flourished.”, in The New York Times:

However, Fortnite players believe that each skin has varying hitboxes, offering them a competitive advantage.

2024 March 16, Rishabh Sabarwal, “Fortnite hitboxes: Do skins have a competitive advantage?”, in Dexerto:

(computer graphics) An invisible shape bounding all or part of a model (in a video game, etc.) used in collision detection to determine whether another object collides with the model.


otome game

The otome games are marketed heavily toward female gamers, something generally uncommon with video game marketing. As of this writing, several game developers have invested in localizing otome games originally released only in Japan into English.

2017, Amy M. Green, Matthew Wilhelm Kapell, Storytelling in Video Games: The Art of the Digital Narrative:

A story-based video game in which the player attempts to establish a romantic relationship between the female player character and one of several male characters.

乙女遊戲

romance simulation game (usually the protagonist is a woman)


twitch game

‘They’re Twitch Games,’ he grinned, ‘arcade games. An adventure game is one where you use your mind; if you can type, you can play an adventure. If you require anything other than that, you’ve got a twitch game — an arcade game — where your skill of movement is more important than your thinking. […]

1985, Scott Adams, quoted in Graeme Kidd, Great Scott!, in Crash issue 15

The Internet is a bad bet for online versions of twitch games because the Internet can be about as split-second and consistent as your average presidential candidate.

2003, Jessica Mulligan, Bridgette Patrovsky, Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide, page 157:

The fun of twitch games comes from the mastery of a difficult dexterity challenge.

2009, Brenda Brathwaite, Ian Schreiber, Challenges for Game Designers, page 113:

(informal, video games) A video game requiring fast reactions.


Wii

Marketing coinage: homophone for we, with the two i characters supposed to represent two people, suggesting players gathering together.

(video games) A video game system released worldwide by Nintendo in 2006, noted for its unique motion-based control system.


MOBA

(video games) Acronym of multiplayer online battle arena.


moneyhatting

This practice of "moneyhatting" that Micro$not has brought to the console video game business is just more corruption that harms the whole video game industry with nothing positive coming out of it except buying a little more time for the xflop 3-shitty before it dies.

2007, RMZ, “Re: EGM confirms Micro$hit paid bribe to 2K Games to keep Bioshock off PS3”, in alt.games.video.xbox (Usenet):

I think it's great that the consoles are getting this stuff, but it just serves to make them even less relevant to people with alternatives. That said, while the AAA moneyhatting seems to have waned a fair bit this generation, it's being replaced with a trend of tying up cool looking, ostensibly PC titles with exclusivity contracts […]

2014, hurricanepilot, “Re: PWB, has it come to this?”, in uk.games.video.misc (Usenet):

(slang, derogatory, video games) The use of unfair financial incentives; bribery.


hotlapping

(video games) Driving laps around a circuit alone, without the presence of any competing vehicles.


seckill

en-verb

seckill (third-person singular simple present seckills, present participle seckilling, simple past and past participle seckilled)

seckills (present singular third-person)
seckilling (participle present)
seckilled (participle past)
seckilled (past)

(online gaming, slang) to kill an enemy within seconds


medkit

(usually science fiction, video games) A small bag or case containing medical supplies


LoL

(video games) Initialism of League of Legends.


cukup

From Malay cukup (“enough”), coined by e-sports athletes in Malaysia and Singapore when competing with each other in e-sports matches.

(video games, Malaysia, Singapore) Abbreviation of choose your kit and level up or choose your kit and upgrade


pass-and-play

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[…] and multiplayer games can be conducted online (with push notifications announcing updates) or in the same physical place using pass-and-play turns.

2011, Glenn Fleishman, Five-Star Apps: The Best iPhone and iPad Apps for Work and Play, Peachpit Press, →ISBN:

With all that said, you should be ready to create the “Pass and Play” version of Tic-Tac-Toe.

2012, Patrick Alessi, Beginning iOS Game Development, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:

Days of Wonder emphasizes pass-and-play over mobile/social multiplayer because they want their games to feel like board games no matter what platform they are for.

2012, Scott Rogers, Swipe This!: The Guide to Great Touchscreen Game Design, John Wiley & Sons (2012), unnumbered page 232

(video games) Capable of being played by more than one player by physically passing the device or controller to each player on his or her turn.


