Not easy to understand all gamers' vocabulary. So we've decided to explain everything to you from A to Z
Literally 'Game Over'. It refers to the term that traditionally marks the end of a game session in a video game, whether you finished the game, or more often when you have lost and must restart!
Synonym of joypad, paddle, pad... Controller!
Over time, the gamepad has taken on different forms, so each console maker has studied new models and key configurations. Gamepads have also incorporated one or more joysticks and a vibration feature.
Gameplay, or the gaming experience, refers to the set of mechanisms used to increase players' enjoyment and satisfaction. Its objective is to create a gaming experience that respects the 'GameFlow', the difficult balance of challenge between frustration and boredom.
Tuning the gameplay is a crucial step that corresponds to defining the game's difficulty. Its criteria are multiple and vary depending on the target's characteristics, the desired progression...
Literally 'player'. Refers to regular and passionate players. Often short for 'Hardcore Gamer'.
An English neologism that describes the act of adopting game mechanics and cues inherent to games, especially video games, for actions or applications that are not supposed to be games.
The goal of gamification is to make an action playful, to foster the engagement of the person taking part and to possibly introduce a viral dimension.
We’ve already mentioned it in several articles: Gamification at work, Video games for therapy, A game to make Parisians responsible for their waste, Recruitment through video games.
Derived from Dutch 'Gek' (crazy), the term 'geek' generally designates a passionate person, or someone driven by a feverish obsession for new technologies (computing, video games...). But the term now also tends to describe enthusiasts of certain peripheral or 'Pop' cultures such as high fantasy, sci‑fi, role-playing games, or comics.
Acronym for Good Game in English, good game in French. GG is the expression of a player who congratulates another, showing that they enjoyed the match they just played.
Status of a finished game, the final stage of development before release. The term 'Gold' recalls the gold color of the master.
In the category of game re-releases: Silver, Platinum, Red… For example Badland: Game Of The Year Edition available on Blacknut.
A stable online group of players gathering 'gamers' around a video game. The guild offers protection and assistance to its members.
Literally 'frantic and acrobatic gunfight' in a video game.
A type of game derived from Beat 'em All in which you use bladed weapons, often associated with RPG elements. Hack & Slash relies on frenetic action, requires quick reflexes from the player, but also includes a tactical and strategic dimension in choosing and optimizing your character's abilities. The most famous is Diablo. We especially enjoyed: Warhammer Chaosbane.
Literally 'hardcore players'. Refers to dedicated players who spend hours gaming, master the vocabulary and culture of Gaming, as opposed to the 'casual gamer'. Note that a hardcore gamer doesn't necessarily play more than certain casual gamers. They simply are aware of it and choose more niche games.
Usually refers to the entire computer hardware: the physical components of a computer (hard drive, processor, motherboard...)
Generally denotes the theoretical time it takes to finish a game. Some genres like racing or sports don't have a true 'end', so lifespan can also qualify the time during which the game remains interesting. The MOBA games have infinite lifespans, roguelikes as well...
Headshot, a critical hit typically in an FPS, but also found in subtler games like Minecraft or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Healer. The role of a character in an MMORPG.
Abbreviation for Health Points. Literally 'Health Points' (the hero usually dies when it reaches zero). Usually represented in a health bar or health gauge, sometimes above characters, HP can be subtly woven into Gameplay: In Aragami, your energy gauge is represented by the patterns on your character's cloak.
Literally 'home-made'. Refers to games, apps and even objects created by hobbyists.
Abbreviation for Artificial Intelligence. Describes how the machine-controlled characters behave and react to the player's actions.
Literally 'In-Game'.
Area of an online massively multiplayer role-playing game where a player or a group can complete a series of quests reserved for them. An 'instanced' zone is usually harder to play but the rewards are greater.
Refers to the overall visual dressing of a game (menu, gauge, indicators) designed to provide information or access functions.
Acronym for In Real Life: In real life, in the real world, as opposed to the virtual life you lead online in video games. Meeting IRL means proposing a real-life activity to someone you only know online.