Poké-

Pertaining to Pokémon or the Pokémon media franchise.


vidya

Humorous alteration of video. Originates from the 1990s American sitcom King of the Hill. American regional usage far precedes this.

There are a hundred angles to this issue and the criticism has been noted since video games first saw the light of day. However, I've never really examined the question: is "the vidya" bad for you?

2009, Kyle Calvert, "The Root of all evil?", Rampage (Fresno City College) Volume 117, Edition 6, 15 April 2009, page 13

Quinnae Moongazer, a pizza loving feminist sociologist and amateur slug herder, spends her time writing about feminism, transgender politics, and the vidya.

2012 August, “No More Excuses: 'It's The Middle Ages, Yo!'”, in Ctrl+Alt+Defeat, number 8, page 53:

The site We Hunted The Mammoth scoured the full transcript released by 4chan, turning up gems from some anons like, "i couldnt care less about vidya, i just want to see zoe receive her comeuppance."

2014 September 10, Casey Johnston, “How 4chan manufactured the #GamerGate controversy”, in Wired:


arcadey

en-adj

arcadey (comparative more arcadey, superlative most arcadey)

more arcadey (comparative)
most arcadey (superlative)

Hewson maintains its high standards with this rootin', tootin', killin', maimin', shoot 'em up. Not to be missed by arcadey types.

1989, Sean Kelly, Eliminator (video game review) in Your Sinclair 41, May 1989

GameAxis Unwired
Fans of arcadey sports titles (like the ones I mentioned above) will be in heaven, as despite its cutesy trappings, Mario Strikers adheres pretty much to Midway's proven gonzo sports formula.

(video games, informal) Characteristic of an arcade game, generally focused on action rather than strategy or realism.


killstreak

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(video games) An unbroken streak (continuous series) of kills.

(video games) An award or an advantage that a player obtains by achieving an unbroken streak of kills (as sense 1) of a given length.


TASer

From TAS (“tool-assisted speedrun”) + -er.

(video games) A gamer who records speedruns created with the help of software tools.


genocidable

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There had been the argument in the past that removing all the genocidable monsters would increase the generation rate of the more dangerous non-genocidable monsters.

2012 January 6, Janis, “A prelimary review of UnNethack”, in rec.games.roguelike.nethack (Usenet):

(video games, roguelikes, of a class of monsters) Capable of being completely eliminated from the game by means of magic.


startscummer

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Pokémania

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Teachers, who had vivid memories of the temporary insanity of POGS a few years earlier, said they'd never seen a craze to rival Pokémania.

2001, Kathleen McDonnell, Honey, We Lost the Kids: Re-thinking Childhood in the Multimedia Age, Second Story Press, →ISBN, page 97:

It is one that reflects what I found to be the general attitude of American adults regarding the Pokémania that captivated U.S. youth for at least two years: that, though a popular fad of immense proportions, Pokémon (and through it Japan) influenced American youth in terms of their goals, actions, or attitudes in a way that was judged to be relatively benign.

2008, Anne Allison, “The Attractions of the J-Wave for American Youth”, in Yasushi Watanabe, David L. McConnell, editors, Soft Power Superpowers: Cultural and National Assets of Japan and the United States, M. E. Sharpe, →ISBN, page 105:

Launched on the wave of Pokémania was Viz's four-part manga The Electric Tale of Pikachu.

2009, Jason S. Yadao, The Rough Guide to Manga, Rough Guides, →ISBN, page 48:

(informal) Passion for the Pokémon media franchise.


polymorphitis

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(video games, informal) In some roguelike games, an intrinsic ability that causes the player's character to polymorph without warning.


clickfest

(video games, informal) A game that involves a great deal of clicking (with the mouse or other pointing device).


PWI

Perfect World International
w:Perfect World International

(video games) Initialism of Perfect World International.


gacha

en-noun

gacha (countable and uncountable, plural gachas)

From Japanese ガチャ (gacha), shortened form of ガチャポン (gachapon).

Since a loot table with ten rewards won’t last for long, the very first step in gacha design is to ensure that you have enough content to make gacha a viable monetization strategy.

2018, Ennio De Nucci, Adam Kramarzewski, Practical Game Design, page 394:

Gacha mechanics are a powerful advantage monetization strategy in free-to-play games that have also been integrated into many premium titles on mobile devices, PCs, and consoles.

2020, Christopher A. Paul, Free-to-Play: Mobile Video Games, Bias, and Norms, MIT Press, →ISBN, page 112:

(video games) A mechanism in certain video games, especially mobile games, whereby in-game items or characters are purchased randomly with real or in-game money.

(video games) A game which features this mechanic as its central feature.


FDS

Famicom Disk System
w:Famicom Disk System

(video games) Initialism of Famicom Disk System.


FGC

FGC (countable and uncountable, plural FGCs)

(countable, fandom slang, video games) Initialism of fighting game community.


rubber-band

en-verb

rubber-band (third-person singular simple present rubber-bands, present participle rubber-banding, simple past and past participle rubber-banded)

rubber-bands (present singular third-person)
rubber-banding (participle present)
rubber-banded (participle past)
rubber-banded (past)

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(video games) To keep a computer-controlled character within a limited distance of the player when racing, as if connected by an invisible rubber band.

(Internet video games) To move to a previous position due to network lag, as if being held back by a rubber band.


beast mode

(slang, sports, video games) A high level of performance.


RSE

Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire
w:Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

(fandom slang) Initialism of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald.


jiggle physics

As devotees of advanced jiggle physics, we cannot condone any fighting game in which the biggest boobs belong to an unemployed plumber.

2008, Complex Magazine and Guide, Volume 7, Issues 1-3, page 178

Do adult video games have no more to contribute to the medium than "jiggle physics" (as Brenda Brathwaite calls it)?

2010, Patchen Barss, The Erotic Engine: How Pornography Has Powered Mass Communication from Gutenberg to Google, Anchor Canada, published 2011, →ISBN, page 235:

I'd like to think the good people of Tecmo devoted an entire lab to testing jiggle physics, but, sadly, the bouncing isn't anywhere close to realistic. Still, there's something about the sway of a woman's breasts that leaves our very souls souls oscillating, scintillating, and reverberating into a world of happy.

2012, Aaron Santos, Ballparking: Practical Math for Impractical Sports Questions, Running Press, →ISBN, page 130:

(video games, humorous) The art of portraying the bouncing or swaying of breasts on a 3D model of a woman.


AGI

Adventure Game Interpreter
w:Adventure Game Interpreter

(video games) Initialism of Adventure Game Interpreter, a game engine developed by Sierra On-Line.


completionism

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(video games) The goal of achieving every objective in a game, as opposed to merely doing enough to win.


recam

recam (third-person singular simple present recams, present participle recamming, simple past and past participle recammed)

recams (present singular third-person)
recamming (participle present)
recammed (participle past)
recammed (past)

Having “wondered if maybe we could alter the camera position in our demos to make them more movie-like to watch”, Bailey used Remaic to create a new recammed version of the speedrun.

2007, Andy Clarke, Grethe Mitchell, Videogames and Art, page 71:

For Marino (2004), the development of recamming tools and the subsequent dissociation of camera and POV in postproduction, marks the 'defining moment' for Machinima.

2008, James Newman, Playing with Videogames, page 146:

Replays captured as demo movies have been circulated as skills demonstrations, as recordings of significant competitive events (i.e., Thresh's defeat of Billox at Quakedelica in 1998, circulated as a recammed highlight reel) […]

2011, Henry Lowood, Michael Nitsche, The Machinima Reader, page 7:

(video games, transitive) To recreate (a recording of gameplay in a three-dimensional playfield) with different camera positioning and movement from the original camera that followed the player's viewpoint.


recam

(video games) A recreated gameplay recording of this kind.


collect-'em-up

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Modelled on earlier shoot-'em-up and beat-'em-up.

Mix together a shoot-’em-up, a collect-’em-up and a maze game, add sundry reaction tests to taste and you’ve got a tasty game indeed.

1988, Firefly (game review) in CRASH magazine (issue 50)

It's a scrolling, platform, arcade collect-'em-up adventure which shows off the SNES well, and not one you'll complete on the first couple of attempts!

1993, Neil West, Nick Roberts, Super NES Games Unauthorized Power Tips Book:

In the beginning there were no genres. There was only a small number of games, most of which looked very different. As more games appeared you could perhaps begin to classify them: spaceship games, collect-'em-ups, and so on.

2012, Clive Fencott, Jo Clay, Mike Lockyer, Game Invaders: The Theory and Understanding of Computer Games:

(video games) A video game based around collecting items.